This article originally appeared in Fast Company.
Whether you’re already working with a PR firm or looking for a new one, make sure your PR team checks these boxes.
Hiring a PR firm is a big decision. You need a qualified team to protect the reputation of your organization and yourself.
But the big question is: How do you know if you have the right firm?
It all comes down to the team and the individuals who will be managing your account day to day. When you’re sharing a lot, working closely on top priorities, and trusting someone else to be your liaison with reporters, you need to have confidence that you’re placing your brand in good hands.
Whether you’re already working with a PR firm or looking for a new one, make sure your PR team checks these boxes:
1. THEY’RE CURIOUS
When you’re meeting with your PR team, do they listen, ask questions, and look for kernels or ideas that could turn into big stories or thought leadership? Do they look for opportunities to align your value proposition with the current news cycle to help you be part of larger cultural stories?
Engaged curiosity is a hallmark of the best PR teams.
2. THEY’RE COUNSELORS, NOT ORDER TAKERS
A PR pro’s job isn’t to simply take orders. They are there to provide counsel and guidance based on their experience in what resonates with the media.
Make sure you are not just hiring “yes” people. Embrace debates and welcome critical feedback that leads to bigger ideas.
3. THEY TAKE THE TIME TO EDUCATE YOU
Experienced PR teams know that educating the client is a key part of their job. When you have a big announcement to make, your PR team should explain everything that will happen step by step, from planning the media strategy to the pitch angle, to the interview approach, and beyond. If you don’t understand how an announcement is being handled, ask for additional clarification.
4. THEY SET REALISTIC EXPECTATIONS
A good PR team should share what’s actually possible and set realistic expectations for the outcomes of PR campaigns. If what they’re promising sounds too good to be true, it just might be. After all, there are some basic parameters to which all PR pros are confined. For example, if you give an exclusive to a publication, that publication’s competitors aren’t likely to pick up the story in a big way.
5. THEY COMMUNICATE CONSISTENTLY
When you have a big announcement, a good PR team should provide you with an update on their pitching and outreach on the same day—even if it’s not going well. They will keep the doors of communication open always.
Whether it’s weekly email updates, standing calls, or ad hoc catch-ups, your PR team should provide you with all the information you need (without going overboard, of course).
6. THEY UNDERSTAND YOUR BUSINESS
Great PR teams are reading your industry’s trade publications, reviewing your company website, and familiarizing themselves with your LinkedIn to stay up to speed on your business. They’ll also keep an eye on your competitors so they can provide additional perspective and insights. They should feel like true business partners vested in your success.
7. THEY’RE ENTHUSIASTIC
Speaking to your PR team should feel like a highlight of your week. They should show enthusiasm for what you’re doing and be excited about how they can amplify it.
If they’re not enthusiastic when they are speaking with you, then you have to wonder: How are they when they’re speaking to the press on your behalf?
Here’s the bottom line: PR can get personal, so make sure you have a team that you bond with. A PR team you can trust will make the bad times easier and the good times better!