THINKing

Hunting New Business: A Primer

DC (digital colleague) Rodger Johnson asked me recently about how a new PR Counselor can acquire new accounts. I don’t know that I have any words of wisdom but I do know how I did it successfully. So, that will be the story of this new series of posts. If you have other advice, please wade in.

I’ll start from the beginning, and I mean the beginning.

I was making a new business pitch to a Charlotte area professional services firm shortly after going out on my own. The second meeting took place after I had provided a detailed proposal to the company on how I work. From the two meetings and the proposal it was made abundantly clear that mine was a comprehensive, strategic approach to communications.

One of the partners asked me if there was a “PR light” alternative. This meant that he wanted a tactical program that required very little involvement or input from him and the other partners. I assured him there was, but that was not my approach.

I guess I could have taken the company’s money every month just to perform a few tactical activities, but it would have been wrong for both of us. I wouldn’t feel right taking their money, nor would I be happy implementing a program that a PR intern could accomplish easily.

Needless to say, the firm selected another communications agency. To understand why this new business loss was a success, we need to look at a definition of positioning. That’s up next time.

New Business Primer – Part 2

New Business Primer – Part 3

New Business Primer – Part 4

New Business Primer – Part 5

New Business Primer – Part 6

Other Posts Of Interest

• Advertising’s Not Dead, But Advertisers Are Trying To Kill It
• Bad Rep
• Happy Birthday Social Media Today
• Stop Listening To Your Customers
• Color Me Orange