PR People Pick Up That Phone!

I had a great conversation with a PR the other day. A conversation. On a phone. 

Why are we in danger of losing the art of conversation?

Earlier that day, I’d commented on LinkedIn about the curse of the daily email dump from PRs that hits my inbox every morning at 8am.

These two examples of PR communication sum up what’s wrong with the way the two sides of our part of the industry communicate today.

There was a time, not so long ago, when the phone never stopped ringing with PRs keen to tell their clients’ stories. And yes, of course, that was sometimes difficult to manage. But you always took the calls, and they often led to something interesting or useful.

COVID, shrinking newsrooms, video calls,  journalists without desk phones. There are myriad reasons why the daily telephone communication slowed or stopped. 

But I think it’s led to far less effective communication. 

The daily dump of emails from PRs really is the most impersonal, ineffective replacement. Yes, automation is a fantastic thing, taking away the drudgery of so many things we all used to think were just part of the job. 

But it just doesn’t work.

I always try to be polite in my inbox habit. But it’s hard to remain so when faced with a faceless dump of emails each morning. Far easier to just bulk delete and get on with the day.

Contrast this with a call from a PR explaining why their story is of interest, or could be of interest, offering another take that makes it immediately more relevant to you.

It’s a truism, but this industry really is all about people. That’s why, when we launched NDA, we wanted to put the focus squarely on the people behind our industry’s most innovative and exciting technologies and companies. People, people, people.

Relationships matter, and relationships in person are always, always, more effective than over email or video calls. 

That’s why our industry’s events sector has never been in better shape. We all saw the potential to replace in-person communication with technology during COVID, and we all saw its pitfalls.

Of course, email, WhatsApp, and video calls are crucial tools in all our jobs. But we can’t lose the art and enjoyment of real human interactions. 

So to any PR person, or any junior reporter, I’d say make that call, pick up the phone. 

Talking isn’t just more enjoyable, less soulless; it’s also often far, far more effective.