When you’re cooking dinner, nudging the dog from the kitchen with one foot and chasing the cat out of the garbage can with the other, the last thing you want is a salesman with a long-winded patter, even if you’d normally be interested in his product.

Think of your phone call to the news media in the same way. Any reporter, news director, or assignments editor with whom you speak is busy, very busy.

Put your ego aside. Don your mental running shoes and entice that person with a juicy pitch—one she can’t resist. To be successful, you have to frame your information so that it focuses entirely on her wants and needs rather than your own.

Don’t get it? Here’s an example of common mistakes people make when approaching a reporter on the phone.

Wrong:
Reporter: Thompson.

SS: Hello, Ms. Thompson. My name is Sally Swagger and I’m the executive director of the Save the Pennies Foundation. Our purpose is to bring more copper back into use. We feel the poor penny has been so long neglected that—

Reporter: Excuse me, I’m working on deadline.

SS: Well, this will only take a minute. As I was saying, we think more items should be bought with pennies rather than using other coins. People waste so much by hoarding their pennies and that’s why . . .

Do you think the reporter is still listening to Sally? Don’t bet on it.
Chances are, if a reporter isn’t responding or asking questions, you’ve already lost her.

What’s the lesson here?
Rather than blather, cut to the chase. Be prepared to quickly point out the something special that makes your event worth covering. For radio, you need to be sure it’s got a good audio component. For television, you want to make sure the pitch contains strong visual potential rather than BOPSA (bunches of people sitting around).

Let’s say Sally’s lengthy intro was leading up to a description of a special Paying with Pennies event where all its members plan to use pennies to buy everything for a day.

Let’s replay the conversation

Right:
Reporter: Thompson.

SS: Hi, I’m Sally Swagger with Save the Penny Foundation. Do you know what $300 worth of pennies weighs?

Reporter (caught off guard): What?

SS: About a hundred and fifty pounds. Our first Paying with Pennies day is this Saturday. One of our members will buy his new car with nothing but pennies.

Reporter: You’re kidding, right?

SS: Nope. He’s been saving for twelve years. We know he’ll need several wheelbarrows to haul them into Bill’s Buick. And another one of our participants plans to go to the Ritz for a champagne brunch. I wonder how many pennies that’ll take.

Reporter: Hold on. Let me talk to my editor.

See the difference?
Sally got right to the point. But even more important, she was ready with an attention-getting angle. She didn’t bother to talk about her organization’s purpose in the phone call; that can be covered in a short press release when the reporter or cameraman arrives to film the event. Since Sally wanted television coverage, she spotlighted the visual aspect early. She also was smart to present choices—that’s like offering two kinds of dessert.

Coverage in war time:
Right now, most news outlets are focusing on the war in Iraq, avian flu and damage from destructive weather. Garnering publicity for your product or event may seem more difficult. And it might be. There simply isn’t as much radio, television or print space dedicated to non-tragedy related news. But don’t let that stop you.

Of the many people trying to get media attention, you’ve got an edge. You know what to do:
Be smart; work your pitch to meet reporters’ needs.
Be brief; don’t waste their precious time or attention.
Be prepared.

You’ll have a much better chance of attaining your publicity goals.

© Pari Noskin Taichert 2005

I'd always wanted to write a book. I had this romantic notion that writers made big money and sat all day in cafes drinking espressos and thinking profound thoughts. I wanted to be part of that idealized world but didn't know how to begin.

One day, while very pregnant and irritable, I read a particularly bad mystery and got angry. "If that author can get published, then so can I," I thought. With fury as my fuel, I proceeded to write my very own piece of mediocrity. Many contests, rejections and successes later, I began my freelancing career. All the while, I kept working toward the publication of my fiction.

THE CLOVIS INCIDENT is the third manuscript I've written. It's the first one to sell. The whole experience from concept to publication has been of roller coaster dimensions.

Writing cannot move a reader without the author's hard work and personal fortitude. To all of you who dream to be writers - believe me - persistence pays off.

website:
parinoskintaichert.com
badgirlspress.com