When Should a P.R. Pro Give Away Advice for Free?

Let the way a prospect couches his request determine your next steps.

Here’s a scenario all freelancers will bump into at some point: I recently completed a project running LinkedIn ads for a client. My client then referred me to a friend of his, who sent me the following email:

“I’d love to chat with you about LinkedIn when you have a minute.”

Here’s how I responded:

“Sure thing! Do you have a specific project in mind? In case you don’t have the link, here’s more about my services.”

I never heard back. Any ideas why?

Here’s my best guess: This guy didn’t want me to hire me. He wanted free advice.

Nobody Cares That You’re “Sorry if People Were Offended”

By Jonathan Rick

Please stop using this nonapology apology.

Have you ever told someone, “I’m sorry if you feel that way”?

If so, please know that this is most certainly not an apology. It’s not even close.

In fact, this everyday phrase is one of the most specious, one of the most insidious, and one of the most repugnant in the English language. It’s a head nod toward contrition, but it’s unforgivably devoid of sincerity and ownership.

Let’s unpack the explosive meaning of these seven little words.

Not Every Call Needs to Be a Video Call

By Jonathan Rick

Here’s the first tip I provide in my workshop on how to master phone calls: Give people a choice.

What does this mean? It means that not every call needs to be a video call.

How I Became a Ghostwriter

By Jonathan Rick

How does one become a ghostwriter?

Well, a new profile of yours truly shares the secrets to my success. Here’s an excerpt:

Rick’s opinion writing appears regularly in places like the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, the Washington Post, C.N.N., U.S.A. Today, and Fast Company.

There’s just one catch: His byline rarely appears on the op-eds.

That’s right. Rick is a professional ghostwriter, one who pens articles and other content on behalf of executives, academics, nonprofit leaders, and virtually anyone else who wants to engage in any sort of thought leadership.

What Everyone Should Know About Wikipedia

By Jonathan Rick

Wikipedia has a lot of rules. And if you don’t know them, you’ll have great difficulty adhering to them.

As a Wikipedia consultant, I encounter the following conflict every day: Everyone wants a Wikipedia page for themselves, their C.E.O., or their organization, yet few people know what it takes to create one.

Indeed, half my job consists of counseling clients on what’s possible and what’s not. In that spirit, I’ve written a six-part checklist for those considering a plunge into the wonderful but weird wikiworld.

What Abe Lincoln Can Teach Us About Anger Management in the Digital Age

By Jonathan Rick

Why you should send emails when you’re angry.

“Count to 10.”

“Breathe from your diaphragm.”

“Stick with ‘I’ statements.”

Most advice about anger management comes down to this: Don’t act when you’re angry.

Allow me to offer a contrarian viewpoint: When it comes to email, do act when you’re angry. Received a nastygram? Respond in kind. Hand a mike to that voice inside your head that’s shouting, “What a jerk this guy is!”

Let me explain.

How AstraZeneca Spun Its Covid Crisis

By Jonathan Rick

By reframing a hostile question.

A few days ago, the pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca announced a coronavirus vaccine that’s cheap and easy to make. Yet shortly afterward, the company was forced to disclose a critical mistake.

Making matters worse, AstraZeneca chose not to publicize the mistake, as it had done with its initial results. Instead, the company notified regulatory officials and Wall Street analysts in private conference calls.

Predictably, the story soon spread, which prompted a reporter to ask the obvious:

Why didn’t AstraZeneca share the negative news with the public?

Zing!

What P.R. Pros Can Learn From Tech-Support Reps

By Jonathan Rick

Before your client asks what you can do for him, ask him what he can do for you.

“My computer crashed.”

“My password doesn’t work.”

“I can’t connect to the internet.”

In our Age of Gadgets, such complaints are inescapable. Yet the language we use to describe them is exasperatingly vague.

The Worst Way to Begin a Cover Letter

By Jonathan Rick

Every word counts — and none more so than your first few.

You only get one chance to make a first impression.

That seems obvious, right? Yet you’d be surprised by the number of people who disregard or downplay this advice when writing a cover letter.

In our business-writing course at the University of Maryland, we teach the art and science of writing a cover letter. We explain how to create a hook. We present ideas for personal connections. And yet, every semester, some students believe that it’s ok to launch this critical document on the strength of a weak opening line:

“Dear Mr. McGarry, My name is C.J. Cregg, and I’m writing to apply for…”

If ever there were a wasted opportunity, this is it.

The 2 Biggest Blunders People Make When Talking With a Reporter — and How to Avoid Them

By Jonathan Rick

If you want to speak with the media, then you need media training.

Never confuse a reporter for a friend.

This conflation is often the first — and most damaging — mistake that people make when engaging with the press. After all, it’s tempting to get chummy with a reporter. He’s a professional listener who’s eager to quote you. In the glare of the spotlight, you get seduced by his charm and let your guard down.

But here’s the thing. Reporters have a job to do: To serve up the news in a way that’s interesting. You, too, have a job: To promote your side of the story. Inevitably, those two missions will clash.