Lots of B2B and B2G companies in the tech sector are talking about PR these days. I’m not entirely sure why that is. A down economy typically has the opposite effect on an organization’s willingness to spend on public relations. But this speaks volumes on executives’ confidence in how PR can impact their bottom line.

Despite Bill Gates’ now-famous PR advocacy quote, “If I was down to my last dollar, I’d spend it on public relations,” not every company should be spending on PR. Why not? Here are four (and a half) reasons why you shouldn’t spend money on PR. At least not now.

1. No room in the budget

This is where PR discussions start—and often stop. If your organization isn’t able or prepared to dedicate at least $4,000-$5,000 per month to an outside agency, or expert internal resources, PR isn’t the way to go. Spend marketing dollars elsewhere to grow the business until the time is right for PR. End of story.

1.5 If you can’t afford a strategic PR initiative….

So you don’t have highly experienced internal resources for PR? There are cost effective means of leveraging the expertise of a PR firm for execution by a junior level marketing/PR person. For details that go beyond the confines of this article, contact me at bsheetz (at) Q2marketing.com.

2. Lack of availability of management team

This is also where a good PR program can fall off. If spokespeople can’t be made available for media interviews in a timely fashion, your dollars are going to fall short. Similarly, your management team must be involved in strategic discussions, even if on a limited basis. This is the only way to ensure the strategy of the PR is in lockstep with the execution.

3. Un-seasoned Spokespeople

This dovetails with the need for the availability of your management team. Everyone wants good and meaningful features and quotes that advance their business’ strategic objectives. Your spokespeople must dedicate some time to honing their message and delivery to maximize each interview opportunity. And they need to make sure they are well prepared to address the reporter’s needs for each interview.

A formal media training is advised for most executives, even the ones who don’t think they need it. (Sometimes it’s especially the ones who don’t think they need it.)

4. Inconsistency

PR works effectively when it happens consistently. It will take some time to begin to generate results. But once the ink starts to land, it has to continue. The good news is that media coverage typically builds and increases exponentially if a good program continues. If you’re going to spend money on PR, be prepared to do so over the long-term. That’s how to create results.

If PR does make strategic sense for your company, it will require a measure of patience. But it’s worth the wait. Read more about how to make PR worth the wait and realize big returns.