How Well Does My PR Firm Listen to Me?

By Tracy Williams
Olmstead Williams Communications
Here are five questions to consider when evaluating your PR agency or program:

1. Does my PR firm critically evaluate my objectives and suggestions?
   It’s great to be the second PR firm hired because you can see what went wrong and take immediate action to deliver the value the client expected the first time around. We also have the opportunity at the front end to help you evaluate whether what you’re trying to achieve is even doable. If not, we will tell you.
2. Does my PR firm call me regularly with new ideas based on our objectives?
   Out of sight, out of mind? If you’re not hearing from your PR firm regularly, they’re not paying attention. You should be on a cell phone, text, email basis with your key PR agency executive.
3. Has my PR firm taught me anything new?
   Our best days are when we talk to a client about an idea they’d never thought to consider. Delivering an “aha” moment is energizing and shows your agency is thinking creatively. PR firms should constantly be brainstorming ideas, tactics or new strategies that target your audiences and objectives and make everyone consistently challenge the conventional wisdom.
4. Does my PR firm monitor results and engage in discussions about ROI, or do they wait for my call?
   If your PR firm isn’t calling for a review, there’s a problem. Your firm should be begging for a chance to show you how they’ve hit the objectives and to discuss what’s next. If reviews are driven by you, the PR firm may not feel good about their own effort. It’s the firm’s job to report their bad news just like they tell you to do in a crisis. Your firm should know right away when a project doesn’t appear to be having the desired effect.
5. How well does my PR firm listen to me?
   Your PR firm should pepper you with questions: Who are your customers? How did they discover you? How are you perceived in the market? What makes you different from your competitors? What are the present barriers to greater success? If your PR firm demands answers to these and other questions, pokes holes in your responses and comes back with a program to move forward — congratulations! You’re with a good PR firm. Now you can listen to them!