I know what you are thinking, the dreaded pitch. I used to think this as well. I truly don’t like making pitch calls, but the key is getting past the first call. Once you do that, it gets easier as you go along. Here is what I learned this semester about creating the “perfect pitch.”
The first tip is to know your topic in-and-out. You can’t pitch a story unless you know the material. I once had a reporter listen to my pitch and then bombard me with a plethora of questions. I was shocked but I answered them all thoroughly with ease. You could tell his confidence in me grew and a few days later I saw his paper published a story on the topic. Reporters don’t want to listen to some uninformed telemarketer. They want someone who will give them the news.
My next tip is to find the story within the story. Take the press release and look for the statistics and content that stick out for you. Think like a reporter. What in this press release does the reporter want to hear? What is newsworthy and what will attract attention? These are the types of questions you need to ask yourself. Find the answer to these and your pitch will become much stronger.
Remember that you are providing a service to the reporters. You are giving them the news. Of course you are going to feel a little nervous, but try not to be. Most of the time, reporters are going to be happy for your calls. You are giving them options on their next story to report on.
Lastly, have a rough draft written out in front of you. There is nothing more embarrassing than making a cold call and forgetting a vital piece of information. Also, if a reporter questions you about something, make sure you have a copy of the press release available. Highlight important facts and statistics so the answers are right there for you.
Use these steps, like I have here at Tricom, and your pitch will become much better in the future.
As my unforgettable and life-changing semester in Washington is rapidly coming to an end, I have been reflecting a lot on what skills I have acquired in the past four months. Prior to interning for Tricom, I had a handful of internships, but none that worked me as rigorously. Despite still needing to complete three semesters of college, I feel that this internship has prepared me for the public relations industry. Here is a list of five skills every intern should have for an internship in public relations.
1. Writing. There are numerous writing platforms in PR, each with its own style. Working for Tricom, I worked on my formal writing skills by drafting press releases, media advisories and various newsletter articles. Writing improves with experience, so the more writing experience you get, the better.
2. Researching. Public relations is fundamentally about representing the clients. To do so successfully, you have to have a full understanding of the client’s interests. Extensive research on clients enables you to represent them to the best of your ability.
3. Communicating. Communicating effectively is an important life skill and is doubly significant in this industry. An office can’t run smoothly if employees cannot communicate effectively.
4. Social Media. Social media is a PR tool that many overlook. To stir up enticing conversations on a social media platform, you have to raise important questions that people care about. Facebook, Twitter and blogs are especially great ways to raise awareness or promote discussion on issues that aren’t being covered in mainstream media.
5. Being Creative. Public relations requires a certain knack for concise writing, but sometimes it takes a bit more. At times, you must think outside the box. The goal in many projects is to sell a story. Presenting the obvious facts isn’t always the best approach. Sometimes you have to sit back and think, “How can I make this really interesting?” Taking the extra time to think can truly pay off in the end.
Advertising is an important aspect of public relations. In order to arouse positive interest in an organization or product, you need to advertise it to the right audience in the right places in the right way. If these things are done correctly, you will hopefully have a happy client.
In one of my advertising classes last year, my professor started talking about the common theory that advertising is dying and that now, it is all about word of mouth.
“This is wrong,” he said. Then he went on to give us an example. Imagine if a distant acquaintance and a close friend were standing in a room together. If you walked into that room, who would you gravitate toward? The answer is the close friend. This study by Robert Cialdini, one of Arizona State’s Psychology professors, is known as the familiarity principle.
This means that when something is shown to you in a positive light over and over, you begin to like it more. In a sense, the more someone sees a product or company advertised, the more they will subconsciously like it. So if a customer debates between your brand and someone else’s unknown brand, you’re more likely to be the winner.
Social media has become the reason why the “word of mouth” theory has become so popular. Now people are looking to create a buzz amongst a certain group of people to get them talking. Public relations has taken this medium of communication and expanded on it, but the familiarity principle still stands true. Advertising to the subconscious mind still has a powerful effect; one that social media can’t always fulfill.
Landing a good internship in college can do wonders for your resume, showing future employers that you took the initiative and attempted to gain real world experience. However, finding the right internship can make or break your future career. Sure, being an intern who fetches coffee and files papers without complaints will likely provide you with an excellent recommendation letter, but in the public relations industry, being able to talk the talk is crucial.
The perfect internship might not necessarily be your dream career, but it will provide you with the experience you need to improve your craft. You can’t put a price on the ability to speak honestly and confidently about projects you worked on and lessons you learned one-on-one with your internship supervisor. Public relations requires good writing skills, and practice certainly makes perfect, which is something I am learning here at Tricom.
As an intern at Tricom, I am getting real public relations assignments that I will never be exposed to in the classroom. This internship is supplementing my theory classes and truly putting me to work. I work closely alongside my supervisors and help them with nearly every project they tackle, including significant writing and research tasks. When I ask for a project to work on, my supervisors happily provide me with work to do.
I personally believe my success at Tricom can be attributed to the size of the firm and my coworkers’ willingness to teach. I am creating strong, beneficial relationships with my coworkers. They give me sincere feedback on my work, which I think is the best way to learn. Interns who work in large offices often find themselves lost and neglected by the staff. They don’t get a chance to sit down and discuss their strengths and weaknesses with their supervisors, thus they don’t get the opportunity to learn.
The purpose of an internship is to enhance your education, but if you aren’t learning and internalizing valuable lessons, such a worthwhile experience quickly becomes wasteful.