Three PR Lessons from Charlotte about what really matters
Charlotte’s Web was one of my favorite books growing up. I think I read it half a dozen times. We watched the cartoon version every year at an assembly in my elementary school – and every year, Karl, a boy in my class, made fun of me for crying when Charlotte died.
This year, my friend Susan’s corn maze is Charlotte’s Web-themed, so it got me thinking about this treasured story again, this time as a “grown up” working in the field of public relations…and it made me realize that wise, eloquent Charlotte was, in fact, a public relations expert. Here are a couple of lessons from my favorite spider about what really matters in our work:
“With the right words you can change the world.” – Charlotte
Words matter. One of my mentors said this often. The words we choose are important and should be selected carefully when we are crafting communication. Each word Charlotte wove into her web - Some Pig, Terrific, Radiant, Humble - was chosen with great care and applied at just the right time to ensure they met the goal of keeping Wilbur from becoming bacon. Charlotte got the right message to the right audience at the right time – just like we strive to do for our clients each day.
“I don’t understand it. And I don’t like what I don’t understand.” – Mrs. Arable
Clear, concise messages matter. I have a quote from Alexis de Tocqueville on the bulletin board by my desk: “It is easier for the world to accept a simple lie than a complex truth.” It serves as my reminder to be as clear and concise as possible when crafting messages for clients. To keep the truth simple so that the world can accept it. It’s not always easy to do, but, especially in a world full of noise and easy access to information, both true and untrue, as PR professionals, it is critical that we do this hard work. And it is more important now than ever before.
“It is not often that someone comes along who is a true friend and a good writer. Charlotte was both.” – E.B. White
Relationships matter. Building a business on transactions may be financially rewarding for the business owner, but building a business on true, real relationships will be rewarding for the business owner and the client – at work and well beyond. I’ve found that the clients I do my best work for are the ones that are much more than just “clients” - they become friends and, in some cases, chosen family. We really, truly care about the success of the project we’re working on for them because we really care about THEM. When the work is done, the relationship isn’t. That is why I love my job so much – because at the end of the day, it’s not just about being a good writer, but also about being a true friend.
Who knew you could learn so much from a spider?