Public Relations: Pitching the Big Guys – How to Get Their Attention

The key to pitching the pundits and high profile editors at large renowned publications (and small but targeted industry trade publications) is to engage with them beyond just a pitch. Have a conversation with them, ask them their opinions on the topic and not just sell them. They get sold to by what they call “PR Minions” all the time and a real conversation is refreshing for them. You can be honest and tell them you have a story idea you want to pass by them but don’t just focus on your client, focus on the broader trends story; that is where the editors will be focusing. Here are a few additional tips:

·        Understand what they write about and ensure that you have read at least the last five articles they have published.

·        Remind them of the last time you worked together

·        Keep contacting them until they say no and give a reason (not in a rude way but discover it through conversation)

·        Offer your client as an expert to explain the industry landscape and "shortcut it" for the editor

·        Ensure the story has a human interest angle.

In late 2005 I interviewed several business editors, and here is what they had to say:

•         Forbe’s Dennis Kneale: he is looking for a strong central character, a protagonist, to tell the story of the company and their struggle.

•         BusinessWeek’s Steve Hamm: Conflict, good guys and bad guys, and he loves stories where the bad guys win. “If a story dramatically shifts the competitive landscape, or if it defies conventional wisdom, that’s the kind of story we want at BusinessWeek.”

•         Benn Elgin of BusinessWeek: he appreciates anecdotes that can lead to real storytelling, like “There he was on the 4th floor conference room on a crisp November morning…”

When working with these pundits, it is important to understand the industry landscape and recent trends. Working within a specific industry, you have an insider perspective that adds value to the editor’s perspective. They want it and need it. However because they are inundated with so many PR folks who have not done their homework editors often will not give you the benefit of the doubt. If you have done your homework, understand the BENEFITS of your product and can intelligently discuss the industry trends then have the confidence to ask the editor questions until they are engaged into a conversation.

Here are a few ways to get that insider perspective that the editors will see as valuable:

·        You have all kinds of people in the company that have opinions and great insights, use them:

o       Talk to your sales guys find out what their customers are saying.

o       Speak with product managers about their perspective of the market competitors and customers.

·        Talk to customers when you can

·        Read, read and read some more… (or scan as the case may be) understand what the broader landscape is so you can have an intelligent conversation with editors and analysts

·        Customize your email pitch to editors (see qualification below)

There are some caveats with the list above.

1)      Use common sense when sharing with editors, every bit of a conversation with you is fair game for printing… there is no such thing as off the record!

2)      Most of you likely rolled your eyes at the suggestion of reading… “when do I have time” is usually the mantra. Here are some suggestion to overcome this:

a.       Don’t pile it up or you wont; ever get to it. Do it in the moment. As you are about to call several high profile editors read their content.

b.      Do a quick Google news search on the topic and scan the material until you get some good info and have a better understanding. Cut and paste the nuggets into a page of talking points that you can have in front of you when speaking with editors.

c.       Ask them questions about what you’ve read. Asking questions of a high profile editor will not only engage them but you will likely learn something really interesting about the sector.

d.      Use what you learn from editors in your next conversation, you will likely learn another nugget of information you might not have known

3)      You will have better luck with engineers and product managers by catching them in the hall and in the lunch room… they will be more open and casual and you will likely get better info than a formal meeting (which they probably won’t take any way)

4)      It would be physically impossible on today’s PR budgets to customize each email. Customize the top 10 – 20 publications; the high end or very targeted ones. Then divide your list into several spreadsheets based on specific pitches. Customize the pitch to each list (for example focus the healthcare pitch to the healthcare list, the enterprise story to the enterprise focused publications etc.). Then use a service or Outlook/Word mail merge to ensure the email is customized with each editor’s name (and maybe include a field with their publication in the body of the email).

Bottom line is do your homework, read the editors recent articles, figure out the style and tone and engage them in a conversation. You likely won’t get a placement the first time but by the third try you have started to build a relationship, and that trust will put you at the top of the list the next time there is a story the editor is developing about your topic.