Hello!

My name is Dale Wilcox and I’m a public relations consultant based in Philadelphia. (I know you already figured that out. But computers aren’t as smart as you are, and some of them — I’m looking at you, Googlebot search engine — need lots of repetition before they learn anything.)

So what does that mean, “A public relations consultant?” Good question, given the state of the business today. I am not a flack, shill, mouthpiece, spin doctor or publicist. I will not lie for clients or to clients. I won’t tell them that Twitter will save their business or that Facebook will get them elected.

My job is to help focus the conversation between the folks I represent and the people they want to speak with. Language is tricky — you say one thing and they hear another, you know what you’re talking about but can’t find the words for it — and it gets exponentially trickier the more people you’re talking with. That’s where I help.

It’s not just about finding the right words (though that’s a big part of what I do). It’s about keeping the conversation on-topic and making sure you hear what the other folks are saying. There are dozens of tactics, measurement techniques and media skills involved, but that’s the gist of what I do.

How long have you been doing this? Since 1994. Before that I was a journalist.

Where did you learn P.R.? From just about everything else I’ve ever done. I was a radio reporter for about a decade, worked as a stagehand for a few years, studied theater, journalism and broadcasting at one point or another — all sharpened different communication skills. I’m descended from a long line of engineers and school teachers, which adds to the mix.

Consultant: Isn’t that somebody who gets paid to tell other people what to do? Not my style. I do the writing, the planning, sit in the meetings and work with the client. Unless they’ve got a huge budget or volunteers with mad skills, I’m also recording and editing the podcasts, radio ads and web videos, changing the website code, tweeting and posting.

How do you stay up-to-date with your profession? I teach a couple of public relations classes at Temple University. The students keep me sharp and don’t tolerate veneer; they’re my barometer for media trends. Full-time faculty and grad students are all up on the latest theories and models, and I eavesdrop on their conversations.

Hobbies and such? Baseball in general and the Phillies in particular. Nothing beats a day at the ballpark. Live jazz comes close.

Most burning desire? More time to read the things I want to read.