DIY Public Relations – a disaster in the making
So now you understand why it’s so important to get specialist help for what is a highly specialised discipline, the next question is obviously what to look for in a consultancy? Here are a few no-brainers that will help you choose the right partner for you.
Choose specialists, not generalists
It’s important that you’re with a consultant or PR team that isn’t trying to be all things to all people. Specialists in any field are going to deliver you better results, hands down, every time.
Size doesn’t matter
I have no strong view on whether it’s better to work with a large team or a smaller one. The important thing is to ask the hard questions about who will be doing the work. One trap we hear from time to time is that after a client signs up, the senior person who wooed them disappears. Put simply, beware the B team. You must know who is doing your work and if they are experienced enough to deliver. This is your right.
Ask around
Ask your prospective consultant who they’re working with, and to outline similar scopes of work they’ve been able to successfully deliver. Ask for the client’s details and make a phone call. Call it a reference check.
Are they strategic?
Your prospective PR partner must be able to show they can work both strategically and operationally. Put simply, they’ve got to be able to have the right strategic ideas then implement them to make it happen. Their strategy needs to have more than one element to it. After all, PR is just one tool in a very big communications toolbox. Make sure they can prove they have more than one string to their bow.
They need to share your DNA
Your PR consultancy is going to have to get under your skin in order to represent you, so they’ve got to share your DNA. It’s like a new relationship. You’ll either click or you won’t; strategically, culturally and professionally. Don’t underestimate the importance of this kind of connection.
Fun.
Do they know how to make the journey enjoyable? Speaks for itself, doesn’t it?
The right PR consultant or strategic advisory firm will add value to your business. They will support your growth and align themselves to your direction. Oh and one last piece of advice: shop around for the right partner but don’t base your decision on price alone. It was Oscar Wilde who said experience is one thing you can’t get for nothing. He was right.
–Gemma Tognini is founder and director of gtmedia strategic communication (www.gtmedia.com.au) and a former journalist with Seven Network.