Good morning!
I’m in South Florida at the height of hurricane season, but I still sense a change of season approaching. Fall is coming.
The autumn months tend to push us into planning mode for the new year. And as amazing at it may sound, 2021 is right around the corner.
Back in March, I encouraged communications professionals to “plan now” and begin thinking about how they could help their company or clients navigate the future.
We were 3 weeks into COVID-19 distancing. We’re now at month 6. I’ve sent my son off to college (praying hands) and started a new school year (online) with my daughter.
To say that a lot has happened is the understatement of the year, so if you didn’t get a chance to act on the four recommendations I gave in March, I totally get it. There’s still time to embrace them, though — and now in an even bigger way.
On Wednesday, September 30 from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m., I’m offering Plan PR Like a Boss: Strategic Planning for Communicators, a virtual, interactive workshop for PR professionals. I’ve facilitated these sessions for a decade for dozens of communicators. They’re based on my real-world planning experience over the last 25 years with past employers and clients.
You may be struggling to create a comprehensive communications plan you can realistically implement with great results (the day-to-day always seems to creep up on us). You might have holes in your planning process you don’t even realize are there, but you know something is impeding your success (and the value senior leaders place on your work). Either way, this workshop is for you.
The planning framework you learn will help you close the gaps, strengthen your role as a trusted advisor (hello seat at the table!), and add a critical service you can confidently offer clients for $10K or more.
Here’s a snapshot of what we cover:
The 4 stages of communications planning: Research, Planning, Implementation and Evaluation.
- We start the session getting everyone on the same page, defining what we mean by “strategic communications.”
- Next we jump into primary and secondary research, how to gather intel on the “3 Cs” (company, customers, competitors) in an affordable, not-scary way, and how to connect the dots so you use it intelligently. 🙂
- When we get to the Planning stage, you’ll learn how to help your clients define, prioritize and agree on target audiences; the elements of a great messaging session; and how goals, objectives, strategies and tactics are ACTUALLY defined and created.
- Finally, you’ll learn the pieces of the Implementation puzzle and how to plan for them; and how to measure the success of your efforts.
The session includes individual and small-group exercises based on various scenarios so you can put into practice what you learn, and we’ll discuss why your clients or colleagues need to be intimately involved with the entire process.
Plan PR Like a Boss is $500, which is a steal when you consider you’re acquiring lifelong skills and expertise. I used this planning process years ago in my corporate life to keep me and all the PR agencies I managed on the same page. I use it now to help clients focus on the work that really matters to the brand.
Bottom line: You’ll recover the cost multiple times over when you can confidently offer a minimum $10K service to your clients forever. And if you work inside, you’ll gain the skills and expertise to plan your company’s communications like a BOSS forever.
The session is limited to 25 people for greater connection and sharing. It’s ideal for those with at least 10 years of experience who have access to company leaders, but those with less experience could also benefit from learning a solid planning process now. If you know of someone who needs this workshop, please share.
It’s time to start planning for 2021, I can’t wait to work with you to ensure you have all the expertise you need to grow professionally and build a more successful business!
Jennifer
p.s. I’m offering a discount for my PRSA member peeps! Contact me for the promo code.
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Jennifer R. Hudson
ThinkBeyond Public Relations