Achieving the Perfect Pitch

When the pressure is on to place a story, your heart sometimes sinks at the thought of cold calling a long list of journalists and programme makers.

Having experienced life on both sides of the fence, believe me, your heart sinks when you receive such a call.

It may be that we want to assure the client that we have pitched their story to the widest range of media, but if the story isn’t picked up or broadcast, we have neither achieved exposure or value for the client.

Over the years, I’ve observed that one of the most common errors we make - and its not just the junior team - is that we pitch to papers we don’t read and to programmes we don’t watch or listen to.   And then we are surprised when our calls are not taken with enormous enthusiasm.

Take the celebrated BBC Radio 4 programme, Woman’s Hour.  It’s a triumph of the first order to get your story on this diamond of a programme.  But the programme is so popular (and long running) because the team are rigorous about the material they select for the programme.  It has to be right for their listeners and it has to be relevant and extremely interesting.   There’s no plugging (indeed one of the presenters Dame Jenni Murray can be heard to tell guests “that’s enough plugs thanks!”   And the agenda of the programme regularly changes and moves on in time with, and sometimes ahead of, the audience.  You are only going to know what will interest the Woman’s Hour team if you listen to the programme regularly.

In an agency or in-house team, it’s a good idea to make a list of the programmes you might pitch to and allocate each team member to take a list of them and watch or listen to the shows on a regular basis.   Each team member could write a short report on each title, when it is published or on the air, who presents it, the kind of topics they are interested in. Then if a pitch is to be made to the programme, that team member’s up-to-date advice is sought, or even better that person always pitches to the programme. You won’t have time to listen every day, but with catch-up services online, it should be possible to listen once a week.

And make it a rule that you never pitch duff material to journalists or programmes, just to tick off a list.  Nothing will wreck you relationship with them more quickly than that.  

Once you have hit on a topic that is of interest, of course, there’s a lot you can do to make your pitch more attractive and creative.

There’s so much interest in this kind of skill in Singapore and surrounds that we’re holding a course on it on 1st June - Achieving the Perfect Pitch

You don’t have to be born with the ability to pitch a story.  You just need some skills.  And for all but the most gregarious, some help to build your confidence!

(That’s enough plugs thanks - Dame Jenni Murray)

(Posted from Dubai, United Arab Emirates)