A former newspaper Editor / reporter came to see us today. He was giving advice on how to build up your contacts and to cultivate your patch. It strikes me as no different to developing my patch when I worked for Archant as a Senior Display Field Sales exec. I used to speak to all the same types of people within the community, bar perhaps the police. All the principles are the same, making people feel relaxed, probing them for information, looking for an angle (in this case a story, previously it was a hook to sell them into the mag), not relying on them to call you and staying organized by keeping up to date records.
I'd like to think if anything - it's an easier job from a reporter point of view since nobody likes a sales man on first encounters! It often took months before someone would "let you in" and start opening up to you about their business and their thoughts on the magazine etc. In my role at Archant I was also the "ears and eyes" within the community for the Editor. Quite often I would speak to potential clients about editorial ideas way before I dropped the question about how they marketed themselves.
Due to commuting from London I've not been able to put much time into my Kemp town patch. I've been around the area a few times, people are definitely more friendly in Brighton than I've experienced in London.
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