Dorothy Crenshaw
November 19, 2009 | 11:27:41
Today I spoke with an old friend who’s a well-established public relations consultant. She called for advice about a prospect, since, after meeting him, she wasn’t sure he’d make a good client. Twenty seconds into the conversation, I knew she was right, and we discussed how she should gracefully decline his business.
When times are tough, it’s hard to turn down clients, even if our gut says it’s not a fit. So, after speaking with some colleagues and reviewing my own experience over many years and five agency positions, I’ve come up with a list of common red flags that might signal a short-lived relationship. While no one sign is a dealbreaker, multiple flags should give any PR professional pause.
1. They use the “O” word. That’s Oprah, of course. This is probably the top complaint among PR consultants. (So much so, in fact, that there was quiet rejoicing in some corners when the Queen of Talk announced that her show will end in 2011. But, more about that later.) It was what bothered my friend, because the client wasn’t right for Oprah. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with setting specific publicity goals, or with aiming high. But, unrealistic prospects make unhappy clients.
2. The magic bullet syndrome. Even more challenging than an Oprah-obsessed prospect is one who assumes that the big hit – whether Oprah, The Wall Street Journal, or TechCrunch – will be an instant fix for their brand, product, or business. Equating a public relations program with one publicity result is like comparing the baseball season to a home run in a single game.
3. No budget range is mentioned. I can understand wanting to get diverse responses to a given RFP, but why waste time and resources garnering big ideas if there’s no possibility of funding them?
4. The meeting’s been rescheduled multiple times. This is increasingly common (and understandable) today, but it can be a signal that a PR partnership isn’t a priority.
5. They’ve churned through agencies. If they’ve worked with more than three firms in the past five years, that’s an obvious flag, and a sign to find out more.
6. They’re talking to everyone. Though it’s common for procurement-led RFPs to go out to dozens of agencies, the system should be fairly transparent, and relatively quick. If it’s not, it could mean they’re just idea-shopping.
7. They’re mixing apples and oranges. If they don’t know whether they need an ad agency, a branding firm, or a PR partner, they have no idea what they want. Never good.
8. They don’t articulate goals. This one’s obvious. Even if given verbally, a clear scope of work and specific objectives are essential to any serious discussion about agency engagement.
9. You’ll be reporting to the CEO. Or his assistant. Or the marketing intern. The agency report should be a communications-savvy professional who is qualified to make or obtain timely decisions and who commands respect within the organization. If not, be afraid.
10. The PR person has no say in the review. I’ve had clients whose internal staff were threatened by the addition of a firm because they weren’t consulted, or they feared they’d be made redundant. At best, it’s a recipe for frustration.
11. They need a proposal by Friday. And it’s Wednesday. Need I say more?
For more on this topic from a client perspective, The Council of PR Firms offers a thorough guide to the firm selection process, and a questionnaire for agencies who can’t decide whether to go for it, or walk away. Happy selling.
I love posts like this because it both confirms things I was already wondering about in my own experience and it gives me a heads-up for situations I have yet to encounter. I have definitely met would-be clients who frequently re-schedule, have no budget range, and who seem unfocused about their goals. But my clients are small companies that usually haven’t worked with a firm before, so I can be understanding about that — to a point — and that point is when they don’t let me help me them clarify their needs and move things along. I’m good at that, and when we get to the spinning-wheels point, I am starting to learn to cut them loose. BUT there were so many things in this post I hadn’t considered, such as perhaps they’re just shopping for ideas (GRR!) or their expectations for what PR can accomplish might be wildly unrealistic. So, thanks for clearly outlining some potential pitfalls. Great post!
Thanks. I feel like it nearly always comes down to expectations, doesn’t it? I think it’s funny that some PR pros are happy about the sunset of Oprah’s show, because it’s been such a holy grail in the minds of some clients!
great article and very insightful.
We just cancelled a meeting with a potential client due to number 3 and 7. We have seven criteria (all of which you covered or touched on) we look at when pursuing new clients and if they don’t meet at least five of them, we usually take a pass. Thanks for this post.
Just love this post, Dorothy. I think a strong understanding of when to accept or decline a prospect is a sign that the firm knows what it’s good at, AND that it’s not falling prey to the “any revenue is good revenue” syndrome. I love that you lead with the “O” factor — which can also be HBR or WSJ — just a starry eyed way of saying “I want to be famous.” In my opinion, the best management teams no when to say “no” — to people, to clients, to candidates, and to prospects — when it is necessary, and in the nicest possible way.