Be Prepared to Fail

My most recent article published in this month's "The Director" talks about many of the PR events I have successfully utilized for the funeral firms I worked for.

But I have a confession to make...

Not all of my PR events were successes.

I had some pretty lame duds.

The amazing thing was and is that there is no correlation between what I thought was going to be successful and the actual success of the event.

In fact, the success of some REALLY took me by surprise. A couple of ideas that I fully expected to fall flat were the biggest hits.

Don't be afraid to launch a few duds. Remember as a kid when you'd light a bottle rocket and instead of screaming into the sky it just kind of fizzled its way up and

BLAM!!

The report caught you off guard. Because you knew it would be a dud.

The same has happen when you shot one that took off with a roar and then

PPFFFFTTT. Nothing. A pathetic leaky tire sound.

Success with PR events come from unexpected sources and places.

But don't expect any one in particular to be a sure thing.

The public is fickle. And growing more so every day.

Aye, here's the rub.

Don't let your fear of a dud stop you from trying.

Experiment. Be creative. Be tasteful AND bold.

Be prepared to fail, but relish that feeling when the runt of your PR litter brings it on like the biggest, meanest dog in the junkyard.

You'll surprise everyone.

Especially yourself.

Cheers, good and gentle reader!

Dan Heaman, CFSP