One of the biggest myths I hear from entrepreneurs is that publicists just get on a call and start talking to reporters. It doesn’t work like that. You should always have an angle in your back pocket even if it’s just an introductory call with a journalist.
Reporters are selective with their time – and for good reason. They have a limited amount of time to turn around their stories. And in an industry measured by minutes, reporters know a long-winded source steals precious resources away from other more solid leads.
Tip #1 – Identify the Story Line
Before you get on a call with a reporter, you should know where the interview is going. Even if the reporter says he or she wants to pick your brain on a topic, you don’t want to go into the interview without a road map.
The majority of people begin to ramble when they don’t have a cohesive thought, or know where the conversation is going. If you begin rambling on a call, you lose credibility. Even worse, the reporter is likely to cut the call short.
Tip #2 – Prioritize your Talking Points
Always communicate your most important thoughts first. I’ve been on calls with reporters when the client begins with a long-winded background on another topic. Most reporters are respectful and won’t interrupt the source but they will incorporate this lost time into the overall time budgeted for the interview.
I always tells clients, approach this interview like we have less than 15 minutes. For the most part, you aren’t going to get 30 minutes or an hour with a reporter. Yes, some topics are more complex and require more time to explain but you should still be prepared to communicate the overall story line within a few minutes.
Tip #3 – Practice ADD
Reporters are notorious for having short attention spans. TV deadlines are based on seconds, while online stories have to be continually updated. All of this reinforces the reporter’s nuanced understanding of time.
Of course, all reporters are different and region plays a role. A community reporter might have more time or lenient deadlines than a reporter in New York. Factor this into your conversational style.
News is all about Programming
It doesn’t matter if you’re trying to get on a podcast or national TV. You should always be thinking of their audience – not your own agenda.
What topics are their readers or listeners interested in hearing? Are you bringing a new thought or idea to the conversation? Is this story something that appeals to a select number of people even though their audience might be vast?
It’s amazing how many publicists pitch stories that no one cares about. I still believe you can sell nearly any story as long as you have the credibility, resources to back up the claim and intrigue to get people listening. But at the root, it all begins with a conversation. Make sure you get that point right from the beginning.
ABOUT MACIAS PR
Mark Macias is a former Executive Producer with NBC and Senior Producer with CBS in New York. He is also a PR contributor with Entrepreneur, CNBC and Forbes. City & State Magazine named him to their 2024 Political PR Power List in New York. You can reach out to him by clicking here.