Has this happened to you?
You get everything ready. All your materials organized and lined up. You’re so excited. You create this awesome pitch, send it out, you’re clear you’re going to be a star… and then nothing– crickets chirping. You check your email vigilantly and still nothing. The next day, the same thing — no response. And next week, still nothing. What gives? And then you make a fundamental mistake. You decide you can’t do PR.
Look, even fully baked pros hear those crickets chirping sometimes. It’s just a fact of life in the wacky world of PR. But they don’t give up. (Remember that 80’s song by Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush? “Don’t Give Up” could be your new theme song). Sometimes all it takes is another pitch. Shake things up a bit by trying a variety of different things and you’ll stumble upon the right message that resonates with the media. But don’t quit. Be patient, grasshopper. You must persevere. Just like with anything you do, practice and hard work are the keys to the kingdom.
If you’re determined and committed, you’re bound for success. Look at the figure skater Evan Lysacek winning the gold medal in this past Winter Olympics. He had been constantly criticized for being too athletic and lacking a degree of “artistry” that gold medal winners have to have. But that didn’t stop him. Evan’s coach says he’s the hardest worker he’s ever coached. All that hard work paid off. All that patience and perseverance led to success for him and it’ll do the same for you. What’s the saying? It takes 10 years of preparation to be an overnight success. So if you really want to make a difference, PR has to be a component to your business. But I hate to break it to you; it might take some time. But if you want to be a household name, master the skills necessary, be patient and persevere through all the obstacles that might come your way.
