G2 Communications Inc.-Medical Practice Marketing

We help physicians recruit, retrain & refer

  • WHO we are
  • WHAT we do
    • Healthcare Case Studies
    • Healthcare Clients
  • WHY choose us
  • WHERE we are
  • HOW to learn more
  • Blog

Jan 13 2014

How to Pitch a Healthcare Influencer: Q&A with Forbes Columnist &Tech Innovator Robert Szczerba

“Rocket Science meets Brain Surgery” is the attention-grabbing personal slogan of Healthcare innovator Robert J. Szczerba. And he can back it up: Szczerba started out in Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Notre Dame, where he performed research with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. He then spent more than 15 years at Lockheed Martin as a Chief Engineer and later Corporate Director of Healthcare and Life Sciences.

Today, Szczerba is out to revolutionize Healthcare through advanced technologies. He left Lockheed in 2013 to form X Tech Ventures, a company built on William Gibson’s famous quote: “The future is already here, it’s just not evenly distributed.”  For Szczerba, this quote captures “a simple message: that the answers to some of our most complex problems may not be light years away but may simply require a more informed look at the present.”

Why did Szczerba turn his focus from aerospace to healthcare? “My interest in healthcare arose about 6 years ago when my son was diagnosed with autism,” he explains. “That experience gave me insights into the deficiencies of the healthcare industry and also motivated me to find ways to improve it.”

At X Tech Ventures, Szczerba oversees incubation and acceleration of technologies for diverse companies. He also writes a column at Forbes exploring the “intersection of technology, innovation, and healthcare.” I did a Q&A with Szczerba to learn how healthcare PR pros can connect and collaborate with industry thought leaders and innovators.

Do you see the Forbes column as a media trend, where industry executives–not journalists or editorial columnists–are viewed as thought leaders?

“I’d compare the media trend today of using industry executives as columnists with a similar situation in sports broadcasting from several years ago. In that case there was a lot of controversy when a professional player went directly from the field to the broadcast booth. The feeling from traditional broadcasters was that the player ‘didn’t pay his dues’ as they had. But the athletes became color commentators and were paired with traditional broadcasters to produce a higher quality product. I’m not a traditional journalist: I provide “color commentary” on the technology and healthcare space. I’m an opinion writer.”

What strikes you as good subject matter for a column?

“The subject matter that I’m most interested in revolves around looking at problems from different or unique perspectives…Can we take a common technology in one domain and apply it to another? Like the intersection of the aerospace and healthcare industries. Flight simulation is common in aviation to train pilots in very complex and stressful situations. You can test complicated scenarios on a simulator in a low-risk, low-cost environment.

So, what would happen if you built a ‘flight simulator’ for a hospital to train people on new procedures in the ICU or ER? Why should a nurse have to read a 200 page manual to learn how to use a new medical device when they could practice using the same device modeled on their smart phone?”

What do you find frustrating with PR people who contact you?

“I really don’t like ‘attack pieces.’  People often pitch me stories that attack another person, product, or concept. I have no issue with writing a critical piece about another person’s idea, as long as I have an alternative approach to put forward.

Destruction is easy; but creation is difficult. When people pitch ideas that criticize products or concepts I always ask what their approach is and why it’s better. Unfortunately, more often than not they rarely have a good answer.”

What do you find helpful?

“I appreciate it when someone sends me comments or suggested topic ideas, but not as part of a formal pitch. For example, sometimes people send me comments on my recent articles suggesting another article for me to look at that takes a different point of view.

I also appreciate it when PR people have done their homework on what I write about and are able to give a quick 30-second summary of why this topic might be of interest to my readers.”

Who or what is your ideal source?

“I don’t think my ideal source falls into any one particular category. I tend to reach out to people who are passionate about their topic. Someone who wants to change the world and is cocky enough to think they can. These are the people I want to talk with.

Who says that the greatest ideas need to come from the chief of surgery from a major hospital as opposed to a charge nurse in a rural clinic?  The best ideas don’t always come from where you’d expect them.”

How do smaller companies grab your attention?

“For my columns, I don’t differentiate between large and small companies; I only differentiate between large and small ideas.”

 

Image provided by Robert Szczerba:

Written by Laura R. · Categorized: Healthcare PR, Medical Device PR, Medical PR, Pitching Stories, Public Relations, Uncategorized · Tagged: aerospace, autism, Forbes, healthcare, innovation, Lockheed, pitch, PR, technologies

Dec 18 2013

From Pitch to Interview: How to Work with Freelance Travel Writers

Lindsay Taub is a seasoned news journalist who has covered everything from environment and health to arts and entertainment. She currently covers adventure, food, travel, and music as a freelance writer for newspapers and magazines like The Tennessean, American Way and Travel + Leisure online, and for her own website, Voyage Vixens.

Taub’s unique combination of experience in investigative journalism, culture writing, and digital content makes her a great resource for the PR person looking for advice on pitching writers across genres and outlets. I interviewed Taub recently, and she shared the best ways for PR pros to form relationships with reporters, from interesting subject lines to in-depth conversations.

Start With a Strong Subject Line

“I get on average of 15 pitches a day. Probably 2 out of 10 interest me enough to keep reading,” says Taub. “If I don’t know what it’s about in the first paragraph–or the subject line in the email– it’s probably going to lose me.”

“A great subject line might include the word ‘new’ or ‘only,’” Taub explains. But that’s just the start.  An example of a poor subject line is: “‘XXX city has a new art & culture development.’ Although the word ‘new’ is in it, this tells me nothing and sounds boring.” Before she even opens the email, “the subject should create intrigue or curiosity.”

Follow it Up with Relevance

Past the subject line, the next hurdle is the pitch. “When the publicist shows they know me, they’re one step ahead of the game: they target the pitch to what I cover and not what I don’t.

But it’s okay if you’re still getting to know Taub: “If a publicist doesn’t know me they can start with an introductory pitch: I’m so and so and I would like to know what you cover and how we can work together.” Show that you are interested in tailoring your pitches to her, and passing along useful content. For example, “One time a PR person said she saw one of my stories in a magazine and learned that I cover adventure travel. The PR person said she had things coming up later in the year that I might be interested in. It showed she had an idea of what I cover and what’s in my wheelhouse and targeted her pitch as such. The result? I went to the client’s destination and covered them in a story.”

Timeliness is a Virtue

Timeliness goes hand in hand with relevance. “I don’t like getting generic emails that are not tied to any particular newsy event,” says Taub. “If the pitch is not timely, new, or unique, there’s not much I’ll be able to do with it.”

“PR people sometimes forget about the difference between long and short lead publications. For example, I’ve gotten a ton of emails the last 2 weeks for the holidays, but I’m pitching stories to magazine editors for March, April or May. If you want real concrete results you have to put together a pitch in plenty of time so you can do the research and gather sources.”

Timeliness isn’t just about looking ahead, it’s about looking back at what’s already been covered. “I look for PR people to offer something completely new that hasn’t been done before. For example, the PR person pitches a restaurant and the chef who is doing something really cool with gluten free dishes. Maybe their chef has appeared in Saveur or Bon Appetite before, but he hasn’t been covered in two years or more. I’ll take a look.”

“That’s a critical element in deciding whether to explore the pitch,” Taub continues. “I need to know when was the last time your topic was covered and by whom.”

Offer a Unique Angle

“I will consider anything, big or small,” says Taub, “though I tend to be more interested in the very small, off the beaten path, boutique, one-off properties or destinations that have something unique to offer in terms of their culture and what makes them special.”

To keep pitches fresh, “studying publications and knowing what they cover, how they cover it, and what they’ve done recently is always good.” On the other hand, “pitches or releases that are too self-promoting or salesy in nature are pretty much a waste.”

If you’re hosting a press tour, Taub advises that you keep the journalists’ goals and work interests in mind: “Press tours–aka media FAM trips–can be an amazing way to get familiar with a place you’ve never been. The challenge is that the journalists tend to get the same story. I always appreciate when a press trip includes at least a day or two on my own so I can find my own unique angles.”

Facilitate Great Conversations

“You get the best quotes by having great conversations.” You can do your part by prepping interviewees “about the nature of the interview” and making sure they’re willing to speak honestly and in-depth.

To get to the good conversations, Taub says to PR people, “Give me the real story. What is the client really interested in? What are you really after? The bait and switch will never work. I level with the person and I expect (or hope) that they’ll do the same so we’re not wasting each other’s time.”

Use Press Releases Sparingly

Press releases are not dead but they are changing,” affirms Taub. “Some are so marketing-focused that they become irrelevant. I prefer ones that are more conversational and creative, especially if they pull out facts that get my attention, or if they tell me something that raises an eyebrow, i.e., [at their destination] you can sleep hanging from a tree tent).”

Pitches for product reviews need to be especially unique and captivating. “For example, one tea company sent me an email telling me they had a brand new line of teas and wanted to send me samples, and asked for my address. Three days later I got a beautiful package of teas, no request for an review, no paper work, just a business card and a sweet note that said, ‘Enjoy!’”

“With no deadline or pressure to deliver, I enjoyed the teas and was impressed. I wanted to learn more, which encouraged me to go to the original email and actually read the attached press release. It was like a slow reveal and, in the end, I did write a glowing review of the product. That said, they happened to be pitching a product that lined up in every way I needed: a great backstory and a high quality product that was new to the market.”

Deliver Specialist Sources

“What I’d like to see more of are general pitches that highlight a highly specialized source who I could call upon as an expert,” Taub says. “I would love to get expert profiles that I can keep on hand, such as a top airline expert, or mushroom foraging expert, or the foremost expert on blown glass. Sometimes these expert/niche sources are hard to track down, so the PR person who can connect me quickly wins.”

Expert or not, the most important quality in a source is that they speak “with candor.” For example, Taub once interviewed the members of a well known national dance company: “Each one gave me the same ‘all is happy in the world’ story, as if they had been prepped with sound bites. As a result, I felt the richness of my story and the relate-ability was lacking.”

Keep Journalists’ Goals in Mind

“There are some really phenomenal PR people out there who I trust and rely on. We make each other’s jobs easier. For the most part, I love dealing with them because we have the same ultimate goals; it’s just a matter of knowing intentions, being honest and clear about it, and finding common ground.”

“It’s when they don’t understand what life is like for a freelancer and how the business works from our end, that it tends to be frustrating. And if there’s one thing that I’d like to ask PR people to NOT do, it’s follow up an email with a phone call or another email when only a day or two has passed with no reply. Give me at least a week or two, and if you still haven’t heard from me, please follow up.”

Follow Lindsay on Twitter @lindsaytaub and @VoyageVixens.

Photo credit: Lindsay Taub

Shelly Gordon, principal of G2Comm interviews journalists from time to time and asks them what they want PR people to know.  For more interviews go to www.g2comm.com/blog.

 

Written by Laura R. · Categorized: Other, Pitching Stories, Public Relations, Uncategorized · Tagged: journalists, pitch, PR, press release, travel

Nov 20 2013

Pitch the Extra Mile: PR Dos and Don’ts from Life Science Leader magazine chief editor Rob Wright

Rob Wright is Chief Editor of Life Science Leader, where he also pens a blog for healthcare and pharmaceutical industry execs. Life Science Leader is targeted to key players in the life sciences industry, delivering informative content on current events, technology, policy and regulations, and best practices for the field.

Though Wright’s day (and inbox) is full to the brim, he is remarkably available to people, including skilled PR pros. “I am striving to engage, network and learn with and from people, and you never know when that learning might occur,” he explains. “My biggest frustration is I can never get caught up on all the ideas I have for articles. So, I appreciate a PR person who can help me do this, without wasting my time.”

Wright offered me a few do’s and don’ts for life sciences PR pros who want to be the helpful type.

DON’T Recycle a Pitch

“First thing, PR people should understand that they are a valuable resource,” says Wright. “But when I can tell it’s a pitch that’s been recycled, such as my name appearing in a different size or color font, or they call the magazine by the wrong name, that is when they lose credibility.”

“I make very effective use of the delete key,” he warns, “especially if it’s been pitched 50 other places.  Do yourself a favor and get to know Life Science Leader’s audience, then “pitch something specific that is a fit.”

DO Follow Guidelines

Wright takes time to “provide some direction, as well as a submission guide, so [PR people] have the best chance of getting their articles published.” Understandably, he says it’s “frustrating when I receive an article where…it is obvious the direction was flat out ignored.  If I say, ‘don’t include references’ and they put them in there, or I give them a word count and they run over by 500 words, they aren’t setting themselves up for success.”

It’s not that hard to get it right with LSL. “Our focus is not on reviewing technology. It’s more about what spurred the company to create the technology or implement the strategy; how it was done, and what the company would have done differently. Our goal is to provide best business practice editorials with actionable information for our readers.”

DON’T be Long Winded

“Your pitch should be elegant,” instructs Wright. Elegant means concise–even more concise than you think. “Cover it in 2 sentences. Better yet, give me 3 or 4 bullets up front. If I need more information I will ask.”

“Telling me about how terrible a disease is and including a bunch of metrics on morbidity and mortality, and then how company ‘X’ has the revolutionary solution is typical and not required in a pitch. I want you to get to the point about why I should care about company ‘X’ or executive ‘Y’.”

The longer the pitch, the less likely he is to even skim, figuring “a long pitch was put together to be emailed to as many publications as possible and probably not a fit for the magazine anyway.”

DO Plan Ahead

“We frequently see PR professionals who will…contact me about a planned topic and offer a source,” says Wright. That would be a good idea, “except often, they are calling way too late. An article that appears in say, the August issue, may have had the interview conducted in June, so it can be finalized for layout the first week of July.”

Make that mistake once, and Wright will politely correct you. Make it twice, and your emails will end up in the trash. “One PR company sends me a monthly email referencing our ed cal, offering up a source when it is way too late,” he shares. “I don’t even bother to open their emails anymore.”

DON’T Just Self-Promote

Wright puts it plainly: “Press releases that promote the company’s newest offering (i.e., they moved a button so the product is new and improved) are not valuable to me.”

Other press releases that Wright can use share “quarterly results and the potential impact on the company’s stock,” or news of “the company winning an award by an independent organization” or “signing a deal with a major pharma.” (That is, as long as you can mention the pharmaceutical company’s name.) Ultimately, “press releases that have the most value have metrics, actionable types of information, and are not self-serving.”

DO Be a Connector

Wright is quick to affirm that “good PR people are really fun to work with.” What makes a PR person “good?” Useful connections, for starters. “One PR person introduced me to executives within their company at a trade show. I was able to get into deep discussions which can often lead to interesting articles. When I get in these discussions, it’s because the PR person was so good at giving me enough time to help me do this.”

A good PR person says, “‘I want you to meet so and so.’ Then they’ll come back in 15 minutes and introduce me to someone else. So they are helping me network.” And they “don’t hover and remind their client/executive what they should talk about.”

DON’T Send an Inappropriate Source

To pitch a great source, you have to thoroughly understand LSL’s audience and mission. “PR people who pitch to me that I should interview the CEO of a vendor or potential advertiser for a…feature story have obviously failed to understand our audience,” says Wright. However, “a vendor who can bring a pharma or biotech executive, or another type of key opinion leader to the table” can wind up in “a successful departmental article.”

The ideal source depends on the article type. “When I interview a CEO we’re looking at something very high level like the importance of innovation for the U.S. economy.” On the other hand, “for a particular strategy to supercharge the company’s [research and development] innovation engine, I want to talk to the VP of R&D who actually implemented and executed upon the CEO’s vision.”

Smaller companies can gain an edge by pitching an irresistible source. “I want a leader who is willing to be provocative and mix things up,” explains Wright. “I’m interested in people who are shaping the industry.”

DO Get on the Phone

One of the most surprising facts about Wright is that he likes to answer his phone. “I have been amazed what can happen,” he says, “as I have been delighted to have a reader call with a suggestion for an article, or a top industry consultant call me with an idea, or an entrepreneur share their story — unsolicited.”

He also uses the phone to vet and connect with new social media contacts. “This can be very time consuming but can pay huge dividends,” he reasons. “Someone tweeted me about connecting on LinkedIn. We scheduled a phone call. This person then connected me to an executive, who connected me to a best-selling author, who contributed an article, who connected me to a communication consulting expert who has consulted very high level folks including Hillary Clinton.”

Help Wright Help You

A good PR person makes everyone’s job easier. Their “pitch is concise and on target…they follow through when they say they will,” and, “if something falls through the cracks, they let me know.”

In summary, Wright says “a good PR person (1) knows our audience, (2) follows through, and (3) helps me beyond what is in it for them.” Whether it’s paying close attention to guidelines; planning ahead with his editorial calendar; sharing valuable metrics and information; helping him make industry connections; or getting on the phone; that extra step can be worth miles of PR success at Life Sciences Leader.

Photo: Life Science Leader

 

 

 

Written by Laura R. · Categorized: Healthcare PR, Medical PR, Other, Pitching Stories, Public Relations, Uncategorized · Tagged: article, biotechnology, editor, executive, life sciences, pitch, PR, Public Relations

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • 2

sgordon@g2comm.com
(480) 685-3252 (office)
(650) 248-6975 (mobile)

Copyright © 2021 — G2 Communications Inc.-Medical Practice Marketing • All rights reserved •