When you put “Expert available” at the start of a pitch, it tells us the person you’re pitching is no expert.
Also, you’re too late.
(Thanks, Caroline.)
Tip #94: Free advice
Sure, I’ll give you free, off-the-record advice. But if I really knew how to build and market a technology product, you think I’d be doing this?
Filed under Common sense, Meetings
Tip #93: Different
Don’t show me what you do that’s the same as your competitors. Show me what’s different.
Filed under Common sense
Tip #92: Preview
Contact me before your launch. Duh. But not too much before. A week is about right. Two, if you’re Google, Facebook, Microsoft, or Apple.
Filed under Meetings, Relationships
Tip #91: Yawn
I would like to nap every day at 2:00 in the afternoon, but I can’t. So I schedule demos then instead. You’ve been warned.
Filed under Meetings
Tip #90: Ooo
Before you email a pitch to a journalist (or anyone, for that matter), you might want to be sure your “out of office” email autoresponder is turned off.
Filed under Meetings
Tip #89: Subject matters
Unless you want it to be all I read, make sure your email subject line gets your point across.
Bonus tip: pay attention to the “from” line too. You can do better than, “Relations, Public.”
Tip #88: One time to rule them all
You can make one writer happy by giving him or her an embargo time ahead of the competition, but at the cost of ruining your relationships with everybody else.
Tip #87: Raffi who?
I have an uncommon name, and it’s a small bonus if you pronounce it right. It’s “Rafe,” rhymes with “safe.” It’s a super mega bonus if, when you pronounce it wrong and I correct you, you don’t say, “I must have the wrong person, I’m looking for Rah-fay Needleman.”
Filed under Common sense
Tip #86: Railroaded
A slideshow of screenshots is about 1% as credible as a real, live demo. Plus, it kills your ability to go with the flow if the discussion gets interactive.
Filed under Meetings
Rafe
Pro PR Tips 