How to make a good impression

Uni teaches you all about the technical skills involved in a PR role, but making a great impression is something you just have to learn from experience. Luckily, I had the ideal opportunity to learn all about it during my internship. 

I think making a good impression is a combination of being a helpful and friendly person, and following standard industry expectations (or exceeding them if you really want to make an impact). As being a good PR practitioner is dependent on building positive relationships, an excellent first impression saves a lot of hassle down the line. It establishes trust and rapport from the get go, and you’re more likely to achieve your organisation’s goals if you can find common professional ground.

As an intern, I’ve learnt several strategies for making a great impression, and I’ll share a few tips with you. 

Media Release Followup

Sending out a media release is always a gamble, but developing a good relationship with a journalist and making a good first impression certainly boosts success. After my supervisor distributed media releases to several newspapers and magazines I was asked to follow up with a phone call to make sure they had received it, and offer an interview with a senior staff member. I thought it was a great way to add value to the relationship between journalist and PR practitioner, as well as getting that media coverage.

Gift Bags

My company as a luxury cosmetics and jewellery brand often sponsors fashion and corporate events. This usually meant providing a goodie bag of samples and marketing material. Packaging took a surprisingly long time, but it was a great way to get in people’s homes and heads. Generous gift bags reflects well on the business, and ultimately sales.

Know your staff

Remembering little facts about everyone’s lives, especially staff can contribute to good relationships. It’s important to greet everyone in a room, no matter how important and to make an effort to get to know them. Having a good relationship with your fellow workers makes a great employee culture which will make an organisation more productive and make workers feel more invested.

Business writing vs. music writing

Last week at my internship I produced a set of communications material for a community event: World Car Free day celebrations at The Village at Wellard markets (a Peet Limited estate). I produced a media release, EDM (electronically distributed mail) and photography brief for the event in October. After writing up the copy, which was targeted at local media and residents, I sent it off to be proof read and receive feedback from Bec. I wasn’t overly happy with the work I had produced because I thought it was a bit dry and boring.

World Car Free day is a national event and a really great initiative that gets a lot of people thinking about their carbon footprint and how they choose to travel. I tried to convey this in my writing, but at the same time was trying to be formal and write in a corporate fashion. After speaking with Bec and receiving feedback, I raised these concerns with her and said how I was finding it hard to write in a corporate style, but also keep my writing interesting. She asked me what I usually write, which is music reviews, press releases for tours, and social media for a small touring company I run with a friend. She said that I should try and bring this into my business writing by identifying what the audience would like to know about the event, for example if I, as a young person, was living at the Village at Wellard - I would love to know about all the money you can save riding a bike as opposed to driving.

I thought this was very interesting, finding similarities in what I thought were two completely different styles of writing. I reworked my press release and EDM - making it much more targeted towards the Wellard community. It was far too formal, for example I wrote “you are invited to attend this event,” but changed it to “come down to the Village markets”. Bec also gave me a lot of other useful advice about style, especially repetition which I tend to do when I run out of things to write. I was really pleased with the final result and have attached my draft EDM and the final copy.

DRAFT

World Car Free day celebrations at the Village Markets

You are invited to the Village Markets at Wellard on Sunday 13 October for a special community event celebrating World Car Free Day and National Ride2Work day.

The Village at Wellard is lucky enough to have its own train station right inside the community and residents should seize the opportunity to minimise car usage where possible.

Whether you can ride all the way to work or use a combination of cycling and public transport – the event on October 13 will provide all the information you need.

Come down from 9am to 1pm, where there will be a range of market stalls, a trackless train for the kids to enjoy and information from Bicycling WA, the Department of Transport and Bicycle WA.

This event is a great opportunity to learn how you can exercise and reduce your carbon footprint all at once.

You are welcome to bring your bikes down from 10am where WA Police will be providing free engraving and UV markings – an invaluable crime prevention tool.

There will also be an opportunity to sign up to a new residents’ cycling group.

This event is open to all community members and will take place at Pimlico Gardens, Pimlico Crescent, from 9am on Sunday 13 October.

FINAL

World Car Free day celebrations at the Village Markets

Come down to the Village Markets at Wellard on Sunday 13 October from 9am to 1pm for a special community event celebrating World Car Free Day and National Ride2Work day. Cycling is an excellent way to get fit and reduce your carbon footprint at the same time.

Residents have the luxury of the Wellard train station right inside the community and should seize the opportunity to minimise car usage where possible. Whether you can ride all the way to work or use a combination of cycling and public transport – this event in Pimlico Gardens, Pimlico Crescent will provide all the information you need.

Bring your family and enjoy a range of market stalls, a trackless train ride and free merchandise provided by Bicycling WA, the Department of Transport and Bicycle WA. Along with the usual goodies, food, pre-loved and handmade goods, the markets will have free information stalls on bike parking, cycle paths and the advantages of shopping by bike.

You are welcome to bring your bikes down from 10am where WA Police will be providing free engraving and UV markings – an invaluable crime prevention tool, and there is also an opportunity to sign up to a new residents’ cycling group.