The Case of the Missing Client

It’s happened to a lot of us. You’re told to start pitching a topic in earnest.

Your pitch gets a reporter’s attention. After the usual exchange, you set a date for the media interview. The adrenaline begins pumping as you e-mail your client the details.

Then suddenly the client bails on the hard-earned media opportunity, leaving you in a tough spot.

The end result? The client loses the story, the reporter has a news hole to fill and your reputation with the reporter is damaged. But before you pull out your voodoo doll, consider why this situation occurred.

Poorly Set Expectations: Did you bring them an opportunity with a second-tier trade publication when they were expecting a major market daily? Or was it the exact opposite and they got nervous? Either way the client should know the media targets and agree that the targeted outlets are worth their time and effort.

Decision Maker Access: Is your direct contact doing the interview? Is the interviewee on board with the effort? Are the right client-side decision makers aware of your efforts? If you can’t answer these questions, you’re “writing pitches your body can’t place, cowboy.”

Q3 Earnings: Business happens. Your pitch may coincide with your client’s stock tanking. It sucks, but you have to expect the unexpected especially with publicly-traded clients.

There are ways to minimize this phenomena from occurring.

Define Process: Set up clear channel of communication prior to pitching a client. Do they have message points so they can respond quickly and effectively as needed? Is everyone clear on how media opportunities will be handled?

Be Honest: Don’t fall on your sword, these things happen, but the more details they have the more likely you can preserve the relationship. Tell the reporter a much as you can as soon as you know the interviewee has backed out. The reporter won’t be any happier, but you will preserve your credibility in the long run.

To be honest, I err on the side of asking forgiveness vs. asking permission when it comes to media relations. I never pitch my clients for something unless I know they can deliver. But I am aspirational on their behalf. The downside to my approach is that the above can happen. The upside is more ink.

But I’ve been doing this for awhile. To those folks that are fresh to this fight, cover your ass and pack an extra parachute.

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tags | public relations | PR | media relations | media | good pitch | bad pitch | bad pitch blog