The Financial Planning Association has made it easier for their almost 23,000 members to get positive publicity. One specific initiative is the FPA MediaSource, which allows journalists to get connected with CFP professionals that are members of the FPA. This has resulted in 2,800 queries over the past few years.
Additionally, members can go through a media training led by Ben Lewis, director of public relations at FPA. In these sessions, Lewis educates the attendees on how to be more valuable to the press, and as a result they can achieve great exposure for their businesses.
Here are five PR tips for financial planners shared in a one-on-one interview with Lewis:
1. Be passionate. While the information being shared with the press is important, it is not the only thing to focus on. “You can have all the prepared talking points, but if you can’t deliver it in a passionate way, it isn’t going to resonate,” advised Lewis. “Local journalists do not have the knowledge, so you have to make sure what you are conveying has to have residence. The more passion, the more it is going to sink in.”
He believes this is an effective communication practice that everyone should be good at, even outside of public relations.
2. Think before speaking. Lewis loves this quote by Mark Twain: “The right word may be effective, but no word was ever as effective as a rightly timed pause.”
“I have to stress this with everyone,” said Lewis. “The moment you take (before talking) could mean hitting a homerun instead of falling on your face.”
Not clearly thinking through what you want to deliver in that answer can be a big mistake. Lewis advises financial planners slow themselves down and think it through. If not, planners can end up looking like a fool, warns Lewis.
3. Be a resource. What is the difference in being a source instead of a resource? Lewis believes a source is a person that might get quoted once or twice, whereas a resource is someone a reporter can reach to on a more regular basis. A resource can give quotes but can also be a connector and provide information on background.
Not only does it help your relationship with the press to be a connector, but it can help with the person you are connecting with the journalist. “Chances are the professional will remember that and connect you later,” said Lewis.