An interesting question...

I was recently asked "What do you say to a client when they tell you they 'didn't get one sale' or 'don't see any R.O.I.' after you've gotten a media hit for them?"

My Answer:

This seems to be quite a common problem throughout the PR industry. In most cases it's an ongoing education process with clients. It comes down to communicating with them on a regular basis about what you are doing and the potential results. Share the feedback you're getting from reporters. Let them know how the pitch you're using can be tweaked to increase the potential of more visibility.

It also helps if you can get your client to see public relations as an investment rather than something that's going to instantly drive the bottom line. Each communications effort you conduct on behalf of a client builds on the previous one. Increasing credibility and visibility at the same time. It may not increase immediate results, but it certainly moves people along in the purchasing process. The next time they hear your company name mentioned (in an ad, on TV or in an article) they'll recall hearing about it before and be that much closer to a purchase decision.

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