Ah, the pitch. I have worked in the media for years and see all kinds of PR pitches.
There is the good pitch. There is the bad pitch. There is the UGLY pitch.
You know the good ones because they are the right fit. These are the PR pitches addressed to you, that are for an idea, product or expert that is right for your show and audience and are clear, concise and correct. The hope is every single pitch from a Public Relations representative or business or author or blogger or expert is like that….but sadly they are not. It is like anything in life, not everything is perfect ( remember that saying, there is no such thing as perfection!).
So what do you do when you do get a bad pitch as a blogger? Or as a media decision maker?
We have all seen the people who head right on over to their social media platform of choice and tweet or better yet write a post about the horrible pitches. It feels good to rant or vent doesn’t it? But is that the best way to handle the situation? Is it the most professional way to handle that ugly pitch?
The simple answer is NO!
It should always be about being a professional. You are a professional, aren’t you?
I have had many, many years of experience dealing with pitches, not necessarily with products but with story and expert pitches. As a producer and writer in the media, I have received countless pitches from PR companies here in Canada and across the United States. Sometimes a pitch focuses on a specific time of year or holiday. Sometimes a pitch focuses on promoting a company, product, book or expert. I think I have seen all manner of pitch.
I treat every single one of them as a possible story idea or contact, even the ones not personalized to me or the ones personalized to someone else, like Sir, Madam, Dear Editor, Dear Producer or another member of the editorial team.
I have never taken any of them personally. When it comes down to it….it’s just business. Could some PR professionals be more professional? Sure. Could some producers, editors, writers (bloggers) be more professional? For sure! Like any business, there is always going to be good, bad and ugly.
I find it interesting how some decide to deal with the bad and the ugly. There are many who lash out online, tweeting up a firestorm about how offended they are about a certain PR pitch, usually because the pitch wasn’t addressed to them or that it was addressed generically or even what some would consider offensively. For starters, I think it’s just as unprofessional as the bad PR pitch. Neither is productive, effective or professional.
Here are a few MUST-DO’s as far as I am concerned….
I like to try to remember there is a human being behind that email pitch. Could that person be having a bad day? Did they have a rough night with kids or a sick family member? Did someone in the office call in sick and now they are doing the job of two people? Whatever the reason they are human and make mistakes. I know I have off days (as we all do). Does it make it less wrong they pitched the wrong person or addressed their email to the wrong person? NO. What it does mean is there was a mistake made that requires some attention. Here is where your response is key in my opinion. Instead of venting online, send a polite, professional email back. Correct the mistake, clear up any confusion and reinforce who you are and what you do. It leaves the door open, shows that you are the ultimate professional and creates a professional dialogue.
