Cold Pitching The Press 101

Publicists don’t have a magic wand in their desk drawer. Their relationships with the media come from a long line of pitching, meeting in person, bugging, sending over holiday cards, repeating this process without feeling rejected, and then repeating it again. It gets easier as time passes and you prove yourself as a publicist, too.  

This said, I wanted to share one key thought (or magic want maneuver) today when it comes to breaking the ice with a much sought after member of the press. If you can’t crack a relationship (or even a smile) from a press agent, implement the Tripe R method. This method consists of Respect (1), Reliability (2), and Response (3).  

First, you have to respect the demand on journalists today. Many people blog for free and get paid by ads or PPC campaigns- not media resources.  This said, budgets are tight and reporters have more responsibilities along with a skeleton staff due to cutbacks. Traditional media is competing with a heavy freelance community. If you call a reporter once during the day, leave it. Don’t call four or five times. Don’t send emails throughout the day. Don’t trample on their time. Be respected and also make sure what you’re pitching is included in their assignments category, otherwise you’re just being annoying.

Second, be reliable. This means not exaggerating facts or shoving hype when speaking with a reporter. If a member of the press can learn to trust you as a resource, you will have them knocking at your door- not the other way around. So remember, never lie to the media to get press attention. It will backfire.

Finally, be responsive. If you can’t respond to any member of the press within 5 minutes of the day or night (and anytime of the day or night) you can say goodbye to your client’s story / interview and the relationship with the reporter. Most members of the press work long hours and are usually up late finishing stories. They may send you an urgent email at 1am asking you to verify a fact. Do it. Be available at all times to the media as this is part of your job as a publicist.

Until Monday,

Velma Trayham 

Selling PR - What You NEED to Know

When people don't see the value in public relations, they don't see the dollars they are missing out on. Publicity is a long-term, layered process. You need to build a relationship to be in the game, not just send out a few releases and Tweets over the period of a couple of months.

So, how do you get a client to realize all that you do for him, her, or them when it comes to publicity? Simple, you simply say "yes" followed by "and then."  This tactic has been used for years by Wolves of Wall Street.  It is pretty effective because it tells clients what they are missing out on and helps you upsell all at the same time.

For example,  if a client says to you "I'm not seeing results. It's been four months and I could have done this myself," don't argue with them. For the most part, they COULD have called the media and wrote their own press releases.  Instead, using the 'Yes' tactic will put more into perspective for them.

Your response should be more like this; "Yes, and I can see your frustrations. I'm not doubting your ability to do what I do, but do you really have the time to dedicate to these tasks or  the ready-to-go resources? Results do take time, but let me list what we have accomplished in such as short time....."

The same goes for an upsell situation. For example, if your client states "I love the new Google wire you are working with." Your response should be, "Yes, and I love it too. Did you know we also can run an analytics report and send a follow-up newsletter? It is part of our blanket special right now, which is only an additional $75 dollars per month." 

So, as you head into the week, ask yourself if you are saying "yes" enough when clients are happy, sad, or unsure.

Until next time,

Coco the CEO

Know It All Publicity

 Many people believe they know it all when it comes to public relations. No matter how seasoned or green you are, the tasks at hand seem relatively easy – making media coverage very obtainable in a shortly amount of time. Well, wake up!

Let me go over some names for you….. Helen Hunt, Goldie Hawn, Corey Feldman, David Faustino, Neve Campbell, Park Overall, and Pauly Shore. These people all used to be the toast of Hollywood. Now, they can’t get media coverage unless they beg for it or do some type of degrading reality TV show. And, by the way, most corporate publicists know better than to even pitch reality TV shows that aren’t on a major network (only on cable) because they are the kiss of death when it comes to reputation / star quality.

So, what makes you think your client is so special? If you’re an up and coming entertainer, why should the media cover you? They will not cover Helen Hunt anymore and she was in an Emmy Award winning television show. Think about this.

The answer as to why these people aren’t covered is media value. They no longer have hits and therefore they no longer are the talk of the town. If you aren’t relevant with today’s hits and trends, you’re not anything.

Know it all publicity doesn’t exist. We all have something to learn and even the best press release in the world can’t garter the attention of a praising media courtship, just consider Balloon Boy’s Dad (and yes, he was on a reality tv show afterwards)!

Until tomorrow,

Coco the CEO