Public Relations: Marketing your accomplishments to win new business

Those of us on the service side of real estate are challenged when it comes to building our businesses. We learn quickly that referrals and networking will only take us so far, that sooner or later we have to find more efficient and economic ways to reach as many prospects and influencers as possible. Typically the way to reach people is through media publicity, advertising and public speaking and even more today through websites, email blasts, search engine optimization and social media. But one strategy remains constant: what you say, how you say it and when. After all, how many times can you tout your prowess as world's best dealmaker, builder, investor, asset manager, landlord, or lawyer before your audience dismisses you as a blowhard? The way to avoid this trap is to leverage your accomplishments so that as much of your audience as possible takes notice and recognizes you for what you are. Suppose, for example, that you represent the buyer in a large transaction about to go into contract. You have been working hard on the deal and most importantly want to close so that you can have a happy client and collect your commission. Yet even while you are doing this, you should also be laying out a strategy, with the approval of your client, to announce the deal and your role in it. One big reason for this is that in today's 24/7 news cycle, journalists get wind of deals quickly and may not know of your role. A second factor is the many players in a deal, any of whom can announce the deal without you. All parties to the deal should agree in advance to prepare an announcement together so that everyone gets their due credit in a timely manner. Harry Zlokower is president of Zlokower Company and immediate past president of the New York Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America, New York, N.Y.