Outside public relations support can be an invaluable tool – whether you’re working on a single project or in a long-term engagement to provide perspective, expertise, and communications support. But if you’re spending wads of money and feel as though your relationship with your PR firm is spiraling toward the drain, it’s time to reexamine the basics. Could it be that they’re “just not into you?” Or is it that you haven’t communicated clearly your expectations and aspirations?
Here’s some relationship advice you won’t find in a psychology text book or between the pages of a style magazine:
Do you feel like you’re their favorite?
No matter how small your enterprise or how brief your engagement, you should be getting the benefit of top-notch consulting – not work that smacks of an intern. Sadly, many times the top people in the firm sell you the business, but the less experienced folks are the ones who actually do the heavy lifting. If you get the sense that your priorities aren’t their priorities, it may be time to move on.
Do they offer you good stuff?
Just as a suitor gives nice presents, your public relations consultant should be proactive about bringing you good ideas. They should suggest new things to try, ideas to pitch, plans for the future, etc. If you’re the one who’s always making the phone calls…well, you get the point.
Is your public relations relationship “special?”
Do you feel as though your PR firm “gets” you? Or are you being treated to recycled solutions in a one-size-fits-all world. If you get the sense that your firm is giving you cookie-cutter treatment, make sure you’ve taken the necessary steps to explain your organization and its objectives. Ask for better. And if they still don’t respond in a way that seems tailored to your enterprise, remember that the door swings both ways.
Are they honest with you?
Some would say that flattery will get you everywhere, but you don’t want it from your PR firm. What you want are people who tell you the truth even if it isn’t what you want to hear. Your firm should tell you if your PR approach isn’t going to yield you the results you seek or that there might be a better way to achieve our goals. Your public relations partner should be able to stop you from making a mistake—from going out too soon or too late with your pitch to overpromising, over-hyping, or over-exposing you. Good PR support can stop you from going over the cliff. And it can also provide a much-needed buffer between you and the big boss, if he or she wants you to take that first step off the edge.
Do they compromise and are they flexible?
If your relationship needs “tweaking,” or you need support on this front but not that one, will your PR firm make some needed adjustments? Every relationship is different. And every relationship needs a tune-up now and then. Flexibility is essential. We’ve heard from many clients that other firms had rigid processes that might have worked for the last client but not for them. To be sure, there are certain processes that firms have developed that spell success. And not every contract can or should be altered. But you deserve a partner that will be flexible, and put your needs above theirs, giving and taking as priorities and needs shift toward the future.
Before you pull the plug on your current firm, ask yourself these hard questions. And remember that relationships are not one-way. Are you providing the firm the information and feedback it needs? Are you willing to listen to their advice even if you don’t like the answer? Are you being honest with the firm? And do they have your best interests at heart.
Like anything else, good communications is at the heart of a successful partnership.
