3 ways PR pros can change a reporter’s ‘no’ into ‘yes’
Media relations involves rejection, but communicators who persevere can see their stories in headlines.
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Publicists outnumber journalists five to one. There are consistently more stories pitched than there is room for them to be told.
However, that doesn’t mean you should always take a reporter’s first response to be the end of the discussion.
Here are three PR tips for turning a “no” into a “yes”:
1. Try a different angle.
I once pitched an outlet that I thought was a perfect fit for a client. It wasn’t large, but had an audience base that was perfect for my client to share knowledge as a thought leader.
Within a few hours of sending the pitch, I got a response: there was no interest in covering my client for a feature—it just wasn’t something the outlet did.
Though that can be disheartening to receive such an immediate rejection, the reason why left a window unlocked. It was clear the host wasn’t completely sold on how his audience would benefit from having my client participate.
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