In all my years in the public relations industry I've been in innumerable situations where companies take for granted that agreeing to come to a new business meeting signals intent to pitch. In most instances, making time to go meet with someone or initiate a response to any call to pitch does indicate intent, although I've always wondered why most companies take this aspect for granted.

Unfortunately, all this has much to do with the way PR firms conduct themselves and have positioned themselves in the marketplace. To point to a few instances, just in the last week I have managed to get my hands on a PR price list for activity from one reputable firm. The numbers that popped at me from the spreadsheet were so ridiculous that I remarked to a colleague that it was no surprise that in most markets PR firms found themselves at the bottom of the marketing value chain. I mean, 'value is assigned where value is due' and I believe that most PR practitioners have for too long sacrificed the value of what they do for short term gain and to the industry's collective detriment.

Other than agreeing to work for a pittance, I'm also surprised that most companies don't spend enough time researching a prospective client and doing some sort of due diligence before agreeing to work for them - especially ones with little track record. Is the company what is says it is? Will they deliver on what they say? Is senior management competent? Is PR the right answer to deliver on their marketing needs and so on and so forth.

Basically, do we ask questions of prospective clients? This is not to suggest that asking questions is a sure-shot way to separate companies that could go on to become companies with a good reputation from those that will struggle with none at all, but it does leave the impression that PR firms care about the kind of firm they want to represent and that this is an important element for them to consider.

Which brings me to something that is overlooked completely and is even more difficult to define than working for what could be a good company and what is not? Corporate culture.

PR being what it is places a great deal of emphasis on what I call "chemistry" between the client and the consultancy. Most rewarding and long term PR relationships are ones that come together and are nurtured by this chemistry.

This crucial aspect goes beyond such mundane elements as fees, profits and almost all normal business 'metrics' and points towards a win-win relationship built on commitment to the PR process, quality of delivery, integrity, professionalism and teamwork. Elements that all in the PR industry must strive for.

An important way to start this transformation could be to say no to firms that can't meet benchmark criteria when they look for PR partners. Let's say it at the outset.

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