The Official Word

A monthly column written on behalf of the non-profit network organization, Public Relations Individuals in Southern Maryland, and from the perspective as Director of Community Relations at the College of Southern Maryland and a past president of PRISM, The Official Word provides relevant and informative perspectives on public relations, networking and customer relations.

July 10, 2009: Internships Can Help Bosses, Too The lazy days of summer are a far cry from what some enterprising college students are experiencing over their vacations. College students who are working internships are gaining a reality check on their career path, and these glimpses of the real world are great opportunities to guide their career choices, either confirming they are on the right track or providing them the insight to modify or rule out that choice.

Obvious advantages to a summer internship for the student include the added value such work brings in building a portfolio with examples of real-world results and padding a savings account if it happens to be a paid gig. Especially in today's environment, college graduates who are able to demonstrate hands-on experience through career-specific internships can boost their worth to potential employers.

For businesses, advantages include the ability to have special projects addressed by an intern as well as having extra hands for routine needs in order to free staff for other projects. Read entire article...

Dec. 5, 2008: Tough Economy's No Time For Quiet. In a tough economy, among the initial round of typical targets for cost savings is trimming the PR and marketing budgets. Unfortunately that type of cut may ultimately cost your business the most.

A McGraw-Hill Research study reported in the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania's "Knowledge@Wharton" last week concluded companies that consistently advertise even during recessions perform better in the long run. The study examined 600 companies from 1980 to 1985. The results were astounding, showing that companies that advertised aggressively — either maintaining or increasing their level of spending — during the recession had sales 256 percent higher than those that did not continue to advertise. Read entire article...

May 9, 2008: Stooges to jazz, inspiration strikes. Inspiration is vital in public relations. Not only is inspiration critical for creating your positive attitude, but it also motivates others, stimulates ideas and becomes contagious.What inspires you?

I’ve heard of a writer who refuses to listen to the news in the morning. This author gets his news updates at lunch or in the evening, but the morning is off limits simply because he wants to approach the day with an upbeat perspective.

Instead of dousing his morning high with grim reports of fires, murders or brutality that have occurred overnight, he chooses to engulf himself in the slapstick humor of ‘‘The Three Stooges.” He pops in a DVD and laughs along at the antics and gags of Larry, Moe and Curley. After 30 minutes of such comedy, he’s ready to face the day armed with an infectious smile and a can-do attitude.

St.Mary’s County Public Information Officer Karen Everett finds her morning dose of inspiration in jazz. After she has devoured the newspaper and listened to the morning drive time news, she prepares for her day by switching to her satellite radio to hear the jazz channel. She says that she finds the music helps to clear her thoughts so she can arrive at work relaxed and stress-free. Read entire article...

Oct. 5, 2007: Unexpected service can lead to customer loyalty. As a Midwestern college student studying journalism and public relations, I was intrigued by a concept I encountered while enjoying a week in New Orleans’ French Quarter during the Sugar Bowl when late one evening my family and I stopped for a café au lait at Café Du Mond. Lagniappe — that little something extra beyond what you pay for or expect — came in the form of a complimentary, freshly out-of-the-oven, lavishly sweet French Market beignet — a kind of doughnut — to savor with my coffee.

Lagniappe, as defined in the American Heritage Dictionary, ‘‘derives from New World Spanish la ñapa, ‘the gift,’ and ultimately from Quechua yapay, ‘to give more.’ The word came into the rich Creole dialect mixture of New Orleans and is still used in the Gulf states, especially southern Louisiana, to denote a little bonus that a friendly shopkeeper might add to a purchase. By extension, it may mean ‘an extra or unexpected gift or benefit.’”

That beignet offered long ago is not the last lagniappe I’ve enjoyed, and subsequently I’ve learned that the concept of giving that extra measure is a powerful tool for creating positive customer and public relations. Read entire article...

Jan. 12, 2007: 2007 the year to improve your PR IQ. January is traditionally a time for reflection and goal setting; this year, consider including the following among your PR resolutions. Tackle one a month or a portion of one each month. No matter the degree to which you succeed, the exercise will strengthen your personal and professional PR IQ.

1. Audit your image. Read entire article...