This week’s #solopr Twitter chat was once again jam-packed with helpful tips. New and established PR consultants alike offered insights on the following topics:
- When budgets are small, what methods do you use to track clips (both online and print)?
- How do you “fire” a difficult client without being seen as responsible for the “challenges” of the situations they created?
- How do you approach the “can I pick your brain for free” question?
- How do you organize your time? With social media and other disruptions, how do you block out your day?
As a follow-on to the first question, there's a discussion on the Solo PR Pros LinkedIn Group listing all of the monitoring tools from the chat – join the group and add your favorites to the list!
And be sure to check out the entire Twitter chat transcript in pdf for sage advice addressing these issues of interest to all independent PR consultants.
Have you encountered any of the situations we addressed? For those unable to participate in the Twitter chat, what would you add to the discussion?
The #solopr chat – held each Wednesday from 1-2 p.m. Eastern – is a weekly ritual for some of the most savvy Solo PR Pros on Twitter. Anyone with a Twitter account is welcome to participate – see the Join Us for the #solopr Chat on Twitter post to find out how!
The “can I pick your brain” is a really difficult one. Even though I'm working fulltime now and have let people know that I'm no longer consulting, I am still getting requests to “grab coffee” or “have lunch” with organizations. At least now with my job it's a little easier to say no due to time constraints, but I also have a desire to be helpful. And from a solo professional's perspective, it's really difficult to walk that line between a meeting that could turn into potential new business and people who just want free advice. Good tips on how to handle this in the transcript!
Thanks for your comment, Amy. I agree that once one reaches a level of success, people come out of the woodwork for free advice (solo or no). As you say, we all like to be supportive of others, but knowing where to draw the line is important. Glad you found this useful!
I completely agree. “Can I pick your brain” is never a short easy to get at answer. I am finding that sometimes we just have to say no. For me the trouble is that it is often someone who trusts me, and I know pretty well.