Pitching

The fine line between PR and telemarketing

What is pitching

Pitching is the hardest part of PR This is when relationships with

reporters are crucial When news has gone out about a

company it is the PR person’s job to call the media and try to entice the reporter to take the release and turn it into a larger story.

Why is pitching so hard

Without a good relationship with the reporter, pitching is like being a salesman

You are trying to get someone who is over-worked, under-paid and uninterested in your idea to listen to you and believe in your story/idea

Examples of pitches

Press release A release has gone out announcing earnings

are up at a large medical institution The PR person would call the BBJ health report

and tell the reporter about the increase in revenue and would also try to link it to a larger story—maybe the increase in heart procedures on the North Shore. Or maybe the increase in smaller hospitals forming partnerships with larger academic medical centers.

Is pitching is only done on the phone?

Pitching can be done on the phone but most of the time a PR person will send a pitch letter to the editor/reporter first

The pitch letter is addressed to the reporter/editor

Usually after the letter accompanies the release

Think of a pitch letter like a cover letter for a job It serves to entice the reporter to cover your

story

Writing a pitch letter

The letter should be written in the inverted pyramid style

Be assertive Say when you will follow up

Be assertive but gentle State your ideas in a courteous and polite

manner Try to tie your story to a larger trend story

Write in AP style

More pitching tips

Make sure the letter is grammatically correct Make sure is it addressed to the correct person Read some of the reporter’s most recent stories Try to link those stories to your pitch If it doesn’t work out don’t haunt the reporter If you say you will follow up make sure you do

Most reporters won’t call you

How to pitch like a pro

Most pitches are sent in the body of an email

Make sure you are sending it to the person

Don’t cc anyone else—especially other reporters/editors

How to become a lean, mean, pitching machine

When you talk to reporters get your facts straight

Know exactly what the reporters want and have that information available to them

BE CONFIDENT AND CLEAR Start now by not saying “um” and “ah” Be truthful Know you are ALWAYS ON RECORD