NPC Communicators Lunch and Learn how to select a PR agency on Thursday, Dec. 3 at noon

One element of the public relations/communications process that is often not given enough emphasis is how organizations go about finding and hiring agencies to support them, as well as how agencies “sell” their business to potential clients.

During a Lunch and Learn session on Thursday, Dec. 3, at noon, Steve Drake (l) and Robert Udowitz, the founders of RFP Associates, plan to describe how the “request for proposal”, or RFP, is traditionally used in the agency-selection process. The National Press Club Communicators Team is hosting the online event, which will be conducted via Zoom and free for all Club members. Click here to register.

Throughout their careers, Drake and Udowitz have been on both sides of the negotiating table while developing business at PR agencies, and identifying and selecting agency resources as communicators at corporations and trade associations.

For organizations, agency selection has become confusing, time consuming and seemingly inefficient. For agencies, it’s always a risk-versus-reward proposition. But a well-thought, carefully written RFP, coupled with a fair and transparent search process, will increase the likelihood of satisfaction for both sides.

During this program, participants should learn the best, systematic approach for finding the right prospective agency respondents, developing a pre-qualifying questionnaire and writing a top-notch RFP. 

If you work for an agency of any sort, you should learn the best ways to determine if an RFP fits your skill set, and how to most effectively respond to an agency search. Both sides should leave this session understanding RFP best practices.  The result?  The world will be a happier place.