6 insights from PR expert Anne Shevas
Photo by Jordhan Madec on Unsplash
Don’t we all want to learn from the best? That is why at Laika, we participate in regular training sessions with external top-notch coaches. Last month, the Laika crew had the chance to attend a workshop with British PR expert Anne Shevas.
For more than 20 years, Anne Shevas worked in senior communications positions at the heart of government; at 10 Downing Street for two Prime Ministers: John Major in the post-Thatcher era; and Tony Blair, as Chief Press Officer and Prime Minister's Spokesman. She was in office at many of the key political events of those years and had a lot of great PR insight for the Laika team.
We thought all of us could benefit from a little inspiration from Anne Shevas, who shared wisdom and stories about the experience at the top of PR. So here you go:
1. Don’t bluff or mislead
The first “don’t” that Anne warned us about was bluffing. In her opinion, it kills trust and is the quickest way to lose others' confidence. And in communication, trust is everything. So you shouldn’t gamble with it.
PR expert tip: Don’t pretend you know something when you don’t. Learn your subjects so that you are confident. Make yourself an expert in different fields.
The second-worst thing you could do in communication is misleading others. As a PR professional, one of your key strengths is being reliable. It’s not appreciated when you say you will do something, and then end up not doing it. A key part of being a reliable person is honesty. If there is something you don’t know, which does happen, honesty goes a long way!
PR expert tip: Be prepared, do your research, and memorize important bits of information. And if you don’t know, don’t try and lie your way out, it is much better to be forthcoming about what you don’t know.
2. Be kind
Being kind and attentive to people is so valuable. Even with Anne’s busy work schedule, small acts of kindness were very important to her, because they allowed her to have good relationships at work, and to create a pleasant working atmosphere.
Being friendly to others, helping people out, listening… Good PR people search for personal contact with others in order to create trusting relationships - instead of talking too much about yourself, take an interest in others. When carrying that kindness into your work attitude, it improves relationships and therefore helps you forward.
PR expert tip: Shared soccer favorites, remembering the kids or dogs – picking up on personal details can keep a connection going. Being kind is the basis of a strong relationship. For example, when starting a new job, do not immediately start criticizing your new co-workers or their work. Instead, encourage them and ask why they do something a certain way - understanding and showing genuine interest towards others is key!
3. On difficult client relationships
Sometimes client relationships can become complicated. After all, we’re all human. Especially in politics, Anne sometimes had to deal with people that made her job difficult. Therefore she recommends establishing easy-to-follow processes and setting up clear boundaries, as it provides people with a certain sense of security of what to expect.
When you’re put into a difficult situation, try remembering that you don’t have to always answer straight away. It’s totally fine to take your time to think about a valuable answer, but again, always be honest.
Take some time to reflect on the situation, and commit to getting back to the client with an answer.
Oftentimes, PR professionals are being confronted with this sentence: "your job is supposed to make me look good in the media". Our consultant David Josephs mentioned that this phrase is best being responded to by stressing that as PR professionals, we present the client’s side of the story, and give them the best chance to show a good version of themselves in the media. We both empathize with the client and the journalists. We don’t buy space in magazines or opinions in other people’s minds.
PR expert tip: When coming across micromanaging clients, it can be helpful to establish processes that stay the same and create predictability. Build up ground rules before you start - show clear examples of what the process will look like. A concrete example here would for example be a 100-day plan at the beginning of a campaign.
4. Handling modern media
Media has been changing so rapidly over the past decades, and while Anne finds these changes very enriching on the one hand, she is also aware that this can have a negative impact, as well. Immediacy, for example, is a very good thing, as it makes information travel fast. But the danger here, of course, is that misinformation will travel the world before the truth has gotten its trousers on.
PR expert tip: Double, even triple check any given information to be sure to provide the right information to the public. Immediate information does not automatically equal qualitative or truthful information!
5. Strive for balance from day one
Anne also gave us advice for younger people entering the professional world. She advised young professionals to think about where they would love to work, and how much time they want to spend working. You need to figure out your priorities and then start your journey! Once rules are set, it is hard to change them, so strive for healthy, happy balances. And remind yourself: someone hired you and you got the job! So someone believes in you, be confident.
PR expert tip: Focus on setting up your boundaries soon, and believe in yourself!
6. Remember: communication is an art!
Everybody thinks of themselves as great communicators - maybe even more so now as everything seems so easy with the help of social media. Well, it is not. Information has to be double-checked, adapted, and presented correctly to the targeted audience. It is a struggle! And communicating is certainly not easy when you’re dealing with a difficult person. Even if you are the expert in the room, don’t be condescending or a know-it-all: expose your ideas, and keep the dialogue open.
PR expert tip: The key is to show your expertise without insulting the other side.
In conclusion, we can say that our meet-up with Anne was both full of anecdotes and full of wisdom. Anne is an expert in managing tough situations and gave us insight on how to implement her tips in our work lives. Often it’s the small things that can go a long way!
If you liked these insights, we encourage you to take a look at the conversation we had with Dannie Lu Carr for International Women’s Day! In that blog post, we talk about leadership, working women, confidence, pressure, roles of women in society, and making positive changes. Make sure to check it out!