In a 2003 Buzz article entitled “PR pros, promote thyself!” (http://newsletter.beaupre.com/e_article000127096.cfm), we talked about the importance of selling yourself and the results of your PR program internally to avoid busy executives jumping to the wrong conclusion. “A failure to communicate with executives and set expectations properly on an ongoing basis severely damages PR programs – and the people in it – sometimes irreparably.”
 
We offered 12 tips for keeping your PR program visible. This article delves more deeply into Tip #5: Manage Expectations. As PR pro John Ricciardone, director of corporate communications at Brix Networks (www.brixnetworks.com) puts it, “You don’t want to start damage control the day a negative article hits the newsstand. Anticipate the outcome of your PR efforts and work diligently to make sure everyone you answer to knows the outcome as well.”
 
Following are 12 things you should do to keep expectations in line: 

1. Know and create relationships with your internal “clients” – Start by identifying the specific people who need to be “in the know” about your PR program. Who has the authority to influence your position? Who holds the purse strings for your budget? Who influences opinion about how the PR program is going? These folks are essentially your “clients” and you need to create solid relationships based on mutual respect and credibility. Says Ricciardone, “The rapport and relationships you establish with people on a daily basis determines how well you can manage expectations.” Internal clients can range from your immediate boss to their boss to the executive department heads to executive management to the board of directors, shareholders and even advisors to the company. Don't forget the less obvious like HR, Engineering, Manufacturing, Finance and R&D. This list is crucial to managing your success and critical to feeding your PR program with new ideas. Create the list, personalize details by individual, keep it updated and refer to it often.
   
   
2. Determine wish lists – With your newly created client list, conduct an informal e-mail survey by asking a simple question: “What’s a PR home run for you?” You may get 20 different answers depending upon who you ask, and depending upon the PR sophistication of the person responding. Your CEO may say “a cover story in Forbes.” Your HR director may say “a profile in the local newspaper to drive job candidates to our company.” Your VP of Sales may say “a customer case study in a key vertical publication.” These replies will help you create a baseline for what different internal clients want and expect of the PR program. It will also help you understand if your clients are out of whack with reality or somewhat sensible in their expectations.
   
   
3. Schedule one-on-ones with your internal clients – Periodically schedule brief in-person conversations with your internal clients to drill further into their PR needs. Is the CEO trying to increase the stock price or does she want her face on the cover of a prestigious magazine? Is your HR director hiring right now and are candidates always locally-based? What are the key verticals your VP of Sales sees as a priority? Answers to these questions will give you a better understanding of the person’s current goals and needs.
   
   
4. Create mini PR plans for each client – Once you understand what they’re hoping to achieve with PR, create a short plan that includes your objectives for the overall program, and how you will specifically help them meet their own PR needs. Map out very specific publications, timeframes, requirements needed for success and progress checkpoints and get your colleagues to read, approve and buy into the plan. Refer back to your plan as you achieve the objectives and evaluate your progress and their satisfaction at least quarterly.
   
   
5. Use every opportunity to educate – For those individuals who are less sophisticated about PR, treat each inquiry, each request, and each news item as an opportunity to educate them about the probable PR results. If you know a specific news item is really not newsworthy, say so. You will avoid the knock on your office door the day after the release is issued asking why the news wasn’t front page of The Wall Street Journal. Before you even put your fingers to the keyboard to draft the release, schedule a call or quick meeting to review the key messages, offer your perspective on its newsworthiness and document the expected results. “I’ve had conversations over the years with genuinely sincere individuals who wanted to learn more about the PR process – for example, why didn’t they use the headline of our news release in the actual article?” explains Ricciardone. “For these individuals, who really want to know more, I spend the extra time to explain it. It makes a world of difference the next time I work with them on a PR opportunity.”
   
   
6. Put it in writing – Always follow communication about a particular PR event with a written summary of the agreed-upon strategy and outcome. Be sure to send this summary to all of the key influencers involved in the project, even if they didn’t participate in the meeting. A busy CEO may not have time to brainstorm about a news release outreach strategy, but may have definite opinions about where he’d like it published. Know this ahead of time so you can readjust these expectations or revise your plan. Ricciardone has experienced the spectrum of written PR communication from big company formal processes to informal e-mail messages. “The important thing – whether it’s a 10-page messaging plan or a two-sentence e-mail about media targets – is to recap and get acknowledgement from your colleagues that yes, they did have a conversation with you about expectations and they do understand the pros and cons of proceeding a certain way.”
   
7. Create a frame of reference – Think about your audience and adapt your communication to the receiver’s style of communicating. “I always try to put PR in the context of the person I’m talking to. For example, if a salesperson is asking about inclusion in an article after one interview, casually ask him – in a non-defensive manner – if he closes a deal in one meeting,” states Ricciardone. “If an engineering manager is complaining about a product news release being delayed, ask if his engineering team always meets development deadlines.”
   
   
8. Consistently communicate – Use e-mail, voice mail and impromptu stop-bys to keep appropriate individuals informed of the latest PR progress – the good and the bad – so everyone is on the same page and there are no surprises. “We really play an ambassador role as corporate PR people,” cites Ricciardone. “It’s our job to convey information, not only externally, but internally as well, keep our perspective, see both sides of an issue, and do it often.” When something important changes, let appropriate people know. Keep your ears open to hallway chats and correct misperceptions about PR occurences. Keep people updated on what’s going on. Don’t always rely on e-mail … stop by their office for a quick in-person visit; send a personal note; leave a brief voice mail. The more you check in and manage expectations in real-time, the less explaining you have to do at the end of a project.
   
   
9. Create validation for your counsel – Collect evidence, anecdotes and other backup to help prove your case when managing expectations. If you can find examples of similar news and the resulting minimal coverage, use this information as validation for your counsel. Similarly, use competitive examples as proof of things you need. If you see an article about a competitor where a customer example was used, and you’ve been having trouble getting customer references, use this as a way to emphasize the need and validate your point. “Once you’ve earned the respect of your clients, they will look to you for counsel and guidance,” says Ricciardone.
   
   
10. Share feedback – Sometimes, no matter how hard you argue for a certain strategy, the higher-ups want you to “pitch it anyway.” And in some cases, it’s not a battle worth fighting. However, if you get feedback that supports your original advice (i.e. an e-mail reply from a busy reporter or analyst saying “thanks, but no thanks”) forward it along to the individual. This will help make the case next time around. If certain individuals consistently go against what you know is right, address it. Don’t let unwarranted comments or opinions about your PR strategy go unchecked.
    
    
11. Be a realist – The age-old mantra – “under promise and over deliver” – applies to PR. While you don’t want to mislead an internal client about the possibilities of a certain PR activity, it’s best to err on the side of caution and promise what you are most confident you can deliver. The most difficult element of media relations is the fact that you generally never know what will appear in print until it appears in print. Be optimistic but at the same time be a realist and say what you need to say.
    
    
12. Promote thyself! – No matter how well you manage expectations you won’t get any credit if no one knows what you’ve achieved. Promote your results and thank the people who helped with the success. Don’t pat yourself on the back; always be a team player and prove - whenever possible – how PR helped the company achieve its objectives.