I attended the EBA’s mind blowing Total Business Mastery seminar last weekend (24th April). So much inspiring and motivating new information – plus useful reminders of things you know but haven’t focussed on for a while. My action list has doubled in length!

Steve Clarke’s key tip to see a massive increase in your clients, order value or number of transactions per client is simply to “follow up”! He reminded us that only 2% of customers buy first time round, and most people need between 6 and 12 contacts before they are ready to buy.
Funnily enough, I think the same top tip applies to getting your own media relations. It doesn’t matter how brilliantly your story shines… if your target journalist doesn’t reply to your first email and call, and you don’t make the time to follow them up day after day until you catch them at their desks and pitch the idea verbally, your editorial is unlikely to see the light of day.

It is important, having said that, not to keep hassling a journalist once you have spoken to them. My formula is one email on the subject, one message on their answerphone, then I call till I’m lucky enough to talk to them directly – and am invariably asked to resend the email! But now they are looking out for it and if the idea pitched is useful or interesting to their readers/listeners, it’s got an infinitely better chance than a gobsmacking piece that hasn’t been pitched succinctly in person.

The only time when follow-up in PR is a dirty word, as far as I’m aware, is when you send a press release. I’ve heard more journalists complain about the time wasting call ‘did you receive my press release’ than any other. It is much better to withhold some key photographs or extra statistics from the distribution and offer that instead.
Maybe nags make the best PRs? But now I need to address that double-length job list…

By Diana Jervis Read, EBA Expert