MMI Watercooler Newsletter
Public Relations and Dogs - What You Can Learn From Your Dog
by Ryan Didsbury on 06/05/2012
As a proud new dog owner of a Walker hound named Hunter, recently adopted from a local adoption center, I find myself thinking about my dog on a daily basis- Did I remembered to shut the cage door before I left? Did I remember to re-fill his water bowl? When will I be free to take him on a walk? In addition to worrying about Hunter’s daily needs, I also find myself thinking about how to best care for him down the road.
These same thoughts and concerns can be directly applied to taking care of your clients as well. You have daily goals you have to achieve and have to be ready at a moment’s notice and even on call 24-7 with some clients. Below are a few ways you can make sure your clients come first:
Plan Your Day But Be Ready For Change
As a public relations professional you can only plan so much of your day. Just as you must be ready for spur of the moment bathroom breaks that your dog may require, you must also always be ready to go at a moment’s notice with your clients. For clients, it may require sending out a pressing news story or preparing for an interview or even dealing with a crisis situation. No matter what situation arises, you must be able to drop everything and put your clients’ needs first.
Manage Your Time Efficiently
It is important to manage your time effectively when owning a new dog. The dog requires a lot of attention and as his owner, you must manage your time to fit in sufficient exercise, multiple meals per day and play time with other dogs. Just as your dog requires daily care, your clients require attention on either a daily or weekly basis as well. It is important to put your client first and reach out both through email and by picking up the phone and calling, or even a weekly visit to your client. Just as you take pride in owning your dog, you must take pride in your clients’ business and make them your number one priority.
In what other ways do you find that owning a dog is similar to managing your clients’ needs?
