Brad Marley

This is part one in a never-ending series on how to win at public relations.

While scientists still don't agree on the exact number that constitutes a sh*tload, it's safe to say it's north of "a lot." [Editor's Note: If I may make an apt comparison, wouldn't we all want a sh*tload of money?]

When I began my career a little more than four years ago, a colleague of mine gave me a piece of advice that stuck in my head: public relations is a business based on tangible results.

If you don't deliver those results, you will not succeed.

And in that regard, public relations is like a game. The player with the most coverage wins. The player who doesn't come through consistently is usually sent down to the minor leagues.  And since there is no minor league in public relations, well, you see where I'm going with this.

'Course, there are exceptions.  Some of us take on more strategic roles as we advance through the ranks; others might decide to go down the writing path, focusing on creating the materials that help drive those golden wins.

But if you are responsible for the media relations aspect of your account work, the goal is to fill your client's inbox with coverage recaps. This will also allow your client to recognize your name, which definitely doesn't suck. 

If you're just starting out in a PR career and are looking to win, drive as much coverage as humanly possible.  Don't allow yourself to get lost in the minutiae that can become a distracting part of the job.  Pick up the phone and call that reporter or send that pitch e-mail, because we are paid to get positive coverage in the media. (And journalists don't bite!) 

Whether it's blogs, business journals or broadcast television, the best way to prove how awesome you are is to show how many times your name appears in the coverage tracker.

Seeing your client's story in print is the best feeling you can have in a cubicle, and it's why we get out of bed in the morning.

If you do this better than everybody else, you will win.

It's pretty simple.