|
You have permission to publish this article in its entirety
electronically, in print, in your ebook, or on your web
site, free of charge as long as no changes to the content
are made and you include my byline, copyright, and resource
box. Please notify me of publication by sending an email
with a copy of your publication
to:
Thanks and enjoy!
How to Pitch a Producer in 20 Seconds or Less
Copyright © 2002 - 2010 by Susan Harrow. All rights reserved.
Part of being able to schmooze is knowing when and how to do
it correctly. Pitching an idea is a very particular kind of
schmooze--one that you need to know how to do successfully
even if you hire a publicist. Producers want to hear and
read pitches in a certain way.
First and foremost is to be fast, fascinating and to the
point.
Publicist Annie Jennings was willing to share some
professional pitching techniques that all exceptional
publicists use with great success. These come right off of
her audio tape series called *Annie Jennings' Crash Course
in Publicity*
http://www.anniejenningspr.com.
Once you get a producer on the phone, follow Jennings'
cardinal rule: *Never ask someone you don't know, 'How are
you?* It may be counter-intuitive, but in this time-scarce
business it's actually disrespectful as it's an unnecessary
and even intrusive question. Instead say, *I understand you
deal in the _________ genre and I can talk about
__________(your 2-4 line pitch).* Read your prepared pitch
in a conversational tone. When they hear that you can be
concise and captivating, producers' ears prick up. Instead
of ending up in the slush pile of unsolicited packages, you
may get invited to send a *requested* media package.
Jennings calls voicemail *pretend work* and insists that you
must reach a person directly. There is a technique she uses
when time is of the essence when producers need to find
people to comment on breaking news items and turn to experts
they trust. Find out this closely guarded trade secret in
*The Ultimate Guide to Getting Booked on Oprah* at:
http://prsecrets.com/store/oprah-guide.html.
If producers can't reach experts in their database
immediately they begin to search for other insiders who have
specific knowledge of the subject at hand. A phone call
suggesting someone viable during this kind of time crunch is
often welcomed. Be forewarned: you'll need to be able to
prove you can comment intelligently and coherently in a few
seconds.
|
Susan Harrow, CEO of
http://prsecrets.com, is
a top media coach, marketing strategist and author of
Sell Yourself Without Selling Your Soul® (HarperCollins),
The
Ultimate Guide to Getting Booked on Oprah, and
Get a 6-
Figure Book Advance. Clients include Fortune 500 CEOs, bestselling authors and entrepreneurs who have appeared on
Oprah, 60 Minutes, NPR, and in TIME, USA Today, Parade,
People, O, NY Times, WSJ, and Inc. |
|
