7 habits of highly successful PR people

The seven habits are applicable to anyone, and for public relations professionals, they are particularly helpful in your work with journalists, clients and the public. Here are ways you can apply Covey’s proven seven habits to your PR work.

Habit 1: Be proactive.

Instead of waiting for an opportunity to emerge, smart PR pros create opportunities.

This is especially applicable to client relationships and business development. As Angelique Rewers of The Corporate Agent says, “Sell to the spark”:

“Spark events are changes, decisions and activities within an organization, or in the market or industry in general, that can create an immediate need or desire for your service offerings. Contacting a potential client when it coincides with an appropriate spark event can create just the window of opportunity you need in order to grab the prospect’s attention and also dramatically shorten the sales cycle.” — The Corporate Agent

Selling to the spark is the ultimate embodiment of the “be proactive” habit applied to business development.

Habit 2: Begin with the end in mind.