Pitching: The Missing Ingredient

Journalism and public relations are ensnared in a symbiotic relationship founded on a mutual need to share compelling stories. There’s a lot of hate, there’s a lot of love, there’s a lot of pitching. Articles on the latter abound online, advising PR professionals to keep it short, know your journalist, avoid mass emails, make sure it’s relevant, et cetera.

But is there a missing ingredient?

I recently watched New York Times technology columnist David Pogue in an online seminar focused on the dos and don’ts of pitching. The underlying message of his lecture was clear: be human.

Among the many things he said, the following stuck out:

• Be honest and prove it. More often than not, your client’s product or service has competition – and both you and the journalist know it. Acknowledge where you stand in the competitive mix and cleverly argue your product’s value in the marketplace. Also, don’t be afraid to discuss the competition; it shows confidence in your product and will grab a journalist’s attention.
• Speak as you would like to be spoken to. Admit it: If you met a person who spoke to you in buzz words, you’d be appalled. Phrases like “leading edge,” “functionality” and “world renowned” are virtually meaningless – not to mention annoying – so it’s best to stick to language used in everyday life. If your client insists you use buzz words in your media materials, do your best to confirm the terms are not outdated.
• Throw out the cheese. Some journalists consider the CEO quote in a news release to be offensively cheesy. Despite your best efforts, the quotes can be viewed as lacking in ingenuity, intelligence and perhaps most importantly, authenticity. Offer to provide unique quotes to those journalists interested in publishing a story about your client rather than blasting out generic quotes to hundreds of journalists. Or, incorporate the messaging from the quote into bullet points at the top of your release and move the rest of the quote to the bottom.