Client Contracts

If you are working for or with a public relations firm, it is important that a contract or letter of agreement be signed. This is a good idea at two levels of the process.

The first level is the request by the client for a proposal of ideas from the public relations firm. Public relations firms often complain that prospective clients go fishing for ideas and then implement the best ones without retaining the firms that suggested them. To preclude this, a firm should draw up a letter of agreement in which the prospective client promises not to use any of the ideas presented without payment. Recognize, however, that ideas must be truly novel or original to warrant such protec­tion.

The second level is when the public relations firm actually begins working for the client. A contract or letter of agreement should spell out exactly what is to be done, in what time period, and for what amount of money.

If you are charging the client for mileage or working by the hour, this should be specified. If you are charging by the job, say, for writing a news release, make sure that you specify a fee that will cover your time and energy for several rewrites. A thorough discussion of billing procedures and fees at the beginning of a client relationship will save much agony and recrimination later.