Name of paper: MUMBAI MIRROR (Times of India)
Date: Monday, 12th Feb, 07 (page 22)
THE IMPORTANCE OF PR FOR A GREAT BUSINESS
(This weekly column will explore the relevance and application of Principles and Strategies of Chanakya as discussed in his 3rd Century BC treatise, Kautilya’s Arthashastra, in Today’s Corporate World)
Peter Drucker, the well-known management guru, had once remarked that one of the top most priorities of a business leader is to network, socialize and maintain great PR (Public Relations). “Its all about great relationships that you maintain with your clients, suppliers, shareholders, employees and every other person you come in contact with!”
Even our own ancient guru and probably the first management thinker, Chanakya, brought out the same idea when he used to advise kings and other important people,
“He should establish contacts with forest chieftains, frontier-chiefs and chief officials in the cities and the countryside” (1.16.7)
But how to build a network and maintain contacts is an art every leader has to develop. Here are some tips:
For a CEO, not a single day should pass without at least meeting one new person. He can attend business conferences, training programs or even one-to-one sittings with important people. In addition to making contacts, he would even start gathering knowledge and experiences of others.
Collecting contact details may not be enough. Most of us come from various conferences with a pile of visiting cards without doing anything with it. Hence, a follow-up with each important person after the initial meeting is a must. Think of the business possibilities with each of the person that you met and work out a proposal along these lines.
Where most businessmen go wrong is just thinking of the benefit that only he will get from the new found person! Rather, think in which way you will be able to help them. At times, you can give a tip or suggestion that will scale up their business. Help them, and probably, they will help you when you need them.
In human relationships, ‘time’ is important and in business ‘timing’ is important. But to get to the right timing, you have to spend enough time. Never spoil any potential business relationship just because it may not appear to be immediately beneficial. One has to always think long-term. Take is slow but sure. You never know: A person who seems small today may become a giant tomorrow, while a giant of today may be on streets later.
Always remember that while leadership is an art, business is a far superior art. It requires the understanding the understanding of people, understanding their minds and also understanding the various factors that fulfill each person. Thus, in business, PR cannot be done by just outsourcing it to an agency. It’s a personal involvement that requires continuous time and effort.
(The author is the director of ATMA DARSHAN, a company that provides services, including spiritual tours. He is a management consultant and trainer. Those interested in having his sessions in their respective organisations can contact him on +91-9820374796 / 9821152537 or mail to radhakrishnan@atmadarshan.com) 
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