3 ways PR pros can emulate Olympic athletes

For athletes, the two letters embody a “personal record”—all of their hard work, dedication, success and perseverance. It’s another form of a gold medal—a mark of personal triumph in the ultimate competition against oneself.

In the communications world, “PR” means “public relations.” The two phrases (and worlds) are vastly different, but the letters hold similar values for athletes and communications professionals.

The offices of a PR firm may not resemble the swimming pools or racing tracks of Olympic athletes, but our hard work inside these four walls and successes that come out of them are just like the personal records of a gold-medaling Olympic champion.

Here are three ways that an athlete’s personal record relates to the PR industry:

1. Practice makes perfect. Just as an athlete trains every day, repeating the same exercises over and over again to achieve perfection, a PR professional uses repetition.

In my office, we have a rule that nothing goes to a client without at least two pairs of eyes on it. From press releases and pitches to media lists and social media messaging, we make sure that all work gets revised by all levels—interns, associates, managers and client leads.