Pitching dos and don’ts every PR pro should follow

During the early stages of a romance, too much contact simmers the sizzle.

In media relations, why would you reach out to someone, then slam him with a pitch? That isn’t reaching out at all. It comes off as unnatural, insensitive and forced. When you think about it, cold pitches are basically one-night stands.

I chatted with a few food and beverage pals who were more than happy to set the record straight. Their key takeaways about pitching were:

1. Don’t ever call—ever.

2. Don’t “pitch” per se. Just include useful information and tips without a gimmicky story idea. Exclusives have a much better response rate than spam. It’s important to be respectful, resourceful and genuine.