Kyle Potvin

            (Continued)

5. Pitching is Fun.  When you are just starting out, you can't believe this could ever be true. You imagine the worst: crabby journalists hanging up on you or worse, cursing you. Then you land your first big story, and suddenly you've got pitching fever. Here are some quick tips to make those calls easier: 

a. Use this effective introduction: "We haven't spoken before." Forget the days of pretending to be a reporter's best friend. Journalists don't fall for it and they actually miss the first valuable minutes of your pitch trying to figure out who you are. Be upfront.

b. Hone your pitch to a 15 second elevator speech.

c. Always ask if a reporter is on deadline. If so, find out a good time to call back, and do.

d. Know your story inside and out. This allows you to revise your pitch as you hear objections instead of folding instantly. Know enough to pitch other clients, too.  Even if your client doesn't fit this time, another may.

e. Try different approaches. All journalists have personal preferences about how they like to be contacted so try a variety of techniques.  Often a brief, compelling paragraph sent via e-mail is an effective yet unobtrusive introduction.

f. Followup. Many potential leads are lost simply because PR people don't follow through on them. If a reporter tells you to call back another time, make sure you do. Also, just because a reporter doesn't answer your e-mail immediately, doesn't mean she isn't interested. It could just mean that she hasn't gotten to any of the 150 e-mails received that day.

g. Persistence, persistence, persistence. There is a fine line between being persistent and annoying, but if you truly know your story and your audience, there is no shame in steadfastly making contact attempts until you get the reporter on the phone. (Just don't keep leaving messages.)

6. Be Creative.  While it's easy to recycle the same old press releases and fact sheets, infusing your media plans with some innovative thinking will produce stronger, more effective results. For instance, when introducing Peanut Butter & Jelly Cups from Russell Stover Candies, we positioned the product as part of the growing retro trend and tied into adult nostalgia for childhood. We sent out "Wouldn't You Like to Be a Kid Again?" personalized purple lunch boxes filled with jacks, jump ropes and product to media nationwide along with compelling video footage. We reached more than 15 million consumers with the message that our new candy is fun for all ages. Media as diverse as The Rosie O'Donnell Show, Today, Seventeen and Time all covered the product. 


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