As with all business transactions, things go much more smoothly if you cultivate good working relationships. When it comes to the dynamic between journalists and PRs, this is particularly important; writers too often treat PRs poorly, as if they are there simply to help them with their image requests, and PRs often bombard writers with unsuitable pitches, follow up emails, follow up calls and more emails.
There will be times when you are so incredibly irritated by a PRs tardy reply or constant pitching of a completely unsuitable client that you will be tempted to send a curt email or hang up a call – but don’t. You must keep your composure, even under great deadline pressure, as a sudden outburst is hard to recover from and you might find yourself high and dry later on.
The most fruitful relationships you will have with PRs and press departments are those you have invested time in; try to free up half an hour or so to meet with your most important contacts. If that is really out of the question, good email etiquette is paramount. I cannot stress the importance of being polite with your requests and grateful for any help provided enough.
You should be clear and, if necessary, you can be firm about what you need and what you are interested in, but remember that firm never means rude. A simple note saying “Thank you, but this isn’t quite right for us” should suffice. If you’d then like to state which clients of theirs you are interested in, that can help direct future communications, to the benefit of all concerned.
Occasionally indulging a PR contact by engaging in a conversation about one of their new clients can be the best spent five minutes of your week. If you show a willingness to listen and try to help when you can, you will often find that this is reciprocated. As the saying goes, “You scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours”.
Inevitably, there comes a time when you need an image or a quote immediately and it is precisely for that reason that you should invest in your relationships with your press and PR contacts. We need them just as much as they need us.
Emily Rookwood is managing editor of Spear’s Wealth Management
