What Do You REALLY Want?

When you're getting ready to hire a PR consultant, it's important to be honest about what you want. Are you looking for someone to execute on a strategy that you or your team has already developed? Are you looking to gain some insight as to the direction your publicity efforts should head?

From my experience, both work, so long as the expectations about the program are set up front.

If you are already schooled in PR and just need a helping-hand to put your plan into action, you need to hire a different skill set. The best consultant for you would be a senior pro with a team of qualified junior people. This way, the consultant will not be in your face about changes in strategy (that is, unless she feels strongly that you are making mistakes or asking her team members to do things that may harm their reputation).

If you are looking for a strategy, the best thing to do is to hire a consultant with experience ramping up quickly. To provide the best possible direction for your company, your PR pro needs access to as much information and as many people as you can fit in a conference room. The more you open up, the better your chances of getting an on-point PR plan from your consultant.