Several people have asked me this question, so I guess a lot of people want to know the answer.

I can’t recommend any specific firm, but I do have guidelines that can help.

1. Find a company with a proven track record in your genre. Look at the bestsellers in your field and ask the authors who they used. If you run a small business, the same rule applies. Find someone with direct experience in your field, or your city.

2. Find out the person who will be handling your account and ask to meet them so you can see if you have rapport with them and if they have passion for your topic. Also make sure that person has the qualifications for the job. The person who sells you the service might not be the person who does the work!

3. Start the process very early. I did a search for a client a year ago and found the top PR people were booked several months in advance. Plus they didn’t want to take on more accounts than they could handle. I thought this was a great display of integrity.

Dan Janal helps small businesses get publicity so they can sell more products. My clients get terrific results from my coaching, consulting, done-for-you services and do-it-yourself tools. For info, go to www.prleadsplus.com or call me at 952-380-1554.