When I was at Budget, Bick Bickson, our legendary leader of customer service used to always say, "People don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care." Though he wasn't the first person to say these words, he did live and act by them. (Actually John C. Maxwell -- a noted leadership expert and author of several books including "The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader: Becoming the Person Others Will Want to Follow" -- said it.)

While synonymous with leadership and customer service, this same credo applies to PR.

Whether you're promoting a service or a product, dealing with a crisis situation or just trying to reach out to your publics, you must first show you care. Apathy and indifference can hurt your reputation and your brand. Be passionate about what you have to say and truly care...so people will listen.