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Hiring a PR agency, freelancer, or in-house staffer is a careful decision for any company. There is no surefire way to be sure the relationship will work out, and many times, it doesn't.

Jay O'Connor, managing director of European operations for Racepoint Group and co-founder of Fuse PR (before it was sold to Racepoint in 2006) has these tips:

"An agency has to have very good credentials in your area of expertise so that they understand the nuances of your market. They're not going to be able to do a great job of positioning you, finding the opportunities and dealing with journalists in a professional, authentic way if they really don't know your market."

"If you can bring that PR consultancy into your business and make them an extension of your team, the relationship is going to work better than if you have a consultancy that you don't engage with."

Another one we often hear about at PRNewser, from the agency side: make sure VPs and other high level execs are not just present at the "big meetings," but also have more "touch points" with the client. Sure, they may have hired you because you have (insert big brand name here) on your roster, but if you don't deliver results, the honeymoon won't last long.

Your thoughts and tips: always welcome.