Some of the most maddening story pitches businesses and PR firms sent me were those not offering interviews with customers exemplifying the issues. I wanted to interview more than a boss, executive and expert. I understand finding interviews that put a face on a company or issue can be tough. Too bad. Find the interview. Don’t be lazy. Don’t take a shortcut. If you can’t personalize a story, don’t pitch it until you can.
President Obama understands the power of telling stories. During his State of The Union address, he shared stories of people impacted by issues we debate. The camera showed us those people in the audience. Seeing them is more powerful than only hearing about them.
When reporting, I often found in only an hour or two such stories after the station assigned me a story. A business should certainly be able to find stories to share with much more time to prepare. And you don’t need the president’s staff to achieve success.
