Not all business prospects are created equal. I’ve had my share of run-ins with less-than-ideal new business contacts and heard countless stories.
When a client isn’t going to be a good fit, you usually know, if you’re honest with yourself. Maybe concerns pop up during the first phone call or you see red flags during project terms or contract negotiations.
I’ve long told my clients that partnering up is a bit like getting married. We want to make sure we’re compatible, that we have good communication and that we’re on the same level. But sometimes, the partnership just won’t work, and you can tell from the start.
Here are some signs that a potential client might not be a good fit.
They don’t seem to understand how PR works.
Some common questions I get, especially from entrepreneurs who are new to PR, are, “But what will we get for it? Who can you guarantee will write about us?” Or they ask about getting coverage in places that are outside of their possibilities. One independent PR professional told me about a “tiny unknown non-consumer startup” that started asking her about getting on Good Morning America and The Ellen DeGeneres Show and about other placements that, as she says, “weren’t going to happen.” Talk about out-of-bounds expectations.
When these are the questions right off the bat, I’ve found that you might end up with a client who’s more trouble than they’re worth, depending on your patience level. Some entrepreneurs need a lot of training and education on how PR works and how long good PR can take. If you have a client starting at ground zero, then know that a chunk of your time will likely be spent educating your client while also trying to do your job.
They have size envy.
Once in a while, a prospect has a legitimate claim against a big market competitor and deserves a comparative shot with media. Most of the time, they likely don’t. A freelancer told me about a “tiny European startup” with a few hundred (non-paying) European customers. The startup saw itself as directly competitive with, and better than, Slack. The company’s leadership was frustrated by the lack of attention from the tech press and wanted the same media coverage as Slack. My freelancer friend declined to work for the company, but someone out there probably did take that business.
When executives come in hot and heavy and overly focused on “Why won’t they cover us when we’re better than them?” odds are they’re going to be frustrating to work with. The majority of executives I’ve worked with who are like this end up being unrealistically demanding and highly impatient about the PR process.
They pull a bait and switch.
This is when potential clients talk a big game and aren’t able to back it up: “We’ve got that budget covered.” “Don’t you worry — we’ve got money.” “We’re funded.” “We want to hit things hard, so tell us what you can do, and let’s get cracking.” Then, you talk money and suddenly, they have much less, or sometimes, none at all, and they’re hoping you’ll take some equity instead, but “just until they get funding.”
They want guaranteed coverage.
If there’s one question that makes PR people collectively groan, it’s “Can you guarantee me X amount of coverage?” This is in the same vein as “What will I get for my money?” One freelancer told me about a nightmare prospect who started out the discovery call with the question, “How quickly can you get me coverage?” Most of us would probably want to answer with, “How quickly can you get me news that warrants coverage?”
Any executive who demands guarantees likely isn’t one who understands how the PR and media process work. Nine times out of 10, working with a client like this will result in spending most of your time defending your work — or trying to educate the executive on how PR works.
They want PR to save their company.
PR folks like to be appreciated. But sometimes, PR is put too high on the pedestal as a great savior that’s going to rescue a company with issues that PR can’t actually fix. One freelancer told me about a prospect who said that they only wanted to invest in PR because they didn’t have the money for marketing, so they really needed to make it work.
Another independent PR professional told me about an executive who wanted to do some PR because they were having problems with their product and customer churn, among other big issues. This is a lose-lose situation. It’s also a good reason to ask a lot of due diligence questions upfront about types of customers, sell cycle and challenges and especially the goals and purpose of PR to ensure that you’re aligned.
These are but a few signs of mismatch that PR professionals see when conducting new business due diligence. The main thing to remember, for any service professional, is to listen to your instincts, and if something seems off, it probably is. Don’t be afraid to say no and walk away, as I suggested in a previous article, or to get really clear answers about your concerns. Your time and expertise are valuable.
