...to have periodic story development sessions. Even though I am in touch with clients virtually every day, we often have hurried conversations and are focusing on one specific press release, event or project. I explain to clients that PR and communications is a two-way dialogue and clients have the responsibility to keep me informed about current events and news in their offices. Story developments session work beautifully.
I bring a member of my staff and a trusty tape mini cassette recorder (why scribble furiously when you can tape record the meeting and listen again when needed?) Sometimes we meet at the client’s office, sometimes in my office and other times over lunch. I find it’s most productive when the client is out of their own environment. There are fewer distractions and more creativity.

The client can invite a few key people that they deem valuable to our session. I come in like an emotional archaeologist. I bring my invisible shovel and am prepared to dig away at their stories. The “digging” comes in the form of questions. I ask each person what is new in their departments or worlds. Are there new programs, awards, trends or statistics? What have people been busy doing? I explain that news is about people and people love great stories. It may be a feature story on an employee who runs marathon races. It may be a Chamber of Commerce award. It may be something so much bigger that they had no idea it was newsworthy until we started to dig and ask questions. That’s when angles start to give way to good news stories.

I always walk out of these sessions with several press release and story ideas that we can start working on immediately. They are usually stories that the clients did not even think were interesting enough to discuss. That is, until the session.

Susan Young and Get In Front Communications successfully helps businesses, non-profits and professional trade associations to increase their publicity, name recognition and revenues. Call (210) 375-6422, or visit www.getinfrontcommunications.com.

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