Coaching in Public Relations: in conversation with Dave Stitt

 Liz shared her insights, gained from more than 30 years’ experience, into how PR can help built environment businesses tell their story and reach their target audiences and stakeholders.

 PR is a strategic management discipline that involves offering advice about a company’s corporate reputation, positioning in the market, and how they communicate with the audiences that matter the most.

It’s all about being a “voice of conscience” and ensuring that a company’s message is correctly communicated to the right audience.

Liz reaffirmed that media relations is a big “chunk” of PR, but there are many other tactics in the PR toolkit that can be useful to help businesses reach their goals.

These include social media, social listening, event management, communications strategies, digital marketing, and crisis PR.

When you work in the industry, you become a bridge between an organisation and the public. In the episode, Liz explains her advice to her team about how “journalists are as much our clients as the people who pay us”.

PR is very important for construction businesses, especially in light of changing public perceptions and the growing focus on sustainability and net zero.

 By understanding changes in public perception and tailoring communications accordingly, construction companies can position themselves as leaders in the industry and can help meet the expectations of young people entering the sector.

A key point Liz discussed in this episode was net zero and sustainability in construction and that every business must start somewhere.

We are learning more and more about sustainability every day, and having a champion in the business is a very good sign. Soon, it will be in every single person’s job description.

The conversation also delved into the role of coaching in PR. Liz expressed her strong belief in the transformative power of coaching conversations. She emphasised that coaching can help individuals and teams develop the skills and mindset needed to excel in PR roles.

One of the biggest challenges in PR is getting clients to tell their stories and talk about what you’ve done for them. PR is all about what other people say about you.

Coaching can help PR professionals guide their clients in telling their stories effectively and becoming the heroes of their narratives.

Listen to the full episode of "Coaching Conversations" to learn more about the importance of PR in the construction industry and how coaching can support PR professionals.