Wes’ Blog

I had no idea what I should do for my first PR blog until I realized I WORK in PR. I think I’ll write about that.

All this time I was thinking that I don’t do anything in my major, but I was wrong. What do I do you might ask? I sell textbooks for a local bookstore.

I realized I was in PR when I was telling students we were sold out of certain books. I was relaying a message from an organization to a client. Unfortunately our organization doesn’t always have good communication.

As a PR practitioner I HAD to relay the message, but I didn’t HAVE to be nice about it. But I thought to myself, “If I am nice to them they might come back later and buy another book.” Thus I decided to be nice about it.

Some people think it is automatic for people to be nice. Apparently they have not been to the same stores I have been to in my life. When I go to a place where I was treated poorly I rarely go back. So what I try to do at the bookstore is be nice so people will come back later.

There was a fellow in the store the other day that was real pleased with my assistance. I was helping him find his books. While we were walking to get a book he said, “I sure do appreciate your assistance. Other people have tried to help me here, but no one has been as nice as you.” At first I didn’t really know how to take his comment. But as I got his other books he explained to me that no one seemed to show any interest in getting his books for him.

Many people would have said, “it’s over there” or “right down there.” But I went and got his books for him. That day I would have bet anyone he would be back next semester to buy his books from us. I didn’t have to wait until next semester because he came the next day and asked for me.

I like to call that building a positive relationship with a client a.k.a. PR. Welcome to my world of PR