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Topic: How do I handle nagging PR reps?
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| Author | Message |
| yourstruly | Posted – 7/28/2005 10:39:31 AM | show profile I am so fed up with these flacks calling me up all day long. I hear from at least a dozen a day (not counting emails). They speak ''on behalf'' of companies I've never heard of before...they are chirpy and ever-helpful with useless self-serving ''story ideas'' or offering inappropriate ''sources'' for items on the ''ed cal''. Sometimes they call pitching stuff that is completely outside our area of coverage. Other times they call to ''follow up'' or give me a ''pre-briefing'' on a piddling announcement that might get two lines in the magazine, or to offer ''bylined articles'' that we as a rule don't print. The most frustrating part is I have to be nice to these people, because I work for a trade mag and the publisher sees every company as a ''potential advertiser'', no matter how pissant and broke. How do I politely get these people to take no for an answer? |
| Lotus665 | Posted – 7/28/2005 10:45:55 AM | show profile Don't answer the phone. As long as you don't work in an area where everyone can watch your every move, let calls go to voicemail unless you have caller ID and see it's someone you need/want to speak with. Then you can ignore the ones you don't want to speak with, at least until it's more convenient. Think about it: more often than not people you are trying to call are busy or away from their desk. Make it a little harder to reach you. Also, it sounds like the wall between edit and advertising is pretty thin where you work. ------ Lotus665 |
| yourstruly | Posted – 7/28/2005 10:50:37 AM | show profile What wall? |
| daveed | Posted – 7/28/2005 11:29:53 AM | show profile No ticky, no laundry... Transfer them over to ad sales, or ask them to have their media buyer talk to your mag's ad sales dept. ------ "The lure of the distant and the difficult is deceptive... The great opportunity is where you are." |
| PoweRmvr | Posted – 7/28/2005 11:36:23 AM | show profile Keep in mind that these ''flacks'' are getting paid to do their job which is to pitch editorial on behalf of a client. Rather than write off useless pitches, a better approach would have been to tell them what you cover. That way they will stop sending useless pitches and hone in on what you are looking for. Mention that you only receive pitches via email on your voicemail, and also add that you do not even look at bylined articles on the bottom of your emails. Also, don't get all pissy about people who are trying to make your job easier by letting you know about new items and companies, and getting annoyed their cheerfulness. At least they are not screaming at you! ------ muddin has changed her sn due to popular demand |
| yourstruly | Posted – 7/28/2005 12:34:25 PM | show profile Ah, yes, ''making my job easier.'' That is usually their justification for flooding me with publicity grabs disguised as assistance. They're trying to do me a favor! We're a public magazine and we have a masthead. Anyone who spends five minutes looking it over can easily tell what we cover and who covers it. I shouldn't have to explain, it's their job to know already. I don't mind explaining it once, but I do mind explaining it a dozen times a day, especially when I'm on deadline. Do your homework, what can I say. Yeah I realize they just do their jobs. So does a telemarketer. But at least the telemarketer, I can hang up on! |
| aeb7726 | Posted – 7/28/2005 12:48:25 PM | show profile Stop answering your phone. Screen your voicemails every so often when *your* workload allows. After all, if you don't get your stuff done when you're on deadline, telling your boss that you've been trying to be nice to flacks is going to get you how many points, exactly? I work for a group of trade mags too, but thankfully my copy editor status means I don't get too terribly many calls. The ones I usually get are the folks who can't figure out what ''copy editor'' means on the masthead. Those are politely redirected to the editor, if they are pitching something that sounds remotely editorial, or the sales manager, if it appears that we'd like compensation for printing their stuff. |
| limericks4all | Posted – 7/28/2005 1:15:19 PM | show profile It's easy enough. Just say, ''I am on deadline and can't talk. Could you please send the info to me in an email at .....'' And try to be zen about it -- we'll all salesmen in some capacity. |
| WritingEd | Posted – 7/28/2005 2:27:37 PM | show profile I've spent the past several years fielding calls like these. Lucky me, I'm in charge of the new products section of my trade book. All of our staffers travel to trade shows throughout the year and that's when we meet up with vendors. So my response to the request for a pre-briefing is that we have a small editorial staff and aren't typically able to schedule phone interviews when it doesn't relate directly to a scheduled story idea, but we take the opportunity to meet directly with vendors at conferences. Then I add something like, ''We'll be at the xxx show next month...perhaps we can schedule a meeting then?'' And meanwhile, I tell them that typically a press release provides enough information for us and that we will certainly call if we have any questions. Unfortunately, the whole process does involve a lot of repeating yourself. Especially when you take the time (as I often do) to help flacks better understand the types of information and ideas we ARE looking for. They are often very appreciative of the tips I'll offer, and many times they will start to target our publication more specifically in the future. And for everyone, I always say that email is usually the best way to contact me. I don't mind banging out a 2-minute response to someone on my own time nearly as much as I mind being interrupted with a phone call. |
| rkcogo | Posted – 7/28/2005 2:59:52 PM | show profile Those horrible nagging PR reps......oye vey! How do you handle them? As you would handle anyone else. If they call and have no idea who you are, or what you do, then perhaps they don't deserve to speak with you, but as one of those horrible PR reps, let me explain my job...just so you get it. 1. We work for clients. 2. Our clients want to be written about in your magazine/newspaper/Web site/ 3. To make this happen, we research the industry, find trends, discover relevant news, and then bring all of the information to you in a readable, easy to digest format. This is like those sushi bars that have the convoy belt going around. You see the dish and you choose whether or not to eat it. If you look at it like this, then perhaps your relationship with the Flacks that call you all day long might become more beneficial. If you are not interested, say that. If you are, then let them know. Also, you can asked to be taken off of someone’s contact list and while legally they are not obliged to do so, most often that publicist will stop emailing/calling you. We understand that at times you are too busy to speak, or that you really are just not interested, but for the most part, it couldn't hurt to treat us as people, just as we treat you. There is a fine balance between PR and editorial, a give and take relationship, and it is not only us that abuse this delicate rapport. I find way too often that editors abuse this relationship and act in really un-justifiable ways. Some examples…Editors will be on deadline and will send these really annoying flaks articles with TKs all over. It is our job to fill them in, of course trying to plug clients when appropriate. I can not tell you how many articles I have written, or my co-workers have written, that have gone word for word to print and when we look to find our clients name, it has miraculously fallen from the page. Editors say “oh, I am sorry; we just didn’t have room for it.” Yet we continue to work with you, and bring you ideas and “chirp” on the phone. Another really fun habit editors have is to request product samples with no intention of writing about the company. That’s really fun! And my favorite is when an editor is your best friend when they are writing about one of your clients. They call to fact check, they ask you for help setting up an interview, they request photos, they need help researching other XXX in that industry, and you do all of this…willingly, graciously. And then two weeks later when you approach them with another idea, or a question, it is as if you never existed. Now don’t get me wrong. When this relationship is good, it’s good. I can send out an email and within ten minutes get a Not for me, not now or Send more, Great, I want it response. For those who say they are not interested, I don’t call or email anymore about that subject. For those who are, we go from there. Also, I have developed wonderful relationships with many editors who will call and ask if I know anyone companies that deal with XXX or any products that contain ZZZ. They know that if I don’t work with a client that fits their bill, I will pass them along to someone who does. These editors know my name, they know a little about me, and vice versa. After all, these are our jobs, and we should enjoy what we do. Instead of resenting the hand that “occasionally feeds you” be nice to it, and tell it when you aren’t hungry. |
| rkcogo | Posted – 7/28/2005 3:01:29 PM | show profile Those horrible nagging PR reps......oye vey! How do you handle them? As you would handle anyone else. If they call and have no idea who you are, or what you do, then perhaps they don't deserve to speak with you, but as one of those horrible PR reps, let me explain my job...just so you get it. 1. We work for clients. 2. Our clients want to be written about in your magazine/newspaper/Web site/ 3. To make this happen, we research the industry, find trends, discover relevant news, and then bring all of the information to you in a readable, easy to digest format. This is like those sushi bars that have the conveyor belt going around. You see the dish and you choose whether or not to eat it. If you look at it like this, then perhaps your relationship with the Flacks that call you all day long might become more beneficial. If you are not interested, say that. If you are, then let them know. Also, you can asked to be taken off of someone’s contact list and while legally they are not obliged to do so, most often that publicist will stop emailing/calling you. We understand that at times you are too busy to speak, or that you really are just not interested, but for the most part, it couldn't hurt to treat us as people, just as we treat you. There is a fine balance between PR and editorial, a give and take relationship, and it is not only us that abuse this delicate rapport. I find way too often that editors abuse this relationship and act in really un-justifiable ways. Some examples…Editors will be on deadline and will send these really annoying flaks articles with TKs all over. It is our job to fill them in, of course trying to plug clients when appropriate. I can not tell you how many articles I have written, or my co-workers have written, that have gone word for word to print and when we look to find our clients name, it has miraculously fallen from the page. Editors say “oh, I am sorry; we just didn’t have room for it.” Yet we continue to work with you, and bring you ideas and “chirp” on the phone. Another really fun habit editors have is to request product samples with no intention of writing about the company. That’s really fun! And my favorite is when an editor is your best friend when they are writing about one of your clients. They call to fact check, they ask you for help setting up an interview, they request photos, they need help researching other XXX in that industry, and you do all of this…willingly, graciously. And then two weeks later when you approach them with another idea, or a question, it is as if you never existed. Now don’t get me wrong. When this relationship is good, it’s good. I can send out an email and within ten minutes get a Not for me, not now or Send more, Great, I want it response. For those who say they are not interested, I don’t call or email anymore about that subject. For those who are, we go from there. Also, I have developed wonderful relationships with many editors who will call and ask if I know anyone companies that deal with XXX or any products that contain ZZZ. They know that if I don’t work with a client that fits their bill, I will pass them along to someone who does. These editors know my name, they know a little about me, and vice versa. After all, these are our jobs, and we should enjoy what we do. Instead of resenting the hand that “occasionally feeds you” be nice to it, and tell it when you aren’t hungry. |
| Cyrus | Posted – 7/28/2005 5:02:16 PM | show profile You have several options, obviously. You can either tell them no or you can quickly refer them to a Web site or other material where they can learn more about the appropriate person to contact. I'll be the first to admit that a lot of PR practitioners, especially at larger agencies, don't take the time to do research. When I was in editorial and working at CNN Financial News, I'd get scads of calls every day and about 100 e-mails on top of that. So even though I'm now on the other side, I know what it's like and I work in a way that shows I do. However, even if they don't want to admit it, people even at high-level outlets occasionally benefit from flacks. I've had tech reporters from The NY Times call me unsolicited to line up a lawyer for them who could speak about a hot issue, for example, and there are lots of other examples at other publications. I differentiate myself by serving as a resource. For example, when I was working with a top 100 law firm that was defending one of the MCI principals, I would get calls continually wanting to line up interviews with the attorney I was working with. Obviously, he wasn't going to comment most of the time. So what I did instead was use my legal marketing contacts to FIND him someone who could talk. That way, when he needed a source, he knew I could find him somebody even if it wasn't a client of mine. Much to the amazement of people in my biz, I agree that a good reporter doesn't often need a flack. They'll do the leg work themselves and they get good stories because they can dig and ferret out information I wouldn't be able to give them anyway. However, there are many that provide useful information and have good relationships with people at well-known outlets. If that wasn't true, we wouldn't stay in business. I think part of your frustration involves issues that come with working at a trade or a small publication. I didn't like having to do advertorial type stuff at small dailies, but it just came with the territory. That's why I worked to move up as quickly as I could and was at CNN by the fifth year of my career. ------ Cyrus Afzali Astoria Communications www.astoriacomm.com |
| activeverb | Posted – 7/29/2005 2:20:16 PM | show profile I know one editor who never answers her phone and leaves all this info in the long message on the voice mail: ''If you are pitching an idea, I prefer to receive those by email at ...'' etc., etc., etc. |
| activeverb | Posted – 7/29/2005 2:28:00 PM | show profile Or another way to look at it: A PR person who calls you is often just a telemarketer. You are one on a long list of people they are calling hoping someone will bite on a story to promote their client, even if the story isn't all that good (as they often aren't). It would be nice if everyone who calls to sell you would do a lot of upfront research to determine if they are wasting your time, but practically that's not always possible, and from the salesperson's standpoint is often not a cost-effective use of time. <<Posted – 7/28/2005 3:01:29 PM | show profile Those horrible nagging PR reps......oye vey! How do you handle them? As you would handle anyone else. If they call and have no idea who you are, or what you do, then perhaps they don't deserve to speak with you, but as one of those horrible PR reps, let me explain my job...just so you get it. 1. We work for clients. 2. Our clients want to be written about in your magazine/newspaper/Web site/ 3. To make this happen, we research the industry, find trends, discover relevant news, and then bring all of the information to you in a readable, easy to digest format. This is like those sushi bars that have the conveyor belt going around. You see the dish and you choose whether or not to eat it. If you look at it like this, then perhaps your relationship with the Flacks that call you all day long might become more beneficial. If you are not interested, say that. If you are, then let them know. Also, you can asked to be taken off of someone’s contact list and while legally they are not obliged to do so, most often that publicist will stop emailing/calling you. We understand that at times you are too busy to speak, or that you really are just not interested, but for the most part, it couldn't hurt to treat us as people, just as we treat you. There is a fine balance between PR and editorial, a give and take relationship, and it is not only us that abuse this delicate rapport. I find way too often that editors abuse this relationship and act in really un-justifiable ways. Some examples…Editors will be on deadline and will send these really annoying flaks articles with TKs all over. It is our job to fill them in, of course trying to plug clients when appropriate. I can not tell you how many articles I have written, or my co-workers have written, that have gone word for word to print and when we look to find our clients name, it has miraculously fallen from the page. Editors say “oh, I am sorry; we just didn’t have room for it.” Yet we continue to work with you, and bring you ideas and “chirp” on the phone. Another really fun habit editors have is to request product samples with no intention of writing about the company. That’s really fun! And my favorite is when an editor is your best friend when they are writing about one of your clients. They call to fact check, they ask you for help setting up an interview, they request photos, they need help researching other XXX in that industry, and you do all of this…willingly, graciously. And then two weeks later when you approach them with another idea, or a question, it is as if you never existed. Now don’t get me wrong. When this relationship is good, it’s good. I can send out an email and within ten minutes get a Not for me, not now or Send more, Great, I want it response. For those who say they are not interested, I don’t call or email anymore about that subject. For those who are, we go from there. Also, I have developed wonderful relationships with many editors who will call and ask if I know anyone companies that deal with XXX or any products that contain ZZZ. They know that if I don’t work with a client that fits their bill, I will pass them along to someone who does. These editors know my name, they know a little about me, and vice versa. After all, these are our jobs, and we should enjoy what we do. Instead of resenting the hand that “occasionally feeds you” be nice to it, and tell it when you aren’t hungry.>> |
| clairezulkey | Posted – 7/29/2005 2:45:51 PM | show profile | email poster I would say be civil, in that karma way that you never know when you might need something from one of these reps. I don't deal with PR reps as often as a freelancer, but I just say I'm on deadline and don't have time to deal with it until DATE. If your DATE is January 2007, so be it. ------ Editor of MBToolBox |
| newnametoday | Posted – 7/29/2005 3:29:57 PM | show profile to the OP: PR reps pitch self-serving ideas because they are working for their clients. They are doing a job and frankly I, personally, see no reason not to be polite and listen to their pitch if/when they happen to get me on the phone. If it's irrelevant, I tell them so. It takes about 15 seconds and zero effort to be nice. If you're getting a tremendous amount of calls, then screen them and leave a message on your voice mail that instructs PR reps what to do and how to reach you most effectively. You also might want to re-think your attitude about these ''flacks.'' Yes it's certainly annoying when someone calls you who hasn't read up on your pub or pitches you something useless, and it certainly happens to me on a regular basis...but you never know when that same person is going to actually call you with something useful. I too write for a trade publication, and I deal with PR and media relations people every day. You'd be surprised at how many of them are actually well-plugged into the industry I write for and have been able to feed me tips and help me break news. They, for the most part, are extremely reliable on deadline and have bent over backwards to help me when I need it. It's probably because I treat them and their jobs with respect. One hand washes the other is how I look at it. |
| Cyrus | Posted – 7/29/2005 3:38:05 PM | show profile I also think it would help to add another shade of color to this debate. I spent almost a decade in journalism before becoming a flack and, while it would occasionally bug me to hear people universally slamming journalists, I also knew that some of that criticism is deserved. Just as there are a lot of flacks out there that don't do their homework, there are a lot of reporters that commit the same sin. That's why you see elemental mistakes in stories in outlets of all stripes. I fully realize part of this lies in the fact that outlets don't pay well enough to garner an expert in a complicated topic. That person would be better off working for another company than using their expert knowledge as a reporter. That said, it still doesn't mean the criticism is not justified. The bottom line is there are annoying and unprofessional folks in most any job. Putting up with it just goes with the territory for anyone who's not independently wealthy. ------ Cyrus Afzali Astoria Communications www.astoriacomm.com |
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