When I was a kid, my father – like most fathers, I suppose – did things that embarrassed and annoyed me to no end. Ironically, one of those things now plays a very important role in my professional life.

I am referring to the many thousands of stories (or so it seemed) that my father told to perfect strangers we would meet. The man loved telling stories, and he still does. And people always listen.

Reading this, you might think that I am about to share the importance of telling good stories in your company’s public relations efforts. You are partially correct, but there’s more to it than just that. The subtle skill my father has that is really impressive is the ability to learn about a person’s interests and tastes, and use that knowledge to share a story that will likely be very interesting to that specific person.

In an August 2007 opinion piece in PRWeek, Brad White validates my Dad’s commitment to great personalized storytelling. In his article, White discussed his days working for CBS News. He and his peers were driven by this maxim: “Tell me a story.”

Although White throws a critical dart, saying, “the storytelling concept permeates all forms of the news media, yet it is a concept that appears to be all too foreign to many PR pros,” his feelings are not unique in the media. This is why we have to work harder and give journalists more of what they need: good, relevant and timely stories that they and their readers will find interesting and engaging.

White recommends taking time to shape a story fully instead of just pitching (sharing) fragmented ideas with reporters. At times, the information shared with a journalist does not extend beyond the what, when, where and who of a story, and it puts the responsibility on the journalist to figure out what the actual story might be about.

There are two problems with offering half-developed stories to journalists: Many are just too busy to take the time to figure out the real story, and your press release will suffer a quick and merciless death by delete key; or you are literally letting someone else tell the rest of your story and you might not like the part they come up with on their own.

If you remember anything from this article, please remember this: Businesses that employ public relations must approach story development and press releases from a journalistic perspective. Think like a journalist. Share important and relevant details, statistics, times and financial information that will help a reporter share an interesting story with his or her publication’s readership. If you can’t do this, you are wasting your time and that of the reporter.

While offering fully developed stories is important, it is very beneficial to be a resource to that journalist. Think about how you can further help them. Are there photos, graphics or B-roll you can provide? Can you recommend industry experts, company spokespeople or customers the reporter can contact that will strengthen and expand the story? When offering interview subjects, you must use tact and offer some balance. Reporters will not react well if you only offer people who love you.

A main piece of advice that I regularly share with interns, young PR pros and clients is this: The best way to make a friend in the media is to do as much of their job as they will let you and work to make their life as easy as possible. This work can save a reporter hours or days of time, and help you land a great story in a desirable publication that will bring new customers to your door.

Remember our tips for today:
•    Think like a journalist
•    Offer a fully developed story
•    Understand each reporters’ interests/beat
•    Be a resource to the journalist