3 Ways Senior PR Professionals Can Win New Business
As a senior member at your PR firm, the days of building media lists and calling reporters might be far behind you. But that doesn’t mean the time for hard work is over. In fact, many senior PR pros are responsible for generating new business, an objective that is central to any firm’s well-being and growth.
So how can you ensure that you are consistently bringing in top clients? Competing with the hundreds of other firms and professionals in your city and around the world makes this endeavor even more challenging.
To stand out from the crowd, don’t pick just one strategy. Instead, take a well-rounded approach, looking to several places to source new business. Here are three tips to secure the best clients:
- Streamline your RFP (request for proposal) process
The RFP process can be tedious and overwhelming, especially if there is a lack of visibility and centralized intelligence within your firm. It is a massive waste of time to put in a significant number of hours working on an RFP when someone at your firm has already established a relationship with a client. Ensure that your firm is organized and keeps all client and prospective client information in one central repository. Consider a PR CRM platform to streamline this activity and eliminate the manual organization process altogether.
- Always be networking – online and off
Oftentimes, winning new business is all about getting your name (and face) out there. Make an effort to meet people at events, connect online, and have meaningful conversations without selling your services. This type of relationship management will keep you top of mind when these people are looking to hire a PR firm.
- Maintain existing relationships
In the PR world, it’s common to move from job to job, whether that move is to another agency or to an in-house communications team at a large corporation. When colleagues and friends make these moves, be sure to stay in touch. If someone you know moves to an in-house position, he or she may be looking to hire a PR firm. If this person has worked with you in the past and had a positive experience, you might find yourself at the top of the list.
Are you faced with other PR challenges that are getting you down? Download our guide, Up All Night: PR Agency Leaders’ Eight Biggest Challenges, to learn how to solve the problems that are keeping you awake at night.
