Image by Dtiet used under CC license.
Years before I stepped into the role of PR professional I spent my nights behind the bar slinging drinks. While I believe that everyone should work in the service industry at some point in their lives, I never thought I would learn so many lessons that would be applicable to my career in PR. Below are the top five things I learned behind the bar that I use every day behind a desk.
Personalization is important to avoid creating the same drink (or message) for everyone
When crafting a cocktail you need to make sure you tweak it to that customers specific wants. There is a reason that a martini order has a lot of elements: gin, vodka, up, rocks, dirty, dry, twist, shaken, stirred. It’s the same when it comes to drafting a pitch - fine-tune your message depending on the reporter. Take the time to read what the journalist has written, figure out what they are interested in, and change your angle to appeal to their personal style and opinion on the topic at hand. Tailoring a pitch to a reporter based on their beat is just as important as adjusting a drink to a customers tastes. When bartending you risk having a drink sent back or not being tipped if it’s made wrong – in PR you risk a writer passing on a story or not answering you at all.