The Rules
By Alex Gove [email protected]
Redherring.com, October 9, 1999
© Copyright 1999 Red Herring Inc.
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I've been fortunate enough to have met with many young companies in my
four-and-a-half years at Red Herring. Entrepreneurs often ask me how they
can improve the way they present their companies to the press. I don't claim
to know all of the answers, but here are some suggestions:
Rule No. 1: Be familiar with our work. Do yourself a favor and read some of
our articles before you meet with us.
Rule No. 2: Forget about trying to impress us with buzzwords or fancy
product names. Just tell us what your product does in standard English.
Rule No. 3: Save the product pitches for the convention booth. We like big
stories. Tell us why your product is important in the grand scheme of
things.
Rule No. 4: Understand our medium. Look at what we have -- whether it is a
magazine, a newspaper, or a Web site -- and think about where your company's
story best fits. But be realistic.
Rule No. 5: Don't tell us you don't have any competition. In this
fast-moving market, every startup has competition. If we find out that you
are hiding something from us, we will be pissed.
Rule No. 6: Be ready to refer us to analysts, investors, board members,
partners, and advisers. We don't write single-source stories.
Rule No. 7: Return our calls immediately. Although we could slam you,
articles increase your company's exposure. (I won't bother quoting P.T.
Barnum here. You know what I mean.)
Rule No. 8: Answer our questions when we ask them. We may ask what you think
are stupid questions, but we hate it when you tell us, "I'll get to that
later in my presentation."
Rule No. 9: Bring your CEO only, please. Although you might have hired your
VP of marketing because you think he is a spinmeister, we want to talk to
the top guy.
Rule No. 10: Think in color. We like human interest stories. Remember those
dark days when you were starting your company? Tell us about them. We eat
that stuff up.
If these rules sound arrogant or superficial, I apologize. I'm just trying
to tell it like it is. You see, I'm actually leaving Red Herring to join the
Walden Group www.waldenvc.com , a venture capital firm. These notes are for
me just as much as they are for you. Because now, I'm on your side of the
fence.
Take care, everybody. And thanks.