If you find that you often receive unhelpful help, here are several ideas could increase your odds of getting good input.

FORBES: What to Do About Unhelpful Help

First of all, most journalists at highly sought-after media properties receive hundreds of PR come-ons daily, making the odds of your email being opened very slim indeed.

FORBES: PR's Mandate in 2013

And the higher a country's income, the better the odds that a synchronised swimmer, say, will receive the training and facilities needed to compete with the world's best.

ECONOMIST: s predict the medal tally