“So tell me about your connections,” said a prospective client recently.
I have a connection to my partner. She’s great. But she certainly doesn’t always do what I say she should (she’s wise).
I also have a connection to my two oldest friends. We’ve known each other since we were three. They often – to their credit – disagree with me.
I have a connection with my mom. She’s highly prone to telling me to fuck off.
The point of these obtuse examples is to illustrate the limited power of connections. Even close ones.
We get asked about who we know all the time. Every PR firm does.
We have a whole bunch of close contacts.
Every single one of them is a sentient human with a mind of their own.
Meaning:
1) They don’t just do what we say, when we say it.
2) They are not relevant to every client we have.
3) Each has their own priorities and agendas.
PR is not about connections. Sure, they matter on occasion.
But the craft is about stories, told to the right people, in the right way, at the right time.
When hiring, you’re best served by assessing how a prospective agency partner thinks, what their point of view is, and how their personality meshes with yours.
Because a PR firm is not a walking, talking, human Rolodex.