Being sensitive allows for a lot of unseen opportunities, such as building meaningful relationships with clients, to become apparent. This is because it allows you to see the world in a different way, other than stiff corporate.
“There is a certain kind of
sensitivity that can be a tremendous asset when your job is to communicate on behalf of brands to the general public,” says Jade Faugno, contributor for Forbes.
Working in PR means you are
constantly in contact with other people, such as the public, your clients, event planners and journalists. Thus, being more attuned to your own, and other people’s, emotions will allow you to stand out from other professionals in the field — so this is
definitely the way to go.
Here,
media update’s Talisa Jansen van Rensburg reveals three reasons as to why more PR pros should be more emotionally sensitive.
1. Being sensitive allows PR pros to be emotionally aware
Being emotionally aware means that you are able to identify what you or other people are feeling in the moment at any given time. This is important because it allows you to communicate a lot better with your client as you won’t get stuck on
your side of the story. You’ll be able to have control of your emotions and spot any possibility of a misunderstanding.
According to psychologist Sherrie Campbell, people who are more sensitive “
are gifted with a greater insight into what makes the human being feel enough to be moved.” And this is an essential skill that all great PR professionals need because it will ensure that the message they send out will be heard, seen and interacted with on a deeper level.
So, instead of being like Elsa from
Frozen ...
— feel and
don’t conceal!
2. Sensitive PR pros are more empathetic
Brands experience a lot of crises, especially since everything is so easily accessible online. And as soon as you have a few unhappy consumers, you are bound to be faced with a negative review online. At times, it might not seem like a big deal, but something extremely small
can escalate, and you need to be wary of that.
By being more sensitive, you will be able to see where your client is coming from during moments of crisis. Having a clear understanding of how they are feeling and where their mind is at will allow you to better manage their brand’s reputation.
When you show that you have a deep understanding of their needs, they are more likely to listen to your advice, as they can trust your intentions. If it seems like you don’t care because of a lack of empathy, the client might lose their trust in you and think that you don’t care about them.
They might view you as just another service provider. The break-in trust here can then lead to conflict, accusations, assumptions or a dealbreaker for the client.
Therefore, be like this cat when it comes to having empathy:
3. Sensitive PR pros are highly passionate about their work
When you are a sensitive PR pro, you become highly passionate about what you believe in — and this is so important in the public relations industry. This essentially enables you to support your clients and their message 100%.
This means that you will also choose the
right clients for your agency. Because you are so in tune with their needs, and you’re able to make them understand yours, you’ll
want to represent them as they have the same goals, values and beliefs that you do. As they say, birds of a feather flock together.
Once you are aligned with your clients’ emotions, you’re opening the door to a much more successful relationship because everyone has the same objectives in mind for the brand.
Additionally, being highly passionate also encourages a more creative mindset, meaning that as the PR pro, you will be able to come up with really great and relevant ideas that will make your client stand out in the best way possible.
So, don’t just be passionate, be Oprah passionate:
Do you think being more emotionally sensitive is an asset in today’s world of PR? Be sure to let us know in the comments section below.
*Image courtesy of Vecteezy