Trish Skram’s Blog

I like to talk with my friends and colleagues in the PR and communication world—what makes them happy and successful in their careers. Not only does it help us focus on our strengths but it also allows us to learn from one another—especially me. I read a blog post on LAF called Three Signs you’re a PR pro (very good read) and was inspired to list the top skills (I think) every good communicator should know and practice DAILY.

#1 Tell a story that captivates people’s attention. As communicators, we have the ability to tell a story. In my opinion, it’s one of the main reasons I love my job. Especially in health care. WOW! If you can captivate attention with friends and your business colleagues and clients, you’re golden!

#2 Be connected and build your own inner circle. Network, network, network! Engage in as many conversations as you can, go to fun events and establish connections online. Which brings me to #3.

#3 Establish an online presence. You work hard to create a presence at work and with your important stakeholders, right? Why not do that online too. Everyone is online these days and social media is a great tool for creating and communicating your personal brand. Build it and they will come!

#4 Deliver bad news. Yup, bummer. But it does have to be done from time-to-time. I’ll be blogging more in depth about this one soon.

#5 Manage time. Be a focused juggler. Many of us work on several projects or accounts at the same time. You’ll have to manage your time effectively and provide each project and account with the appropriate attention at the appropriate time. Learn how to prioritize effectively.

#6 Remember names. I can’t stress this enough when I talk to other communicators. Read Networking 101 for my easy way of remembering names.

#7 Listen carefully to others. The more you listen and the less you talk, the more you will learn and the less you will miss. Not everyone will agree with this one but I’m a natural listener …

#8 Get in front of people and talk. Or give a short informational speech. I’m working on this one as I write (I’m still not fully comfortable). At the next company meeting if your boss asks you to explain what you’ve been working on over the last month, a short, clear, informative response is surely your best bet. “Duh…” won’t cut it.

#9 Know how to take a good picture. As mentioned in #1, telling a good story often involves a photo. If you’re like me, you have a digital in your handbag or car at all times and one in your phone. You never know when news will strike. Be prepared, always.

#10 Take useful notes. Go back to your days in college. Remember all the notes you took class-after-class. Never forget those skills because useless notes are useless, and not taking notes can be a recipe for failure.

#11 Be communicative. You can’t be shy. Hone in on your skill as a communicator, including writing and public speaking. Find out how you communicate best and embrace it.

#12 Make a good first impression. The first and utmost important thing to know and remember is that you have the control and all the power over the impression you make on your circle of connections.

#13 Be creative & open-minded: Be able to develop interesting story ideas to promote your organization, service or client. Think outside of the box!

#14 Be team-oriented: Working together with colleagues to brainstorm story or promotional ideas are one of the best parts of PR and communication. I love team collaborations and I never go full-force in to a project without consulting my colleagues and online PR community. I love you all!

#15 MEDIA-RELATIONS SPECIFIC: Be persistent but yet sensitive. PR people especially: rejection is part of the game; don’t take it personally. I learned this the hard way early in my career. I was so bummed out when something didn’t pan out the way I planned or a reporter didn’t bite on my awesome idea. Keep trying. Find another angle, pitch another idea to your boss, find something else that tells a good story. However, remember to be sensitive to reporter’s deadlines, time and opinions.

#16 Be passionate. I can’t stress this enough. Love what you do and believe in the products, clients and organizations that you represent. It will shine in your work, always.

I know you’re reading this and thinking, “I would add this too.” Please do! What would you add to this list?

Technorati Tags: 16 tips for PR people, PR gal, public relations, Random "Trish" Thoughts, skills for every PR person and communicator

Money has never really been the focal point of why I do what I do. In fact, I just realized a few days ago that money doesn’t matter to me, and I don’t think it ever will. So why do I work? Well, yes, I have to pay the bills some way or another but my work and profession goes well beyond doing a job for money. It’s about passion. That matters. As many of you know, I work in health care public relations and community relations. A big part of my job is spotlighting the experiences our patients, families and employees have, finding accomplishments and recognizing them for the impact they make on the community. The best part of my job is bringing out the good in my company and its community.

But this post isn’t about what I do or how I do it. It’s about having a passion in your work, profession or job. Do you have it? Can you honestly say that you’d do your job for free? Especially in these hard economic times and hearing about how many people hate their jobs, losing them, etc. Do you feel you have ‘that passion’? ‘that optimism’ in your work?

I just finished reading a fabulous book. Maybe you’ve read it, saw it on TV or heard about it—“The Last Lecture,” by Randy Pausch, late professor and speaker at Carnegie Mellon University. It’s a truly inspirational book that I encourage everyone to read. The book was heavy in ‘take-a-ways’ so it’s hard to pinpoint just one. I can say there was a part that stood out to me, how to understand optimism and embrace it. Even though it doesn’t pertain to work passion, it does highlight the importance of optimism. After Randy learned he’d had cancer, he didn’t let it consume or burden his life. Instead, he thought positive and continued to live his life to the fullest. It eventually brought him to new heights. In chapter 57, he says this, “My personal take on optimism is that as a mental state, it can enable you to do tangible things to improve your physical state. If you’re optimistic, your better able to endure brutal chemo, or keep searching for late-breaking medical treatments.” Randy found a true balance between optimism and realism. Even when he knew he couldn’t fight the cancer, his optimism helped him get through each day with a smile. That’s powerful!

I don’t have an uplifting story like Randy’s but I do strive to be as optimistic and passionate about what I do. I’m lucky to have the courage and strength to go after what I believe in and choose a work profession that I have a genuine passion for.

Trish Skram’s advice to a happy, passionate, optimistic work:

#1 Look for the good
If you wait long enough, your clients and co-workers will impress you. Same with situations, events and happenings. This does take patience, especially with the people and or ‘things’ that frustrate and anger you the most, but do know that they will eventually show you their good side. I believe everybody and everything has a good side.

#2 Listen and learn, no matter what
My boyfriend says I’m the best in the world at this. Between you and me, I think he’s just glad I’m there for him and his babbles [I love his rambling, babbling mind]. Honestly though, when you really listen, you absorb so many new things. Make it a personal mission in your line of work to learn one new thing about someone or something⎯it will amaze you how much that one thing can make a lasting, positive impression on you.

#3 Don’t sweat the small stuff
“Great minds discuss ideas; Average minds discuss events; Small minds discuss people.” Eleanor Roosevelt

Life is too short to worry about what everyone else thinks, acts like or does. Don’t be afraid to discuss new ideas at work, express your feelings, bad or good, learn you can’t control everything and understand that everyone has different perspectives and perceptions⎯Really. Don’t let small problems or challenges ruin your day. Don’t worry about it. You’ll be fine.

#4 If you don’t like it, fix it
If you find yourself in a job that truly has no meaning to you or you dread going everyday⎯find out why and fix it. I’ve been there. Again, life’s too short to put so much effort in something not worth the time or energy. Try to find the strength and courage to fix the negative aspects of your job. If that means putting in your two-week notice, great! But if you can’t [because we can’t control everything] go back to #1. I realize that sometimes you can’t just quit. But try to have that passion and optimism if you need to stay. Don’t think of your job as just a paycheck.

So I ask you, do you have passion for what you do? Do you live your life, feeling optimistic and excited to take on a task at work? Would you quit, even if it wasn’t the most popular choice? Now … I don’t claim to love everything about my job. I wouldn’t even say that I do. But I can say that I love having the opportunity to make a difference and follow my dreams. I admire people that actually do, like Randy Pausch has.

Photo courtesy of http://post-gazette.com

Technorati Tags: job, passion for your work, public relations professionals in Wisconsin, Random "Trish" Thoughts, Randy Pausch, Tricia Skram

Technorati Tags: corporate communicators, marketing, media relations, PR, RAgan Communications, tweetup

I had an interesting conversation with a friend a few nights ago. She was asking about how she should “really network at an event.” At first, I thought it was pretty self-explanatory, but then I thought, you know … I bet there are a lot of young people out there who struggle finding their place in a room full of people they don’t know. Some people are simply terrified. I know, I used to be one of them!

Networking is a powerful way of building professional relationships and it can generate new business opportunities. It is a common process based on the exchange of ideas, advice and contacts. Although there is no one-size-fits-all way to network, it is important to remember proper business etiquette in approaching and developing new professional relationships.

The first and utmost important thing to KNOW and remember is that you have the control and all the power over the impression you make. Here are three simple steps to take with every new person you meet:

Introduce yourself

Yup, it’s that easy. In fact, a great way to network is to simply introduce yourself to anyone who is standing alone. Chances are, they are begging for someone to approach them anyway.

Be optimistic and have lots of enthusiasm

Do NOT only talk about yourself. What a bore. Be a giver of valuable information and help fellow networkers make connections. This will have a positive effect on your reputation. Plus, people love to talk about themselves. So if worst comes to worst, just listen and let them babble. But really the key is to be enthusiastic, a good listener and use reinforcement in your body language. Keep good eye contact, nod, smile, lean forward (ha, but not too close guys). You can use this to your advantage in a room full of new people. Ask questions about who they are, what they do, who they work for, who they know, etc. Give the people you talk with your undivided attention. Don’t look around the room when you’re in the middle of a conversation. Eek! A great tactic: Get engaged by asking questions you don’t already know the answers to.

Ask for their card

Most people do, especially if you’re at a business event. Ask for business cards so that you can remember their names. Jot down some notes on the back about the unique aspects of the conversation so you can remember them in the future. It’s also important to remember names, ladies and gents. A good trick I use, repeat their name back to them when they introduce themselves (little college psychology trick). Shake hands firmly (women often have a problem with this) and don’t let go of their hand until you’ve repeated their name back. While you have their hand, say “It’s very nice to meet you, Joe” or “It’s certainly a pleasure to know you, Sally.” Try it, it works!

Networking blunders

Apply the right networking techniques and you’ll be well on the way to growing your business or rapport, but get it wrong and you’ll be left wondering why you hate networking so much. Here are a few quick things that work for me in certain, awkward situations:

Dwindled conversation

You’ve been talking to someone who is not as interesting as you had hoped. Awkward silences, uneasy gestures, long-winded stories. Yup, we’ve all been there. It’s perfectly okay to say something like, “Will you excuse me for a moment, there’s someone I want to meet OR say hi to.” It’s a perfectly acceptable thing to say. Simply smile and walk away. Enough said.

What’s your name again?

I’ve learned this “oops” the wrong way. If you run into someone you already met and can’t remember their name, simply say “Hello again. Remind me of your name.” Be clever with your approach. But remind them of your name too!

Eek, it’s THAT guy again

If you find yourself back talking with someone you didn’t particularly care for, ask if they’ve met anyone especially interesting that you might like to meet. Or point out someone you found interesting. Or both. It’s a great way to mingle around the room. Plus, if you’re one of those people who needs a “wing man” it’s an effortless way to get more comfortable with others.

Remember, networking is always easier when you’re optimistic and feeling good about yourself. So don’t hold off by ‘hanging’ with friends the entire time. Have fun and be enthusiastic. Enthusiasm is extremely contagious and if you do it right, you’ll soon be the main attraction at events! After more practice, people will start to seek YOU out to talk with you.

Happy networking!

Specific questions? Feel free to send me a tweet or email me.

Twitter.com/trishskram

trishskram@gmail.com

Technorati Tags: advice and contacts, building professional relationships, exchange of ideas, networking

Coming soon…

Technorati Tags: my work