If you’re a Star Wars fan, you may remember that Luke Skywalker’s uncle, Owen Lars, was a moisture farmer on Tatooine. At one point in the film, he meets with traveling Jawa merchants to evaluate their droids as potential farm hands. He stops in front of C-3PO and has the following conversation with him:

Owen Lars: I suppose you’re programmed for etiquette and protocol.

C-3PO: Protocol? Why, it’s my primary function, sir. I am well-versed in all the customs–

Owen Lars: I have no need for a protocol droid.

C-3PO: Of course you haven’t, sir. Not in an environment such as this. That is why I have been programmed in–

Owen Lars: What I really need is a droid who understands the binary language of moisture vaporators.

C-3PO: Vaporators? Sir, my first job was programing binary load lifters very similar to your vaporators in most respects.

Owen Lars: Can you speak Bocce?

C-3PO: Of course I can, sir. It’s like a second language to me. I’m a–

Owen Lars: Yeah, alright. Shut up. I’ll take this one.

C-3PO managed to give Uncle Owen exactly what he wanted, but only because he was willing and able to keep positioning himself as a solution. What 3PO did was not unlike what any good PR person would do in a similar circumstance with a reporter.

Typically, PR folks reach out to journalists – sometimes with canned, “approved” pitches from clients, sometimes after reading a great story, sometimes as a routine check-in with a good contact – and when a response from a journalist arrives in their inbox, their heart skips a beat as they click to open it.

When the reporter comes back looking for something entirely different (e.g., you’re a protocol droid and he needs a farm hand), it’s how one responds that’s the difference between success and failure. Quite often what you pitch is completely irrelevant to what the journalist needs at the moment, but if you can capitalize on their attention – as fleeting as it may be, and even if they’re saying “no” – you can create PR magic.

Instead of just accepting that what you’re pitching isn’t a match for the journalist and moving on, try to think of a way to transition and reposition what you do have into something that provides value to the journalist. If they replied in the first place, your foot’s already in the door. Use the time and the next response wisely, and you may find that every once in a while you’ll make a solid case, and you’ll be on your way to galactic success.