By: Anna Tichenor, Communications Specialist

While we are often labeled as external communications experts at our firm, having an aptitude for internal communications protocol is essential to our jobs as public relations professionals. Especially when working as an external agency partner with clients, it’s important to prompt good internal communication by asking the right questions and connecting with the right people at the right time.

Asking the right questions

While we hope a client will tell us everything we need to know about an upcoming press opportunity, they’re often navigating their own work flows and communications might not always be top of mind. Instead of trusting that information will find its way to us, asking proactive questions can help us stay ahead of the curve and get newsworthy specifics needed to pitch. I’ve watched my colleagues ask the right questions, going from knowing next to nothing about an event or initiative, to writing a colorful pitch that gets covered.

Some examples of effective questions we ask our clients include:

• Which key stakeholders are we aiming to reach?
• What visuals can be tied to the story?
• Who are the real people behind the story?

By asking these simple questions, we can determine if the story is better suited for national or local media, print, radio, TV, even social media, or a combination of them all, and craft a compelling pitch.

Connecting with the right people

Figuring out who holds the information about a press opportunity can save time and avoid waiting for answers in lengthy email chains. Start by narrowing down the person or group of people that have the details of the press opportunity and who can speak to it publicly. Then, get the group together for a conference call early on to eliminate speculation and miscommunication.

Connecting at the right time

To decide the right time to connect, work backwards from when you need to pitch something and give hard deadlines for when the information needs to be received.

Now, realistically, there will be times when things come up at the last minute. Surprise events and crises are par for the course. However, for preplanned stories and day-to-day operations, more lead time leads to better results.

In practice

In my first year at Bellevue, I’ve had to learn that different clients work on different timelines. Government work typically has more lead time, while non-profits with limited resources often have things pop up last minute.

My biggest takeaway is that the best PR pros are able to adapt to those timelines. Plan when appropriate, pivot when necessary. And overcommunicating internally makes sure that the client and their PR team feel prepared to take on anything.

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About the author

Anna Tichenor began her role as a Communications Specialist at Bellevue Communications Group in August 2025. She works on a variety of client accounts, drafting press materials and social media content and helping to execute strategic communication plans. Anna supports our team with strong writing skills, insightful social media knowledge, and attention to detail.

Anna graduated from the University of Pittsburgh where she studied marketing with minors in Spanish and international business.