Every morning, you are handed 24 hours – one of the few things in this world you will receive for free. Even if you had all the money in the world, you still couldn’t buy more time. The question each day is: what will you do with this treasure? This is a question that is relevant to anyone, but – on a professional level – especially relevant to professional service companies, such as a PR agency.

Retail stores, restaurants and any consumer-good front store invests major efforts and time into preventing theft and shoplifting. A responsible person wouldn’t consider eating at a restaurant without paying or pocketing electronics in a store; so, why is it that when it comes to service providers, people think its ok to steal our product – TIME?  We sell time, hours in the day, to produce client results and get paid for it.

Perhaps it’s a lack of awareness to the significant role of time to service-based businesses.  Unlike individuals or businesses in other industries, service-based businesses like my PR firm, 5WPR, make the most of two elements that create success: the human resource, and the time resource. Time is the platform on which we create, design and “manufacture” our invaluable goods; it is our “assembly line.”

If you ask us to spend time preparing a presentation, then have the courtesy to reply? If after numerous meetings we pitch your business, then at least have the decency to call us back.  Be constructive: take 5 minutes to explain why our services weren’t a match for you.

Time is something I’ve personally learned to manage systematically. The way meetings are run, the way I communicate, and the tools I use to maximize productivity during the day reflect my appreciation for and value of my time.  Time, in service businesses, is a component that determines the position of a business in its industry, its stake in a market. In turn, it determines how many of its leads will turn into business opportunities.

There are three business techniques I use to optimize my time: be assertive, be confident, and work on your communication skills. There is no need for elaborate explanations, no need for long meetings that go well outside the agenda, and certainly no need to waste a business provider’s time if you have no intention of ever engaging the service.

Ronn Torossian

5WPR

Businesses are accustomed to regular employee horror stories, yet CEOs worldwide must be terrified by the recent response to JetBlue flight attendant Steven Slater’s choice of how and when to resign. Many have come to his defense, stating, “It’s hard working daily with people” and “you easily get agitated by constant traveling and servicing annoyed passengers,” but did anyone ask if he still cashed his paychecks?

Launching a foul-mouthed tirade on the plane’s PA system, deploying the emergency chute, grabbing a beer, then jumping out onto the JFK Airport runway and shouting, “That’s it, I’ve had it,” are the stuff movies are made of. One must wonder how many workplaces can survive if employees are made heroes for this sort of behavior. What sort of trouble are businesses in if we define workplace bravery by Slater’s extravagant resignation?

He didn’t win my empathy, nor did he win the consumer’s – who experience the universally awful service at airlines.    

In Robin Sharma’s latest book, “The Leader Who Had No Title,” the writer goes into his infamous way of offering us a fictional parable that forces us to reflect on ourselves. The book emphasizes the notion that leadership is not something that comes with your career advances, but rather something you have in you, and something you express wherever you may be. Owning a Public Relations agency – a field that requires self-initiative, creativity, and leadership – we see these traits in superstar employees regularly.

If leadership was a skill developed in schools, or in certain jobs, there wouldn’t be much of a market for interns. At my company, and many entrepreneurial companies, there are known ingredients to leadership: love, passion and initiative.

The flight attendant was clearly not having a good day, and probably didn’t have the required skills or personality to be the best at his job.  This seems to be the issue at hand, despite the fact that JetBlue stands as a company that provides all the tools that allow one to grow, develop, and advance while fulfilling a passion. Steven Slater does not have the passion, clearly, to deal with people tired after flying for hours and to deal with horrible delays and less than ideal security screeners; thus, his leadership skills weren’t right for this job, and I’d urge him to buy a copy of the latest self-help job book.

Young people often choose jobs by the money it pays, by the narrow circumstances of being more easily able to get the position, or worse – out of no choice. These factors will not allow an employee to prevail for long.  Success comes by people who ask, “How can I improve this product or service? How can I create a solution or approach that didn’t exist before? How can I be the best flight attending, helping people through difficult travel circumstances?” These are questions of passion – this is the foundation of professional leadership and success.

I am a huge believer in following your passion and doing what you love. It is the best formula for success in life, fulfillment and the attraction of new opportunities. I would hope, for Steven Slater, that he finds his passion, which doesn’t involve emergency slides or overhead baggage.

A few lessons I think job seekers and others can learn from Slater:

1.      Find an ongoing success: you might not have noticed, but there might be just one or many activities that you are naturally very good at, and even better than others. Make note of these activities and consider making a career out of them.
 
2.      Accept advice: we tend to believe we know what’s best for ourselves when in fact; people from the outside environment may have a better understanding of us. External views are valuable in that they help us see ourselves from a different perspective. If you ask three different people what you do best and they all offer the same response, then it’s worth giving more consideration and attention to those fields.

3.      Be you: try to recall an early dream, aspiration or source of motivation. It is something we all used to have, but have forgotten due to life, circumstances, routine, and outside discouragement. Go back to those early thoughts and try to reignite the flame around them. That is you true passion that needs to be revived
 
4.      Action: leadership is the result of passion or love combined with action. A passion and a love for something are worthless if you don’t leverage one of them and recognize a course of action. Make a first move, a small step, or better yet express your passion for something with a listening ear. From my experience, things in the world begin to materialize as soon as we express them verbally.
 
5.      Confidence: congratulations! If you’ve reached this point you are almost carrying the title of “entrepreneur,” not to be confused with the title of “self-employed.” An entrepreneur can be someone who works and reports back like anyone else – only difference being that he or she applies initiative. You can be a leader at work no matter what you do. You can be an entrepreneur no matter who you work for. Come up with a new idea, express a new initiative, and make a remark on the way things can improve efficiently.

Whatever you end up doing, in order to be a leader and fly with passion you have to remind yourself of Henry David Thoreau’s saying: “Go confidently in the direction of your dreams!” Just avoid fire chutes and PA systems. 

Some random musings after a brutally hot NYC summer weekend:

·        So, I went to see “Salt” this weekend and as much as I enjoyed watching Angelina Jolie, I found it to be an utterly unbelievable movie.  Yet, I cant help but think that the recent PR issue regarding real life Russian spies (also led by a sexy female, much like Jolie) boosted attention surrounding the movie.

·        At the age of 14, on Halloween night, myself and maybe 40 other local kids were detained by the NYPD for throwing eggs at one another. We were running around the streets and doing the sort of dumb things teenage boys do every Halloween, all over the country.  A few hours later, after our parents came to get us, the incident was over and largely behind us. 
          Today, I wonder, how much a similar incident would affect college applications, high school admissions and other circumstances? In today’s Google era, and with instant postings to Twitter, Facebook and other online outlets will instantly affect the google results of today’s dumb teenage boy – and, odds are, they don’t have a PR firm versed in SEO working for them. It’s simply amazing, and no amount of plastic surgery PR can change it.

·        It’s rare that mainstream media carries interesting articles on the PR industry, but I found this Washington Post article to be a must-read…

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/24/AR2010072400261.html

So, before the crazy Monday that I have – which includes meeting with a doctor who needs PR, a marketing & PR review with a beauty brand, lunch with a diplomat, conference calls with an attorney, and some Kymaro documents to review – I want to end with an inspiring quote to start the week, from Mark Twain:

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”

Ronn Torossian

5WPR

Starting a business and being an entrepreneur require a lot of energy. They also require the realization that you’re embarked on a long path with both ups and downs. One thing to remember – which I have learned only recently – is that while you expand your imagination to how successful you wish to become, do not neglect the small achievements.

I’ve been running my company for nearly eight years now – been in the business of PR even longer. And still, I find myself celebrating every piece of progress that we make at 5WPR, and that I make personally as I walk the path of self-made people. But, people have a tendency to look and, unfortunately, find what is missing in their personal and business lives, and all of us have experienced this:

What else can be done that hasn’t yet been done?

Why don’t I have the client that I want?

Why am I still not holding a large share in the markets I want?

All of these untapped and under-accomplished areas are valid thoughts under every business term, sales, or strategy. But, as a main focus, they’re counterproductive when it comes to “success” – simply because they stem from negativity. We tend to see where we haven’t yet reached or haven’t made our mark. How many times, though, have you looked at what you ARE successful in?

Throughout the years it took us tremendous effort to get to where we are now, and it was crucial to appreciate every single uphill step. You don’t always start your way with a major client or a major account. And, if you’re in PR, you certainly don’t always get a first hit on national TV. But, every single day you do celebrate your independence – your freedom to pursue opportunity wherever your mind, skills, and talent can take you.

Here are 3 ways to change… TODAY. Practice them persistently, a few times a day. You will see the difference as you begin attracting more of what you already have and more of what you want to have.

1. Focus on all that you have and be grateful for it. This is key. Only through gratitude can you attract more of the same. It’s a two-way street, though; if you focus on negativity and what you don’t have… guess what? – You get more of it. Instead, start seeing even little things – like your writing skills, communication skills and other talents you have – and opportunity will soon present itself, so you can apply these skills for work and fulfilling purposes.

2. See your goals as a positive opportunity. As simple as it may sound, its not a natural things to do. A meeting, or an ongoing series of meetings, can be a dreadful reminder of how far you still have to go to reach your business or life goals. Instead, see the opportunity in every goal, and expand it in your imagination.

3. Practice daily celebrations. It actually begins in the morning. For example, I like to head out early for a swim, bike ride, or run. I’m talking 5 AM, before the day even begins early. It allows me to reflect on my daily goals, think gratefully of my life, and realize the privilege of where I am in life. Applying these techniques to your life will be a great beginning for new things to come, especially if you wish to change anything or improve your day-to-day experiences. In addition, celebrating the achievements can be done as follows:
a. Feedback: Congratulate or make a positive note to anyone around you that’s done something right. That includes yourself.
b. Sharing: Share a good accomplishment with someone who cares enough to be happy for you. This includes, family, friends, and colleagues. The more you express your happiness with a development, the more grateful you become, and the more attraction of the same you get…
c. Getting more: That’s your ultimate goal. In order to achieve it, you got to want it. Think about where you want to be in a day, month, year, or five years from now. The more you imagine yourself being there or obtaining your ideal wants, the faster it will materialize.
 
Onward and upward.

I remember when my daughter was born I said to my wife, “I already have a baby.” In shock, she turned hurt, until I immediately told her – “Dont worry darling, its my business, 5WPR.” Of course, entrepreneurs feel that the business they founded, sweat and bleed for is like their baby. I say this writing from a “business center” in the South of France, on vacation, where people are on vacation, relaxing, but like many other entrepreneurs, the concern, care and passion for my business arent on vacation. An entrepreneur always is caring for and nurturing their business, much like a child.

Being away for the last week, in the beauty of the French Riveria has left me time to think about items which are often neglected day to day, but are vital. Entrepreneurs dont realize how much in fact they are brands – To their employees (who often watch their every move), clients, competitors, and others. Any business owner’s personality and character are part and parcel of the company’s very fabric and being.

In the honor of July 4th, I’d like to offer four easy and applicable “independence” tips for you to apply this weekend. They wouldn’t take long, but can impact your business and reputation.

1.       Who are you? Understand the important role of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) vis a vis your brand. ”Everyone is “Googled” often, and what comes up when someone does in fact google you ? (and the 1st few pages count a lot more than the last)… Tip #1: create your public Google profile. Google prompts you to do that once you type your name on their search. Include links to your website, social media accounts, blogs, or any other source of information about you

2.       What are you up to? Social media: you should, at the very least open a Facebook, LinkedIn and twitter account, for yourself and your business. Did you visit them lately to update your network? Twitter is like a pet: if you don’t feed it and give it attention – it dies. And it takes your social media presence with it. Once you have active social media accounts, they will influence google, and therefore you will contribute directly to your brands “google” reputation. This weekend make sure to go to your social media accounts and update them: are your links set in properly? Is your professional doings updated? Have you optimized your network by bringing in more friends, colleagues and business partners? Look up for potential clients and partners to your ventures.

3.       What can you tell me? The online arena has turned to be one huge social setting. People are there to share. I am certain you have a lot to share too. First and foremost – on yourself, your skills, your talents and strengths. State them clearly over your different online accounts. Sign up to forums that revolve around your business. One of the greatest goals you can set for yourself in this venture is for you to come up and be recognized as an expert in your field. In order to achieve that you must be active and share opinions, expertise and knowledge in professional forums, your own blog or two, and in the business and professional settings that are meant to meet this goal. One of them is the BusinessWeek business exchange forum found here.

There’s many different styles of management, and many different styles of pitching and creating new business.  Owing a PR agency, I am a CEO who likes old-fashioned hard work – I admit I am more likely to be behind my desk than at a cocktail reception.

Similarly, I respond to emails, phone calls and inquiries very quickly – I believe in acting and responding.  Therefore, I wasn’t surprised to hear of the following study on the power of speed, and how it influences sales (and I am sure similarly it would influence relationships and other business aspects).

Leads responded to within one minute improve sales conversions by 391%? Leads called within one to two minutes of their being born convert 160% more often than the average – 88% of leads that close are those called within 24 hours. Be prepared to grow – Sometimes the fight is simply showing up and bringing your A-game.

Speed counts as I have said over and over…. And one of my favorite business books is recommended to remind you of the essentials:

It’s Not the Big That Eat the Small…It’s the Fast That Eat the Slow: How to Use Speed as a Competitive Tool

Ronn Torossian

5WPR

I spent a few hours this morning today organizing, and while doing so, came across a former blog post and enjoyed re-reading it.

CASH FOR RECOMMENDATIONS – PUBLIC RELATIONS STYLE

To summarize, I still feel its very difficult to find a good PR agency, and hard to find quality Public Relations professionals.  True PR people would work rather than talk about it.  They want PR careers and understand the importance of results.

We are seeking Public Relations professionals for our NY PR firm. Please send an email to Ronn@5wpr.com with names of people we should approach who need a new PR job. If we hire someone who stays more than 90 days, we will send you $3,000. 

Ronn Torossian

5WPR

Stay business minded while riding the wave of positive PR

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/09/fashion/09michelle.html?src=me

The article above which appeared in yesterday’s New York Times is a worthwhile read.  As the CEO of a PR agency, I often field questions about how PR positively impacts a brand and the aforementioned article illustrates how First Lady Obama’s super star power brings buzz and affects the businesses of the designers she chooses.

Key Points to Take Away….

By reinforcing the quality attributes of a brand, PR can often result in increased awareness amongst core consumers. As the article states, the young designer, who was lucky enough to dress Michelle Obama on Saturday night commented: “By the next day, traffic on his Web site had shot up. By Monday, he was hearing from stores that do not carry his lines but were now, suddenly, very interested.” Now, its on him to close.

That being said, it is important to stay business minded as the increased attention and sales flood in. As the article states, “you can definitely win the PR race, but there’s still a business to manage.” Certainly, good PR doesn’t mean you can ignore business fundamentals. It is the important to realize that PR is a means to an end, but it is the responsibility of the company’s leadership to take the attention and turn it into a profitable, and sustainable boost to the bottom line.

Different segments are impacted differently by different types of PR. As one designer noted “…clients who have the taste and the money for high-end designer clothes are looking for something they feel is special — not, say, a dress that everyone has seen on magazine covers and on TV.  As a designer of a $3,000 dress noted, “I can promise you I have not sold one Alaia dress because Michelle Obama wore it.”

Via sustained positive buzz and increased visibility, PR remains one of the cheapest ways for a company to build their brand. Food for thought.

Ronn Torossian

5WPR

Read a very interesting blog post today which an employee at my PR firm forwarded me about the value of creation vs. consuming.  As an entrepreneur, absolutely agree it is vital to continually create.  The creation concept is something we always seek to reinforce amongst our staff.  Push and create.  Great blog posting I’d encourage people to read: 

 http://blog.summation.net/2010/04/creating-beats-consuming.html#comments

As an aside, 5WPR is hiring PR pros at all levels.  We are always seeking creative, focused PR folks who seek to be the best.  Resumes to Careers@5wpr.com, and for senior staff, I’d welcome personal emails at Ronn@5wpr.com

Ronn Torossian

5WPR

One of my favorite aspects of owning a Public Relations agency is that it allows entrée’ to CEO’s, and C-suite management of so many different types of companies.  We receive a birds-eye view of business ideas, strategies and focuses.

In a meeting this week, I asked a fellow CEO why he was developing a new, fairly basic, strategy for his company. Essentially, his response was “why not.”  He artfully explained the easiest ideas are often times the most successful, and in his 20+ year career of making millions, it was about working hard and not stopping to ask why his competitors often aren’t doing the same. 

This struck a chord with me because in many ways it embodies the same philosophy I used (and still do) when founding my successful PR firm, 5WPR in January 2003. I saw a void in the marketplace, as media relations wasn’t valued among other agencies as a core competency. We adopted it as a necessity. Few agencies require senior staff to work and pitch media and get results, but we absolutely do. Also, PR firm owners were process oriented, and archaic in their way of thinking (not to mention age). I didn’t and still don’t fit that mold.

So, when I founded my agency at the age of 27, I had the goal of working hard and getting results for our clients.  Today, when people ask me how we have grown into 1 of the 15 largest agencies in the U.S. in such a short period of time, I say truthfully this business isn’t too complicated. Our secret to success is hard work, focus and doing right by our clients.

Business doesn’t always have to be that complicated.

Ronn Torossian

5WPR