Steven Brill, the blustery founder of American Lawyer and Court TV, said something smart in an article published in Bloomberg BNA’s Big Law Business. He was talking about how to earn publicity.

“The effective law firms that get a lot of good publicity have the lead partners out there talking to reporters all the time,” Brill said. The truism applies to every business, and Brill’s point is that journalists want to talk to the decision-makers, the stars of the companies or institutions that are in the news.

Brill gave as an example a lawyer named Ted Olson. “Ted is always talking to reporters. He’ll return the call. He’s an approachable, unassuming guy.”

Another good insight. No one expects you to sound like Stephen Hawking every time you open your mouth. It’s enough to be thoughtful and willing to have a discussion. It helps if you don’t automatically treat journalists as enemies. And you don’t have to answer every question. If you’re not qualified, you can say so. If you don’t want to talk about something that would hurt a friend, tell the reporter that, too.

You will find out quickly enough if a reporter is someone you never want to talk to again. Don’t answer that person’s calls in the future. You will also figure out who is smart and who you can trust.

The basic advice when talking to a reporter is: be yourself. If you’re loquacious, that’s fine. If you’re a grump, that’s OK, too. Journalists deal with all kinds, and respect intelligence and directness.

Brill also pointed out a typical PR mistake: Trying too hard to get publicity by overselling a pitch. You don’t need to do that. If you become known as an expert in your field, not only will your name appear in the media when you aren’t the focus of an article, but when you do have something to promote, the reporters will take your calls.

Paul Steinmetz is the principal of Writing Associates LLC, providing writing services and publicity to business.