We throw you in the water, and you gotta swim.

And, well, it gets easier.

libby – glad you found the post and tips from me and others helpful. that was my hope.

You’re absolutely right about young PR folks being petrified of getting yelled at or becoming the subject of an angrily-written blog post. As comfortable as I am meeting and talking to people, phone-pitching is one of my least-favorite tasks. Fortunately my colleagues are helping me ease into it by giving me lists of “nicer” reporters!

2. Believe in what you’re pitching. Nothing is worse than calling (or receiving a call) about a product/service/event that you see no value in.

@PRJack – thanks for the laugh. i will note that he was making a baseball analogy and threw out numbers for easy math, not referring to my personal pitching success rate. I’m a media beast!

Seriously, though, your “pitch fist” reminded me of something I lived by starting out. I still do today, but it’s so ingrained that I don’t even really give it thought.

At my first agency, our national media relations director always talked about serving up your story on a “silver platter.” What he meant was along the lines of what you’re talking about. Bring all the possible pieces to complete a story to the reporter. If they’re interested, it helps push them into a “yes.” And it tells them that you’re a good resource and that you’ve put thought and planning into the pitch.

To the ‘No’ point, I’d add to ask why. Ultimately clients are going to want to know that. (plus if you’re getting the same answer from several people you’ve got a good sign that something needs to be changed!)

As for my 2 cents (which used to be worth 2.1 cents US, but now are only about 1.2 cents US)…
There are really two key things for any pitch
1. Know your target.
2. Know your subject.

1. understanding who you are going to be talking to is so very important. Have you reviewed the journo’s most recent pieces? Is there a trend in tone? style? focus? (And don’t underestimate the power of telling a journo that you enjoyed an article of theirs – as long as you’re not being false and sappy.) If you’re angle and their beat don’t meet head-on, have you figured out how to facilitate the connection? Do you understand the overall mandate of the media outlet? And though it’s tough to do, there are times when you can contact a journo and say, I’m not pitching you, but I want to better understand what kind of info you want and how you want it. Sure some will turn that down, but from those that don’t you can reap an immense amount of knowledge and info.

2. think about the best presentations you’ve ever given. Chances are that one of the common elements for all the really good ones is that you were confident with the material you were presenting. Same goes for a pitch because it’s a lot like a presentation – but it’s also like a dance (or a duel!). The more you know about what is beyond and behind the story you are pitching, the more flexible you can be in your discussion. And when you are flexible you can engage a journo in a conversation rather than just trying to get coverage. Remember, you are often going to be both adapting your client’s story to fit the journo’s need and trying to convince the journo that your story addresses their need. You can only do that if you have the knowledge to be flexible. If nothing else, that act alone will raise your worth in the journo’s books and you’re not likely to have as tough a time in the future.

And now, because I like David, I give you PRJack’s Pitch Fist! (I actually use this descriptor and our agency is considering making up t-shirts with a stylized karate fist and the phrases ‘Strike First’ ‘Strike Hard’ ‘No Mercy’ around it. LOL but no stealing my idea!!)
1. ensure that the story is newsworthy, relevant and timely – and that these link to the media person you are talking to
2. have a competent spokesperson who can answer questions or is suitable and pertinent as a contributed piece author.
3. have 3rd party corroboration – user, customer, analyst, industry expert, etc – who is not overtly connected with the client
4. have images. whether that’s graphs, diagrams or photos. Even if you’re pitching radio, the images can help the producer better understand what your talking about. And know how the media you’re dealing with want images – ftp? Lo res samples? high res right away? and who do images go to?
5. backing info – stats, reports, surveys, etc

if you have all that put together… you should enjoy a modicum of success! (more than Mullen’s paltry 30%, that’s for sure! Kidding David!! LOL)

Also, practice out loud! Sit down with a peer, a more senior person on your team, your mentor – even the office receptionist or an intern – and practice saying the key points of your pitch out loud.

It’s true we spend so much time isolated at our desks, silently tapping at the keyboard, writing out our pitch angles to send out in email. Sharing the pitch with a peer or other colleague can also help you fine-tune it and get you ready to breeze through a great conversation with the reporter.