Pitch, pitch, pitch!

Hi Guys,

Now that I am well into my internship, I have noticed a change in myself - I am much more confident (and willing) to pitch! It's a scary thought having to phone the media and pitch your story, particularly when they may not be that interested and it was something that I found quite difficult to do for the first 3 to 4 weeks of interning.

However, these last couple of weeks I've noticed that this doesn't phase me too much anymore. I'm happy to pick up the phone and call as many people as I can in order to get our story out there and achieve publicity for the client. I believe that when you love what you do and care about your role, it makes you that more persistent to get the best results. One thing I have learned from my internship is that an email is not enough. Phoning and having a conversation with the journalist is the quickest way to get a response, and yes sometimes you may get shut down, however it is better than constantly harassing someone with emails yet not receiving a response.

Having seen some good results due to my pitching efforts, I believe this has helped build my confidence and made me realise that it is worthwhile to pick up the phone. You must have confidence with what you are pitching because if you don't believe in it, it's likely that the journalist won't either!

As the agency I intern for is boutique, they place a large focus on ensuring that relationships are built and maintained. It is essential to offer journalists as much assistance as possible and to thank them for their time. We aim to be at every photo shoot for any paper, whether it be the West Australian or the Fremantle Herald, nothing is too big or too small that we cannot be there to provide help in any shape or form. I believe this is what makes Detail (agency) so successful. The care and diligence they take with each and every client and the relationships they have formed within the media has certainly been a huge part of forming their reputation. 

The opportunity for me to meet so many people and interact with a variety of media contacts is priceless. This hands' on experience has made me realise how essential it is to build strong relationships with clients, media, bloggers, local community, government, and so on. You never know when you may need their assistance!

What has your internship experience helped you to understand more or realise about the real world of PR that you have not already learnt in Uni?