| BAK's Report Return to Who we are, how we think ... Easy-print version -- print this out for easier, more relaxed reading and reference. Brian A. Kilgore
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NOTE: Below, down a few paragraphs, is a complicated method of determining who should be hired to help develop a PR program or solve communications problems. Immediately below the definition is a simpler way. DEFINITION: by PR Program I mean the written document that outlines what actions you want stakeholders to take, what pr activities will prompt these actions, who puts these activities into place, when this is done, etc. We're talking written plan here -- a document --, not the actual implementation of the plan. There is much to be said for simplifying the process (indented below) instead of following the full process procedure
Full, complicated, detailed, bullet-proof process The range of potential services: Or you may want to: Or your management colleagues may be complaining about internal communications; or you’ve realized your web site isn’t any good; or a new government has taken power and you want to make sure they help rather than harm your industry; or your CEO has become chairman of an industry association; or your firm wants the government to change some laws (this was the scenario when I hired Public Relations Services Limited to work for me at CNCP Telecommunications; I’d worked for PRSL a decade earlier); or the bankers are getting ready to foreclose unless you turn things around, or … You know the general problem, so you can ask for help, but only in a reasonably narrow vein. There are other reasons for hiring PR help. You realize you need broad public relations help; you want to downsize or eliminate your PR department; you’ve got a small department and one or two people quit, giving you the opportunity to reassess just how you want PR structured; your company is growing, and for the first time needs PR help; you are the Canadian branch of a foreign operation (switch countries, depending where on the WWW you are reading this) and have decided that headquarters can’t serve you completely anymore; or you’ve decided that since you only need a bit of the time of a number of specialists, you’re better off buying the expertise from outsiders for, say, 8 hours a week, rather than staffing internally and underutilizing the specialized talent you pay 40 hours worth of salary. Perhaps you want a complete PR program created by a fresh set of eyes, and a brain not saturated with past battles. That's the example below. Who do you ask? You won’t find anything useful about thinking on the International Association of Business Communicators, the Canadian Public Relations Society, or (with one exception) the Public Relations Society of America main sites, but there are links there to chapters, and maybe you’ll get lucky. And try Talking Business Now, the new "cousin" site of IABC. It may be worth coping with the registration program. There are some links at the bottom of this article.
You'll likely be amazed at how few sites there are, and, of them, how many are just hard to read versions of print brochures. Don’t necessarily limit your search to nearby people and agencies. Brains can be anywhere in this internet world. Ask your colleagues in other companies, and ask your own employees, if their friends and spouses have any good PR contacts. Word of mouth is a great resource, and it overpowers "conflict of interest" when people are wise. People who don’t really understand PR think asking a reporter is a good idea, but, unless you are looking for a product publicist instead of a serious multi-faceted PR pro, you’ll get only a partial answer. Remember that often reporters don’t appreciate top PR pros who are intent on protecting their clients’ reputations, rather than increasing coverage at any cost. And vast amounts of public relations programing does not involve any media relations. If you’re a PR person in an association, think about asking some of the consultants working for your members, while figuring out how to keep conflicts out of the equation. If you are in Canada, get a copy of Marketing Magazine’s annual list of agencies, and see if any of the names, profiles and advertisements catch your imagination.
How to ask for help Otherwise, just phone the agencies whose names, ads, recommendations, or reputations catch your fancy, and ask for the president. Introduce yourself, say what your organization is, and ask if the prez would like to receive a Request for Proposals outline from you. If you get trapped in voice-mail limbo, decide how harsh you want to be. To test just how responsive the agency is, you could simply leave your name and phone number, and see if you get your call returned. My view is that all calls should be returned, and I’d delete any firm that did not call back soon. But practicality invades the equation, and you may get a quicker response from a busy PR executive if you leave a comprehensive message saying you have business to offer. Once you find out who is interested, prepare a letter outlining your requirements, and send it, along with a Who We Are Kit, which is a selection of your brochures, folders and flyers, annual reports, recent speeches, and so on, to each agency or consultant. A few paragraphs down this page, I’ll outline some of what should/could be in this in the letter. Now you need to make another decision. Is the kit all you offer, so no-one can get a leg up on the next? Do you offer a "bidders meeting" a few days later, where everyone can ask questions, but in one group? Do you let each bidder meet with you privately, either in person or on the phone, and probe more deeply about who you are and what you need? Government funding, corporate policies regarding all purchasing, and other factors may influence the situation, but I think #3, allowing another private meeting, is the best approach. And let the bidder phone for even more. What’s in the RFP outline? Describe the situation, such as saying:
The paragraphs indented above put the onus on the consultant to develop the best program possible, within the budget, without anticipating necessarily getting the business. It means the cost estimates will likely be realistic. You could include in the RFP more information, such as:
After they attend this meeting, they go away and write their response to the RFP. You then review the responses, and decide who you want to hire to develop the program, (the example above) or whatever other project you need help with. If your corporate or organization rules allow, make sure the letter says that the lowest priced proposal does not necessarily guarantee receiving the program development contract. You may find the best ideas cost a bit more. You can try to track
down PR organizations and people via these sites: Outside of North America? Send me an e-mail at BrianKilgore@BrianKilgore.com and I'll try to help. |