From our days of academic writing in school to writing and reporting in the public relations and news world, one rule has remained constant: the need to write and report hard facts. This means leaving out any traces of emotion and only reporting what can be verified by data and statistics to build credibility and professionalism with your audience. While telling the truth is vital, there are three times when you also need to sound passionate about your story to convince other people to care.
- When you pitch ideas to reporters – As public relations practitioners, it’s our job to provide the “so what?” factor when pitching to news media, and that oftentimes means presenting hard facts in a way that help media professionals see the story’s significance. Reporters are busy people and they receive hundreds of emails per day. To grab their attention, you must pitch a story that is relevant, newsworthy, and tailored to their field of expertise. However, even the most newsworthy of stories can get lost in their inboxes and they might not always pick up the phone when you call. In order for a reporter to choose your story out of hundreds of others, you must sound passionate about the words you say as part of convincing him or her why your story will matter to readers of that outlet. Although reporters will only write stories backed by solid evidence, they will most likely not return an email or call loaded with numbers and jargon when the story itself lacks significance.
- When you include a human-interest story in your pitch – People relate to other people by building connections and having shared experiences, not by comprehending a slew of statistics about people they don’t already know. This is a case where the pitch itself can contain some personal elements, because the point of a human-interest story is to have the audience relate to the characters first and foremost. Although many nonprofit human-interest stories draw attention to relevant issues and promote various calls to action with their clever use of statistics, it is a successful tool to also feature compelling copy about protagonists who bring a personal, credible perspective to the work the organization is doing. This helps gain the audience’s empathy and support. Humans are emotional by nature, and they need to tune into others’ emotions to build that mutual understanding.
- When you advocate for your organization to potential donors and community partners – People’s money, time, and support are valuable commodities, so don’t be afraid of expressing emotion when asking for them. While you should avoid sounding overly salesy when trying to persuade potential donors and volunteers to work with your organization, you also need to make your organization’s good work come to light in your messaging. Find two or three key examples of accomplishments that best reflect your organization’s mission and use them to convey who your nonprofit is to a new audience. In defining your organization’s values and goals through telling true, impactful stories, people who have the same values and goals will be more than happy to work with you once they recognize your shared common ground.
