Raise your hand if you have read and responded to all of the emails in your inbox this week. While I’m sure there will be some overachievers out there, I’m betting the majority of you have at least one or two emails you’re putting off replying to or you simply deleted.
In PR, we’ve all heard how reporters are inundated with emails and it’s true. Journalists are people just like us, with urgent work deadlines and limited attention spans to devote to tedious or impersonal messages.
At Communiqué, we’ve secured top-tier coverage for our clients by customizing our pitches and picking up the phone to make those follow-up calls. However, we also firmly believe in the power of another media relations strategy – the deskside meeting.
When our clients mention upcoming travel plans, we immediately begin reaching out to our contacts from target outlets based in the area. Currently, I’m scheduling deskside meetings for our tech and service firm clients with editors and reporters from Bloomberg, Fortune, Mashable, PSFK and The Seattle Times to name a few.
These one-on-one deskside meetings are highly beneficial for an initial introduction between a CEO and editor, product launch announcements, or a major company update.
Here are four reasons why you should start scheduling your own deskside meetings today:
1) If the media won’t come to the client, the client must go to the media – Remember when I mentioned journalists are busy? A shrinking news staff coupled with a growing demand on reporters to blog, create videos, and take photos on top of their editorial assignments means reporters are under pressure to deliver more content with less time. Offering to meet at a time and location convenient for reporters is appealing to them and shows you value their time.
2) Facetime still matters – PR is all about building meaningful relationships and face-to-face conversations can establish rapport and trust much quicker than a phone interview or email exchange. Instead of relying solely on content to drive an interview, nonverbal cues such as tone and body language can also help engage reporters during in-person meetings.
3) A little bit of attention can go a long way – Scheduling deskside meetings has the added benefit of guaranteeing a priceless commodity – a journalist’s undivided attention. Whether the deskside lasts one hour or only 10 minutes, this is a rare window to deliver key messages and find out what topics they’re researching. Before an interview, we help our clients prepare three to five solid talking points and schedule practice sessions to make sure the messaging is concise and consistent.
4) Setting the stage for thought leadership – Even if a deskside meeting doesn’t necessarily result in an immediate article, it lays the foundation for future opportunities. During in-person meetings, executives can demonstrate their expertise on a range of industry trends, earning them a coveted spot on a reporter’s shortlist of resources to call for a quote. While a profile piece may be the ultimate goal for speaking to the press, serving as their go-to industry expert in the meantime may result in several mentions.
It may seem counterintuitive to request a face-to-face meeting with time-strapped journalists, but most reporters are usually willing to spare 15 minutes depending on the news value and existing relationship with the PR firm. Despite the ease of sending a press release over email or conducting a Q&A over the phone, the personal connection forged through desksides increases the likelihood of coverage and is critical for building long-term relationships.
Now who’s ready to nail those sound bites?