Avoid These Three Common PR Mistakes

By Jennifer R. Farmer

Your work is important. I am sure you would prefer to spend the bulk of your time on mission rather than resolving a public relations (PR) crisis. If you believe this premise, here are three common PR mistakes to avoid at all costs.

1. Getting Too Comfortable in Public Appearances or Media Interviews

One of the most common PR mistakes occurs when a leader gets too comfortable. When leaders no longer approach interviews or public appearances with the level of intentionality and care that they deserve, they are bound to make a mistake. This can happen when a person has extensive experience giving media interviews or public appearances, and therefore doesn’t believe they need to prepare. This can happen when a person knows a lot about the topic they are discussing; they can become over-reliant on their knowledge and fail to be diligent in preparation. When leaders get too comfortable, they may let their guard down, or be more playful than the current moment demands. When a leader gets too comfortable, they may say things that ordinarily they would not say. The antidote is to approach each interview or public event with precision and careful preparation. 

2. Going Off Script/Getting Off Message

You’ve seen this happen. A leader gets up to make a speech and before they get into the meat of their remarks, they may say, “I’m not going to use my written remarks,” or, “I’m going to go off script.” The crowd may get excited, believing that they are going to get an authentic version of the person before them. However, public relations staff, campaign managers and political consultants get scared because they know going off script is a recipe for disaster. When you give a speech, you’ve likely spent time thinking about what you want and need to say. When you plan your speech, you have likely do so from a place of calm. This allows the leader to think carefully about the main messages that must be conveyed. But when you scrap your remarks and “speak from the heart,” you could be moved by emotion and that’s not always a good thing. If the crowd is fired up, you may similarly get fired up and say something that may feel good in the moment but will haunt you afterwards.

3. Speaking for Too Long

While it may be to an interviewer’s advantage to record a long interview with you, it is not always in a leader’s best interest to accept lengthy media interviews. Similarly, when you are giving public remarks, be mindful that you do not speak for too long. If you are giving a keynote speech, you may have a longer speech. But if you are solely offering remarks, keep those remarks tight and too the point. In an effort to take up space, some leaders will speak entirely too long. And in the multitude of words, there is always a chance that you may say something you should not say. If you can keep your remarks to 10-15 minutes, or 30 minutes in a keynote, you stand a better chance of delivering focused and tight remarks.