Some do's & don'ts in hiring a PR Consultant

What strikes me today is an issue I come across from time to time as a consultant to non-profits. Namely, many association or charitable executives have in mind the idea that public relations can be of help to them but they are unclear really of the scope of help they need. More often, it's because of this unclear view of things that more often than not don't have a clear budget in mind either. For those of us poor saps trying to provide services to the sector, this uncertainty makes it difficult to propose effective solutions to meet the challenges of our clients.

So, as my thought for the day, here are a few do's before going out and asking for a quote:

1. Understand that putting a proposal together involves creativity, time, and an investment in intellectual capital. We respect that your time and limits on budget put strains on your day to day responsibilities. Please be respectful and understand that our time is valuable.

2. If you don't have an idea at all how much a campaign will cost, do some research first before calling for quotes or placing an RFP. Try calling a few consultants and be upfront from the beginning that you're only looking for information.

3. Go back to your strategic plan. How would a PR campaign back this up? If you get down to basics and understand first why you are doing this, my sense is you will get a good sense of the real scope of what you will be potentially asking a consultant to bid on.

4. Go back to step one and repeat the process!

What are your thoughts? What challenges do you encounter when figuring what will be required in budget for a campaign?