Learn About the Person You're Pitching

    In future posts, my plan is to run Q&As with people in the media: producers, reporters, writers, editors, etc. I just need to get a system up and running where I have names and a questionnaire. If there are particular people in the media to whom you’d like me to reach out, please let me know and I will do my best to interest them in participating. I’ll have to set up some ground rules, of course, like no hounding the media, but I think this could be a really useful tool for us all.
    In the meantime, though, I want to see if I can share what I learn on a daily basis from the media. One thing I know for sure is that the more I can put myself in their shoes the greater chance I have at being successful. Of course that’s not always an easy balance to achieve, especially when the pressure is on to get some hits. But what I try to do is listen as much as I can and make sure I know exactly what they need. And I’m not just talking about the logistics as in call-in studio phone numbers and bios of the guests I’m helping to book for radio or TV. In some cases, a producer might underscore the importance of how a message is going to be communicated. To me, that’s a gift. If someone in the media is going to take time out, even a line in an email or a link to a earlier broadcast that contains the kind of detail this person is looking for, well, I’m going to do my homework and pay attention.
    And here’s something else I try to do whenever possible: I try to learn as much as I can about the media person. What does that mean? Well, bios found online are treasure troves of information and articles by the writers I work with tell me what these people like to cover. Often, I’ll find something in someone’s bio that really stands out and I’ll mention this maybe in a p.s. or something just to mix up the pitch a little so I don’t sound like the Fuller Brush Man. One radio host/producer I was getting to know posted some information about her childhood on her bio. Turns out she lived in Kenya when I was there as an exchange student. Of course I’m a hundred years older than her, but I brought this up in one of our conversations and it gave us something in common. That always helps when you’re trying to establish some kind of bond with a stranger. And let’s face it: when we call the media we’re not the new neighbor on the block; we’re the person interrupting their day but hopefully with information they can use.