Worst Pitch of the Week: Context to follow ups

My words were twisted! But that's fine.

I was recently invited to speak at the PRSA Travel and Tourism 2025 Section Conference in Tampa, Florida. There, I was in a panel alongside peers from Food & Wine Magazine and Travel + Leisure.

We were asked questions about how to best pitch us stories, which obviously depends on the publication and the editor. However, during the conversation, I made a comment that apparently caused a stir at the following week’s IPW convention in Chicago.

In Chicago, during a cocktail hour after my talk at IPW, a DMO who shall remain nameless asked about a comment I made and misquoted me. The person mentioned that there was an editor at PRSA who stated, “he didn’t want to receive pitches from anyone more than twice a month.” They were referring to me, but that’s not what I said.

What I said a week earlier in Tampa, was that I recognize that some PR professionals have several clients, but once you send out a unique pitch, I am aware of it. There’s no need to follow up within that same week because it could be that it might still be under consideration, or we’re looking for the best time to give our attention to that email. So, yes, I did say I shouldn’t see your name in my inbox more than twice a week, and I stand by that because it is a personal preference.

I was asked about personal preferences, but I recognize that everybody works differently. Some people prefer that you keep pushing and don’t let them forget about a pitch. I’m not that person. (I’m an inbox: 0 person.) Nevertheless, the conversations made me think that sometimes the intent is not necessarily the perception. As a writer and journalist, I understand this well; however, it serves as a reminder to approach everything with skepticism and, ultimately, to prioritize what benefits you, your client, and your objectives.

There are so many different people in the industry with their unique preferences on how they like to communicate. Am I gonna delete an email or stop working with someone because they emailed me twice in one week? Absolutely not. To me, preferences are nice to have, not a must. If you are working with somebody consistently who has expressed a preference to you, that’s one thing. If you are casually or seldom working with somebody and they give you grief about not meeting their preferences, that’s a little silly in my view. Perform your tasks to the best of your ability, and be kind and courteous because that’s all you can control.