For Even the Most Perfect PR Pitch, You Need a Practiced Pitcher!

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Regardless of how inspiring the presentation, or how friendly and likeable the presenters, when selecting a PR firm to represent your business, don’t just concentrate on how well they’re dressed, how professional they sound or what they’re promising to achieve.

If you want the most predictable indicator of future results, the most telling sign will be their past performance for other clients!? Besides the strategies and plans they present, look at the most predictive proof that they have what it will take to do what they’re promising to you, and that’s their background.?

Often, it’s more important to consider what a public relations firm has done in the past for clients than what it is promising for the future.? So, it’s best to look more closely at those two strong indicators, experience and background.

Why?? Because the best predictor of fulfilling those rosy PR promises and exciting game plans presented at meetings are the past performances, the track records of those presenting them!? How experienced are they in carrying out successful PR?

Put it this way: would you retain a physician or a lawyer without first investigating their backgrounds?? Checking their reputations? ??Finding out more about their practices?? How successful are they?

Wouldn’t it be comforting to see hanging on their walls impressive diplomas from major medical schools?? Other evidence of professional experience, especially in treating cases like yours? ?

What’s the best indication a concert violinist will deliver a successful performance?? Practice!? Practice!? And more practice! ?I know, my dad was a violinist.

Yes indeed, practice and past performance are definitely the best predictors of how well any professional will do and you can underscore that for PR! ??

Therefore, when interviewing PR firms, the most important thing to do is listen to how their publicity has worked in helping other clients, particularly those in similar fields, to become better known, more successful. ?Doesn’t a PR firm’s track record speak louder, more volumes than promises made, or plans presented at meetings with a prospective client?

Sure, we all like to be the center of attention and it’s thrilling to hear how famous we’re going to be, and how clever are the PR strategies to accomplish that, but how do we know this firm can deliver?? Execute!? The best proof of what’s in store for your future is in their past!?

Yes, it often comes down to past performance as the best predictor of future results. And this is especially true in professional services like public relations.

Why??

Because any successful PR program requires not only experience in storytelling, but having acquired the media contacts to whom to tell those stories.

For any PR program to succeed, you need media contacts to whom to pitch those news tips and story ideas.? Contacts who trust you, have faith in you.

You must have earned a reputation for being a credible source delivering what’s truly newsworthy, so media will seriously consider publishing it in prominent, respected journals, reporting it on television and having it spread impactfully across social media.?

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Tom Madden is a successful pitcher of story ideas about the products and services of the many companies his successful, award-winning public relations firm, TransMedia Group , has represented over its 40+ year-history, including some of the largest companies in America.? When not pitching stories, he’s writing his weekly blog at MaddenMischief or compelling books, his most recent of which is Planetary Lifeguard, Blowing the Whistle on Climate Change.