Need A PR Proposal? Here Are Four Things We Need From You…

Here’s a familiar scenario: A potential client sends a panicked email late at night or on the weekend asking for a meeting ASAP, knowing the work should’ve started weeks ago. Nonetheless, we meet their urgency, schedule a meeting and turn around a proposal quickly and then…crickets. No response. We’ve been ghosted.

 After prioritizing their needs and taking hours to meet and put together a tailored proposal, it is frustrating and wildly unprofessional when people don’t have the courtesy to respond. We’re professionals who can easily handle a “no” response. In 20 years of being in business, this rises to the top of our frustrations. This year, we’re doing our level best to address it. 

Specifically, here’s what we are doing to ghost-proof the proposal process:

• The proposal only gets shared in person: Before we put together a proposal, we will identify an agreed-upon meeting time to follow up and review the proposal in person. Virtually will also work in a pinch. We will no longer send the proposal directly to a new client and wait for their response if there is no working history of mutual trust.
• The proposal has an expiration date: To be fair to current clients and potential new clients, we are putting a “proposal good through [insert date]” and that date is typically a month out from when the proposal was put together. If the panic they initially felt is justified, we should hear back one way or another. If we don’t hear back, it will inform our decision to respond to future inquiries.

Strategically, here is what’s required for us to put together the proposal:

• Identify a realistic budget. This is an expense, and most clients already have an idea in mind about what they think is reasonable and at what price they are willing to pay for the work. If a clear budget isn’t given, the proposal will be off the mark and neither party will be satisfied. We absolutely must understand the budget available so we can tailor the proposal accordingly. If you don’t have a set budget, a realistic budget range will do.

• State your goals and objectives. Clarity around what success looks like is critical to informing the work we’ll propose and perform. How you want to move the needle helps determine if media placements, influencer relations, event-based opportunities, or a combination of these or other strategies and tactics will yield the right outcomes.

• Provide insights to help us succeed faster. Time is money. When we have to dig for research from scratch to get up to speed, it takes more time. Providing us with helpful background information you have on your organization, the industry, trends to understand or avoid, your target audience, demographics, competitors, etc., brings focus and get us up to speed faster and more efficiently.

• Allocate more time than you think – for the relationship and the work. We get that everyone wants to move fast. We also know that when speed is the driver, the best results rarely follow. As with any meaningful relationship, it takes time to build a successful foundation. If you need quick results in two weeks, we’re likely not a good fit (but we can happily refer you to ad agencies and media buyers). We typically need at least a two-to-three-month runway. Additionally, like many businesses, we have busier seasons and need to ensure that we can give all projects the attention they need and deserve.

So I’m curious…

If you have solicited an agency in the past, what other approaches helped you choose well and move quickly that felt right for both you and the agency? What would you do differently?

If you’re an agency leader, what additional guardrails and tips do you have for keeping the proposal process running smoothly and avoids being ghosted in the end?

There’s always room for improvement in this imperfect process and I’m always open to suggestions!