The public relations industry is always evolving. As such, PR pros must remain on our toes to adapt to new techniques and business trends, refresh our skills, and gain a competitive edge over other industry professionals. Central to the success of a PR pro is our ability to learn. We must keep ourselves informed about new and emerging technologies and techniques so that we are able to provide clients with the very best counsel and service we can.
What learning skills do PR pros need to be successful? Outlined below are five examples.
Translating Complex Topics
As a PR professional, it is routine to take a subject we had zero knowledge about in the morning and become an expert on it by 4 p.m. that same day. We are tasked with reducing the complexities of enormous operations with lots of moving parts into an email or even a subject line that a reporter might be inclined to click on. While the timeframe we have to do this in may be a tad more flexible, it can often be challenging to ensure the optimal outcome for our client.
Be it hosted PBX solutions, geospatial intelligence or cloud-based ERP solutions, it is essential for communications professionals to have the ability to research, understand, translate and communicate complex technology and solutions into clear messaging for the non-technical business user.
Curious Nature
While it is common to be curious about something we don’t know, what keeps us more curious is when we start learning it. Having an initial knowledge of any subject will let our curiosity flow in the right direction and help us become even more eager to learn. We will know what questions we need answered, which makes way for focused learning. To develop or stimulate curiosity, we must seek out opportunities to ask better questions and challenge conventional processes. As we do, we can find better answers outside of existing boundaries.
Asking Questions
Expert learners are also expert at asking questions. Great learners ask intentional questions that will lead them to the root of an issue so they can understand it better. All communications professionals must hone our question-asking skills. Knowing how to navigate an interview with an executive, subject matter expert, client or other key stakeholders gives us the critical information we need to communicate the message we are tasked to oversee. Preparing good questions is a start but having the background to nimbly adjust during the discussion often makes all the difference.
Listening
Once we’ve done the research and asked thought-provoking questions, it’s time to listen. Only when we keenly listen can we have the level of understanding needed to engage with key audiences. Through active listening, we can tailor messages especially for each audience, who are then able to relate to what the client is communicating. The better PR pros listen, the better we speak and write.
Assessing Outcomes
Reflection and introspection in learning are crucial, and the more accurate, the better. Both under- and overconfidence in our knowledge and abilities can lead us to fail to perform at our best. The same is true in PR. Measurement of a PR campaign reveals what’s working and what’s not – it enables us to learn from the project to drive better results in the future. Moreover, evaluating outcomes and reporting the results and takeaways of our PR efforts helps justify PR spending and value-add to our clients.
Public relations is a lifelong learning commitment. As such, PR pros must cultivate the five key learning skills outlined above in order to be successful and drive the best results for the clients we support.