PRSA exec: Drop ‘hit’ from the PR vocabulary

“Hey journalist, buy into this idea now! You have to jump on this now, because I’m going to go after the next person I can find who will listen to my spin!”

Or my personal favorite: “You owe me big for this hit.”

Do these sound like phrases you would say outside the workplace, to a friend or acquaintance, or even someone you see passing by? Probably not. Why do we break out these trite phrases, not only with reporters and bloggers, but with our colleagues? We should have their backs.

Can we please stop the salesman mentality and have compassion for our colleagues and those we deal with on a daily basis?

Say a colleague helps you land a big interview for a client. Ever since then she keeps “gently” reminding you that you owe her. You appreciated the assistance, but should she continue to hold it over your head? I don’t think so.