The art of conversation

As social creatures, most of us seem to be hard-wired to share what’s in our head with others. What we think, what we know, how we feel – it’s hard to go for any great length of time without letting at least some of the cat out of the bag.

Now social media presents an infinite audience 24/7, feeding a compulsion to share (even when it would be wiser not to).

But among all this chatter, how confident are we in the art of conversation?

Are we able to listen and ask questions that allow us to discover more about others, as well as ourselves; to reveal areas of mutual interest, form new friendships and, just as important, move politely away from those with whom there’s no common ground?

Business networking events can be hideous. Stumble into a speed-selling event where everyone’s talking but no one is listening, and you’d be forgiven for never attending another networking event in your life.

Some companies perform in the same way within virtual networks too, collecting links and followers, and giving the sales spiel without the kind of ‘virtual eye contact’ that suggests they have any real interest in you, not just your wallet.

And yet, the relationships we form with people can enrich the business we do together. Earlier this week we supported our client Sapa Building System in their mission to engage with architects, by sponsoring British Architecture Now in partnership with the Architect’s Journal and the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA). Twitter dialogue during the #BritArchNow event was lively, creating silent conversations across a packed hall of delegates.

But it was the physical presence that was so powerful, allowing Sapa to meet, talk and share conversations with architects from some of the UK’s best practices, both at the event and in the convivial surroundings of a nearby restaurant afterwards.

Back home in Cheltenham yesterday evening, I attended a local business launch over drinks. Within less than an hour conversations ranged from care homes and the CQC, to Wimbledon, the Isle of Man TT, social media, the perils of clients poaching your staff, and whether tall women face fewer gender barriers in the workplace than short women. Oh, and a smattering of talking shop.

The best bit – aside from the canapés – is greeting people you have come to know and like simply through being part of a shared business community. So embrace your animal instincts, get social and see where the next conversation will take you.

Sarah Bryars
Chief Executive

A glimpse of PR

I have been interested in a career in marketing for the last few years, but was unsure of the specific work it entailed. So, when I was offered a week’s work experience with Target PR, I was extremely excited! To apply the skills I’ve learnt at school into a work environment, and see first-hand the ins-and-outs of a PR agency was a wonderful and enjoyable opportunity.

I am currently a Sixth Form student at Pate’s Grammar School in Cheltenham, and with no previous experience in PR, I was quite nervous at the start of the week. However, the whole team were very friendly and helpful, and I soon felt comfortable.

After a tour of the office, and an introductory talk from Sarah Bryars (CEO of Target PR), in which she clarified the role of PR in building businesses’ reputations, it was straight down to work...

From the start of the week, I was kept busy on a number of different tasks for large and well known clients such as Specsavers and ADEY. My days often started with reading newspapers to get a feel for how to write articles, as well as to check for any relevant news on clients. From logging data, to conducting research, and even sitting in on a conference call, I was continually learning about how a PR agency works from day to day.

As well as this, I was even given the opportunity to draft a number of press releases on charity events and competitions run by clients, and received feedback on each one. This was very useful in allowing me to hone my writing skills, and I could feel myself improving, and getting faster at writing releases throughout the week.

Now that I am at the end of my week with Target, I can definitely say that my time here has made me interested in pursuing a career in PR. The tasks I was given provided me with valuable experience about working in PR, while Sarah also offered me extremely helpful advice on the different routes into the industry.

Thank you to everyone at Target for providing me with this wonderful opportunity!

Roxana Mulcahy
Sixth Form student

Eventful communications

Whenever anyone asks what I do and I say I work in PR, many people immediately think of Ab Fab, attending client events every day of the week, schmoozing with other PR luvvies, air kissing and quaffing champagne. This couldn’t be further from the truth!

The reality is that much of the work I do is office based, in front of a computer or on the phone and only occasionally do we get to go out and about. However, that’s not to say that events don’t have an important role to play in the work that we do for our clients. When well planned and targeted at the right audience, they can have a real impact.

This weekend we are attending the Three Counties Show in Malvern with the Specsavers Drive Safe trailer. The aim is to educate members of the public about the importance of making sure your eyes are fit to drive. We carry out a simple vision screening test which checks distance vision and will indicate whether a full eye examination is required. It’s a simple yet effective way of aligning the Specsavers brand with this important message as well as communicating an overarching theme.

While the Specsavers event is very much aimed at consumers, we are also helping to plan an event for one of our trade clients, Sapa Building System. Experts in providing aluminium facade solutions, Sapa operates in the building and construction sector. By joining forces with The Architects' Journal to put on an event at RIBA headquarters in London, this gives Sapa the perfect platform and direct access to what is a key audience for them – architects. Employing tactics that go beyond just simply badging the event, including social media and a survey, will help give longevity and improve Sapa’s brand awareness.

In this ever advancing technological age where much of what we do is often carried our virtually, it’s nice to know there is still a place for face to face communication – just call me old fashioned!

Bethan Simkins

Account Manager

Mum's the word

This week it was reported that there are 2.4 million non-working women in the UK, which opened the floodgates for more debate over the working mum vs. the stay-at-home mum. It also raised concerns about the under-representation of women in business as a result of women taking time out to bring up a family.

As a new mum myself working in a predominantly female industry, which is thriving with driven and ambitious women, I read this report with great interest.

Although there’s fierce debate from both parties, I don’t believe there will ever be a right answer and many will just have to agree to disagree on the matter.

For some women it’s about money, for others the feeling that they are unable to balance a demanding job with family life means lowering their career aspirations, others have the drive and passion to succeed regardless, and there will always be the stay-at-home mums dedicated to looking after their children, choosing this lifestyle over a fulfilling business career.

So does any of this really contribute to the shortfall in women in management positions?

Although there is some truth in this, I was pleased to read that the overwhelming majority of women (74 per cent) felt they had been able to return to their career without affecting family life.

Yes, there are obstacles to overcome along the way – childcare costs and flexible working to name just a couple. Of course it would be great to work from home when you like, but is it really practical and does it pose an unfair bias towards you over those colleagues without children? If you get the work done, does it even matter when and where it’s done?

Well, a lot depends on your employer and your job, but regardless of sector, if you want to succeed in business, having a family should not be a barrier to achieving your goals.

Although some might argue that juggling a hectic family life with a demanding job is bound to impact on productivity and a woman’s ability to progress to the board room, co-ordinating family life around a high profile career means that working mums have to up their game and plan their time precisely, resulting in a more focussed and motivated individual.

With this in mind, the Government’s emphasis is now on encouraging young women to aim high from an early age and for businesses to become more flexible to not only help working mums continue along a successful career path, but also to encourage the development of older women that may have taken a career break to start a family.

While I believe this news is another positive step forward for women in business, it still begs the question that even with more support and guidance, what’s an appropriate level of representation? If our male counterparts are as qualified, then should they be denied the opportunity to succeed in business in order to balance the equality battle?

A working mum’s view

For me, returning to work after having a baby was an opportunity to embrace the change in a positive way. It’s not just the light at the end of the tunnel of the sometimes isolating feelings of new motherhood, but an opportunity to evaluate your priorities and build a solid platform to develop further. Just because you have a family, it doesn’t mean that your career needs to go on hold for the next 18 years!

If anything, it has allowed me to take a step back and look at my career from a different perspective and I actually feel that I am more focussed and engaged than ever before. I’ve come back with a fresh pair of eyes, more creativity and a whole bunch of new ideas not only to help grow our current clients but the business too.

Yes my life has to be run like a military operation but with a little careful planning and preparation, why shouldn’t I carry on my career?

Hannah Dudek
Account Executive