Public Relations Director or Company Cheerleader
I’m the new Public Relations Director for Financial Decisions, a Financial Firm in Stockton, CA. By new, I mean the first ever for this company. It’s a new role at this second-generation company and to be honest I don’t think everyone quite gets it. I mean, why does a Financial Company need PR? Well, here it goes.
Public Relations is more than just creating a press release to reach out to media outlets or handling marketing material or social media accounts. In fact, it is so much more than that. As a Public Relations Director, my goal is to be the company Cheerleader. In the work place I am focusing on company culture and ways to improve it. From observing, to team building, comparing personality tests, along with managing various social media accounts to help promote the company and all the people who make the company what it is (amazing, in case you were wondering).
Outside of the work place I am my company. What I mean by that, in this case, I am FinDec (Financial Decisions) I incorporate who I am and what I do into every conversation I hold with someone. At a work mixer, a conference, the coffee shop, the gas station, my children’s school and sporting events. In fact, I never leave my house without business cards. If I am not my company’s biggest cheerleader and promoter, then I am not the girl for the job (So, I make sure that I am).
A Public Relations Director needs to be involved in the communities their company serves. I sit on various nonprofit boards in the community. One, because I truly have a passion for philanthropy and want to give back to the community I live and work in. Two, because it puts me in a position to meet and network with people in the community and surrounding communities who might benefit from the company I represent (It’s a win-win). If I’m not meeting new people I am missing opportunities to help the company grow. I give myself a goal at each event to introduce myself to at least three new people. When I mean new, I mean people/business’ I have never met. Ever. If there aren’t at least three new people at the event, I’m at the wrong event and need to expand my horizon. My goal is to be the bridge to new business growth and that starts with a handshake. A lot of handshakes. Most people think that is a sales person’s job, sure, but they have enough to work on, PR will help organically bring people in, because here’s the deal, I’m not selling, I’m promoting. (Insert Cheerleader here) I don’t make commission, I don’t have a sales goal. But I genuinely believe in the work that I (My company) does, so I am excited to cheer it on any chance I get. Son’s soccer game, daughter’s basketball game, teacher parent conference, in line at the grocery store, at brunch with my friends, at the PTA meeting, my dentist. I think you get it. Even when I am not “officially” working I am promoting. Side note, if you are working for a company you don’t believe in and constantly want to promote, leave. What you believe in and what you love will radiate out of you like sunshine! You spend 40 hours plus a week working, you better love what you do. When you do, people will know.
Another feature to Public Relations, creating trust. For any company, the person who is the first point of contact needs to be someone who can build lasting trusting relationships with potential clients. Building that foundation will help to bring in new business because there is a face to the name, so to speak. When people think of FinDec, I want the faces of the people who are on the forefront to pop in to their minds. Not just the Public Relations Director, but the people who work one on one with our clients as advisors, the sales team, etc. A Public Relations Director will make sure to get these faces out there if not at career fairs, mixers, or encouraging them to participate in the community, but via social media platforms and hopefully in various news outlets. It helps to strengthen the trust and make the company seem more familiar. When you can build credibility and trust, then you can start increasing the business of the company. Who do you want to work with, someone you know or someone you’ve heard of? By growing in community presence and in online presence it makes us (The entire company) more recognizable, relatable, and trustworthy.
On top of sharing the individuals of the company, you also need to share the work culture of the company. If your employees love their job it shows and when people love their job it means the work you are doing is right. So yes, I’m that person during meetings who has their phone out and is sneaking photos and videos for Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. I want everyone to know how great our office is, how unique our team is, and even if they don’t need our services now, they might in the future. Who is going to stand out? (Cheerleader voice, “We are!”)
A lot of my days consist of meetings, mixers, luncheons, volunteer, fundraisers, I talk A LOT to A LOT of people, I share A LOT on social media and at every single event you better believe I am not Heather, but Heather from FinDec. I also know that the increase in business, just like social media followers is not something that will happen overnight, it’s organic, so you must be consistent and strategic, but I do know it will come. So, let me ask you this. Do you have someone handling your Public Relations and Marketing? Is your company growing or stagnant? Did you answer “no” and “Yes”? Maybe it’s time to reconsider.
