PR or Public Relations is not only a profession but an art. It gives you the creative space to explore and improvise. The standard definition says Public Relations (PR) is the practice of managing the spread of information between an individual or an organization and the public. But anybody who does PR knows that it is a lot more than just that–from press releases to Op-ed’s, from industry notes to client meetings. PR professionals are like storytellers who convey their stories organically through unpaid methods solely on the basis of their content. It’s not something you can mug-up, but it’s a skill that one masters with time. It is also one of the most challenging professions to pursue.

I have always struggled with locating journalists and reaching out to them. Along with this, there are a great deal of other hurdles that one faces while entering the profession; some of the most common ones are-

Will the journalists even take my calls or take me seriously?

As a PR person, you must have close and credible relations with the journalists, and that comes with time. Considering journalists are busy juggling stories and gathering information while receiving numerous messages, mails and calls in a day–they have very limited time to respond to every call. In this regard, it is the pitch of the product that speaks–if your pitch is credible and interesting then the relationship gets cultivated.

How will I calm the client when there are no stories coming up?

There is a phase when you are unable to get coverage(s) for your clients as that particular sector might be taking time to warm up or there might be the backlog of stories in the publication etc. In such a situation, one must understand every client is different and needs to be tackled differently. What might work in one case may vary from another but solutions can be easily found by using different PR tools, shifting perspectives and brainstorming new ideas that are parallel to the current trends.

Is my content good enough?

A PR has to write multiple documents in a day. In the beginning, it can be a little overwhelming but the more you work on these you realise that it’s no rocket science and in no time you will get a grip of it. Time will solve everything!

Will the client trust me?

Client servicing lies at the core of PR but it can be a daunting step for a novice to speak to a client. In PR it is suggested to not restrain from speaking to the client. You must keep him informed and share regular updates so that the client is confident with what’s happening. Sometimes it is the hierarchy which does not allow you to communicate with the spokesperson. But if you do get a chance to be in contact with the client one must put their best foot forward and have a consistent and trustworthy relationship with them.

How will I remember the journalists and their names from all the industries?

The world of media is vast, there are endless publications and portals, so it’s almost impossible to remember everybody’s names. But gradually when you start to work with them so closely and they become your friends, you will have their names on your fingertips.

Everything comes with time, persistence and determination.