Tuesday: A note on communicating effectively + what I'm working on this week!
Also: A 20% discounts on my virtual consulting/lunch & learn sessions!
Good morning!
Hey, did you ever hear the one about the time a PR agency sent out an invite for an upcoming dinner with their client, changed the location of the dinner sometime along the way and…neglected to tell at least one of the journalists who had RSVP’d?
Because that happened to me recently.
This week, a dear friend of mine also found out that a trip she was about to attend that was across several continents and was long enough and far enough that it involved a whole lot of life scheduling and coordination…had been cancelled and no one had bothered to inform her.
While these are both really gross examples of poor event/trip planning (and I do host lunch & learn and consulting sessions on these topics if you ever want to chat!), it does — I believe — create an opportunity here to have a larger conversation about more effective communication when interacting.
In these situations, it created a climate where I’d never want to work with that agency again, and I’d venture to guess my friend feels the same way. But stuff like this happens all the time — with events, dinners, trips - but also ghosting if your client can’t meet a deadline to respond to interview questions, rather than just TELLING US, and in so many other ways, as well.
Communication offers consistency.
Some examples of this may be publicists who offer you an expert source for an interview and then tries to switch them out (or rescind the source altogether) at the last minute. Or those weird instances when people invite you on press trips, you secure an assignment related to that press trip, and then the invite somehow fades away.
This also applies to the misuse the concept of an exclusive or say something is embargo’d when a quick Google shows it’s already everywhere on the Internet. I recently had a food product pitched to me under embargo and then when I researched it, I saw it was already on sale at major retailers like Walmart and Amazon!
You want to work with someone who knows what they want and will say what is happening and will happen and have it be accurate. Anything else will end up wasting everyone's time and potentially damaging a series of relationships, too. And time is money.
1. What are your objectives?
When you send an email to someone, what are you trying to achieve? What are your goals? Are you trying to pitch a product, or send an invite? That's be a short-term objective. Or are you reaching out to build a conversation and have a longer goal of relationship building or working together down the line? Knowing what you are trying to communicate, and how, will help shape that communication style in a way that works best for your goal.
2. Do you listen?
So many people have problems listening. I have text exchanges with friends and family all the time where it feels like we're having distinct conversation threads and one isn't reading what the other is saying.
Me: "Did you see today's news?"
Their response: "Did you know pineapples come in pink?"
This happens more than I can tell you, and it also happens in work emails. Being good at communicating isn't just about what YOU are saying, but about you listening to what people are saying back to you. It's a collaboration.
I think sometimes people are SO focused on what they are saying that they are missing out on the other person's reactions, emotions, and even responses.
You want people to listen when you are speaking, and hear what you are saying. Do the same for them. Communication will be more effective.
3. We need to talk about body language, too.
Obviously, this is more at meetings than emails, but as it seems half of life happens on video now (also we need to have a talk about THAT at some point - not every meeting or phone conversation needs to be a video meeting in post-2020), it is more an issue than ever before. If you are at a coffee meeting and your shoulders are all hunched over or your arms are tightly folded across your chest, it feels like you are being defensive and not open to communication but if you are more casual and relaxed, it makes you both feel more open and willing to communicate. It helps to set the tone. I can tell, just by the energy in these situations, exactly how things will go, before a word is said. Prove me wrong!
4. Know your audience.
We've spoken about this aspect before. Don't pitch baby wipes to a food writer, or sex toys to a gardening writer. (Lady gardens and herb gardens are different beats, y’all.) If you want to communicate effectively, communicate with an audience that is interested in what you are communicating.
And remember that when communicating, the same communication style won't work with every audience. While I may respond really well to the personal, friendly approach (and I do! ), some people may want to keep it strictly professional and formal. Knowing your audience and what sort of communication style they best respond to will help you to modify your interaction with each person in a way that is most effective. (Which, BTW, is why mass bcc emails do not work.)
5. Slow down
Take the time to be clear. That doesn't mean don't be concise. Being concise and keeping things streamlined is awesome. But: Don't in your attempt to be concise rush through it in such a way that the person you are communicating with isn't picking up on what you are trying to say! You want to gain and maintain their attention. That's how you communicate and meet your objective (in this case, them loving your pitch). Communicate clearly and you'll avoid unnecessary misunderstandings and hurt feelings.
Choose your words well, understand your audience, and find a way to connect with them, and you'll be great!
Lots of newly published content to share this week, including for Forbes: Father's Day Gift Guide 2024: The Best Gifts For The Traditionalist Foodie, 40 Cocktails To Enjoy In Celebration Of National Martini Day, for Saatva’s Sleep Enlightened: 6 Surprising Sleep Mask Benefits. In other newly published content since the weekend edition, for HerMoney: How to get cheap hotel rooms when traveling, and for Clean Plates: 7 Grocery Store Shortcuts for Fast, Easy Lunches.
This weekend’s Industry Insights weekend edition covered why it’s so incredibly important to update your media list — and the easiest way to stay on top of it.
Grab the Dads and Grads Gift Guide Pitching Webinar Recording Now!
Thanks to all who attended our Dads and Grads Gift Guide Pitching Workshop. We had a full house and an hour packed with really great questions and conversation — and now the full recording is available to any subscriber who may have missed it (or wants to go back and give another listen.) You can check out how to grab that recording and what we covered right here.
On occasion, people reach out to me for help with planning press dinners and events - from choosing the perfect location to keeping things fun and interesting to how to get top journalists to want to attend. If you are interested in me doing this for you, email me any time at alywalansky@gmail.com.
This newsletter goes out to well over 8,000 engaged publicists, business owners, and journalists each and every day. If you are looking to sponsor a daily installment of this newsletter or have a dedicated section about your client or product (assuming it’s an organic fit for the interests of my audience!), that is now available. Email me at alywalansky@gmail.com to discuss.
The steepest discount I’ve ever offered on consulting sessions
In exciting news, I’m doing something I’ve never done before: I’m currently offering 20% discounts on my virtual consulting/lunch & learn sessions. Times are really tough and I am hoping to make these insights as accessible as possible to any of you who are interested. If you want to schedule a session for yourself or your team, to discuss anything from pitching to followups to events or press trips or anything else…drop me an email at alywalansky@gmail.com and lets chat!
Newly published or freshly updated
Since people are often asking about the status of stories from a while ago, and I only share stories in this newsletter that were published or updated in the current week, I have created a list of my author pages at various publications to which I contribute. Bookmark it and make your life a bit easier.
This list will live on my Substack URL and be updated as necessary. That way, you can see what I’m doing at any publication, at any time, from types of stories to general structure of stories to even volume and frequency of my content at that outlet.
This can also help you to target pitching a bit better. That makes your job easier, and mine too!
Forbes: Father's Day Gift Guide 2024: The Best Gifts For The Traditionalist Foodie
Forbes: 40 Cocktails To Enjoy In Celebration Of National Martini Day
Saatva’s Sleep Enlightened: 6 Surprising Sleep Mask Benefits
Clean Plates: 7 Grocery Store Shortcuts for Fast, Easy Lunches
Forbes.com: 20 Delicious Ways To Celebrate National Burger Day
Forbes.com: The Italian Wedding Cake Martini Is A Dessert Cocktail Perfect For A Celebration
Southern Living: The 9 Best Brown Sugar Substitutes That Will Be Just As Sweet
Forbes.com: Father’s Day Gift Guide 2024: The Best Gifts For The Culinary Traveler
Forbes.com: Father’s Day Gift Guide 2024: The Best Gifts For The Dad Who Wants To Be Bobby Flay
Forbes.com: Father’s Day Gift Guide 2024: The Best Gifts For The Sandwich Lover
RetailMeNot: Father’s Day Gifts for Every Type of Dad
Clean Plates, 11 Mediterranean Diet Foods You Can Get at Trader Joe’s
RetailMeNot: How Using My Air Fryer Makes Cooking on a Small Budget (and In a Small Space) Possible
RetailMeNot: How to Save on Food Delivery Apps: 10 Tips That Actually Work
RetailMeNot: How Growing My Own Herbs At Home Has Helped Me Keep Meals Creative Without Busting My Budget
Clean Plates: How to Clean and Organize Your Fridge for Spring
RetailMeNot: Savings Star Origin Story: How I Learned to Eat Well (In NY!) On a Shoestring Budget
If you or your client are featured in any of these stories, I super appreciate any social media shares! Please remember to tag @alywalansky and the outlet.
Here’s what I’m working on:
Be sure to read the below list carefully. Many are stories I posted about yesterday, but some of yesterday's stories are no longer listed and a few new ones have been added since yesterday. This (below) is everything that is still a currently open opportunity as of today.
Please remember when pitching me: Email me at alywalansky@gmail.com - do NOT just hit reply on this newsletter, or there’s a good shot your email will be lost in the heap. Give your email a subject line that makes it clear which story you are pitching me for — it’ll help you in the long run.
Please consult my industry insights guides on submitting expert commentary, sending emails that will catch a journalist’s attention, how to craft pitches journalists will say ‘yes’ to, and the right and wrong way to submit photos, if you need any extra guidance before sending your pitches.
Clean Plates
I’m working on a roundup of the best seafood choices at Trader Joe's for when you want to lighten up this summer (or just plan an easy no-fuss seafood or surf and turf night). There’s so many great new items in the seafood category there, and I’d love some RDs and nutritionists to weigh in on their faves as well. Please email me!
RetailMeNot
Budget shopping and cooking/eating smarter: As you all know, I write a lot of content for RMN related to budget shopping and cooking/eating smarter. I’m going to be working on a monthly column on the subject of cooking/eating well on a budget, and I’d love you to pitch me products/ideas to consider for it - maybe a new meal-stretching product that is a good deal at a grocery store, an awesome product to try that may cut my meal prep time in half, other themes as far as saving money on food/cooking/eating and doing it in a way that is smarter.
The next column in this series will focus on bulk buying groceries and household essentials, which is something I personally SUPER believe in. I am constantly buying in bulk to save on per unit cost and benefit from the best deals. I even buy family packs of meat and fish to portion and freeze. I’d love some expert commentary on why bulk buying (rather at the supermarket on sales or at warehouse stores), is a great way to maintain a household meal plan and also live within our food budget.
Saatva
I’m working on a piece on blackout curtains and if they are really worth adding to your bedroom - I’m looking to interview a sleep expert for this one! (Caveat: They can’t work for a competitor's mattress brand.) There’s all sorts of items can get for your bedroom to improve your sleep, and blackout curtains is one of them. But do they really work? I’m looking to explore everything you need to know about the benefits of blackout curtains, how to choose them, and how they work. Please email me if you have someone who can give commentary, I have specific questions to ask for this one!
Forbes.com
I’m rounding up standout/unique/creative dishes for two upcoming food holidays - National Lobster Day and National Sushi Day. Best chance of being included? Please don’t pitch me a generic steamed lobster on a plate or spicy tuna roll. You need to have a dish that is really special and unique in some way as these will get tons of pitches, and this is the best way to beat the heap. The other way to beat the heap? Remember early bird gets the worm, and respond with ALL deliverables I ask for, which includes: Name of restaurant, name of dish, where restaurant is located, description of dish, quote from chef about the dish (WITH THE NAME AND TITLE OF THE PERSON BEING QUOTED…shocking how often this is left out), and an image with appropriate photo credits.
Plate Magazine
I’m putting out bites/drinks of the week feelers, which is sort of a drink/dish spotlight piece. (Some examples are this Peruvian-inspired sweet potato in Savannah and a molecular banana daiquiri in Chicago.) Basically if you are pitching me something for this, think along the lines of: Is this dish/bite something new? What interesting techniques are used to make it come together? If the technique is simple, what’s the hook? An interesting ingredient? Something being made in house or in an interesting way? What’s the story behind the dish? What inspired it? Is there a cultural/family story behind the dish? An ingredient the chef got their hands on? Love to hear what you might have for me!
Looking to up your affiliate marketing game?
Affiliate marketing is complicated, and it seems that the landscape keeps changing. If you are looking to be prepared for gift guide season and all other shopping-related content, you may want to try the Ultimate Masterclass and Introduction to Affiliate Marketing for Publicists. It's a brilliant course and it'll answer all your questions (including some you didn't know you had!)
Virtual (and now in-person!) consulting sessions...
Whether you need a consult as you plan your next event or trip or just want someone to take a look at the pitches you’ve been sending and give some feedback, I’m available for PR team virtual meetings to answer questions about pitching, events, followups, mailers and trips from a media perspective. Note: I’m also available to travel for consulting sessions as long as travel expenses are covered. We can chat! This is available for entire agencies or smaller group lunch and learn type concepts.
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aly