Relationships are crucial to our success. All of them. Personal and professional, we rely on them to sustain us. Yet the relationship between the reporter and the pr professional is sometimes more challenging.

This week, a reporter was none too pleased with my presence at her interview. I could relate. Coming from a reporting background, I knew exactly how she felt. But my allegiance is to my client. And my client asked me to stay.

We seemed to move past it, the reporter and I, but it reiterated to me how far I’ve gone to the other side, Jumping ship, as I think I called it in the past.

The experience also showed me the significance of your relationships. The duty to my client and the need to nurture those relationships is essential, as Eric Eggertson  comments on Ike Pigott’s blog ‘good pr is more focused on relationship building.’

Whether it’s with a client, the media, the community, as Common Sense PR explains, people are at the center of any successful PR campaign. As the old adage goes, treat people the way you would like to be treated.

They’re at the center of every relationship. Nurture them.

Online relationships should be managed exactly the same way. Chris Brogan points out some tips as to how to manage those relationships. Check in the same way you would check in with your friends. Share something personal to connect on a deeper level. Arrange a face to face meeting.

All of these tips can be applied to any professional relationship, online or off. People get wrapped up in the professional facade, afraid to give too much. Be yourself. Only then will you truly start to connect with your relationships.