Your company is barely surviving one of the toughest issues thrown at you. Clients are backing out of deals. Customers are no longer going to your store. What are you going to do? Does this mean you need a Lakeland public relations agent? The short answer is yes, you need one ASAP. The longer answer involves asking yourself a series of questions if the situation is something you can control and manage by your own or not at all.
How will this affect my company’s reputation?
When an issue occurs in your business, the first thing you need to do is assess the impact of that issue on your company’s reputation. Will your customers be affected? How will they be affected? In what way can you minimize the damage? Usually, once you have identified the magnitude of the impact on your market, you will have a pretty good idea about whether or not you need to hire a PR agent.
How big is the damage?
Can you handle the situation by yourself or do you need someone to craft a strategy for your company? If the damage is too big, then you better call on the big guns. PR companies are experienced at handling crisis situations, going the extra mile to make sure that there is zero to minimal impact on your business. If you think that the damage to your business is too much, call your agent right away and have him craft a strategy that would work best for your business.
Can I afford it? Or, what can I offer in exchange of it?
PR strategies can cost much, unless you have something to offer in exchange for it. PR companies need a lot of things, too. They need to have their presence known in the industry. They need recommendations. They need office supplies, so if your business in within this category, you may offer a few of your products in exchange for their service. Don’t worry, there is nothing illegal in this. All it takes is a bit of negotiating on your part and you’re good to go.
What do I hope the end result will be?
How should the result affect your company? Should it completely obliterate the issue or should it use the issue for the company’s advantage? You have to visualize what you will see for your company after the PR strategy has been applied in order for you to articulate yourself best to the agent once you made the decision to hire one.
