3 Questions to Ask Before Hiring a PR Firm

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Hiring a Public Relations pro is not a small task. If you don’t bring on the right person, it can damage your reputation and maybe your business. That’s why making sure that you are asking the right questions BEFORE hiring that team is crucial. 

During the sales process, your PR applicants are going to be pulling out all the stops to win your business. Go in with a plan and these details, to help you to weed out the empty promises from the actual strategy. Plus, these questions will help you to know what you really want and need from your communications team overall.

The first question to ask: How will you reach out to the media? What is your process, step-by-step?

It’s great to hear that their team can get you in The New York Times or on the Today Show, but you need to be asking them how they will do that. Why are they making these big promises? Do they have a special relationship with an editor or producer? Are they going to use a generic pitch, or create a specific pitch for every news outlet, taking into account the audience and interest levels?

What you’re looking for in their answer are specifics, so you can determine if their promises seem achievable or if they might fall flat. If you’re a brand new organization, it might not be realistic to think that news shows will be banging down your door for interviews; ask your interviewees for actual examples of how they have done this in the past, and possibly client references. The legit firms will have the proof to show immediately, and those who are trying to dazzle you into a contract will hesitate or try to backpedal. 

You also have an opportunity to see if they approach their work ethically or try to use sketchy methods to promote clients. Avoid unethical practices or tactics that make you feel really uncomfortable; they will only damage your reputation, even if you do see “results.” Your PR team is an extension of your brand and your business, so their behavior will reflect directly back on you. 

Second question: Who will be working with us directly?

Like most companies, a firm will send their best team members and executives to close a deal. This is great, but there’s a chance you will be working more with their junior team members in the day-to-day. Make sure you know exactly how the PR firm plans to handle your contract and who you will work with. Then ask to get to know that person directly if they’re not present in the meeting. This gives you an opportunity to assess their skills, and make sure their personality meshes with yours. (And remember, just because someone is a more junior team member DOESN’T mean they’re automatically a bad fit; lots of talented people had to start somewhere!)

Third question: What are your expectations for your clients?

The hardest thing to manage in any working relationship is the expectations each party has for the other. By asking upfront how the firm prioritizes clients and what they need from you, it will help you set the right priorities from day one. Look for answers about how often you’ll be meeting, what kind of information the firm will need to get from you, if you’ll need to be available via phone for interviews… you want clear answers about YOUR role in the project, as the client.

For example, if a firm only allows clients to contact them during regular business hours (M-F, 9-5 pm), that may be a challenge and limits your ability to lean on them in a crisis. Make sure you have a clear understanding of how they respond to an emergency outside of “normal” working hours, if they work weekend hours, and how they schedule conflicts with other clients.

If the conversation is going well, this also opens the door for you to express concerns about your own schedule and expectations, like if you’re a busy parent who needs to focus on family in the evenings. A good PR firm or pro should be able to work around that and clearly explain how things will work (or not). 

Remember, your PR firm will become an extension of your brand and your team, so making sure you are hiring the right team is important and will help you to avoid major issues in the future.