How to date a PR professional

Ragan.com posted this great article yesterday: How to Date a PR Professional by Laetitia Redbond, an account executive at Flagship Consulting in London. (Just in case the link dies, here’s a link to her original post.)

In a nutshell, she gives four points of advice for dating one of us PR creatures: 1) our relationships are our top priority; 2) we’re very positive; 3) we know what’s hot and what’s not; 4) and we’re incredibly efficient.

Here are some more:

• This one goes along the lines of “we’re very positive,” but it’s a little different: We hesitate to give you a yes or a no. My father, for example, asked me recently if I liked something he had recommended (I don’t remember what it was; probably something like a potato chip), and instead of just saying no, I danced around the answer, first pointing out its good qualities before gently laying down my no. Yes, that can be infuriating. No, it’s not always a good trait. But yes, sometimes it’s necessary, especially when working with clients. Soft landings are important.
• In her article, Laetitia says “…there will never be an awkward silence over dinner when we’re around, ever.” This goes along the same lines: We’re a talkative bunch. Excitable, with a lot of hand gestures and facial expressions. So, at a dinner party, watch your drink. I knocked over a glass of water on Saturday night almost into a woman’s lap.
• We’re sympathetic. We can’t watch the news, read a magazine article, or listen to you talk about the argument you had with your mom without wishing you or that poor corporation had consulted us first so we could have given you some strategic communication pointers before you got yourself into a deep mess. We may even offer you (another) business card for the next time.

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