Want to land a great media hit? It’s all in the prep.

Whenever I media train an executive, I share the story of a truncated “interview” with a Fortune 100 CEO.

 Less than 15 minutes into a scheduled 30-minute interview, I thanked him for his time and headed for the door. His head of communications ran after me, wondering why I wasn’t using the full time allotted. I explained I had better things to do than listen to him repeat the same spoon-fed talking points in response to every question I asked.

 And therein lies the challenge: how do you land the story that achieves your objective without having your executives appear scripted and inauthentic?

 While there are some people preternaturally able to do this with minimal prep, most can’t. And if you’re leading a business or department, you have more critical items on your agenda than acing a media interview. That said, with practice and the proper prep, anyone can avoid having the reporter walk out midway.

 For all the criticism of media these days, it remains one of the most efficient ways to get your message out to the masses. Yes, you can share your own content through social media channels and websites, but few can amass the reach of most media outlets.

 And there’s a real opportunity here for companies and organizations. Given the time constraints and pressure to perform, many journalists have less time to find their own stories and welcome the help of seasoned PR professionals. According to Cision’s 2022 State of the Media Report, 18% of journalists surveyed say their relationships with PR professionals have gotten more valuable in the last year. That’s the good news. The less good news: that same survey also found two out of three journalists said the vast majority of pitches they receive are irrelevant.

So how do you develop a pitch that is relevant and has a high chance of success? The prep is crucial. Whether you are responding to a media inquiry or proactively pitching a story, the prep is similar and the partnership with your PR professional is fundamental.

PR professionals play the pivotal role of understanding the story a company or organization wants to tell as well as what the media needs to accomplish that goal. I often think of this as the role of translator: understanding both languages so effective communication can occur. Here are a few tips to boost your language skills:

Identify “the so what.” As a journalist, this was the first question I asked whenever someone pitched me and it’s still the first question I ask when developing a media pitch. What’s the so what? Why is this story something the world needs to know now? If you honestly answer that question, you may need to alter your media strategy. Instead of pitching tech or business press, perhaps your chance of success is higher if you target a newsletter or trade publication that reaches your specific target audience.  

Build the story. It is an absolute truth reporters are short on time and under more pressure than ever to service websites, social media, TV and more. Be prepared to provide a compelling package of content – interviews with key people, visits to specific venues or events, high-res photos or video. I remember years ago when the Wall Street Journal, previously quite text heavy, started including more visuals. Suddenly we started hearing requests for “Big Art.” I used to joke I don’t know who Big Art is, but I don’t like him. But nowadays, that guy is in full command, so making him happy could go a long way to landing your story.

Don’t email strangers. As a journalist, I can’t tell you how many emailed pitches got deleted before being opened. Similarly, I can’t tell you how many stories I did because I knew and trusted the PR person who pitched them. Like with so many aspects of life, relationships are everything. Rather than email a pitch to a reporter you don’t know, figure out how to meet them first. Is there a mutual connection who can introduce you? Can you introduce yourself and set up a coffee or video chat to learn more about what they cover?

Reporters are people. Who wants to have a boring conversation? And perhaps more importantly, who’s doing a story off that boring interview? Like the conversation I walked out on, it’s important interviewees are well prepped. That means your spokespeople need to know the topic deeply, understand their role in landing the desired story and are capable of having a dynamic, two-way discussion. If it’s super technical, they also need to be able to discuss it in a way a non-expert will understand. I remember interviewing this fascinating scientist about using rubies to create lasers. It should’ve been a great story but neither he nor the PR person could really explain it in a way I understood and could explain to my readers, so it was a missed opportunity for all.

 Keep it short. Given the amount of pitches journalists get each day, they’re not going to read through your six-paragraph pitch to see if there’s a kernel of news. In fact, 91% of journalists said they prefer pitches that are under 200 words, according to Cision’s 2021 State of the Media report. If you’ve done the work of identifying the so what, state it simply, back it up with facts and wrap it in the context of current events.

Practice, practice, practice. If your executive does lots of public speaking and client meetings, they likely won’t need as much practice. But if they don’t, then it is an absolute to make time to fully brief them, provide written messages they need to hit and role play so they can get comfortable. I once had the CEO of a former company jokingly complain that I “over-prepped” him. I said, “you’re welcome.” The journalist may not have asked him the hard questions I did during our practice session, but he’d have been more than ready if they did.