{In today’s guest post, Nashvillian Mary Beth Ikard offers up a friendly reminder about the advantages of being an approachable PR pro.}

Of all the characteristics you’d like included in your reputation as a PR practitioner: great writer, strong sense of news value, deadline-oriented – you wouldn’t want ‘unfriendly’ among them, right?

As spokesperson for myself and my organization, I want each person with whom I interact to walk away saying –to quote the Beach Boys– “I’m pickin’ up good vibrations.”

Obviously, being a “people person” doesn’t make you default-qualified to work in PR. But there’s great joy to be found in being open, in fostering an ability to relate to the publics you seek to address on behalf of your organization and cause.

Here in Nashville –a growing market, but still a relatively small circle of identifiable leaders and community influencers– I’ve grown to regard everyone I meet as a potential ally, cohort, word-of-mouth champion.  I’ve learned that –no matter how intriguing or controversial the issue/product you’re promoting, no matter how well your press release reads– no one gives a crap about your message unless you’re nice to them, demonstrating during increasingly limited opportunities for face time, that you genuinely care for them and their message, too.

Or, if they do give a crap about your issue/product because of a vested interest (it’s their job to care), they won’t take the time to be thoughtful enough to get it right in offshoot iterations of your press release (news reports), or in those critical, organic word-of-mouth opportunities that happen around the water cooler, or in the Twitterverse.  See also: reciprocity.

Great leaders I’ve known are exceptionally friendly to the full spectrum of constituencies: from elected officials or CEOs, to drive-through restaurant attendants or janitorial staff – projecting an aura of kindness, accessibility, enthusiasm for what the other’s doing with his life. When asking, “How’s the family?” — they actually want to hear your answer!  It’s this way of making you feel good – a selfless, unassuming version of the butter-up.  We all have bad days, but PR people handle the daily business of consensus building, stakeholder-interest aligning, partnership-forming stuff.

So, take stock of your vibrations: Would folks describe you as warm, good-natured, easy to work with? Your persona reflects on the people, products, causes you represent. The human ego’s a funny thing: I’ve known spokespersons representing community higher-ups, who operate with such self-importance that they lose touch with their ability to spread the love.  Openness, congeniality, humility – that’s a “people person,” and a PR pro.

Mary Beth Ikard is an accredited PR professional and a politically active, Nashville-luvin’ community volunteer who’s passionate about solutions to climate change.  Read more about her cause-oriented career trajectory at www.linkedin.com/in/mbikard or follow her on Twitter @MaryBethIkard.