PRactical P.R. BlogThe Leader in Small Business Public Relations

The other day my Mom came over to visit. She kissed me hello and then said, “Did you just eat some garlic?”

Actually, I had just finished eating some pickles (they have garlic flavoring).  I took the comment in stride. Why?  Because my Mom (and I) are human bloodhounds, and many smells are overpowering for us.

A little while later I was thinking up blog topics and realized that bad breath has a profound effect on P.R.   Here’s my train of thought. Even if you’re not a human bloodhound, it’s pretty inevitable that you’ve smelled bad breath in a business setting at some point. 

Maybe you were sitting next to someone at a business function who ate some feta cheese.  Or a vendor presented to you after eating onions at lunch.  Or at an after-hours networking event, you got stuck talking with the guy who hasn’t ever flossed (Note: This is by far the worst offense.  Please, please floss. If you don’t, I guarantee your breath stinks.). 

And what happens when you smell a businessperson with bad breath?  You think negatively of them.

And P.R. is all about perception.  Keeping up a good image, including being clean and having fresh breath, helps keep up a positive perception.

So go ahead and have onions in your salad at lunch.  Just remember to brush and floss after eating them.