As much reason as I'm given to point out bad behavior by PR people, I'm making a concerted effort to salute *good* behavior. So I'll be giving periodic shout-outs to PR people who restore my faith in the profession.
The inaugural exemplar was Cheryl Hilpert. You can read about her spot-on pitching skills here.
This week, it's Dariel Curren with Development Counsellors International in New York, who provides great sources -- and service.
A lot of PR people pitch and run. They lure you in with a great source, but then disappear when you want to secure the interview. Invariably, these AWOL flacks have told their clients not to talk to journos without coaching, so even a direct call doesn't yield the desired result. I'm left hanging -- hoping they'll get back to me, but also needing to nail down a source, theirs or someone else's. It stinks.
But not Dariel. Not only did she set me up with an incredibly well-prepared source for my spotlight on Puerto Rico for Architect, but when I was missing some key data points that I'd hoped to get from another resource, she got on the case herself. Whether or not she can mine the data I'm lacking, she's already gone above and beyond by simply trying.
I should have known, though. This isn't the first time I've had a great experience with DCI. These folks have been responsive and helpful on past assignments:
- Susan Brake
- Rob DeRocker
- Maria Mantz
- Tara Morrill
- Jordan Robinson
- Neilia Stephens
- Iain Watt
I don't know how DCI picks PR people, but whatever they're screening for is definitely the right stuff! Thanks, Dariel!