THANK YOU.
In business and frankly in life, people often forget the art of those two words. My mom taught me to always say "please" and "thank you," and because I'm trying to be a good parent, I'm teaching my son Gabe the same. Plus in business, not just PR, relationships are everything and can advance or hinder your business.
Relationships matter, point, blank period, and I started with WhitPR without a single one. Flash forward to today and me and my team have been able secure placements for clients on Good Morning America (GMA), The New York Times, The TODAY Show, WWD, The Real and more.
Outside of crafting an interesting pitch and targeting the correct person, relationships have been able to secure multiple clients on these platforms, and that's because over the years I’ve made it a common personal practice to always say thank you, regardless of who or what the person does. Being authentic and genuine are key and it's common sense (although some of us do forget this) that a simple thank you note can alter or deter a relationship.
Beyond a thank you note, I like to send personalized tokens of appreciation; from branded cupcakes from Sprinkles or Lily's Spots NYC to some of the most AMAZING dry succulent arrangements from my fave NJ florist, Parker's Petals.
It's totally not necessary to send cupcakes or floral arrangements, a simple email or an "old school" thank you card will suffice. It's just important that you express your gratitude, build on the relationship from there and be genuine and know it should mutually beneficial in order for it to blossom.