Internal & External Readiness

Scaling Influence Beyond the Headlines

Why This Matters

Great PR isn’t just external — it requires internal systems to ensure consistency, speed, and professionalism.

Founder's Point of View

As a founder, you’re often the connector between product, people, and press. When a journalist calls, you need accurate information, the right spokesperson, and up-to-date assets ready to go.

Overview

Internal readiness means aligning your team, while external readiness ensures journalists and stakeholders can access what they need.

Internal readiness:
- Brand messaging guidelines (voice, tone, positioning)
- Shared resources (talking points, vanity metrics, media Q&A)
- Clear approval workflows for pitches and statements

External readiness:
- Public-facing media kit with fact sheet, logos, bios, photos
- Consistent, updated boilerplate in every release
- Backup spokespeople trained for interviews

Key Actions to Take

- Create a media kit with your company fact sheet, logos, bios, and product info
- Develop brand messaging guidelines and share them with your team
- Keep stakeholders (marketing, product, leadership) in the loop on upcoming PR efforts
- Align on roles: who approves what, who speaks publicly, who handles media follow-ups

Metrics

Response time to media requests
Consistency of brand voice and visuals across channels
Number of press requests fulfilled without rework

Examples

A SaaS startup keeps a Notion page with press assets and talking points, enabling fast, consistent responses to media.
A consumer brand publishes a media kit with photos and logos, making it easy for bloggers to feature their products.
A biotech startup pre-trains both CEO and CTO as spokespeople, ensuring flexibility when one is unavailable.

Tools

Asset management: Presspage, Prezly, Brandfolder (paid) + Google Drive, Dropbox (free)
Approval workflows: Asana, Trello, Notion (paid/free)
Spokesperson training: Media training consultants (paid) + internal briefing docs (free)

Optional Assets

- Company Media Kit (PDF or webpage)
- Internal PR Briefing Template
- Messaging Guidelines for Spokespeople

Pro Tips

Update your media kit quarterly—journalists notice outdated assets
Train at least two spokespeople for every major area of your business

Don't Make These Mistakes

Scrambling to provide assets last minute
Using outdated bios, logos, or data in press interactions
Relying on a single spokesperson for all external requests