The Ten Modules
Back to the Prospectus	Here are the topics that we cover on the course. Setting up as a PR consultant. Your equipment and tools. A place to work. What sort of skills do you need? Dress and appearance. Assessing your strengths and weaknesses. Getting prepared. Perfect press releases. The right and wrong way to write a press release. Format and layout. Tips for getting acceptance. Finding clients. How to get work. The approaches you can make. Securing your first meeting. The questions to ask. Understanding the client's needs. Presentation of material: method, style and timing. Sources of information. Understanding the media. How to get into the, different media: national and local press, magazines, TV and radio, business press. Keeping files. Making contact. Wining and dining. Types of press stories. New product, new literature, unusual product, new factory, new division, record results, community action, appointment, case study. Better PR writing. The different kinds of business writing. Effective writing. Style and clichés. Writer's block. Communicating with the client. Typical errors. The creative PR consultant. Planning a campaign. Ideas for publicity. Sales promotion. Competitions. Surveys. Celebrities. Sponsorship. The corporate video. Events. Types of events. The press conference. Choice of venue. Check-lists. Speakers and scripts. Food and drink. Exhibitions and press packs. Writing newsletters. The purpose of newsletters. Setting up a newsletter. Readership. Types of articles. Finding contributions. Printing and distribution. The advanced PR consultant. The pitch. Paperwork. Charging and invoicing. The business of being a PR consultant. Keeping clients happy. The full range of PR consultancy opportunities. As you can see, it's comprehensive. And we give full details on the business and marketing aspects of setting up your own PR consultancy. We supply all the modules at the beginning of the course. That means you can study the topics Whenever you choose. You don't have to wait weeks to get the section that interests you most. Though we recommend students take the modules in the order shown, you can tackle them in any order you choose. To help you get the most from the course, we aim to be completely flexible. At the end of each module is an assignment for you. It checks that you have absorbed the information, and gives you real-world practice. We reserve the right to improve, amend or extend the topics shown here.  Back to the Prospectus