Shortcuts vs principles

On Monday, I was getting miked up before speaking at the PRSA International Conference, and a lady approached me from the audience.

“I just wanted to tell you that I already applied what you told us this morning and heard back from an editor who has been ignoring me for weeks!” she said.

I had been a part of a panel three hours prior. Each of us panelists were asked to share one communications “hack” during our brief remarks. In this context, “hack” means a shortcut that gets you more results than the effort you put in. When you find them, they’re great.

There are a couple downsides to hacks. Because they work well, word gets around, and they lose their novelty and therefore their potency. And they can distract you from learning the underlying principles that make the hacks effective.

In this case, I told the panel audience this “hack” would immediately boost their response rates. I know this because it has worked for the Inner Circle members I’ve taught about it. But I also warned them that it would lose effectiveness over time – probably within the next twelve months.

This audience member had it right – she immediately took action and applied the hack and got the result. And she came back for more from my solo presentation.

This was my 13^th time addressing the world’s largest gathering of PR people. The reason they keep inviting me back, and the reason people were sitting on the floor in the aisles, is because I explain not just hacks, but also the core principles that make them work. So that when the hacks dry up, they can apply the underlying principles to come up with their own new shortcuts.

The longer I do this, the more I realize that too many people ignore core principles because they think “I’ve heard that before.” People are constantly looking for something new that makes everything easier. Sometimes those appear – like when a guy on a panel gives you one. But enduring success comes from axioms that others dismiss as “clichés.” Like:

– Find ways to give journalists value before you ask them to cover something

– Notice how everyone else is approaching journalists, and do the opposite to stand out

– Dig beyond what your company or clients give you and find shareworthy nuggets, and then your pitch will essentially write itself.

You believe you’ve heard those before. But are you acting on them every day? Are you pondering them to find new ways to apply them to your unique circumstances?

Inner Circle members have already learned the things I shared at the PRSA conference. The hack that lady applied is taught during the Pitch Transformation Quick Start that all members get upon joining. So are more core principles, along with examples of them working in the real world.

If you don’t travel to conferences – or even if you do – the Inner Circle is a great way to stay ahead of the competition. Read more here to see if you belong on the inside.