Networking is a
very important action in building up your career in Public relations. It is not
only about who you know, but also about who the people you are networking with
know. It is always call a stepping stone process which can help reaching our target
indirectly and business card is like your personal brand statement. It helps
spread out your name among the network where you want to enter. However, what
happen if you are only a student and do not have a business card?
Here is my case:
I was asked to go
to our client company (a hair salon) and collect the newspaper advertising fees
and also provide them some information about sponsoring the next beauty pageant
event.
Me: Hi, Serena. I
am Winky and Jodie sent me here to collect the newspaper’s advertising fees,
pass you the sponsorship form and explain some information to you.
Client: Oh, I am
sorry I am busy with my client. I will pay you the fees but can you please
leave your name card here. I will call you back by today.
Me: I don’t have
name card, because I am doing placement and they didn’t make one for me.
Client: (Shocked)
So you are a student?!
Me: (node)
Client: That’s
fine. I will call Jodie by myself.
This client seemed
to lose any interest in extending the conversation, and in a rather curt manner
moved off. I was so embarrassing and I found myself so stupid mentioning about
the placement things.
I told my manager
everything when I get back to the office. And what she told me really gave me a
good lesson. She told me that what is the consequence if you are being rude to
others in a PR prospective.
There are
approximately around 300 people in each person’s network which is on first–name
term. When you meet someone you are only a handshake away from the 300 people
he or she known first terms. If the person you are introduced to then introduce
you to someone else he or she knows, you are just two handshakes away from
linking to potential network of 90,000 new possible contacts. Applying this
theory into my case, this hair salon might lose 90,000 potential clients
because of their impolite attitude. I will not introduce or recommend this
salon to my friends and this is called the power of Word of Mouth.
For Public
Relations practitioners, you are not only widening your own network, but rather
to keep building and investing in the relationship. You can keep in touch with
your targeted list of professional apostles through:
Ø
sending articles on your industry, or
better their industries
Ø
posting friendly memos
Ø
sending clippings
Ø
stay current with them, no matter how
busy you get
