Most business journalists will tell PR people that they just need the fundamental points of story, with no flannel. Some will even tell you outright that you should cut the crap.

CNN’s business coverage frontman Richard Quest went a little further at a Gorkana breakfast briefing last week. In a crisp outline of what PR people can do to get their clients covered on CNN’s various business outputs, he was equally prescriptive in saying what he didn’t want.

“If you try and sell me crap you will hear about it fast. It’s the same as with any other successful pitch – you have to know what you’re selling and who you’re selling it to. For us, it must be of global interest or put into a European context,” he said.

But even if a pitch was successful, there was more PR folk needed to do in order to make the coverage a success. Even the most senior spokespeople out there can be daunted (not least by Quest’s interview style, which is always forthright and entertaining) when being interviewed live. “There is nothing more bowel churning than when you ask a question live on air and the guest just dries up, digs the hole and then keeps on digging,” he said.

A few other tips on getting exposure to a business audience via CNN:

- When you have a news story or want to offer some relevant comment on someone’s else’s news story, you should aim to hit as many CNN outputs as possible with it, not just the entry point. Work out how the story is likely to build acorss the different shows and platforms, and work with CNN on suggestions

-  The demand is always for topical or breaking stories. That means stories which are topical and/or breaking 

- The Quest Means Business slot is always the domain of CEOs. No-one else will do

- When offering interviews, consider what interesting props and backdrops you can also offer. And consider what the presenter can do to make story visual or bring it to life – this can be anything from getting their hands on the subject matter to doing something utterly unusual

- Men in pinstripes can be dull. Alternatives tend not to be

- There is a morning news meeting at 11.30am and the main show goes out at 7pm.

- Use the email addresses Quest@cnn.com or pitch@cnn.com

- Most of the shows have a current interest in ‘millennials’: employees aged 22 to 30 years, and their experiences in the world of work

- CNN Marketplace is a show about how macro issues affect people on the ground. It’s a 15-minute show and features a big-hitter interview, either CEOs or senior politicians. It has a small team, with Juliette Mann being main correspondent. It works two to four weeks out for some shows, which go out on Thursdays

- CNN Business Traveller is being relaunched on 15 March