Public relations, affectionately known as PR, can and does have an impact on companies’ sales programs every day of the year. And not just in the ways that might seem obvious.

Publicity

This is the public relations discipline that is best known and most popular among sales and marketing professionals. PR people use their media contacts and savvy to secure story placements about their companies’ products and services. These placements can then be reproduced and added to sales presentation binders, attached to company websites and e-brochures, and included in direct mail initiatives to current and prospective customers.

So that’s the obvious benefit of public relations for sales programs. But consider:

Community Relations

PR initiatives in the community – things like sponsoring events and contributing to and participating in community projects – have long been placed under the umbrella of corporate citizenship. Which they are, of course. But these initiatives also contribute to brand development and goodwill among clients and prospective clients. All other things being equal, people are more inclined to do business with a company involved in their community than one not involved. This applies, incidentally, to both B2B and B2C enterprises.

Internal Communications

Never underestimate the evangelizing power of a well-informed staff. Employees who are aware of what’s happening in their companies are more engaged. And those who are more engaged are more likely to be watching for business opportunities for the company – whether they work in sales, accounting, operations or HR! This is why good internal communications programs include a business referral reward component.

RFPs / Proposals / PowerPoint Presentations

In many companies, especially smaller ones, these business acquisition documents are under the sole purview of sales. That’s a mistake. Public relations professionals bring the power of effective communication to the party, meaning they can help define and refine sales messages specifically for the prospective client. PR professionals understand that rarely should there be a one-size-fits-all solution for any of these pieces. (And no, just changing the prospective client’s logo on the cover or intro slide doesn’t count as customizing!)

Marketing Communications

Here, too, some companies make the strategic error of including technical experts, sales and IT professionals in the development of brochures, sell sheets, websites, e-brochures, white papers and other client-facing marketing materials, at the exclusion of PR. All of those areas should be represented, of course. The mistake comes when professional communicators are not included in the development of these critical assets. Why? Just because someone is a technical expert on your product, for example, does not mean she is adept at articulating the product’s features, advantages and benefits in a way that is meaningful for prospective clients. As with proposals and presentations, PR can bring focus and consistency to company messages, making them resonate with prospects.

This is just a smattering of the ways PR supports sales; I could go on.

Instead, though, I’d be interested in your perspective. How does PR support sales in your organization? If you’re a PR practitioner or consultant, how have you made a quantifiable difference for your organization?

It’s all about return on investment, right? What’s the biggest or best return you’ve been able to produce, and how did you do it?

Mike