As PR professionals you are tasked with more than just getting your clients booked. You are often the first real branding effort that client has had. Not to mention the client’s first interaction with the media. Talk about exhausting. In this interactive workshop, Emmy-award winning senior producer, formerly of Fox News Channel, Paula Rizzo and former Martha Stewart magazine editor and media personality Terri Trespicio share industry insights and strategies for helping create and distill their clients’ brands, and also help coach them to become go-to experts in the media. Paula & Terri will cover: -Find out what media gatekeepers want—and how they think. -Discover the formula for success in getting, and keeping, the attention of editors, producers, podcasters, and anyone else looking for expert talent. -Craft your pitch. Topics are only as interesting as the person who pitches them. Learn what makes a solid pitch—and how to go from inbox to in studio. -How to create compelling content that will keep the media intrigued -PLUS: Bring your current and developing pitches - we’ll workshop them and help you make them media worthy. **First presented on July 10, 2019 at New Product Events - PR Bootcamp to PR professionals**

1. How To Pitch
W I T H
L I K E A P R O D U C E R O R E D I T O R
PAULA RIZZO & TERRI TRESPICIO
LIGHTS
CAMERA
EXPERT

2. Why this matters to you
Behind the scenes in the
media
The power of the pitch
What We’ll Cover
Follow-up formula
How to rethink product pitches
Mistakes even seasoned pros
make

3. Paula Rizzo
Former TV news producer
Author, Listful Thinking
listproducer.com
Terri Trespicio
Brand/content expert
Former senior editor,
Martha Stewart
territrespicio.com
LIGHTS
CAMERA
EXPERT
LightsCameraExpert.co
Co-creators of

5. Media consultant, TV & video producer
& best-selling author

6. TerriWriter, speaker, brand advisor,
speaker, and speaker coach
5M VIEWS

7. You’ve been pitching the media for years, but
sometimes still get stuck
The media isn’t biting—and you can’t understand why
You want to help your clients make headlines and be
go-to media experts
You want to grow your own brand or business and be
seen as an expert in your own right
Why You’re Here

8. Behind the scenes

9. Hundreds of pitches a day
Pitch review has a small window
Don’t need you till we need you
Evergreen stories are killed for breaking news
T H E R E A L I T Y O F T H E N E W S R O O M

10. They call the shots;
you play by their rules.

11. This is a transaction.

12. Blogs
YouTube
Social media
Other media
Their contacts
W H E R E T H E M E D I A I S L O O K I N G

13. “We need it now.”
“We’re not doing that type of segment anymore.”
“We just did a similar segment.”
“We never do [insert type of segment].”
T H I N G S T H E M E D I A T E L L S Y O U

14. T H I N K B E Y O N D P R O M O T I O N
Bigger than the book/business/
product
What are you (or your client) trying to
change or improve?
What mission are you / your client on?
How is this helpful to others?

15. The power of the pitch

16. K N O W T H E G O L D E N R U L E S
Put yourself in the media’s shoes
If you don’t know why the audience
cares, then neither does anyone else
Don’t always lead with product—
think story, then expert

17. LIGHTS
CAMERA
EXPERT
“Working with Paula is a
breath of fresh air. I’d work
with Paula any day,
anywhere.”
PETER SHANKMAN
BEST-SELLING AUTHOR
FOUNDER OF HARO
Copyright © 2019 Lights Camera Expert All rights reserved.
LightsCameraExpert.co

18. H O W A P R O D U C E R S E E S H A R O
Respond FAST (most gone in 24 hrs or less)
Worst responses (off topic, no content, not
responding specifically to request)
Include bio AND video (for TV)

19. T H E E L E M E N T S O F A P I T C H
The hook
The twist
The takeaway

20. P I T C H L I K E A P R O D U C E R
Why do I care?
Why does my audience care
Why now?
Why you?
What are the objections?

21. LET’S SAYYOU
OWN A JUICE BAR…
For Instance

22. You sell juice.
Here’s what you say to customers:
Our juice is the freshest & best.
It’s competitively priced.
Families love it.
Celebrities love it.

23. The media doesn’t want a juice salesperson;
they want a juice expert.

24. How do you get the media to “buy” it?

25. Focus on what you have to give to
their readers and viewers—
No Strings Attached.

26. Being an expert gives your client more
cred than selling something.
Remember

27. Think like an expert
Do This
Instead!
Lead with a specific message, not a
storefront
Lose the superlatives (“the best,” “the
most”)
Focus on the benefits, not the business

28. A DIFFERENT SPIN ON
A HOT TREND
For Instance

29. Remember what a big deal this was?

30. A tech story, sure.
But a health story?

32. Here’s what we covered:

33. Beware the curse of knowledge!

34. Never assume that what you do every
day isn’t exciting to the media.
Remember

35. AVOID THE MISTAKES
even seasoned pros make!

36. #1
Pitch problem
Deadly subject lines

37. Subj line: Can I pitch you?
>>Don’t Ask A Journalist A Question
When The Answer Could Be No

38. Subj line: Are you interested in this?
>>Give Us A Reason To Be!

39. Subj line: Expert available
>>Yes We Know. Tell Us More!

40. #2
Pitch problem
You don’t know who
the audience is.

41. Know who you’re pitching.
>>Watch The Show, Check Out The Ads

42. Just ask!
>>We’re Cool Wth It.
Save Us Both Some Time!

43. #3
Pitch problem
The non-pitch pitch

44. “Hey there’s a new product!
Want to feature it?”

45. A non-pitch pitch doesn’t give the
media an idea for a story; it just makes
an announcement.

46. BIG CLAIMS, NO SPECIFICS
For Instance

47. Subj line: Hi Paula
Hi Paula, our product is going to change the way people travel
and experience the gym and their activities.
We’re thrilled to be preparing our first fundraising campaign and
are reaching out to journalists who have a background in health,
fitness & travel.
Would a product like this be something you would be
interested in reporting on? If so, who is the right person to
contact?

48. Text
“GETBOOKED”
to 44222
Get instant access to
our FREE video series
“How to Be a
Media Magnet”

49. Pitch Session
Let’s talk about your pitches!

50. Pitch Checklist
Double check the name / outlet
Clear, specific subject heading
30 seconds to “skim and get”
Short, concise, clear
Bio, website
Video clip links (!!)

51. Your goal is to get a
Response

52. “WHY DIDN’T I HEAR BACK?”

53. Why they ghosted:
They’re overwhelmed
It wasn’t a fit
They didn’t understand your pitch
Bad subject heading
Other things you’ll never know

54. What to do next:
Send a follow-up email
Send another follow-up email
Call
Send additional ideas/resources/
referrals
Wait a few weeks, send a new pitch

55. Here’s some of what we
hear (a lot):

56. “WE’RE STUCK ON THIS PITCH.”

57. We work with clients and firms to help identify fresh,
original story angles and ideas to make pitching
easier.
Pitch & Story Development

58. “Hiring Paula was one of the best
decisions I ever made. I’ve done a lot of
TV before but she helped me prepare at
a higher level.
She helped me nail down my key points
and how I can communicate better not
only when I pitch but also when I
perform on camera. I’m able to
communicate better with my clients too.”
Copyright © 2019 Paula Rizzo - All rights reserved.
MARU DAVILA,
CHEF & AUTHOR
“THE MEXICAN FOOD DIET”

59. “MY CLIENT NEEDS (SERIOUS)
HELP ON CAMERA.”

60. Help your clients improve their on-camera presence
—and deliver with confidence.
Top-Notch Media Training

61. “Two days after Paula’s coaching,
my interview with Channel 4 News
in the UK went viral on social
media with more than 100 million
views.
Within just 20 minutes, Paula’s
media training opened my eyes to
ways I could be even more effective
in spreading my message of
happiness.”
Copyright © 2019 Paula Rizzo - All rights reserved.
MO GAWDAT
GOOGLE X
AUTHOR, SOLVE FOR HAPPY

62. “OUR CLIENT WANTS TO DO
MORE SPEAKING.”

63. Seasoned, laser-focused support on talk topic
development and delivery
Speaker Consulting

64. LIGHTS
CAMERA
EXPERT
“Most coaches help you polish
and perfect. But Terri teaches
you to go deep. She helps you
find the stuff that you really
need to be talking about.
What she does is different from
anybody I ever worked with.”
KATE WHITE, NYT BESTSELLING AUTHOR
& FORMER EDITOR, COSMOPOLITAN
Copyright © 2017 Lights Camera Expert All rights reserved.
LightsCameraExpert.co

65. “THE BRAND NEEDS WORK.”

66. Identify and articulate what makes your client’s
work stand out—in a way that supports and expands
on her product, book, or business
Brand Messaging

67. “We brought Terri in for a big project,
and within a surprisingly short period
of time she understood our mission,
values, and objectives. I’m reluctant
to write this testimonial because we
want to keep her a secret!”
CHRIS KRESSER, M.S., L.AC
FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE EXPERT
AND BESTSELLING AUTHOR

68. “THE CLIENT JUST DOESN’T
GET HOW THIS WORKS.”

69. WE CAN PREP YOUR CLIENTS
SO THEY GET THE MOST OUT OF
YOUR WORK TOGETHER.
How?

70. LIGHTS
CAMERA
EXPERT
A 6-week program designed to
help experts and authors get—and
keep—media attention

71. Bring your client up to speed on how the media
works and what is expected of them
Save you time—and make them camera ready
Increase the likelihood of multiple bookings
Reinforce and complement your efforts
What The Course
Can Do For Your Clients
LIGHTS
CAMERA
EXPERT

72. The Lights Camera Expert course
is not a replacement for PR!
LIGHTS
CAMERA
EXPERT

73. Marjie Hadad, PR Pro

74. Text
“GETBOOKED”
to 44222
Get instant access to
our FREE video series
“How to Be a
Media Magnet”