When I do my media-relations talks, I love to talk about what not to do. In the past three years, I have interviewed more than 300 people from various professions and areas of the country. I have experienced a number of fairly surprising responses to my interview requests, and they are not always the good kind of surprises! I like to illustrate these for people, as what-not-to-do examples are usually much more effective than do-as-I-say rhetoric. This is the first installment in what will likely be many along the same lines.

One of the most recent of my negative surprises has been on my mind—I can't seem to shake this guy—so maybe by sharing it here I can rid myself of some of the haunting.

I contacted a potential source based on information that I found on his website that made me think he'd be a good fit for the story. Unfortunately, a person's knowledge and experience is only part of what qualifies him or her as "a good fit" for a story. Another even larger part of this equation is communication skills and awareness of the importance of media relations.

I sent an e-mail explaining my article and asked if he'd like to talk to talk with me. His response (slightly modified to protect his identity and my article topic but not lose its meaning):

   If you want to learn how to do this maybe you should just purchase my DVD...You are always going to be 
   exposed to people who offer advice on how to (do this thing that you're writing about). The problem is that 
   most of these people are well intentioned but don't have the experience to offer sound advice. This results in
   a lot of bad information being passed out...(People) need to figure out who has the experience to warrant 
   listening to.

I agree with him when he says there's bad info out there. I also agree that people need to decide who to listen to. This is the point of my article—I want to give good advice from people who know what they are doing. That is the aim of every article I write.

What I don't agree with in his e-mail is his apparent idea that he's the only soul on this earth qualified to give this good advice and that the only way I'm going to get it is to actually put forth my money to buy a DVD. Should the value he receives from placement of his services in a national consumer magazine be not enough compensation for imparting his wisdom to an otherwise apparently dumb audience?

I never responded to his e-mail, which I feel bad about. I've only ever once before not responded to a potential source. I just don't know how to respond, as I don't do well with closed-minded people. I want to tell him I'm put off by his arrogance as well as ignorance and can't find a tactful way to do that. If you somehow end up reading this, Mr. Knowitall: Sorry for stiffing you. Get a clue and we'll talk.