When a friend broached the idea of partnering with me in launching a PR agency of sorts, I encouraged her to do it solo. I’m kind of a perfectionist and I didn’t want that to get in the way of our friendship. I did tell her I was just around if she wanted to pick my brain. I thought then that it would be a good idea to share my experiences as a PR and communications consultant.
When I retired early from my corporate career years ago, I decided to go into consulting. I banked on my previous work experiences, lifting from the extensive and complex work I did in communications. The fact that I used to work in one of the top five corporations in the country helped boost my qualifications. All these earned me consultancy contracts with a diverse set of clients.
I consider as my first real client one of the biggest real estate companies in the Philippines. I did PR work for their developments in Davao Region for about 12 years, and for their Northern Mindanao projects for a few years. In between, I also accepted multiple short- and long-term communications projects. Overall, I’ve worked with international NGOs, multigovernment organizations, big corporations, and even a national celebrity for her multiple advocacies. So what have I learned in over 15 years of consultancy? There are many but let me focus on four lessons that I won’t forget to this day.
Do not blindly follow what the client wants. The project’s regional coordinator wanted me to write for the newsletter about the visit of their country director. I readily agreed because it was a directive from the client and would document such a rare visit. However, the country director was not impressed. He wanted the story to focus on their project, not him. I realized I should have done a deeper study of how they treat their content, and provided advice to the coordinator on story angles. From then on, I always ask if a client has a content style guide.
Do not give a fully detailed proposal. The president of a national conglomerate I formerly worked for sent for me. He said the CEO had given him marching orders to ensure their company’s reputation could keep up with their expansion into real estate. I conducted a PR audit and then developed a comprehensive PR campaign, complete with timelines, activities, tactics, metrics, the whole shebang. It was too late when I realized I had given them all the ingredients and instructions to run the PR campaign themselves. I never did try to find out if they did, but I was happy to have been part of its inception.
Do not accept projects outside your expertise (and don’t let them undermine your expertise). I was eager to do a PR campaign for an environmental NGO because their advocacy was close to my heart. But they wanted to do a benefit to raise funds. Event management was not my cup of tea, even if I hired a subcontractor. They also wanted to use the amount of funds generated as a metric in my performance as a consultant. That made me feel queasy and served as the final straw to walk away.
Do not settle for a rate you’re not happy with. There will always be negotiations over your professional fee. If you feel the fee you’re getting is not commensurate with your efforts, you won’t be happy working on the project. If you’re not happy working on the project, you run the risk of giving a mediocre performance, risking the quality of results. Poor results will then tarnish your reputation. I’m sure by now there are formulas for coming up with a consultancy rate. During my time, when PR consultants were rare in Davao, I had to come up with my own formula based on some research. The basics I make sure to factor in are experience, knowledge, skillset, scope of work, and level of effort. Make sure to separate your professional fee from operational costs and any out-of-pocket expenses.
Rule of thumb is this – if you’re a newbie, do not charge as a seasoned consultant. Otherwise, you’ll lose clients even before you get them. Good luck consulting!
