Multiple faxes, phone calls on deadline and outright sales pitches are a few pet peeves journalists share in their contact with PR professionals. And unfortunately, too many in media relations are committing those offenses daily.
To provide some insight on how your media relations efforts can better build the kind of relationships with journalists that pay off in ink and air time, we surveyed more than 30 reporters and editors at Phillips Business Information (publisher of PR NEWS) for their take on what is - and is not - a useful way to pitch to them. In this issue and next week's issue of PR NEWS, we present the results of our third annual journalist survey.
In next week's issue, PBI journalists will reveal their most impressive PR pitches and their preferred methods of contact.
You'll find there are several common themes. Don't say we didn't tell you...
What are your top pet peeves with PR people?
- Top on my list are people who call to see if I got their fax or e-mail.
- The ones who send a fax, e-mail a press release then call over and over to see if I got it, if I'll use it and can they get a copy if I do.
- People who launch into a pitch on the phone without asking if I'm on deadline which I am 18 days a month.
- People who can't take no for an answer. If I don't see that it's a story, move on. Don't waste my time trying to hype me.
- The garden variety PR folks who call to verify a pitched fax-we all know that fax machines provide confirmations and receipts. This is a lame reason to blow an editors phone up.
- Lengthy press releases and PR people who don't get back to me in a timely manner once I've expressed an interest in their idea.
- I've had company PR reps tell me they won't cooperate with us, forcing me to drop their company from the story. When they see they're left out of the story and their CEO is upset, they tell said CEO that we "just left them out." I then get an angry call from said CEO accusing me of favoring one company over another.
- Requests for face-to-face meetings when there is no new announcement.
- Marketing Speak. Journalists know boosterism when they hear it and generally stop listening whenever a PR person sounds like (s)he is just re-running a press release over the phone. Speak instead to why the journalist's readers would care about the company and its news is a much better approach.
- The use of the word "revolutionary" in every press release. If it didn't happen in 1776, it ain't revolutionary.
- Receiving phone messages asking me to call back without any reason why it is worth my time. Briefly explain the news value or the reason for the call in one sentence or two sentences. Life is too short to play telephone tag about whether a press release was received.
- A PR associate that does not return calls or claims to be setting up a telephone interview and then does not follow through to let me know whether the meeting will occur or not.
- When they ask for interview questions in advance when I'm planning to interview one of their executives.
- The PR person who attempts to become the source, rather than putting me in touch with the appropriate person.
- Receiving a press release and then finding that all the sources connected with the story are traveling and, therefore, unavailable.
- Those who seemingly fail to understand journalists' jobs, i.e., that we are not to be the mouthpiece of the PR person's firm and complain about negative information in a story even though it's true.
- Long-winded lead-ins at the start of the call; tell me quickly what the issue area is or what the story would be. Don't give me the pitch before you know whether you've got the right person!
- Calling to see if you've seen their e-mail pitch. This is worse than the call to see if you've received their fax. E-mail is reliable; call to ask if there's more info I might need or if you have people to offer up for interviews.
- PR people who insist on sitting in on interviews. They always say they'll sit there quietly but they always interrupt. Let me ask the questions and let the person I'm interviewing answer them.
- When they launch into their pitch without asking me if they caught me at a good time.
- When they send eight copies of the same release to the staff. Pick the right person and go with it.
- They need to make press releases more realistic. This is an old complaint, but in business writing, writing the word "solution," instead of product.
- Not knowing the difference between a legitimate story and a commercial or, they know it's a commercial, but pitch the story anyway.
- Attached documents. It is hard to assume that I am working with the same word processing program and can open attachments without them turning into a 90 page document.
- They haven't read your publication, so they don't know the type of stories you run, they don't know if you've run stories about the companies they represent. As a daily reporter, I constantly get calls from PR reps (mostly those from agencies - the in-house folks tend not to do this) asking me if I saw their news release when in fact I'd already written/published something about it days before.
List the top qualities of a great PR contact
- They understand the product/service/person they represent and how that client fits into a given industry. And they understand my magazine.
- Responsiveness, knowledge, the ability to provide access to the top people and understanding of a deadline.
- They offer me an advance copy of a yet-to-be released story, study or other exclusive for my readers.
- They are great resources on providing trend info, pertinent backgrounders on key issues and uncovering fresh perspectives on timely subjects.
- PR people who can be honest about their ability to provide expertise in a certain area. If they over-sell their capabilities, they come across as used car salesmen.
- Knowledgeable, responsive, thorough, able to put you in contact with top company officials, willing to take the time to call you if something big happens.
- Quick responses to calls and questions.
- A person who asks questions about the type of information I am looking for before hooking someone up with me on the phone.
- Prompt responses to inquiries, willingness to at least try to arrange interviews with appropriate company officials (and not being surprised when that turns out not to be the CEO) and recognition of deadlines.
- PR people who can tell me the details of their business, not just their company, are the most valuable asset. Being a source of general info, background opinions, etc. is the most attractive quality a PR person can have.
- Being someone a writer contacts even if her story is not about your company is the best compliment a writer can give a PR flack.
- They are willing to share information "on background" or "off the record."
- Someone who is well-versed in the market and has access to the top people in a company, not just the company's PR people.
- Responsiveness, responsiveness, responsiveness. The best ones, nine times out of 10, have been on our side of the fence. They know we don't want to be bugged about release 4.52 of their company's software or something equally nonsensical.
- When we do call, they have a source available within the day (or as soon as humanly possible).
- They understand that even bad press is better than no press.
- The absolutely elite present the pros and cons of a particular event and suggest some tough questions even we may not have thought of to ask. In addition, they alert the press of bad news at their firm and persuade the higher-ups that it's much better to come clean than try to push the information under the rug and hope it won't get out (it always does).
- They call every now and then just to stay in touch and find out what you are interested in long-term.
- They don't ingratiate. They are thorough and they have all the answers researched BEFORE they call you to pitch a story.
- They can spell. They know everyone's titles - the people in their companies and yours. They have researched your pub and know the kinds of things you cover.
- They understand the difference between a news pub and a how-to pub.
- Someone who returns my e-mail with an e-mail and not a phone call.
- Someone who understands that even though we're a monthly, my deadlines are tight.
- They give me the heads up on stories before they are officially announced.
- Be someone who's willing to talk about what's going on within the industry, rather than just sharing the official word on their company.
- One with good heads up information, personable and easily reachable, who connects calls to experts, who returns calls and who doesn't pitch products or services irrelevant to my pub.