Michael Smart teaches PR professionals a smarter way to get PR results. He’s national news director at Brigham Young University and also an independent media relations trainer and coach. Michael is sought to speak about his system for landing major media placements at the public relations profession’s premier conferences. He has been the highest rated speaker at the PRSA International Conference and at Bulldog Reporter’s annual Media Relations Summit – four times! In 2008 his two presentations were rated first and second out of more than 100 speakers.
Michael’s system is grounded strictly in real-world experience. In a three-month period, he placed three separate positive stories on the front pages of the Washington Post, USA Today and Los Angeles Times, and he can show you and your team how to do it, too. He's also landed placements in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Time magazine, and NBC’s Today show.
PR professionals who have taken his workshops have subsequently placed full stories about their organizations/clients in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Washington Post, USA Today, People, and on CNN and Today. Here are just some of the results PR pros have landed using his system:
- One pro used Michael's tips to land a positive story about his product in the Wall Street Journal, which immediately multiplied his start-up's revenue 500 percent, where it stayed until acquisition.
- Another participant placed a story on the Today show the same week she took Michael's workshop.
- Another placed his regional event on the front page of the New York Times and in USA Today.
Michael has conducted on-site media relations training for clients from Frankfurt to Tokyo. He also offers personal coaching to PR pros who need to ramp up their media relations skills and to more senior pros who lack peers at their organizations.
Michael has won numerous awards from various public relations groups for writing and media relations. He has also taught public relations courses for five years at BYU, where he earlier earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in communications with an emphasis in public relations. He enjoys chasing his four children, adding to his list of the nation’s most under-rated restaurants, and talking about college football.
