Quick alignment, one short check

• How would you describe your current visibility goal for the next 6 months? Options: Raise executive profile, Drive buyer awareness, Support product launch, Respond to competitor coverage, Build analyst interest, Other
• Tell me about the last PR push you ran and the one outcome you were trying to change
• How soon do you need measurable coverage that influences buyers or the board? Options: ASAP (0-4 weeks), Within 1 quarter, Within 6 months, No firm deadline
• Who will be the primary decision maker on PR outcomes for this engagement? Options: VP Communications, CMO, CEO or founder, Head of Marketing, Board representative, Other
• How many executives can commit to media interviews in a typical month? Options: 0, 1, 2-3, 4+

Where coverage actually moves the needle

• If coverage by competitors keeps outpacing yours, what will break for your product roadmap or funding narrative?
• Which buyer-facing publications and channels must see your story to influence deals? Options: National trade outlets, Vertical trade publications, Industry newsletters, Podcasts and videocasts, Analyst reports, Local business press, Other
• Who are the reporters, columnists, or newsletters you believe matter most for your buyers?
• How do you currently measure whether placements move pipeline or buyer conversations? Options: Tracking referral traffic and MQLs, Sales feedback and attribution, Brand lift surveys, Share of voice only, We do not measure consistently
• What single coverage failure over the next quarter would force you to look for a different agency or approach?

The story reporters will want to tell

• What story about your company are reporters most likely to ignore unless you reframe it?
• Walk me through the 3 to 4 core narratives you want reporters to repeat
• Which customers, data points, or case studies are cleared for press and how recent are they? Options: Named customers approved, Anonymized case studies only, Published data sets available, No customer references allowed, Other
• How comfortable are your executives answering unplanned reporter questions? Options: Very comfortable, Somewhat comfortable, Prefer prepared Q and A, Avoid interviews
• If a reporter asked for customer introductions next week, who in your organization can say yes without legal signoff? Options: VP Communications, Head of Marketing, Account owner, Legal must approve, No one currently

Reporter targets, editorial timing, and realistic rhythms

• To what extent do reporters on your target list treat your team as a source rather than as a pitch list? Options: Mostly a source, Occasionally a source, Rarely, Never
• Tell me which editorial cycles or recurring columns are highest priority for your product announcements and thought leadership Options: Monthly industry features, Quarterly deep features, Event-driven coverage around conferences, Analyst briefings, Podcasts and newsletters
• What lead time do those outlets usually require for a feature, profile, or byline? Options: 1-2 weeks, 3-4 weeks, 6-8 weeks, 3+ months
• How many placement attempts do you consider reasonable per target reporter before we change approach? Options: 1, 2, 3, 4+
• If outreach during a pilot shows a placement rate under 20 percent against agreed targets, will you continue with an ongoing retainer? Options: Yes, No, Depends on outlet quality, Undecided

Executive availability and media readiness

• What monthly time commitment from executives for media prep would you allow to make interviews land? Options: <2 hours per exec, 2-4 hours per exec, 5-8 hours per exec, 8+ hours per exec
• Who will be the interview lead and who is the backup for media interactions? Options: CEO or founder, VP Communications, Head of Marketing, External PR lead, No clear lead yet
• Walk me through a recent interview where an executive exceeded expectations or underperformed, and what you learned from it
• How do you evaluate interview performance and which outcomes matter most to you? Options: Positive press sentiment, Increased inbound leads, Executive comfort on camera, No formal evaluation
• If your executives decline more than two planned media coaching sessions, would you pause the program? Options: Yes, No, We would adjust scope, Undecided

What usually derails coverage from becoming pipeline

• What's the single breakdown that turns a good placement into a non event for sales?
• List the internal processes that typically delay customer or product approvals for press
• How does your sales team currently follow up on coverage and route prospects that come from placements? Options: Automated lead routing from PR referrals, Manual outreach by account teams, No consistent follow up, Marketing nurtures
• Who on the growth or sales team sees media coverage in real time and is enabled to act on it?
• What would have to change in your sales or customer reference process for coverage to show measurable pipeline impact within 90 days?

The other paths you are considering

• If you stayed with your current PR approach, what concrete evidence would need to exist for that to be the right call?
• Who else are you speaking with externally for earned media or reputation work right now? Options: Specialist vertical PR firms, Large generalist agencies, Boutique consultancies, Analyst relations firms, No external conversations
• Has anyone on the leadership team proposed solving this with internal hires instead of a partner? Options: Yes, build internal team, Yes, hire contractors, No, prefer external partner, Undecided
• What would have to be demonstrably true about your current approach for you to keep it rather than change vendors?
• Who at the company would block moving to an outside partner, and why?
• Assuming a 90 day pilot meets the placement and engagement metrics we agree on, would internal politics allow you to convert immediately to a retainer? Options: Yes, conversion likely, No, more approval required, Depends on budget holder, Undecided

Operational readiness, approvals, and constraints

• What single operational gap would prevent a pilot from starting on your desired schedule?
• List the internal systems we would need access to for measurement and reporting Options: Your CRM, Marketing automation, Media monitoring tools, Customer database, None
• Who owns approval of customer names, quotes, and media use and what is their typical turnaround time? Options: Legal, >5 business days, Legal, 2-5 business days, Communications, <2 business days, No defined owner
• Do you have any regulatory or compliance constraints that limit what we can say publicly? Options: Yes, industry regulation applies, Yes, contractual NDAs restrict quotes, No significant constraints, Unsure
• Estimate weekly hours your communications team can commit to coordinating with publicists during a pilot Options: <5 hours, 5-10 hours, 10-20 hours, 20+ hours
• If legal approval routinely takes more than five business days, will you proceed with a time sensitive pilot? Options: Yes, No, Only with scope changes, Undecided

Acceptance criteria, decision triggers, and next steps

• If the pilot meets the placement and engagement targets we agree on, what internal signoff would convert you to a full retainer that week?
• Which three metrics would prove success to your board or executive team? Options: Share of voice vs competitors, Placement quality by outlet, Prospect engagement from coverage, Qualified pipeline influenced, Executive profile improvement
• What budget cadence do you prefer for a pilot and for an ongoing retainer? Options: Monthly, Quarterly, Annual retainer with quarterly review, Other
• What's your target start date for a pilot? Options: Immediately, Within 2 weeks, Within 1 month, Within 2 months, Unsure
• Who needs to be at the conversion meeting to approve moving from pilot to retainer? Options: VP Communications, CFO or budget owner, CEO or founder, Legal representative, Other
• After a successful pilot, what specific internal obstacle would still prevent the retainer from being signed?

• Solution Experience Session

• Confirm the current state and its cost
• You confirm the demonstrated outreach scenarios address the placement gaps you described.
• Deliver a tailored 2–4 week media landscape audit scope, reporter list, and success criteria within five business days.
• You agree the measurement approach proves coverage impact on prospect engagement and can be used in board reporting.
• Map your narratives to reporter targets
• Provide three priority publications, two priority narratives, and availability windows for executives for a pilot outreach scenario.
• You commit to a 2–4 week media audit pilot to validate reporter relationships and placement approach.
• Run a realistic outreach scenario
• Confirm the pilot start date and retainer cadence for the 90-day trial period.
• Demonstrate the measurement and board report
• Draft the one-page board reporting template tied to share of voice and prospect engagement for review.
• Validation, confirm this maps to your need

• Solution Experience Session
• Solution Experience Deck
• Solution Brief

• meeting
• slides
• document

• Draft and Distribute Press Releases
• Targeted Reporter Outreach Campaigns
• Place Executive Bylines and Op-eds
• Executive Media Coaching Sessions
• Prepare Interview Briefs and Talking Points
• Coordinate Analyst and Industry Briefings
• Product Launch Press Event Management
• Execute Reactive Crisis Communications
• Create Press Kits and Executive Bios
• Earned Media Measurement and Share-of-Voice Reporting
• Targeted Trade Publication Pitching
• Implement Prospect Engagement Attribution
• Ongoing Media Relations Outreach

Draft and Distribute Press Releases

• Which announcement types require a formal press release for this engagement (choose all that apply)? Options: Series funding round, Product launch or update, Executive hire/board appointment, Regulatory approval / clinical milestone, Partnership or acquisition
• Identify the internal approval workflow for release copy including legal, compliance, and executive sign-off Options: Single communications approver, Legal reviews required, Board-level pre-approval required, Cross-functional committee
• List the target embargo preferences for embargoed releases (time of day, days before publication) and any outlet-specific embargo rules you must follow
• Provide the core factual artifacts we must include in every release (e.g., one-sentence product description, funding amount, clinical data point, SEC filing reference)
• Within what timeframe do you require an initial draft and a final approved release before the target publication date? Options: Draft in 48 hours, final in 72 hours, Draft in 5 business days, final in 7 business days, Custom schedule
• Which distribution channels should releases be routed to (company newsroom, targeted email to reporters, wire service, partner channels)? Options: Company newsroom, Targeted reporter list, Wire distribution, Partner distribution

Targeted Reporter Outreach Campaigns

• Which reporter beats and vertical topics must outreach prioritize for your buyers (examples: enterprise security, digital health clinical trials, fintech regulatory reporting)?
• Specify the publication tiers you want covered and examples of outlets in each tier (national business, vertical trade, regional/local) Options: National business outlets, Vertical trade journals, Regional/local business press, Industry newsletters
• Indicate the ideal placement rate and reporter engagement cadence you expect from targeted outreach (e.g., number of pitches per reporter per quarter) Options: High-touch: 4+ touches per reporter per quarter, Standard: 1-3 touches per reporter per quarter, Ad-hoc as opportunities arise
• List any embargo or exclusivity preferences you require for reporter outreach (single-outlet embargo, timed exclusives for tier-one outlets) Options: Single-outlet exclusives allowed, No exclusives; broad outreach only, Embargoed exclusives acceptable
• How many reporter targets do you want included in an initial campaign list per core narrative (numeric answer)? Options: 1-5, 6-15, 16-30, 30+
• Provide any reporter relationships or previously successful outreach examples we should reuse (e.g., reporters who covered your sector's funding announcements or clinical studies)

Place Executive Bylines and Op-eds

• Which executive(s) will be positioned for bylines and what subject matter should each executive own (examples: CTO on product architecture, CMO on clinical evidence)?
• Specify the editorial formats you prefer (thought leadership byline, guest op-ed, contributed feature, Q&A) for each target outlet type Options: Byline article, Op-ed, Contributed feature, Q&A or column
• Describe the signature trade or data point you expect to anchor bylines (e.g., new benchmark data from a pilot study, customer ROI case study, market-sizing analysis)
• Which publication audience outcomes will define successful byline placement for you (C-suite readership, technical practitioners, procurement teams)? Options: C-suite / board level, Technical practitioners, Procurement / vendor evaluation teams, Broad business press
• How many bylines or op-eds per quarter should we plan to pitch for each executive? Options: 0-1, 2-3, 4+
• State any prior editorial relationships or previously placed bylines we should reference when pitching editors

Executive Media Coaching Sessions

• Which executives require coaching and for which forum types (print interview, podcast, TV/virtual broadcast, analyst briefing)? Options: CEO, CMO/Head of Marketing, CTO, Chief Medical Officer, Other senior exec
• Select the coaching formats you need (mock interviews, messaging drills, on-camera technique, crisis role-play) Options: Mock interviews, On-camera training, Message development, Crisis simulations
• How many coaching hours per executive do you want allocated in the first 90 days? Options: 1 hour, 2-4 hours, 5-8 hours, 8+ hours
• Identify any regulatory or compliance constraints that must be incorporated into coaching (e.g., claims allowed for clinical outcomes, SEC guidance for funded companies)
• Which deliverables should accompany coaching sessions (recorded session video, tailored Q&A cheat sheet, post-session improvement plan)? Options: Recorded video, Q&A cheat sheet, Improvement plan, Media-ready bios
• Provide the preferred timeline for scheduling coaching relative to key media opportunities (e.g., coaching 1 week before launch interview) Options: 1 week before opportunity, 2-4 weeks before, Ad-hoc as interviews arise

Prepare Interview Briefs and Talking Points

• Which standard elements must appear in every interview brief (reporter background, outlet audience, suggested soundbites, probing questions)? Options: Reporter background, Suggested soundbites, Supporting data points, Anticipated tough questions
• Specify the data artifacts we should include in briefs (e.g., product metrics, clinical trial endpoints, customer ROI figures) and their approved sources
• Indicate whether you require embargoed backgrounders or on-the-record one-pagers for each outreach Options: Embargoed backgrounders, On-the-record one-pagers, Both depending on reporter
• How soon before an interview should your executive receive the brief and talking points? Options: 48 hours, 24 hours, Same day
• Detail any regulatory language or corporate messaging restrictions that must be present in every talking point (e.g., permissible claims, clinical claim guardrails)
• Which team should own final sign-off of talking points prior to an interview (communications, legal, product, clinical affairs)? Options: Communications, Legal/compliance, Product, Clinical affairs, Executive

Coordinate Analyst and Industry Briefings

• Which analyst firms or industry research audiences must be prioritized for briefings in this engagement (e.g., enterprise security analysts, healthcare market researchers)?
• Select the briefing formats you want for analysts (private briefing, RFP response support, data packet submission, analyst roundtable) Options: Private briefing, RFP support, Data packet submission, Roundtable participation
• How often should analyst briefings occur during the first six months of engagement? Options: One-time briefing, Quarterly, Monthly, As-needed
• Provide the customer or case study artifacts we can share in briefings (customer permissioned case studies, anonymized metrics, pilot results) Options: Permissioned case studies, Anonymized pilot data, No customer materials permitted
• Identify any non-disclosure or timing restrictions for analyst materials that must be respected
• Which internal owner will coordinate analyst logistics and follow-up (marketing lead, product marketing, CEO office)? Options: Marketing lead, Product marketing, CEO office, Other

Product Launch Press Event Management

• Which event formats do you prefer for product launches (virtual demo webinar, in-person press briefing, hybrid showcase)? Options: Virtual webinar, In-person briefing, Hybrid
• List the run-of-show artifacts you expect us to deliver (detailed agenda, producer script, AV checklist, press guest list) Options: Agenda and run-of-show, Producer script, AV checklist, Press guest list
• Specify the maximum media guest count and the target composition (trade reporters, analysts, local business press) Options: Under 10, 10-25, 25-50, 50+
• Which logistical responsibilities should we manage versus which you will retain (venue booking, travel for execs, demo environment setup)? Options: We handle venue and logistics, You handle venue, Split responsibilities
• Provide the product demo artifacts required at the event (live demo environment, recorded demo, technical SME on standby) Options: Live demo, Recorded demo, Technical SME present, Screenshots/fact sheets
• When should media invitations be issued relative to the event date (2 weeks, 1 month, 6 weeks)? Options: 2 weeks, 1 month, 6 weeks

Execute Reactive Crisis Communications

• Specify the crisis scenarios that must trigger reactive communications (data breach, clinical adverse event, executive misconduct, major customer outage) Options: Data breach, Clinical adverse event, Executive misconduct, Major customer outage
• Detail the escalation path and contact list we should use during a crisis, including legal and clinical reviewers
• Indicate your target initial public response time SLA and what evidence will validate acceptable response (time to initial holding statement, stakeholder notification log) Options: Initial response within 1 hour, Initial response within 4 hours, Initial response within 24 hours
• Which pre-approved holding statement templates or mandatory phrases must be used for specific crisis types (privacy incident, safety event, financial restatement)? Options: Privacy incident template, Safety event template, Financial statement template, No pre-approved templates
• Describe how you want media monitoring and escalation reporting to be delivered during a crisis (real-time Slack alerts, hourly digest, executive briefing calls) Options: Real-time alerts, Hourly digest, Executive calls
• Are simulated crisis drills required as part of the scope and, if yes, how frequently? Options: Quarterly drills, Biannual drills, Annual drill, No drills required

Create Press Kits and Executive Bios

• Which press kit artifacts are required for every media engagement (executive bios, company fact sheet, product one-pager, approved images)? Options: Executive bios, Company fact sheet, Product one-pager, High-resolution images
• Provide the approval standard for executive bio content and photo usage (do bios require legal review, headshots need retouching?) Options: Standard communications approval, Legal review required, Photos retouched by vendor
• State the bio length and format you prefer for different outlets (short 50-word, medium 150-word, long 300-word) Options: 50 words, 150 words, 300 words
• Which file types and sizes must press kit assets be delivered in (high-res JPG, PNG, downloadable PDF one-pager)? Options: High-res JPG/PNG, Optimized web images, Downloadable PDF
• Indicate whether you require a locked-down downloadable press kit on your newsroom and whether access should be gated Options: Public newsroom download, Gated access for press only, No newsroom downloads
• List any governance requirements for executive bios (credential verification, degree listing, regulated claims)

Earned Media Measurement and Share-of-Voice Reporting

• Which KPIs must appear in monthly coverage reports for board reporting (share of voice vs named competitors, placement quality score, referral traffic to demo/signup pages)? Options: Share of voice vs competitors, Placement quality / tier score, Referral traffic to demo/signup, Media sentiment trend
• Specify the competitor set and outlet set against which share-of-voice should be calculated
• Indicate the minimum data sources we must integrate for attribution and reporting (web analytics, CRM lead source, media monitoring platform) Options: Web analytics (Google Analytics etc.), CRM lead source, Media monitoring platform, Marketing automation platform
• Select the reporting cadence and formats you require for executive review (weekly highlights, monthly board deck, quarterly detailed review) Options: Weekly highlights, Monthly board deck, Quarterly detailed review
• Specify acceptance criteria that will validate coverage success for the program (target SOV percentage, minimum number of tier-one placements, uplift in demo requests attributable to coverage) Options: Target SOV % specified, Minimum tier-one placements per quarter, Specific uplift in demo requests
• How do you prefer coverage quality to be scored for each placement (audience fit, outlet authority, reporter prominence, backlink to site)? Options: Audience fit, Outlet authority / domain metric, Reporter prominence, Backlink / referral value

• desired_state
• current_state
• stakeholders
• gaps
• success_criteria
• decision_readiness
• desired_state
• decision_readiness
• current_state
• success_criteria
• gaps
• stakeholders
• desired_state
• success_criteria
• stakeholders
• gaps
• current_state
• decision_readiness
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• decision_readiness
• decision_readiness
• decision_readiness

• Master Services Agreement (MSA)
• Statement of Work — Pilot Retainer
• Statement of Work — Ongoing Program
• Fee Schedule & Retainer Payment Schedule
• Acceptance Criteria & Transition Checklist
• Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA)
• Change Order Agreement
• Termination & Exit Agreement
• Industry Compliance Addendum (conditional)

• Launch Health Check
• First Measurement Review
• 90-Day Acceptance Gate
• Quarterly Success Review

• Close or reassign persistent operational issues and track their resolution in the shared workspace.
• For any non-passing items, agree clear remediation actions and a re-test date.
• Restate acceptance criteria and targets
• Produce a documented acceptance decision for each numeric criterion recorded in Mutual Commit.
• Ensure the evidence package used for the decision is stored in the shared workspace for auditability.
• Publish the acceptance decision and the evidence package to the shared workspace.
• List remediation actions with resolution dates and the specific metrics that will be rechecked.
• Schedule any required follow-up checkpoints to validate remediation completion before the next quarterly review.
• Trend review for placement quality and share of voice
• Confirm whether placement quality score and media-attributed prospect engagement rate are meeting ongoing expectations from Mutual Commit.
• Agree a prioritized enhancement backlog with timelines for the next quarter.
• Resolve or assign owners for any persistent operational issues that undermine measurement or outreach effectiveness.
• Publish the prioritized enhancement backlog with expected delivery quarters and acceptance checks.
• Document any measurement changes required to improve accuracy of media-attributed prospect engagement reporting.
• Reconfirm success criteria and owners
• Confirm the campaign launch is functionally complete and tracking is capturing baseline events.
• Identify and document the top 3 launch blockers and the remediation approach for each.
• Establish the date for the first measurement review and the data sources that will feed it.
• Publish the deployment validation checklist and current status to the shared workspace.
• Enable or verify event tracking for reporter outreach, placement events, and media-attributed prospect referrals.
• Document the top 3 launch blockers, required fixes, and target completion dates.
• Present first-period results
• Determine whether share of voice and placement quality score are trending toward the Mutual Commit targets or require corrective action.
• Agree a time-bound corrective plan to address identified gaps and a date to re-evaluate progress before the acceptance gate.
• Confirm media-attributed prospect engagement tracking is live and producing usable events for attribution.
• Publish the corrective plan including specific narrative or target-list changes and their target completion dates.
• Update outreach templates and cadence to address the diagnosed root causes.
• Export and share the data snapshots that will be used for the acceptance gate decision.
• Deployment and tracking validation
• Present results against each criterion
• Review media-attributed prospect engagement
• Diagnose gaps and root causes
• Early engagement signals
• Surface open issues and enhancement requests
• Document pass/fail per criterion
• Corrective plan and timeline
• Agree remediation and resolution timeline
• Blockers and open issues
• Prioritize backlog and agree next quarter actions
• Verify measurement for prospect engagement
• Agree immediate remediation actions
• Confirm acceptance gate readiness