Interviews are paths that can run in two different directions. On many occasions, a media outlet requests an interview with a specific spokesperson. In that case, it will be up to the spokesperson and his or her team to make the decision to grant or deny the interview. But in other circumstances, what happens is that a strategic decision is made to promote an interview, and that is when the pitch (one of the most coveted pieces of communication craftsmanship) comes into play.
Communicating effectively is, in essence, about convincing. In this post we will address the keys to place an interview in the most appropriate medium to conduct it. In short, how to make a convincing pitch.
The first step: does it make sense to do an interview?
First of all, we have to take an essential first step, asking ourselves what is the point of conducting this interview. As Silvia Albert recently explained in this blog, strategy is the backbone of communication. It is not uncommon for communications departments to receive an unexpected order that this or that manager “wants to do an interview”, or that a high representative of company X is coming to visit our country and “an interview must be done”. Ideally, interviews should not be done just for the sake of it or for the sake of pleasantries. Interviews have to make sense (there is a relevant message to communicate) and must fit within a communication strategy. Forced interviews usually give a bad result and end up generating a bad rapport with the media who, in some way, end up being forced to consider an interview that is not of interest to them.
Once all the pieces fit together and the strategic decision is made to move forward, it’s time for the pitch. We are going to approach it in four very simple keys.
It is a long-term job
A pitch actually begins long before it is put into practice. It is not possible to start from scratch. It is necessary to have a thorough knowledge of the media. The aim is to monitor the topics published by each media outlet, the style used to approach the publication of reports, the prestige of the media and how it is perceived by the sector of reference for the interlocutor we want to place in that media outlet. At the same time, it is not only about knowing the media, but also the journalists. We must know very well how they write, what kind of topics they are interested in, what image they have of them in the sector. A third line of action is the relationship of trust that you establish with the journalist. This relationship is based on mutual respect, transparency and a professional exchange of information. With these three pillars: knowledge of the media, knowledge of the journalists and a professional relationship of trust with them. By using them, we will be able to correctly determine which journalist and which media is the most appropriate and most likely to be successful for our interview.
Get to know your spokesperson and what he or she stands for
But this is only part of it. Not only do we have to know the medium, we also have to know our spokesperson. Knowing the character of the spokesperson, his or her professional background and personal trajectory are elements that will help us to build a solid pitch. On the one hand, we need to identify those elements that make our spokesperson unique. The spokesperson has to be special and attractive to the media. A spokesperson has to be well prepared. For this it is always advisable to have carried out a training of spokespersons.
And beyond the personality of our spokesperson, there is the company he or she represents. In the end, we cannot forget that our spokesperson is the representative of the company to which he or she belongs, whether it is a large multinational, or even a personal project of the spokesperson himself. In other words, there are two ‘spokespersons’ to be deployed: the person to be interviewed and the company he or she represents. Therefore, we need to define and know in depth the values, mission and key messages that the company wants to convey.
Being in this world
We understand how important it is for our spokesperson to transmit the messages he/she wants to convey and the importance that our spokesperson attaches to the company he/she represents, but all this must be adapted to the circumstances of the moment, to current events. That is why it is necessary to know how to fit the messages we want to convey within the topics that are relevant to the audience. In other words: convince that our proposal is relevant and pertinent at the time it is taking place. We must make a thorough exploration of the true value and uniqueness of our interview and keep abreast of the topics of conversation that are moving the press. What is presented to the journalist has to be a unique and valuable opportunity for him or her that he should not let slip away.
Clarity and conciseness
That quality is more valuable than quantity is something that has been known in Spain at least since the Golden Age. It has been 400 years since the famous priest and writer Baltasar Gracián coined the famous phrase, “what is good, if it is brief, is twice as good”. This is an example of what is needed for a claim to stand the test of time. To be effective, a pitch has to be clear and direct. If you have to stun the journalist with a torrent of words to convince him or her of the importance of the subject matter, something is wrong. Journalists must understand the importance of the opportunity provided.
It is not an exact science
One of the great dramas of communication is that it is not an exact science. Using the same ingredients in the same exact proportions does not always result in the same dish. The list of imponderables that can alter the course of events is like the universe: it is constantly expanding.
The course is therefore uncertain. In J. R. R. R. Tolkien’s famous novel The Fellowship of the Ring, the elderly hobbit Bilbo warned his cousin (not nephew) Frodo of the dangers of setting foot on the road, because you never know where it might lead you. But well-equipped, we will substantially increase our chances of taking our pitch to a good port. Hence the importance of carrying out long-term work that puts the wind in our favor. The only way to perform this task effectively is to build a relationship with the press based on professionalism, trust and transparency.
