PeRspective: 7 Deadly PR Sins

Happy June! New month, new goals, new lessons. It's the perfect time to re-evaluate your (PRofessional) position, and adjust accordingly, so I'm offering a little PeRspective. The most successful (fashion) publicists are extremely well-connected. They possess thriving relationships with editors, producers, stylists, bloggers, photographers, restaurants, other publicists, brands, etc. Cultivating and maintaining those relationships is SO difficult, especially when hundreds of other publicists are vying for the same spot, same placement.  It takes years of ass-kissing nurturing to establish great editor rapport, but with one foul up, you can shut the party down before it starts. I still consider myself a PR novice, though I have 4 years under my belt (technically, 2.5 years), and the mistakes are plentiful. Experience is the best teacher, but I certainly believe prevention is better than to cure. That said, here are 7 Deadly PR Sins, as committed by yours truly. Read along, and don't be that guy. 1. Spelling an editor's name incorrectly/addressing the wrong person Spell an editor's name correctly. That's PR 101, no? Though this is a no brainer, I've accidentally emailed "Lindsey" instead of "Lindsay" and "Shannon" instead on "Shannen", more times than I'd like to admit. Attention to detail is everything! To this day, I've yet to receive a response from either. 2. Referencing the wrong publication within a pitch I personalize every pitch, and very seldom blast unless it's a press release (which I try to avoid writing, but that's another post). Publicists often recycle materials (shhh, don't tell anyone), catering them to individual outlets and editors. After reworking the same pitch 50x's and editing recipient, it's easy to forget to swap Marie Claire for More. This flub will land you a permanent spot on #TeamDoNotOpenEmailsFromThatAddress. Make sure the editor and publication are a match.

3. Incorrectly referencing a publication

Intro looks fine, right? Well, it would be, only the actual name of the publication is O, The Oprah Magazine. Editors (and publicists) are nitpickers, and rightfully so. Unless you're BFF's with the editor on the receiving end of an email, reserve abbreviations for internal use. Yea, PSW in place of People Stylewatch won't suffice. 4. Emailing press materials to the wrong media list. Cringe-worthy story ahead.  I'd just started working with an awesome agency. I excitedly finished my first release for a client that designed uniforms for an Olympic team (major!). The AM showed me how to navigate their extensively labeled excel spreadsheets. I selected a tab, highlighted the contacts and proudly hit send. My excitement was short-lived; I had unintentionally sent the release to retail contacts - not press! The CLIENT emailed my boss within minutes, wondering why an executive at Prada corporate had received their news release. My boss explained the innocent mix up, but the client was unimpressed...forever. From that day forward, shade was the only thing the client was giving. You get one opportunity to make a first impression, and that overzealous mistake ruined any chance for a cordial client publicist relationship. 5. Unprepared pitching  After you've penned the most amazing pitch ever written in the history of the PRofession, naturally, you're super excited to get it out. Pause before hitting send, and make sure you have everything an editor may need. Do you have a website link, look-book, line sheets, QUALITY hi-res images? Recently, I pitched a client to a major online outlet. They responded with interest in hi-res product shots. Sadly, the clients' imagery was sub par. I sent in what I had, and, not surprisingly, I didn't receive a response from the editor. What's worse is she may never respond to another email from me. And why should she? I pitched, they entertained consideration, but we weren't ready.

I won't assume responsibility for that missed opportunity, but that's besides the point. When you pitch an editor, make sure you can deliver. *heavy sigh* I'm still a little salty. 6. Obsessively following up

Following up is REALLY important in PR. Sometimes securing a placement is as simple as checking back in. Long lead editors receive upwards of 500 "pressing" emails daily, so overlooking emails is common, especially those from obscure agencies/brands. However, there's a fine line between following up and harassing an editor. If after two check-ins you've not received a response, charge that angle/story to the game and move on. I understand how hard it is, especially when you just KNOW a product is perfect for an upcoming feature. One thing I've learned is if an editor likes something they'll respond. Oh, and PLEASE don't take the pitch to social media. There's nothing thirstier than seeing "Cute pic! Did you get my email about the statement necklaces?" under an IG picture. #AggressivePublicists

7. Out of season pitches Pitching out of season is a rookie move. Though summer just kicked off, long lead (fashion) editors are working on September/October issues, so please refrain from cluttering their inboxes with bikini and beach bag stories. Same for short lead/online print - don't pitch too far in advance. Your "Back-To-School Cool" email can wait until August. There are so many more mishaps to list, but I decided to cap it at seven. Commit any of the aforementioned PR sins, and you're doomed to suffer the most horrible fate - an empty inbox. Anything you'd like to add? What's your biggest PRofessional flub? Do share!