Red Flags & Green Flags – What to look for in a PR Professional

Whether you know you are ready to partner with a Public Relations professional, or you’re just beginning to explore your options, you might find yourself overwhelmed with possibilities and information. What’s more important, location or expertise? Is it worth paying more to work with a big agency vs. a sole proprietor? And how do you know what you’re actually going to get each month from the retainer?

These are excellent questions and the answers are essential for building trust and confidence in this new working relationship. In my experience, you are likely to come across some red flags early in your discovery process that will give you a good gut indication that maybe this agency or person isn’t the right fit. Similarly, there will be green flags, or positive indicators that you found someone who aligns with your goals, vision, and budget.

Keep reading to see what some of these red and green flags might look like, and how they can point you toward a great match for your ideal PR professional!

Red Flag: They offer “guaranteed” media coverage.

No trustworthy and respectable Public Relations professional will ever claim to be able to deliver “guaranteed” media coverage. Those who do are advertising sales reps in disguise, or simply not honest. Moreover, that guaranteed coverage is most likely in a junk publication and won’t do much if anything to move the needle toward reaching an engaged audience. If a PR professional uses the word “guaranteed” media coverage/placement in their initial conversations with you, this is a major red flag is dishonesty and deceit.

Green Flag: They offer realistic outcomes measured by effort.

A sign of an honest and experienced Public Relations professional is one who tells it to you straight. This means never guaranteeing outcomes, but instead focusing on guaranteeing their best effort will be made to find solutions and employ strategies that have historically worked out favorably for other clients. The simple truth is a lot of times we don’t know what will work. We aren’t magicians or wizards. But the “good ones” are creative and hardworking. We’re invested in your success and will work hard to achieve a happy client.

Red Flag: They talk up who they know.

Public Relations is an industry that is heavily dependent upon relationships, but not in the way that you might think. Again, be wary of anyone who speaks too confidently about getting you media coverage based on someone they know at that outlet. Not only is that insulting to that reporter, editor, or producer, but it’s insulting to your own intelligence. Think if you did the same thing in your own role. Sure, you can leverage your connections, but at the end of the day someone will only buy what you’re selling if it’s worth buying. The same is true for a media pitch. Connections will get you heard, but it still takes crafting a great story to get you quality coverage.

Green Flag: They focus on demonstrated skills and experience.

Look for a Public Relations professional who instead of focusing on WHO they know, focuses on WHAT they know. Experience, creativity, and technique all aid in crafting a clever and memorable media pitch that increases the chances of favorable outcomes. As a client, you want someone who is confident in their ability to extract a great story from whatever your business wants to promote, and who can combine this with warm connections that will get your pitch in front of the right people.

Red Flag: They’re guarded about connecting you with past clients.

Run from any PR agency that tenses up and is oddly guarded about their client list. When you get to the point in your interview process with them that you’d like to speak directly to past or current clients, they should be proud and willing to give you a long list of happy customers who will gladly take your call. They shouldn’t need to cherry-pick and work through an oddly lengthy process just to provide you with a real client’s contact information. This lack of transparency and responsiveness is a red flag of worse things to come.

Green Flag: They encourage you to reach out to anyone on their client list as a reference.

When you hear a PR professional speak passionately and favorably about past and present clients, consider this a definite green flag. You want someone who glows with pride about what they have been able to accomplish for a business. But here’s what’s most important – they also encourage you to speak directly to that client to hear it straight from the source. Not only does this validate what they’re telling you, but it allows you to ask additional questions of the client one-on-one. Seize this opportunity to learn about the PR person’s responsiveness, innovation, proactive vs passive tendencies, and more.

Red Flag: There’s a lot of filler in the proposal, but it lacks specific deliverables.

I have seen some stunning 30+ page proposals that say absolutely nothing of substance. Maybe you can relate. It’s a lot of filler and “about us” content but doesn’t speak to you and your needs directly. It’s likely a copy and paste from a past proposal that has only been marginally edited to fit your requested scope of work. If that’s the level of effort and attention they’re going to give you when soliciting your business, it’s not going to get better when you are a client. Consider this your red flag to stop, drop, and pivot.

Green Flag: The proposal clearly outlines what you will get month-to-month.

Can we please normalize short and sweet proposals that don’t beat around the bush? Yes, please! The ones that do this earn a green flag in my book. The key to a great proposal is to take out all the filler, but leave the important elements that speak directly to the client’s goals, objectives, and budget. They don’t waste your time telling you things you already know or that are better to be discussed in a meeting. And they don’t bury the price sheet like it’s something to hide. Crazy idea…a proposal that leads with the price and then follows with a page or two emphasizing the value of the investment. Now that’s a first impression that would win me over!

Red Flag: The chemistry doesn’t feel right.

Always, always go with your gut. Sure, give a little grace in case someone is having an “off” day or said something out of character, but if your BS detector goes off more than a few times during the course of getting to know your prospective PR professional, heed what that’s telling you. If the chemistry is off in your “courting” process it’s not likely to get better. Even two well-meaning people may simply not be a good fit for one another. It’s a lot like dating. You’re about to spend a lot of time with your PR partner, so be sure to select someone you jive with!

Green Flag: Communication, expectations, and responsiveness feel in sync.

In my experience, this is something you are going to feel right from the start. From your first few email interactions, to the ease of setting up a meeting, and the exchange of a proposal and service agreement. If the early stages of your partnership don’t feel easy and enjoyable, you can’t turn a blind eye and expect things to magically get better once you’re locked into a contract. Keep searching until you find that big beautiful green flag of a PR partner who shares your passion, energy, and enthusiasm. It’s well worth the effort!

Do you have another red flag or green flag to add to this list? I’d love to hear your personal experiences. Meet me in the comments and share your insights!

If you enjoyed this article, here are some other topics you might like:

Who are you serving?

Putting Social Media Back in Its Place