Dealing with the Press

If you're going to use one of our sample press releases, it can be as easy as finding the highlighted information in each Word document and changing it to reflect your own info. But we suggest that you customize the releases even more to give it your own feel -- this is your week, after all!

Where do I send a press release?
Look at your local newspaper or local TV station website and look for titles like news editor, assignment editor, consumer editor, or just plain "editor." Then send a copy of the release -- to as many of the above titled people as you can find -- by mail. Avoid sending press releases by fax or email unless the news outlet specifically asks for that (and then, mail them a hard copy anyway). Remember to include a copy of your business card as well.

How do I follow up?
You can follow up with a phone call a week or so after sending. However, do not pester the editors -- just one polite call. If they don't return your message, don't keep hounding them. That's a surefire way to get you on the "very irritating person" list -- and that's not the kind of VIP you want to be.

If they don't express any interest, tell them, "Thanks for thinking about it, and please keep me in mind if you ever need any info on air conditioning systems."

Remember: the press release you send is really just a "foot in the door." In some cases, a newspaper may print it verbatim, but in a lot of other cases, it'll be a springboard to a feature story -- and you want to make sure that you are the person interviewed for that feature!

How do I write a press release?
Use our samples as a starting point for formatting. Some tips:

• Always include your name, phone number, and e-mail address at the top as the person to contact. This should go before the headline so it doesn’t get printed.

• Use what journalists call the “inverted pyramid.” That is, put the most critical information in the first paragraph, which is referred to as “the lead.” That’s where the who, what, when, where, and why go. If the editor has to edit for length, he or she will start cutting from the bottom. Also, many people read only the headlines and first one or two paragraphs.

• Include a headline. The paper or station might change it, but you want to give the editor a “hook,” and the headline will do that.

• Keep the language simple and easy to understand. Avoid HVACR terminology! Don’t even use “HVACR” without explaining it first: heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration (HVACR). The same is true if you refer to ACCA. Always spell it out first, then use the acronym. When in doubt, have someone who’s not in the industry take a look at the release to make sure shop talk hasn’t slipped in somewhere.

• End the release with a centered “###” or “-30-.” This tells the editor where the release ends.

• Try to keep the release to one or two pages. If it’s longer than a page, center “-more-” at the bottom of every page that’s not the last. Number the pages as “page X of Y” and put the headline in the header section of Word. That way the editor knows there’s more, which will be important if the pages get separated somehow.

• Use the last paragraph to describe your company – briefly: Joe’s Heating and Air Conditioning Company has been serving residents of Anytown since 1967. Located on Main Street, the firm employs 25 people.

Remember, press releases are not advertisements. Do not send press releases announcing your "spring tune-up special." It won't get printed and will make you look amateurish -- and unlikely to get called back for an interview.

Gulp! They want to interview me. What do I do?

Think through your "angle" carefully and jot down what you want to say – you don’t need to write a script, just know what you’re going to talk about.

Keep it short and to the point. You’ll be lucky to get 60 seconds, at most, on radio or TV, and maybe a quote or two in an article. Be concise. It helps the reporter … and makes you look good.

Get ready for the interview. Review your notes and commit to memory the important points you want to get across. Hint: imagine you’re scheduled to give a 20-minute speech, but just as you get started, someone yells, “FIRE!!” and everyone has to get out. What’s the one thing you really want your audience to know? Get that in up front.

If it’s taped for TV, be sure you look good – neat, pressed, professional. You don’t need a jacket and tie, but you want to look the part. If you have company shirts, wear one!

Relax. It’s a lot easier if you look in the reporter’s eyes, not at the camera. Then it’s a one-on-one conversation, not an interview. And it looks much better on TV. Watch the news a few times and you’ll see – the people who come across the best are those who are engaged with the reporter, not the camera.

The same holds true for radio and print media, even though no one will see you.

If it’s a phone interview, keep your notes handy and refer to them. Highlight those really key points and be sure to work them in. If you’ve been clear about what your angle is, it’s likely the reporter will ask you appropriate questions. Always answer with the important point first. Elaborate if you have time. But when you are finished answering the question, stop talking.

Finally, a few absolute, do-not-ever-break rules for talking with the media:

• Return calls and e-mails promptly.
• Respect the reporter’s deadline.
• Be honest. Never, ever, under any circumstances, fudge the facts or pretend to know something. Better to say, “Gosh, Hermione, I really don’t know the answer to that, but I’ll find out and get back to you (today, this afternoon, this evening – ASAP).”
• Don’t ever do or say anything you wouldn’t want to see on the 6 o’clock news. (This is a good rule for life, too!)
• After the article or news clip appears, write a thank-you note to the reporter. Also, call if the reporter got anything seriously wrong and ask him or her to correct it.
• However, remember that you have no control over how it turns out. Don’t complain if it’s not exactly what you had in mind. Do comment if the reporter misrepresented what you said.