Posts Tagged ‘kaus’
How to Pitch on the Phone
Media types are busy people. Don’t waste their time hemming
and hawing and building up to what your pitch is about.
Your pitch must grab the journalist’s attention immediately and
it must offer her something she wants—the chance for a good story.
Be sure to use the right terms. Newspapers and magazines
have readers. TV and radio outlets have viewers or listeners, also
called an audience.
Let’s look at the right way and the wrong way to pitch. In this
example, let’s pretend you’re a CPA who has a new book about taxes
to promote.
YOU: “Hello, my name is John Smith. I’ve been an accountant for 20 years,
and I have a book to promote about taxes.”
JOURNALIST: “Go away. I have a big dog.”
Why is this wrong? First, unless you are already famous, I mean
Angelina Jolie or Brad Pitt famous, the media person on the other
end of the line doesn’t care what your name is. Don’t lead the con-
versation with it.
Next, nobody cares what you do for a living, same as your name.
Third, nobody cares that you have something to promote. Ev-
erybody who calls has something to promote. Media outlets are not
in the business of promoting books or products, unless you want to
buy advertising. They are in the business of informing and/or enter-
taining their audience. And selling advertising.
Finally, the subject is boring. Who wants to talk about taxes
unless they’re getting a refund?
Okay, so how do you pitch? Let’s try again.
THe RIGHT WAY TO PITCH
YOU: “Hello, I can tell your readers/audience how to slash their taxes by
25% in 15 minutes. The information is based on my new book, How to
Legally Cut Your Taxes.
JOURNALIST: “Will you be my new best friend? I want to make
you famous.”
Why is this the right way?
First, you started with the hook. You got the journalist’s attention.
Who doesn’t want to reduce their taxes?
Then, you backed up your statement by indicating that you
are an expert on the subject. You wrote a book. If the journalist is
interested, she will ask who you are, what makes you an expert, and
if you have a press release or media kit.
But what if you don’t have a book? You adapt your approach.
YOU: “I’m calling to tell your readers/audience how they can cut their
taxes by 25% in 15 minutes. I’m a CPA with 20 years experience. I have
literally saved my clients tens of millions of dollars—legally and simply.
JOURNALIST: “I want to have your children.”
In this example, you still led with a great hook. And you in-
dicated your expertise; you’re not some fruitcake with bizarre ideas
about taxes.
Of course, journalists won’t really say the above words, though
if you bore them, annoy them, or pester them, especially when they’re
on deadline, they may get a restraining order against your phone.
That’s why it’s critical to catch their attention immediately
and offer something of value to them.
It’s a good idea to practice pitching with your friends before you pick
up the phone. Remember the saying, “You only get one chance to
make a good first impression.” With journalists, you get about half
that much.
Follow me on Twitter
Be a friend on Facebook
How to Get Booked on Radio Talk Shows
As I’ve mentioned before, appearing on radio talk shows is a great way to promote yourself.
If you’ve never tried getting on these shows before, the process is fairly easy, but it does take some time, effort and persistence. Here’s how to do it:
Contact the show’s producer. Once you have a particular show in mind, call the general business number for the station, not the line into the studio, and ask for the name of the producer, with proper spelling, and their email address. If the person who answers the phone doesn’t know, which often happens at radio stations, ask to speak to someone in the programming department.
People in that department either know who produces each show, or they know how to find out. If they can’t help you, ask to speak to the programming director. This person is often hard to reach, especially if he or she also doubles as on-air talent. But keep trying, it’s well worth the effort.
You can then decide to either call the show’s producer or send an email.
When David Barron and I were pitching our book, Power Persuasion, we set up about 20 interviews for a six-week period for just a few hours effort each.
I made phone calls to some shows while David emailed others. Both methods were effective, however, all of the show producers I talked to wanted a more complete pitch by email. The phone calls broke the ice and I sent the producers the written pitch right after the call, while the conversation was still fresh in their minds.
If you contact the stations with a written pitch and you get call from a producer, be aware that she interested in the topic and that you are being auditioned, though she will probably never say that.
So prepare yourself for the call. Practice answering a few basic questions about yourself and your topic ahead of time on tape. Think high energy. Producers are looking for lively guests who are informative and entertaining. If your topic is a serious one, let your voice reflect it, without being too somber or stiff. If you are passionate about a topic, such as a cause, let it show. But don’t be obnoxious or overbearing, regardless of the subject. The key is to strike a balance between being a hyper music DJ and an undertaker, while still being yourself.
Listen to a variety of radio talk shows, paying attention to how the guests perform. Think about what you like and dislike about each of them, then compare it with a practice tape of yourself. Should you speak faster or slower? Louder or softer? Raise your voice tone or lower it?
Only pitch one show in each market. If you get turned down, then contact the next person on your list in that market. If you are approaching national shows, it’s okay to contact them all at the same time, but don’t mention it unless asked.
It’s usually best to answer questions from the media honestly, but there is no rule that says you have to volunteer information.
So there you have it. Follow the steps above, and if you have a good topic and can present yourself well, you too can be on the radio.
Thanks for reading,
Danek
Want more great tips? Read You Can Be Famous! Insider Secrets to Getting Free Publicity.
“Buy this one NOW. ” Marketing Guru Joe Vitale, star in The Secret.
Follow me on Twitter
Get a Free Consultation
