I Googled It

Brianne here, LCI’s business development manager.  The fancy title is nice, but this is  my real job – I’m the one who tries to snag new clients, and responds to the calls that come in from people looking for a PR agency.

 

Let me tell you, my days are never dull.  I’ve been doing this for 10 years (um, David, where’s my gold watch?!)  and those calls that come in are by turns intriguing, hysterical, heartbreaking and exciting.  But never, never dull.

 

Back in the Dark Ages (that’s before the rise of the Internet), most new business came by referral…someone knew someone who knew us or our work and the phone rang.  Now the phone rings more frequently, and with much more diverse prospects, due to online searches.  Invariably when I ask a prospect how they found out about us, the answer is, “I Googled it.”  As a result, I have to be more of a detective than ever – trying to get to the root of what a prospect wants and subsequently determining whether or not we’re the right folks for the job.  Over the past few years I’ve heard from companies trying to market new snack foods made from dried tofu paste, technologists who have invented the next big thing (but sometimes can’t really explain it to me), desperate non-profits who need to create buzz to refill empty coffers, and even folks who want some publicity so they can get on reality TV shows.  Not all applicable, but an opportunity for me to educate on what PR can and cannot do for businesses – and a responsibility that I take seriously. 

 

The really fun part is when I get to talk on the phone with someone for 10 minutes who is so clearly thrilled and excited about what they’re doing…you can hear it in their voice, and it’s contagious.  While we might not be a great fit for them, I get reenergized just by speaking with them and get to remember, again, why business is exciting.  Keep those calls coming…

 

And here are a few Buzzworthy ways to reenergize your workday (even if you don’t get a lot of phone calls):
 

Learn a new time management tool  http://www.effective-time-management-strategies.com/time-management-blog.html

 

After you’ve learned one, use that time you saved to GET OUT OF THE OFFICE.  Seriously, unplug for 15 minutes, it won’t kill you.

 

Stand on your head.  It gets the blood flowing to your brain.  Don’t know how?  http://www.ehow.com/how_2143645_stand-head.html

 

Clean up your desk.  Cluttered desk, cluttered mind.  While you’re at it, wipe your desk and phone down with a disinfecting wipe.  It’s still flu season.

 

Do 5 deep, cleansing breaths.  It’s why all those yoga people look so happy.