With Q4 2010 well underway, this week's #solopr Twitter chat covered some of the key issues we face this time of year:
1. How do you make sure clients feel comfortable when you're out of the office (short term and long term)?
2. How do you mark the holidays with your network?
3. Are your clients in planning mode for 2011? What are you seeing re: budgets, emphasis, etc.?
Be sure to check out the transcript in PDF for insights and advice from top PR professionals nationwide. 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 Join Us for the #solopr Chat on Twitter to find out how!
A1: Honest (if somewhat twisted) answer? I don't give clients a reason to be nervous because, although I try to tie up loose ends before a short or long-term absence, I also make myself available if things come up. The guy on the cruise ship phone, talking to a client at 3 a.m. while in Russia? Yeah, that's me.
A2: I don't, broadly speaking. Top clients get a gift, but the rest of my network? I don't think sending a card or a happy wish adds value — most of my network is busy being swamped with end-of-year issues.
A3: We're seeing cautious clients and prospects, same as everyone else. For 2011, the keys to growing revenue (and we *will* grow revenue) come down to:
— Charging more for doing less by focusing in high-margin verticals where we can dominate; and
— Simply bypassing the clients altogether and taking equity stakes in media that we can monetize. (There are *endless* opportunities for PR practitioners and agencies to not merely pitch but also own stakes in media — it's an under-explored area for growth.)