“More than half of  PR interviewees put off jobs by personality of the interviewers”.

This is the surprising conclusion of a survey carried out by recruiter The Works and featured on www.gorkanapr.co.uk.  Surprising, because in my experience with PR firms their people skills, as you would expect of  ‘relations’  businesses, are good.

The high negative may be a factor of the research sample.  If the majority  failed the interview, then human  nature steps in.  We tend not to like those who don’t like us!  However, given that a ‘job interview’ is the less threatening way of describing a ‘job pitch’, here are some reported criticisms that  also relate to  the business pitch.

“75% of interviewers had not read the CV”. True of many pitches!  Junior people may have read your document, procurement certainly will, but senior management often not. Prepare your pitch assuming no-one has read your brilliant proposal.

“Good cop,tough cop routine/uncomfortable questions”.  In the  pitch Q&A, challenging  questioning is legitimate and to be expected.  This is when the prospect can best assess the character and likeability of the people in front of them.  It is usually the least rehearsed element, a  big mistake.

“Showing direspect”.  In a pitch this can be evidenced by the attitude of the decision takers, or at its worst, by some of those due to attend failing to show-up. With the benefit of hindsight, this is a pitch you are not likely to win. The decision has already been taken!