Dear Publicists: You Must Get Frustrated, Too!

Picture this scenario:?You just branched off on your own as a publicist. You're excited and eager but understand you have to build a solid and reputable client roster. So, to start off, you sign clients under the notion that they only pay you when you secure features in the press and a bonus for top-tier publications. It's a wonky model, but I get it—it's an excellent way to get your name out there as the person who gets it done.

Or there's this scenario where you charge clients a monthly fee and maybe even guarantee they will be featured in top-tier publications.?

Either way, you hit the ground running. Grinding all hours of the day, crafting the "perfect pitch." Trying to develop relationships with writers. Hustling in all essence of the meaning. There has to be a writer who finds your client interesting.

Alas, there's a reply to one of your thousands of pitches. You scream out loud, "It's finally happening!" An interview date is set. Both you and your client celebrate over Zoom. But, in all the excitement, you either forget to brief them on interviewing or breeze over the topic; they are supposed to be "experts" in their fields; they got this.?

The interview day has finally come.?

"Hi, Jane Doe. I'm so-and-so from X publication."

"It's so nice to meet you," Jane Doe begins. "I'm so nervous."

The journalist on the other end of the line smacks their forehead. "Do you have any questions for me about the article before we begin?"

"What does your column focus on?"

The journalist on the other end of the line smacks their forehead. After sharing the elevator pitch of the column's focus, the journalist starts the questioning.

"How did you get into this line of work?"

"Well, when I was five....then at eight....ummmm, huh, at fifteen....and let me tell you something, girls are mean in high school. I got my first dog at age twenty..."

"How have you grown as a leader?"

"I haven't really grown. I am who I am and I've always been this way. But, you know, people still irritate me."

"So, I understand that you've just closed a series A funding round of $100 million."

"Actually, it is only $2 million."

"Your publicist stated the $100 million."

"That's what we were hoping for."

"How do you connect with your customers?"

"You know, blah, blah, blah."

As a publicist, you follow up to see how the interview went, what assets they need for the article, and when it will run, only to have the journalist reply back with the most devastating news, "Unfortunately, I cannot run this article."

Many times, the reason an article doesn't run is that the interview just plain sucked. Your client doesn't know how to combine two coherent sentences and is all over the place. I've interviewed top leaders around the globe, and even they don't know how to answer basic questions.?

• Just because your client has an interview DOES NOT GUARANTEE it will run in the publication.?
• Direct quotes CANNOT be changed once published. It is not the journalist's problem if your client didn't mean to say it—whenever you speak to a journalist, you ARE ALWAYS ON THE RECORD.
• If your client's story doesn't match the pitch, it's a wrap.
• Make sure your client's website is up to date. If a number is run and is stated on the website, it remains in the article.
• Journalists have an angle for their column, and it doesn't matter what your client's MO is; the journalist's angle trumps theirs.?
• Your client should know their own story.

I've interviewed close to 600 people. I've had to tell quite a few people that the article wasn't going to be published. You have to keep in mind that, as writers, our reputations are on the line, too. We want the article to happen just as much as you; we've put time into this, and when the interview goes south, that's time we could've used elsewhere.?

Join me along with two other top-tier journalists on February 28th at 1pm ET for a FREE webinar on why YOUR PITCH SUCKS and the mistakes to avoid so your client DOES get featured.?

Did I mention it's free??

Register here for FREE!