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PR Success?  To Achieve It, Donât Count On It

By Dean Rotbart

The world of public relations is overflowing with unrequited optimists.  It is far better strategically to be a pessimist.

A PR optimist believes that media coverage is based on a meritocratic system.

A PR pessimist knows that deserving stories get overlooked a thousand times a day.

A PR optimist knows the chances are slim that journalists will be interested in a feature idea that he or she is pitching, but thinks, ãWhy not try?ä

A PR pessimist presumes the media wonât be interested in more of the same old blather and doesnât bother.

A PR optimist does not know whom to contact, so he or she calls everyone at the target news organization figuring someone will be helpful.

A PR pessimist reasons that such cold calling should be left to stockbrokers and insurance sales people.

A PR optimist dreams of placing his or her client on the cover of Fortune magazine.

A PR pessimist does the math, deducts the mandatory annual Fortune covers dedicated to Bill Gates, Warren Buffett and the Fortune 500, and realizes that there is about a six in six billion chance of placing his or her client on the cover of Fortune.

A PR optimist daydreams about writing the perfect news release, hosting the perfect news conference and chancing upon the journalist perfectly positioned to love the pitch.

A PR optimist perfectly pukes at the thought of any of the aforementioned.

While a PR optimist pins his or her hopes on wishful thinking, a PR pessimist knows that critical self-judgment, careful research, long-term cultivation of contacts and focused energy will trump optimism everyday.

Getting good media placements in reality has very little to do with the media. Ninety-five percent of successful pitches are shorn up before the media are ever contacted.  These are the 7 prerequisite steps.

1. Trash any pitch that doesnât have ãHOMERUNä written all over it.  The world of PR is far too competitive to waste energy on the prospect of hitting singles and doubles.  Rework your concept until is screams ãIâm over the fence and out of the park.ä

2. Always know exactly whom you are pitching and why youâve selected those few individuals ahead of all other journalistic candidates.

3. Read or watch what your target reporters have produced on others so that you know (not hope) they have an interest in the proposed subject matter.

4. Compile or buy a biographical sketch of each of the journalists you intend to contact.  Look for commonalities and avoid possible sore subjects. (I heartily and unashamedly recommend our NewsBios service for this.  Phone 303-296-1200, ext. 106)

5. Craft your pitch without vanity.  ãMe, Me, Meä and ãUs, Us, USä is the hardest sell.  Where do ãYOUä fit into the larger scheme of things?

6. Consider your method of pitching.  Phone, email, snail mail, newswire?  Custom fit the delivery vehicle to the message.  (I like face-to-face contact the best.  How can you make that happen?)

7. When you have completed steps one through six, contact the journalist with confidence and, at last, justified optimism.  Being a pessimist has given you the tools you need to succeed.

April 1, 2003

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