19 April 2012 - Halfday course - Book this course!

Perfect Pitch Masterclass  

PR training in contacting journalists

How to devise article and interview pitches that journalists really want to hear

Course in brief

An intensive workshop which shows you how to pitch or sell in PR ideas such as article and interview opportunities, as well as press conferences and facility visits, to editors and journalists. The course is based on exclusive research into what 75 editors are looking for when they're being pitched to.

Duration: half-day, afternoon.
Cost:  £245 (excl VAT); and a 10% discount for more than one booking.
Location: National Liberal Club, Whitehall Place, London SW1A 2HE (nearest Tube station is Embankment).

Attend if you are...

• PR professional in an agency or in-house
• Marketing communications executive or assistant

The course is suitable for people from large and small organisations, and from companies, public sector bodies and not-for-profit organisations.

What you gain

After attending the Masterclass, you will be able to:

• Understand how to develop an e-mail pitch which grabs attention
• Make a telephone pitch to a journalist with more confidence
• Write an interesting and focused article synopsis
• Choose the best pitch approach for each idea you submit
• Avoid the classic pitching errors which turn journalists off

About the course

Pitching or selling in PR ideas such as articles and interview opportunities - not to mention press conferences and briefings - to journalists is one of the most frequent jobs for PR professionals. And also one of the most frustrating. Too often, you'll get no reply to that e-mail you've sent to the journalist you're targeting - or a bored "not interested" on the telephone. Being turned down again and again is hard work and depressing. And not good PR.

But it doesn't have to be like that. The Perfect Pitch Masterclass shows you how to craft the kind of pitches that editors and journalists really will want to hear about. Why? Because the Masterclass is based on an in-depth research project which collected the detailed views of 75 editors and senior journalists across a wide spectrum of different newspapers and magazines about what it is they look for in a PR pitch.

The Perfect Pitch Masterclass is ideal for any PR or marketing professional - agency or in-house - who wants to sharpen up his or her approach to pitch making and selling in ideas to editors and journalists. It's also ideal for marketing professionals who want to learn more about what it takes to get pitches accepted by editors. During the Masterclass, participants are encouraged to raise issues and problems they have with their own pitches and PR selling in.

Masterclass programme

The Master Class is based around 11 modules

Pitch invasion: why PR doesn't get a result

• How many pitches editors receive - and how many they use
• 10 top reasons editors turn down PR pitches, according to 75 editors
• Introducing a 10-step approach to the "perfect pitch"

Step 1: Understand pitch basics

• How to understand what journalists want
• Four different kinds of pitch and when to use them

Step 2: Decide on your idea to pitch

• What have you got to pitch?
• What do you want to pitch?
• How can you decide what to pitch?

Step 3: Research potential media targets

• Where to find information about the media
• How to avoid falling into the "category trap"
• Why you must get the "hygiene factors" right
• Six questions to answer before you pitch

Step 4: Choose the best format to carry the idea

• Why even good ideas get turned down
• Questions that guide you to the best format
• Interview
• Contributed article
• Press conference/briefing/event
• Review copy
• Sample product
• Facility visit
• Press release

Step 5: Prepare your pitch

• The four components you need in your pitch
• What editors expect (or hope!) from a synopsis
• Six steps to write an attention-grabbing article synopsis
• Six steps to write an attention-grabbing interview pitch
• Preparing a pitch for a press conference or event
• Preparing a pitch for a review copy or sample product
• Preparing a pitch for a facility trip or visit
• Six steps to write a covering e-mail for a synopsis
• How to get ready to deliver when an editor says "yes"

Step 6: Give your pitch the "wow factor"

• Four reasons most pitches lack the "wow factor"
• Eight ways to give a pitch the "wow factor"

Step 7: Make your pitch

• How editors like to receive pitches
• How to make an e-mail pitch stand out from the crowd
• When to make a letter pitch rather than e-mail
• An eight-step approach to making a telephone pitch
• When and where to make a pitch face-to-face

Step 8: Follow up on your pitch

• When you should - and shouldn't - follow up on a pitch
• What to do when the editor says "yes"
• Delivering on a contributed article
• Delivering on an interview opportunity
• Delivering on an acceptance to a press conference/event
• What to do when the editor says "no"
•  What to do when the editor says  "maybe"

Step 9: Handle an enquiry

• Where and when you could get enquiries
• How to handle speculative enquiries

Step 10: Learn from experience

• Seven pitch mistakes made time and time again, according to 75 editors
• How to build a long-term relationship with the media

Appendix: Learning from the best and worst pitches 10 editors received

Course materials

The Perfect Pitch Masterclass comes complete with a set of outstanding course materials that are designed to help you build on your new-found pitching skills even after the course is over. You receive a course pack which contains:

• The Perfect Pitch Master Class Workbook and Course Notes is exclusive to people attending the Class. The Workbook distils the collective wisdom of 75 editors and senior journalists who took part in the research project on PR pitches. The Workbook contains dozens of quotes from the editors with handy hints and tips about what they want (and don't want) from PR pitches. The Workbook includes a comprehensive set of notes covering the main points of the Masterclass and also provides room for you to add your personal notes. The Workbook remains a permanent reminder of the course content - and a valuable source of reference - long after the Masterclass has finished.
• How to Make Your Case in the Media. This 159-page paperback is a practical guide to how to develop story ideas that the media will be interested in hearing about - and then put them across in interviews. ("This book does just what it says on the cover - it sets out to help people who find themselves being interviewed by either print or broadcast journalists... For those organisations that are not able to provide their people with media training, the book is a useful instruction kit." - Education Marketing and PR Association). Alongside the Workbook, it provides a valuable source of information which enables you to build on what you learn in the Masterclass.

Course presenter profile - Peter Bartram

In 30 years as an editor of more than a dozen different newspapers and magazines, Peter Bartram has received thousands of pitches from PR people. So he is well-equipped to advise PR professionals on what journalists want from PR pitches.

Peter has distilled much of his experience of the good, the bad and the ugly in PR pitches in two books (co-authored with Professor Colin Coulson-Thomas): The Complete Spokesperson: a Workbook for Managers Who Meet the Media and How to Make Your Case in the Media.

As a busy working journalist, Peter's byline has appeared in national newspapers such as The Guardian, Daily Telegraph and The Sunday Times, in business and professional magazines, such as Director, Accountancy Age and Computer Weekly, in the local and regional press, in trade and technical publications, and in consumer magazines and newspapers - so he's well placed to advise on how to pitch to many different kinds of publication.

Peter is an experienced public speaker and presenter and has devised and run media training events. He is also the author of other media and communications-related books including How to Write the Perfect Press Release and How to Write Well at Work. Among his 20 books are three titles in Random House Business Books' "Perfect" series of self-help titles. Peter is a member of the Society of Authors and the London Press Club.

What people say...

 "What a full and fantastic course. A lifetime's worth of knowledge in an afternoon. Beautifully prepared course materials, and very enjoyable practicals - it's great. That session provided more clear value than any other training I've attended in the industry over the years." - Neil Boom, PR director, One News Page

"This is the first course I've been on that has answered my need for a clear, concise 'rule book'. I think the checklists are great!" - Rebecca Hirst, PR and communications executive, First Direct

"Peter exuded authority and knowledge. With so much snake-oil around, here, at last, is someone who knows his stuff." - Jim Williams, PR  manager, Postcode Anywhere

"Peter was an excellent presenter and it was great to get his opinion considering his long experience as a journalist." - Jane Wakefield, press and communications manager, Research Councils UK

 "I really enjoyed the course - it felt like a breath of fresh air." - Ruth Palmer, Indigo Pink Communications.

"We had an in-house Perfect Pitch Master Class at our firm. By the end, all of the six participants were able to state exactly how they were going to implement what they had learned in order to enhance specific client accounts - and I can already see their improved confidence in what they are doing."  - Lizz Clarke, managing director, LCM Logical Creative Marketing

"It was helpful to find out that some of what I am already doing is right but that there are ways I could improve. Thanks for a great afternoon!" - Gemma Hardy, BHPR and Design

"Excellent afternoon. Time well spent. Thank you." - Chris Foster, media officer, The Scout Association

"Overall, very solid course, with lots of real-life examples from editors. Very well structured Workbook, which will be valuable for my colleagues. Thank you." Nick Vellacott, director, Highlight PR

17 May 2012 - Halfday course - Book this course!

Writing for Publication Masterclass  

Half-day training in writing an article

How to write news stories and feature articles that editors want to publish

Course in brief

An intensive half-day writing an article workshop which shows you how to approach writing articles in a positive way, by adopting some of the tips and techniques that journalists use. The article writing course will help you to structure and write articles that editors will take seriously. The article writing course is followed by a distance learning exercise in which you have an opportunity to write an article and have it critiqued by e-mail.

Duration: half-day, afternoon.
Cost:  £245 (excl VAT); and a 10% discount for more than one booking.
Location: National Liberal Club, Whitehall Place, London SW1A 2HE (nearest Tube station is Embankment).

Attend if you are...

• Public relations executive or assistant
• Marketing communications executive assistant
• Business owner or manager who wants to write press articles

The course is suitable for people from large and small organisations, and from companies, public sector bodies and not-for-profit organisations who want to learn how to write an article.

What you gain

After attending the Masterclass, you will be able to:

• Approach article writing assignments with more confidence
• Understand how to collect and structure information for an article
• Know how to start an article so that it gets the readers' attention
• Develop techniques that make your writing more lively and interesting
• Know how to edit your article to give a professional polish
• Master the tactics needed to get articles accepted by editors
  

About the course

Writing for Publication is a practical hands-on article writing course for those marketing and PR professionals who want to step up a gear with their published writing in newspapers and magazines. A key feature of the course is a 10-point approach to getting articles accepted by editors.

Even though there are thousands of publications and websites which are willing to consider contributed copy - such as case studies, people profiles and feature articles - competition for space is becoming tougher and tougher. And the harsh reality is that most editors are wary about much of the copy that comes from the PR industry. For example, in a recent survey, 75 editors from a wide range of different newspapers and magazines agreed that the "poor quality" of PR contributed articles was a "frequent problem".

Writing for Publication aims to help you provide copy that turns that problem into an opportunity! The article writing course gives you an edge by providing you with a range of writing skills that will help you produce copy with the content, structure and polish that editors will take seriously.

The strength of this article writing course is that it teaches you to write the way journalists do - you learn the same techniques they've been taught on university journalism courses. Yet you learn those techniques in ways which enable you to apply them in your own PR and marketing communications work.

And you learn them in the most practical and effective way possible - by getting the chance to try out the new techniques for yourself. The course includes carefully structured article writing training exercises that teach you how to use the new techniques you've learnt about - and write like a true pro!

Writing for Publication is ideal for the PR practitioner with some experience who now wants to become more proficient at writing the kind of articles which newspapers and magazines will want to publish. But it is also very suitable for a beginner who is determined to start a promising PR career on the right foot.

Masterclass programme

1. Why writing for publication is different

• The writing for publication challenge
• 10 ways to get articles accepted by editors
  
• Writing "to order"
• How to meet readers' expectations
• Being accountable for what you write

2. First principles: how to make a solid start

Being given a brief

• Key elements of a brief
• Interpreting the brief
• What the brief may not say

Developing a synopsis

• What editors expect from a synopsis
• Researching a synopsis
• A six-step approach to writing a synopsis

3. Winning research: finding the key information

• Basic tools of the trade
• How to approach the research
• Three places to find the information you need
• Finding the key questions to ask
• The importance of detail

4. Turning information into copy

• Planning an article outline
• Managing article "building blocks"
• Five common article structures
• the "inverted pyramid"
• time narrative
• theme by theme
• problem-solution
• question and answer
• Choosing which information to use

5. Opening salvo: writing the introduction

• What the introduction must achieve
•  - hard intros
•  - soft intros
• Eight rules for great intros
• Writing intros for news stories
• 12 ways to start a feature article

6. Techniques to keep the reader reading

• Three golden rules of published writing
• How to "show" rather than "tell"
• Nine ways to lead from one point to the next
• How to use quotes effectively
• How to make a "sidebar" work
• Six ways to handle the "pay-off"

7. Writers' clinic: solving common problems

• Word choice: hot words, cold words
• How to write sharper sentences
• Five ways to explain complex issues simply
• Words on a page: making your writing shine

8. How to edit your own copy

• What to look for when editing copy
• Common errors and how to spot them

9. Submitting copy to editors

• Three golden rules of copy submission
• How to handle editors' queries

After the Masterclass

• Write an article and have it critiqued over e-mail by the course presenter

Course materials

The Writing for Publication Masterclass comes complete with a set of outstanding course materials that are designed to help you build on your new-found article writing skills even after the course is over. You receive a course pack which contains:

• Writing for Publication Masterclass Workbook and Course Notes. This 60-page Workbook is exclusive to people attending the course. The Workbook contains a comprehensive set of notes covering the main points of the Masterclass and also provides room for you to add your personal comments. The Workbook is packed with examples from articles which illustrate all the main points. It also contains the material for the training exercises along with helpful hints about how to approach the exercises in the most effective ways. The Workbook is a unique resource and remains a permanent reminder of the course content - and a valuable source of reference - long after the Masterclass has finished.
• Article Briefing Book. This handy reference guide, also unique to people attending the course, provides tips on how to write 13 different kinds of articles. These are a press release or news story, a case study, a company or organisation profile, a personality profile, a themed feature, a how-to article, a product review, a conference report, a face-to-face interview, a diary story, a book review, an opinion column, and an editorial.
• How to Write Well at Work. This 191-page paperback is an invaluable primer for anybody who would like to improve their written English. The book provides practical advice on how to approach any writing assignment and is packed with examples of how to deal with common writing problems,. "A concise and useful guide for those who lack confidence in their business writing, as well as for anyone who would like to sharpen their reports letters and such-like." - Business Age.

Course presenter profile - Peter Bartram

Few people are better equipped to teach about writing for publication than Peter Bartram. In a long writing career, Peter has written 20 books, including five on writing skills, around 3,000 newspaper and magazine feature articles and countless news stories.

Apart from having had millions of words published in publications ranging from national newspapers to business and consumer magazines, Peter is an acknowledged specialist in the craft of good writing. His books on writing skills have been praised in many independent publications.

In commending his book, Perfect Business Writing, the Daily Telegraph said: "Mr Bartram's advice is sensible and practical... his guidance away from the self-important to the straightforward should be read by everyone who writes anything."

Business Voice, the CBI's magazine, said Peter's book How to Write Well at Work "offers the right sort of advice to enable anyone to produce better reports and presentations, even write more effective e-mails". Executive PA magazine said of the same book: "If writing doesn't come naturally, then this handy book will put you on the road to success..."

Peter is an experienced public speaker and presenter and has devised and run media training events including the Press Release Masterclass and the Perfect Pitch Masterclass.

What people say...

"It was great. I came back, and remain, inspired." - Jacqui Thomasen, corporate events and communications manager, Ashridge.

"My colleague and I both found that the Writing for Publication Masterclass was an efficient solution to our writing needs. We received a very comprehensive list of ideas with which to improve the articles we write and copy edit for our internal magazine and on our intranet site. We were able to measure our understanding along the way with some quick tests, but no time was wasted and we accumulated knowledge and technique apace. Three hours after arriving we felt empowered and enthusiastic about writing for publication: this was money well spent!" - Bryony Ulyett, Internal Communications Executive, Corporate Communications, Halcrow Group

"Very informative and well presented. Worth travelling far for." Georgina Key, Membership and Publications Co-ordinator, ACAD.

"I found it very valuable and liked how you have organised every process in easy-to-follow steps." - Samantha Whitaker, Royal Over-Seas League

“I write for a wide variety of reasons as part of my work as a campaigner in the voluntary sector. This includes articles for internal and external publications, web content, promotional materials and information sheets. I found Peter’s straightforward and practical approach to writing very useful, the background materials have helped me greatly since the training day, and Peter’s offer of feedback on a piece of writing was invaluable. Thank you for a great course!” - Lee Webster, senior campaigns officer, Leonard Cheshire Disability

20 September 2012 - Halfday course - Book this course!

Perfect Press Release Masterclass

Half-day training on writing a press release from Peter Bartram

A journalist's eye view on how to write press releases that make it into print

Course in brief

An intensive workshop which shows you how to write and distribute press releases that will generate helpful coverage for your organisation. The course is based on research into what 89 editors and senior journalists are looking for from press releases. The press release writing course is followed by a distance learning exercise in which you have an opportunity to write a press release and have it critiqued by e-mail. SPECIAL FEATURE: Writing press releases for the Web.

Duration: half-day, afternoon.
Cost:  £245 (excl VAT); and a 10% discount for more than one booking.
Location: National Liberal Club, Whitehall Place, London SW1A 2HE (nearest Tube station is Embankment).

Attend if you are...

• PR professional
• Marketing communications executive or assistant
• Press release writer

The course is suitable for people from large and small organisations, and from companies, public sector bodies and not-for-profit organisations.

What you gain...

After attending the Masterclass, you will be able to:

• Understand what editors are looking for when they receive a press release
• Develop stronger story ideas before writing a press release
• Write a press release "intro" that grabs attention
• Understand how to produce press releases that generate more website hits
• Edit your press releases so that they read more succinctly
• Distribute your releases in ways that increase their chances of being used

About the course

Press releases are the most common tool in the public relations professionals' armoury. Yet too many releases end up in the recycle bin - rather than the newspapers and magazines to which they're e-mailed.

The Perfect Press Release Masterclass is a half-day workshop which focuses on how PR people can write a press release so that it generates more coverage. The Masterclass draws heavily on the feedback from a unique research project in which 89 editors and senior journalists provided information about what they want from press releases. So the Masterclass is rich in the kind of real-life detail that you can take away and put to use in your next press release writing assignments right away.

The Masterclass is perfect for young professionals just learning about press release writing. But it also contains plenty of material for more experienced press release writers who want to freshen up their approach. It is also ideal for marketing professionals who want to learn more about what it takes to generate press coverage. Participants are encouraged to raise issues and problems they have with their own press release output. The Masterclass lasts for approximately three hours with a short break half way through.

Following the course, participants have the opportunity to write a press release and have it critiqued by e-mail by the Masterclass presenter.
 

Masterclass programme

The Masterclass is based around 20 modules:

Press releases as editors see them

• Deluge! The numbers of press releases editors receive
• Why editors don't use press releases
• Looking at four releases through editors' eyes

Why the press release is an important PR tool

• The releases that made it into headlines
• Different ways journalists might use a release
• How good releases open doors to other publicity opportunities

Six key things editors don't want PR people to do

• The six features editors find most annoying in press releases
• Results of survey of 89 editors

Five key things editors do want PR people to do

• Basic ways to make editors take notice of a release

The 14-step approach to writing releases that editors want

• Why it makes the difference between being and not being published.

Step 1: know the point of your story

• How to define what kind of story you're writing
• Ways to uncover the strongest story
• Why you need to keep it simple
• When not to send a press release

Step 2: check your story passes the "so-what?" test

• How editors apply the so-what? test
• How to judge whether your story passes the test

Step 3: assemble all needed information

• Six key words that help you find information
• Ways to make collecting information easier
• 10 quick tips for conducting interviews
• Why you must focus on the facts
• The key checks you must make for accuracy

Step 4: judge the weight of your story

• What is "story weight"?
• How journalists judge story weight
• How to judge your press release's weight
• Why you score by getting the release's weight right

Step 5: focus on your target audience

• How to craft your release for a specific audience
• The way to pitch your language at the right level

Step 6: write the introduction

• Why intros are critically important
• Five key traps that make intros fail
• How to get to the heart of the story in the first words
• Six ways to write an intro
• And a seventh which works even better
• How to find an "angle" for a story

Step 7: write the rest of the copy

• How to use your information in the correct order
• Ways to make your release more readable
• How to write quotes that get quoted
• How to "piggy back" on running stories
• A simple step that improves the chance of your release being used
• SPECIAL FEATURE: Writing press releases for the Web
• Using keywords in press releases

Step 8: add a note to editors (if needed)

• Why "boilerplate" paragraphs turn off editors
• How to use the note to increase the chances of the release being used

Step 9: write the headline

• What you need to achieve with the headline
• A quick introduction to headline styles
• A simple formula that will help you write grabbing headlines
• How to choose the words to use in headlines

Step 10: add date and contact details

• Why journalists want dates on press releases
• The different contact details you should provide
• What the contacts themselves need to know

Step 11: add a note about other resources

• The resources journalists might want
• Three keys to providing pictures that get used

Step 12: edit your release

• Why you must check facts with primary sources
• How to spot and tie-up loose ends in the release
• Why it's important to be able to substantiate claims
• How to tighten up the writing: words you don't need

Step 13: get your press release approved

• How to define an approvals regime that works
• The seven worst approval pitfalls and how to manage them

Step 14: conduct a final check and send out

• Four points the final check should cover
• How to distribute a release so it gets noticed
• Follow up: three things to do; three things not to do

Celebrating success

• Six different ways to measure the results of press coverage
• Five ways to impress management (or clients) with the outcome

After the course

• Write a press release and have it critiqued over e-mail by the course presenter

Course materials

The Perfect Press Release Masterclass comes complete with a set of outstanding course materials that are designed to help you build on your new-found press release writing skills even after the course is over. You receive a course pack which contains:

• The Perfect Press Release Masterclass Workbook and Course Notes. This 68-page Workbook is exclusive to people attending the Masterclass. Alongside detailed course notes and exercises, the Workbook includes dozens of quotations, packed with useful hints and tips, from the 89 editors and senior journalists who took part in the research project on which the course is based.
• How to Write the Perfect Press Release is a 170-page paperback book which is packed with helpful information about how to write press releases. ("The real value of this book is the insight into the world of journalism." - Professional Marketing magazine.) Alongside the Workbook, it provides a valuable source of information which enables you to build on what you learn in the Masterclass.

Course presenter profile - Peter Bartram

Peter Bartram is one of Britain's leading authorities on the uses and abuses of press releases. He has written two books about the subject. The first, How to Write a Press Release ran through three editions and sold in thousands. The other, How to Write the Perfect Press Release, published in 2006, is already into its fourth printing.

Peter is well-equipped to advise PR professionals on what journalists want from press releases. As a busy working journalist for more than 30 years, he's received thousands of them. At earlier stages in his career, he's also written hundreds of them on behalf of PR consultancies.

Peter's by-line has appeared in national newspapers such as The Guardian, Daily Telegraph and The Sunday Times, in business and professional magazines, such as Director and Accountancy Age, in the local and regional press, in trade and technical publications, and in consumer magazines - so he's well placed to advise on the needs of many different kinds of publication. In all, Peter has written nearly 4,000 feature articles for newspapers and magazines. In a packed career, Peter has been editor or editorial director of more than a dozen newspapers or magazines covering subjects from business to lifestyle.

Peter is an experienced public speaker and presenter and has devised and run media training events. He is also the author of other media and communications-related books including How to Make Your Case in the Media (with Colin Coulson-Thomas), The Complete Spokesperson (also with Colin) and How to Write Well at Work. Among his 20 books are three titles in Random House Business Books' "Perfect" series of self-help titles. Peter is a member of the Society of Authors and the London Press Club.

What people say...

• "Thank you so much! I walked away feeling much more confident and I look forward to putting my training to the test." - Jenny Hogan, press officer, Kinleigh Folkard and Hayward
• "Just to let you know I am very grateful for your Press Release Masterclass. When I sent off my last press release, on the lack of ethics in the restaurant business, The Guardian picked it up and seem to have copied and pasted it. Apart from a couple of sentences, it really was my press release that they had made into an article. You bet I was well surprised as they didn't even contact us for more detailed information." - Hanna Backman, writer/researcher, Ethical Consumer
• "The course gave a frank exposé of the failings of many press releases, and Peter's experience helped highlight simple do's and don'ts to avoid the pitfalls - a great help as there is always something new to learn." - Robin Hepburn, managing director, Waughton
• "The Masterclass Workbook & Course Notes is an excellent resource - short enough to scan while writing a press release." - Dr Dave Cavanagh, Institute for Animal Health
• "I found this really good in re-capping what I already knew, and in re-iterating important media perspectives and motivations. Was great." - Holly Linnell, account manager, Pielle Consulting Group
• "I've seen Peter Bartram transform a dry announcement that I thought had little hope of making it into print into the kind of news release that's generated a fistful of great cuttings. He is something of a guru on press releases - and he shares his knowledge with warmth and humour." - Tony Martin, managing director, Portfolio Communications
• "For any PR practitioner there can be no better way to understand what drives the news and creates interest in a story than hearing first hand from someone who works in the industry day to day. Hearing first hand from Peter what catches the eye of the press and understanding why some press releases make it and others don't is a must for anyone in the public relations sector." - Richard Merrin, managing director, Spreckley Partners

Currently available in-house - Book this course!

An organisation is truly evaluated by its customers, opinion formers and the media on how it communicates through a crisis. With crises coming in all shapes and sizes this workshop is designed for PR professionals who may have to advise senior managers on managing an organisation’s communications process during a crisis.

Level

In-house PR managers, account managers and account directors within PR consultancies.

Content

• What makes a crisis?

• Common mistakes to avoid

• The four phases of a crisis

• Drawing up a crisis communications plan

• Best practice – lessons learnt from the past

• Strategies to employ in a crisis

• Tactics to deploy in a strategy.

Outcome

Delegates  will have the confidence to advise management during a crisis and will be equipped with strategies and tactics to ensure that their organisation or client communicates effectively during the four distinct phases of a crisis.

Currently available in-house - Halfday course - Book this course!

Working in PR is a balancing act between servicing the needs of clients (and media) whilst getting things done efficiently and effectively. But what happens when things go wrong? Go in too softly and you won’t be heard or taken seriously, go in aggressively and you’ll generate conflict. This workshop provides useful tips on developing assertiveness so that you’ll be able to stand your own ground without alienating others.

Level

Account executives and account managers

Content

• Recognising when to be assertive

• Using assertive body language techniques

• Planning what to say

• Dealing with criticism

• Handling someone who constantly ‘dumps’ work on you/takes the credit

Outcome

Delegates who attend this course will learn the difference between assertiveness and aggressiveness and pick up practical skills on how and when they can be assertive.

Currently available in-house - Book this course!

Designed for PR consultancies this course looks at the client/consultant relationship. It explores effective approaches and techniques for developing successful long-term, profitable clients and dealing with difficult and troublesome client relationships.

Level

Account managers and account directors.

Content

• Understanding and managing client needs

• Matching needs with benefits

• Negotiation structure and techniques

• Closing the deal

• Interpreting the brief

• Identifying key result areas

• Implementing the programme

• Managing the profitability

• Dealing with overservicing

• Developing and selling new projects

• A client satisfaction toolkit.

Outcome

Delegates  will be equipped with the confidence to deal with different types of clients. They will also be armed with a range of strategies and techniques that will help them to develop effective working relationships.

Currently available in-house - Book this course!

Creative ideas make us more successful. But too much creativity is lost in the workplace by a natural focus on delivering the more functional parts of our working roles. This course helps delegates to understand the different thinking processes required to maximise creative potential in the work environment. And how to translate that into the best of brainstorms, using real case studies and very hands-on participation.

Level

Account managers, account and associate directors and in-house professionals who participate in or run brainstorms and want to learn how to get better at releasing their creativity.

Content

• How to set up and run a brainstorm session

• Brainstorming techniques at four progressive levels

• Understanding and overcoming the biggest barriers to creative thinking

• Applying creativity to specific types of challenge or opportunity

• How to analyse and evaluate creative ideas

• How to sell original ideas to clients

• Live brainstorming sessions on current projects.

Outcome

This course will enable you to learn and apply the creative thinking techniques that are used by everyone from award-winning creative directors to professional comedians. And you will take away with you an array of fresh ideas for a current project.

Currently available in-house - Book this course!

Description

Designed for new entrants at any level, this course covers the key issues you need to understand to start a career in the PR business.

Content

• What is PR? - how it fits in with other marketing communications

• Types of PR - consultancy, in-house, government, public sector

• PR Disciplines - consumer, corporate, financial, public affairs, crisis, internal, digital

• Sectoral PR - B2B, charity, healthcare, fashion…..

• PR activity - reactive / proactive / interactive /international

• Target audiences - who, where, how they perceive you, priorities

• Addressing audiences - communication objectives, what needs to change

• Strategy & tactics - definitions and differences, objectives and evaluation

• Tools - what we have to work with, potential hidden assets

• Messaging - key messages, their power and available channels

• Media landscape - overview of the media and how it is changing

• What makes news? - realistic views and examples from different angles

• Presenting your message - making your story stand out, writing press releases

• Pictures - what makes a good PR picture with examples, good / bad

• Spokespeople - who should be spokesman? - often not the obvious person!

Outcome

From attending this course, delivered by one of the leading trainers in the sector, you will be able to select areas for further development while being able to undertake the basics.

Currently available in-house - Book this course!

This course  focuses on the key levers that affect profitability and how they can be managed to ensure that staff are effective without being over-worked or over-stretched.

Level

Directors responsible for team, client and agency management. Also Account Directors with Board potential.

Content

• Key ratios – what are they and what do they tell you?

• Why ‘time’ should be your currency not £s…

• Over-servicing – the root of all evil – and how to kill it!

• Understanding ‘utilisation’ and ‘capacity’

• Estimates and Quotations

• Understanding management accounts and forecasting

• Revenue and Capital expenditure.

Outcome

Delegates  will be able to optimise their firm’s financial performance and maintain profitability even when the unpredictable happens. They will understand the different ways of managing time and fees to ensure that over-servicing is reduced (eliminated entirely) and that better time management always leads to greater staff satisfaction and improved morale.

Currently available in-house - Book this course!

Those who attend will learn how to think beyond any current inhibitors to business and market success. Delegates will gain a clearer understanding of their leadership style and the way that their style impacts upon morale, motivation and the development of “followers”. The course includes work on delivering and receiving feedback and the process for creating inspirational and robust direction.

Level

Designed for account, associate and board directors.

Content

• Processing the details of reality

• Strategic realities

• Team reality check

• Political realities

• Buy-in reality • Implementation realities Influence – making a clear impact

• Influential leadership styles – profiling tool • Who do you need to influence – stakeholder mapping – proximity mapping

• Behaviour and influence

• Feedback – the breakfast of champions

• Personality and influence Vision – creating an engaging picture of the future

• From Mission to Vision

• Choosing the arena for your Vision

• Creating and sharing a motivational Vision of the future

• Making it happen Motivation and Communication – keeping up momentum and bringing people on board

• Motivation is based on Science

• Motivation needs careful planning

• Communication is not only a process but an interpersonal skill.

Outcome

Delegates will leave the course with a clear steer as to next steps in establishing their leadership within their business - “Live the Vision”.

Currently available in-house - Halfday course - Book this course!

This half-day course provides personal understanding and the requisite skills to achieve more efficiency in managing the wide range of tasks and demands experienced daily in a busy PR agency or corporate office. It looks at time management in the context of personal effectiveness: managing our priorities and work/life balance in such a way that we feel more in control of our lives and at one with our long-term aims. It also explores how to alleviate the classic Catch-22’s faced by managers.

Level

From executive assistant to senior manager - anyone who wishes to improve the way in which they manage their time

Content

• Time Management: what it is and what it isn’t

• Understanding personal effectiveness

• Effective prioritisation

• Attitudes to time

• Personal organisation

• Understanding and beating the procrastination habit

• Tackling time stealers

• Effective delegation

• Personal action plans

Outcome

Delegates will gain a clear understanding of how they can prioritise their workloads, be more proactive and increase their productivity and avoid the stress build-up which is often the result of poor time management.

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Description

This course will give PR agency directors, account and associate directors vital commercial skills. It helps delegates to understand the key factors involved in winning, managing and growing client accounts profitably. It examines the factors affecting profitability and how to monitor and control them. The session aims to provide senior account handlers with the commercial skills necessary to ensure that their firm is properly paid for the work that it does.

Level

Directors responsible for team, client and agency management. Also Account Directors with Board potential.

Content

• Growing client/accounts – the 9 things we all forget to do!

• Winning new business – establishing a profitable basis

• Estimates and Quotations – the fundamental flaw

• Client contracts – what’s important and what’s not

• Negotiating the deal – a simple method to ensure optimum profitability

• Dealing with difficult client contract demands.

Outcome

Delegates who attend this course will be able to manage their clients and accounts effectively to ensure that they optimize profitability and growth opportunities. Their teams will enjoy greater clarity of purpose and higher satisfaction. The firm will grow faster and enjoy greater profitability.

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This course helps delegates to understand that the key to successful strategic planning in Public Relations is to ensure that communications objectives are aligned with business and organisational objectives. The result is that PR is at the centre of the organisational stage and the tactical implementation of the strategy developed is relatively straightforward.

Level

Account managers, account directors and senior in-house professionals responsible for establishing public relations strategy in support of marketing and corporate objectives. Some experience of planning and implementing communications tactics is assumed.

Content

• Characteristics of strategic PR

• Managing creativity and creating the environment in which it flourishes

• Crisis and issues management

• Writing objectives and a framework for evaluation

• Issues facing PR, including the strategic impact of new technology

• The personal dimension and developing strategic habits.

Outcome

Delegates  will be able to appreciate the strategic issues that lie behind successful PR planning, understand the characteristics of strategic communications and how the components of public relations planning fit into the ‘planning pyramid’.

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The Internet is fuelling one of the biggest shake ups in society since the industrial revolution – the digital revolution. Increasingly clients and senior managers are asking for advice about wiki’s, blogs, podcasts and vodcasts. How can PR use the super publics of MySpace and Facebook? And what of the virtual worlds such as Second Life? What can Flickr offer a campaign? What should we do if a client’s brand is subject to a hate site, spoof site or worse an anti site? How can we utilise webcasts and SMS texting. And what is a prosumer? How is the media reacting to the digital revolution and how can PR’s harness these changes? This one-day workshop takes you through the dynamic world of E-PR and helps you understand what is on offer, how to devise effective strategies and deploy cut through tactics.

Level

Suitable for everyone who wants a greater insight into the fast changing world of the Internet and its impact on companies and consumers

Content

• The Internet & Web 2.0 – a very brief history
• The changing Environment – a new landscape for PR
• How the media is responding to the changing landscape
• The Death of the consumer & the birth of the Prosumer
• Blogs
• Social media sites
• Prosumer sites
• The Dark side of the web
• Hate sites
• Anti sites
• Your Media Shop Window – The website and how best to use it
• Monitoring, Measuring and Motivating on the web
• New Channels - New Tactics
• Running Multi Media Campaigns – strategies for web 2.0.

Outcome

From a combination of insightful teaching and dynamic practical sessions delegates will be equipped with the confidence to take advantage of the fantastic opportunities the Internet offers while also being able to counsel clients on when to and when not to use E-PR.

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This course provides a realistic insight into the day-to-day activities involved in working in PR, whether in an agency or a corporate or marketing communications department. Level It is suitable for staff who are joining a busy PR agency or department for the first time or for more senior staff who are moving into PR from a different job.

Content

• What is PR
• Good PR v bad PR
• Planning and targeting
• Media relations - knowing who to approach and how to sell in
• How to be news aware
• Press release essentials
• Organising press events
• Overview of most common PR tools
• Managing budgets
• Evaluating PR.

Outcome

This course will give you an insight into the practical skills needed to implement core PR activities, providing you with the confidence needed to deal professionally with the media and suppliers.

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This course focuses primarily on pitches and credentials presentations. It includes work on strategy, the nuts and bolts of putting the presentation together, mental preparation and, most importantly, the delivery itself. Please note that you will be invited to bring with you and deliver a short presentation at the beginning of the session.

Level

Account managers, directors and executives: anyone who has to pitch.

Content

• Understanding personal impact

• What wins the pitch?

• Audience strategy

• Structure, preparation and prioritising your messages

• How to maximise your personal style

• Mental preparation and handling the fear factor

• Handling the Q&A.

Outcome

By the end of the course delegates will have a clear method for preparing the presentation, will understand how to maximise the impact of their messages and be more self-aware and self-confident in their delivery. They will gain an understanding of how to give their presentation a genuine edge.

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This course introduces delegates to current performance management best practice. It focuses on how to develop your team, it assesses successful approaches to team leadership and how to communicate and motivate your team to realise their full potential.

Level

managers who want to develop their team leadership skills.

Content

• Defining team types and the roles within the team

• Assessing your style of leadership

• Motivating team members

• Setting and communicating clear objectives

• Delivering effective feedback

• Establishing training and coaching needs

• Using effective delegation

Outcome

Delegates will learn to appreciate the issues that lie behind successful team leadership, understand the characteristics of teams and how to communicate with their teams to improve their performance.

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This course provides a practical guide to the day-to-day activities of an account executive, enabling you to make a valuable contribution to the implementation of client programmes.

Level

Account executives who are joining or have recently joined a busy PR consultancy, or administrators who have been promoted to an account handling role

Content

• Team role explained

• Juggling different projects

• Servicing clients – building trust and rapport

• How to take a brief – from client or colleague

• Dealing with the media

• Press release essentials

• Planning and organising PR projects

• Overview of most common PR tools

• Feeding back and writing reports

Outcome

This course will equip you with the practical skills needed to implement core PR activities, providing you with the confidence to handle clients and media professionally.

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A vital role within any PR consultancy, the account manager is the person at “the coal face”, dealing with clients and the media, devising PR programmes, implementing tactics and supervising staff. As such, it one of the most demanding and challenging roles within an agency. This workshop will equip you with all the skills necessary to make you a first rate account manager who can multi-task with confidence.

Level

Senior account executives and recently promoted account managers within PR consultancies

Content

• What makes a good account manager?

• Classic manager skills and how to gain them

• Project management in an ever changing environment

• Planning and allocating resources

• Team management – delegating upwards and downwards

• Building confidence and assertiveness skills

• Techniques for handling difficult clients

Outcome

Delegates will gain the skills and confidence to lead their team, handle clients successfully and implement and manage a range of PR programmes.

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Arguably the most important position within an agency in operational terms is that of the Account Director. The role requires a combination of management expertise and strong inter-personal skills in order to get the very best out of the team. Add to this the need for strategic insight, project management expertise and client handling skills to complete the demands of the role. This workshop brings all these skills into play, sharply focusing on how to become the very best in this most vital of all vital agency roles.

Level

Senior account managers and recently appointed account directors within PR consultancies.

Content

• What makes a good account director?

• The secrets of good team management

• Getting the most out of all your resources

• Handling clients

• The financial perspective

• Developing strategies that clients will buy

• Growing your portfolio in revenue terms

Outcome

Delegates  will gain the skills and confidence to develop their team so that they deliver supreme client satisfaction and great campaigns.

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This course focuses on the many challenging skills required of the successful manager if they are to manage their teams to perform effectively.

Level

Designed for managers with minimal management experience, and for those aspiring to become managers who wish to develop their management skills.

Content

• Understanding the manager’s role and how it can affect team performance

• Identifying leadership styles

• Dealing with difficult people

• Managing performance

• Motivation and delegation

• Developing your staff.

Outcome

Delegates will learn to appreciate the approach necessary to become a successful manager, understand the characteristics of difficult people and how to deal with them and how to communicate with, motivate and develop their teams.

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Winning new business starts well before you get that call to pitch. What will bring business to your door? What is your proposition, your relationship with the market place, your reputation? How will you put your consultancy in a position to win, not just to pitch? This workshop looks at how you generate new business, and how this approach can be sustained. It examines how you create opportunities for generating new, new business, and new business from existing clients. It suggests ways in which to develop a new relationship with your own consultancy in the context of business development so that you can determine and plan for continuing growth and success. The course will include the opportunity to work on conversion with live examples.

Level

Senior managers and directors of PR agencies wishing to enhance their new business prospects.

Content

• Marketing your agency. What’s your proposition and how do you build on this for market clarity, definition and difference.

• examining of the sources of new business and how you develop the framework for identifying leads.

• Creating sparks. Starting and sustaining relationships with potential clients.

• Networking for new business. Developing spheres of influence and building on the relationships which will work the market for you.

• New for old. Winning new business from existing clients. Adding the WOW factor, building the basis for new work and expanding the brief.

• Fuelling the flame. Moving from warm to hot. Conversion issues and opportunities.

• Whose credentials are these? Considering what the client needs to hear.

• Strategies for new business development. How to develop yours.

Outcome

Delegates will be able to plan their new business strategies with greater sense of purpose, and clearer picture of the likely results.