The Decoder

Meet the Pro

Name:  Tory Patrick

Title:  Account Manager

Company:  Vantage Communications

Client Base Includes:  Hi-tech start-ups, green/cleantech

It’s Business Time

What advice would you give to people just starting out in the PR field?

Take the time to learn the basics.  Listen, take notes, ask questions.  The field of public relations is changing on a weekly, dare I say daily, basis.  The more you read and absorb and take notes and ask questions, the better you’ll be in the long run.

What are some common mistakes you made as a younger PR professional, and how do you suggest people avoid them?

Forgetting the “so what” factor.  In your eyes and the eyes of your client, yours is the “next big thing,” you may even say “the greatest thing since sliced bread.”  But to the rest of the world, why should we care?  That’s the hook, the angle that you as a public relations professional need to find and run with.

What suggestions do you have to make and maintain positive relationships in the work environment, with the media, or within the industry as a whole?

Network, network, network.  You never know where that next client is going to come from or where that editor that gets laid off from his current publication will end up.  The key is to really get to know these people and cultivate relationships with them.  Don’t just contact them when you need something – keep a running dialogue going with them and you will find it’s a two-way street.

Just For Fun

Home state:  Indiana

College:  DePauw University (with a “W”)

Favorite thing(s) to do when not at the office:  I’m enjoying home improvement projects (or should I say “supervising” my husband as he does home improvement projects).  Exploring my new neighborhood, spinning class, and learning to cook.

What’s the last book you read?  I just picked up Jodi Picoult’s ‘House Rules’ based on some recommendations, so I plan to tackle that this weekend.

What is your favorite city in the world and why?
Kinsale, County Cork, Ireland
If I could move to this little seaside town tomorrow, I would…

Tags: pr advice, pr tips, Tory Patrick, Vantage Communications