Speak for Success

May 20th, 2013

You can build your business, establish your expertise and increase awareness through speaking engagements. Informal exchanges, discussions with business groups or colleagues, or presentations that will be announced and publicized –-  consider the opportunities to speak for success.

While “public speaking turns up as the number-one fear of adults – more prevalent than fear of snakes, the tax authority or death …many of those who have mastered public speaking and comfort in front of an audience consider it worth the effort” for increasing awareness, credibility…and income.

In 6 Steps to Free Publicity, author Marcia Yudkin discusses “Speaking, for Free or Fee.” Marcia explains how speaking leads to media publicity, builds on itself for more speaking engagements, is more effective at selling books, for example, than radio or TV interviews, and offers multiplier effects beyond the number of people attending your presentation.

Marcia starts by explaining how “speaking produces media results”:

  • Increasing awareness could start with a brochure or catalog.  If you teach an adult education course at a school, community center, public library, or other organization’s speaker series, you will be included in its promotional materials that could lead to inquiries for your services, class or workshop.
  • Journalists may attend your talk. Whether you invited a journalist to attend or the reporter saw it publicized, an article can lead to increased attendance or use of your services.
  • Reporters or producers might also call after seeing notice of your talk. Build on the media interest, and follow up with a news release to the media prior to your presentation and build on your previous publicity.
  • Initiate your own pre-event publicity, even if an organization is promoting it. Send a release or letter to media contacts, submit a calendar/event listing, and, of course, share it on your social media.
  • Remember post-event publicity.
  • Include resulting articles, radio or TV interviews in your media kit.

Marcia offers more tips for publicizing your presentation – self-sponsored or sponsored by an organization – whether it’s open to the public, an in-house talk, teleseminar, or webinar. She also offers approaches for “keeping audiences awake and involved.”

As you gain speaking experience and receive feedback, consider how your presentation can become an article, book or online site, which media to contact as an “expert source,” the possibility of writing a column, and new services, products and opportunities that could increase your income.

Is it time to speak for success?!

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What to Say When the Media Calls You

April 30th, 2013

A reporter may call you in response to your news release or pitch letter.  Or, the organization you represent is making news, and the media wants to follow up. You, the PR or marketing pro, look forward to media coverage, but when it happens, are you ready for prime time?

Sometimes media interest occurs spontaneously when “bumping” into a reporter during a meeting or program. Or, you receive a call or email in response to your follow-up. However it occurs, think ahead.

In his book, Public Relations Made Easy, journalist Roscoe Barnes lll offers “15 Tips for Handling the Press Interview.” In short:

1. Be prepared.  Make sure your notes, resources and information are easily accessible so you’re prepared when the call comes. Be knowledgeable about your subject. Develop messages and “sound bites around your theme….Anticipate questions, and create a list of questions for the media (especially TV and radio).”

2. Be reachable. “Provide the press with all of your contact information. Include home phone, work phone, cell phone, fax, and email address.”

3. Be flexible. “Today, many reporters use e-mail for their interviews. Surprisingly, however, some people insist on face-to-face interviews….Be accommodating, and you may enjoy better publicity.”

4. Be efficient. When the interview is in person, bring copies of your resources, and be ready to offer referrals to experts or others who can add to your feature.

5. Be honest. “Be honest and truthful in every way. If you don’t know something or are unsure, simply say so. The reporter will appreciate your honesty and save you from embarrassing moments down the road.”

6. Be yourself. “Avoid ‘acting’ and pretending to be what you are not. Good reporters can see through the façade.”

7. Be patient. “Some reporters use tape recorders, but most use only their pen and notebook.”

8. Be clear. “If a reporter speaks about anything you don’t understand, feel free to say you don’t understand.”

9. Be firm. “If a reporter asks you hard questions, or you cannot address these questions, just say so and be firm even if the reporter persists, which smart ones often do. No means no.”

10. Be colorful. “Reporters love a good story. When answering questions, try to include a few interesting stories or anecdotes to support your point of view. Cite a quotation, mention a poem, reference a popular movie, or share a personal story. It can be funny or serious as long as it sheds light on your comments” and the subject.

11. Be thorough. Avoid yes or no answers….Don’t worry about talking too much because reporters know how to edit.

12. Be professional. Barnes offers some don’ts.  “Don’t ask to read the story before it goes to press. Don’t insult reporters by telling them how to do their job. Don’t engage in name-calling. Don’t criticize the messenger or the media. Don’t go off track.”

13. Be personable. “When a reporter comes to your place for an interview, make him or her feel right at home, and don’t underestimate the power of a compliment. … Avoid being stiff and formal, and send a thank you note after the interview.”

14. Be generous. “If you do what you can to make the reporter’s job easy, you’ll stand a greater chance of getting the publicity you need.” For example, offer news that may be related to your story and other relevant resources and contacts.

15. Be reliable. “Strive to be a source that reporters can trust – a source that they call on anytime they need a quote or an industry resource.”

After your media interview,  Barnes reminds you to “build on the experience.” Encourage the reporter to contact you with questions or the need for more information. When your feature is published, send the reporter a thank you note. Throughout the year, if you learn of something that could become a major story, mention it to the reporter.

“When these suggestions become a normal part of your promotional campaign, you will be overwhelmed with the media coverage and publicity you’ll receive.”

 

 

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Time to SWOT Yourself

April 8th, 2013

When we’re working on a PR/marketing plan for an organization, we usually start with a SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) that leads into goals, messages, strategies and tactics.

We should, of course, regularly reevaluate our current situations and consider new possibilities for our 1st Person PR. After the SWOT, we can address our Five Ws and announce the results in a news release.

SWOT Yourself

Here are some resources that will help you see your professional and personal potential, from a first-person perspective and a possibly more objective, third-person perspective.

Now, the Five Ws.

Once you’ve explored your current situation and worked on your strategy and tactics, consider your Five Ws. Whether you’re approaching a prospective client, employer or journalist, the Five Ws will get you started. For more insights:  http://www.scriptmag.com/features/the-five-ws

  • Who is making the newsworthy news (you) and who will be affected by or benefit from the news (your publics and consumers)?
  • What is your new news?
  • Where is it happening?
  • When is it happening?
  • Why is this newsworthy (e.g., problem/solution, new service/product/approach, benefits to publics/consumers/clients, etc)?
  • How (sometimes included) did it evolve, or what’s the relevant background?

Consider other Ws:

  • What’s your personal/professional brand – your trust factor or reputation – not a graphic logo?
  • What do your experience, skills, personality traits mean to future employers, clients, colleagues and friends, or life/work in general?
  • Why are you in your profession?
  • What would you say in a news release, which is something you could write as an unpublished exercise, as the first step in a cover letter or an elevator speech, or for actual distribution via the media?

Ready for a News Release?

C.C. Smith – SWOTing Herself and New Clients to

Increased Profits

Open your release with a client’s problem/solution, story/case study, statistics reflecting profits after your new strategy, a question, or a quote: “I knew it was time for me to take a fresh approach for my clients and for myself,” Smith, (title, company?), explains. “The results are amazing.”

Now, offer a few one-sentence summaries of how Smith and her clients benefited from her new perspective and ideas.

Then:   “After I developed our SWOTs, a challenge given this dynamic marketplace, I saw new opportunities for us,” Smith adds. Briefly discuss your SWOT specifics, rewarding experiences and results.

Wind it up:  Ready to SWOT yourself to success?! Contact (Who? You!), the SWOT Pro.

Now, Ready for Prime Time?!

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Reach Your Market with Newsworthy News Releases

March 18th, 2013

“Millions of people read press releases directly, unfiltered by the media. You need to be speaking directly to them,” advises David Meerman Scott in The New Rules of Marketing & PR.

Yes, mainstream and trade media remain critically important in many markets, journalists do welcome newsworthy content, and their features can generate considerable interest and results.  But, as Scott also points out, “the web has changed the rules … and today, savvy marketing and PR professionals use news releases to reach buyers directly.”

Scott presents The New Rules of News Releases:

  • Don’t just send news releases when big news is happening; find good reasons to send them all the time.
  • Instead of just targeting a handful of journalists, create news releases that appeal directly to your buyers.
  • Write releases that are replete with the keyword-rich language used by your buyers.
  • Include offers that compel consumers to respond to your release in some way.
  • Place links in releases to deliver potential customers to landing pages on your web site.
  • Optimize news release delivery for searching and browsing.
  • Add social media tags for Technorati, DIGG, and del.icio.us so that your release can be found.
  • Drive people into the sales process with news releases. [Scott tells you how]

Author Roscoe Barnes III also underscores a press release’s potential as a “direct response tool” in his book, Public Relations Made Easy. To “create a press release that generates leads and sells products and services,” Barnes says:

  1. “Determine what publications you’d like to be featured in.” Then research their style, focus, needs and guidelines.
  2. “Write a statement that opens and closes with news. … no fluff or advertisements posing as news.”
  3. “Stress the news in your headline and opening paragraph.”
  4. “Slant your headline for appropriate audiences.”
  5. “Make a free offer…because it is the offer that will make prospects respond.”

In Public Relations Writing and Media Techniques, Dennis Wilcox discusses traditional and social media releases. His dos and don’ts include “10 Classic News Release Mistakes” such as spelling and grammatical errors, punctuation errors and failure to document sources. These don’ts turn off most journalists, the “gatekeepers” to their audiences and your target publics/markets.

Wilcox underscores the fact that, besides the actual news, the important elements of a traditional release are also the headline and first paragraph.  Then, “the most common reason that news releases get used is the presence of a local angle” for local mainstream broadcast outlets and publications.  “There are two ways to localize,” Wilcox adds. “One is to use the name of local people; the other is to use information that is of local significance.”

If you are sending a release to a trade or specialty magazine or an online site, make sure it connects with that medium’s specific audience, content, departments and its editorial calendar.

Finally, would you like to share a news release that successfully and directly attracted your target markets? If so, 1st Person PR will feature your experience and release (free offer?!).

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Customer Service and Startling Statistics

February 18th, 2013

We are all in customer service whether it’s our working title or not. While we have grown more responsive and pro-active – through feedback, marketplace competition and personal experiences – we always need reminders.

In his book, Beyond Customer Service – Keeping Customers for Life, author Richard F. Gerson presents “Startling Service Statistics.” The stats may have changed since the first and second editions were written in the 1990s, but the concepts about the importance of customer service are definitely current. Here we go, some of the “Startling Service Statistics,” and [1st Person PR comments]:

  • “Only 4 percent of customers ever complain. This means your business may never hear from 96% of its customers, and 91% of those just go away because they feel complaining will not do them any good. In fact, complainers are more likely to continue doing business with you than noncomplainers.  [consider today’s word of mouth, social media “likes,” “dislikes” and other comments]
  • For every complaint your business receives, there are 26 other customers with unresolved complaints or problems, and six of those have serious problems. These are people who can tell you how to make your business better. Get their feedback any way you can.
  • Most customers who complain to you (54%-70%) will do business with you if you resolve their complaint. If they feel you acted quickly and to their satisfaction, then up to 95% of them will do business with you again, and they will probably refer other people to you.
  • A dissatisfied customer will tell up to 10 people about it. Approximately 13% of those will tell up to 20 people about their problem. You cannot afford the advertising to overcome the negative word of mouth [such as today’s hundreds or thousands of hits or dislikes]
  • Happy customers, or customers who have had their complaints resolved, will tell between three and five people about their positive experience. Therefore, you have to satisfy three to four customers for every one that is dissatisfied with you. …[or, more unhappy customers talk about you than satisfied customers…]
  • It costs five to six times more to attract new customers than to keep old ones. …Customer loyalty and the lifetime of a customer can be worth up to 10 times as much as the price of a single purchase…
  • Businesses that provide superior service can often charge more, realize greater profits, and increase their market share and have customers willingly pay more for their products simply because of the good service [well, maybe?]. …
  • Customers stop doing business with you because:

► 1 % die

► 3 % move away

► 5 % seek alternatives

► 9 % begin doing business with the competition

► 14 % are unhappy with the product or service

► 68 % are unhappy with the treatment they have received.”

If you would like to share your customer service experiences or update the “startling service statistics” in a 1st Person PR blog post, let us know.

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Is It Time to Meet In-Person, Face-to-Face?

February 5th, 2013

Talking on your phone, emailing, texting, teleconferencing, instant messaging, or meeting via the internet – each offers communication benefits. But, “nothing beats the power of a truly personal, face-to-face connection.”

In her article, “5 Reasons You Need to Meet in Person,” for Inc. Magazine, Renee Shimada Siegel also explains that “no matter what industry we’re in, we’re all in the people business…and we’ll only be successful if we really get to know our customers and colleagues.”  Siegel offers five reasons why a personal meeting beats a virtual one.

  • “You’re off the record.” Your clients or colleagues can be more forthcoming in person, discussing business as well as sharing interests, unique team dynamics or an executive’s personality quirks, that help you connect in a more meaningful way than other communication options.
  • “Make use of not-so-small talk. Business relationships are built when people take the time to share and learn more about each other…which happens more naturally in person than over the phone or in an email.”
  • “Make an impression.” Renee bought a new “knock-off handbag…faux ostrich and pink.” Despite the fact that she worried that it was not business professional, she received compliments from the women and even a man. Little did she know that it “would be such a great conversation starter and deliver such a strong personal statement? How do you do that over Skype?” 
  • “Read the body language. Facial expressions often communicate so much more than words. … That ability to “read” a candidate beyond their keywords is a huge competitive advantage for us.” 
  • “Learn where the action is. I find out so much when I visit one of my clients in their office. … The environment speaks volumes and may factor into your business proposal or plan. By understanding company dynamics, we can communicate more effectively to meet their needs. … As a business owner, I try to remember customers want to work with someone they can relate to, not just buy from.”

More 1st Person PR Benefits

In their book, Communicating at Work, authors Ronald B. Adler and Jeanne Marquardt Elmhorst, discuss communication channels and optimal use of telephone and voice mail, email and written communication, teleconferencing and videoconferencing, instant messaging, Twitter and comparable social media.

When discussing face-to-face communication, Adler and Elmhort explain that “talking to others in person has several apparent advantages.”

  • “Richness. Richness refers to the number of channels available, such as facial expression, tone of voice, eye and body movement” and other “nonverbal cues that help you better understand” that person.
  • “Speed. Once you make contact with your audience, there’s no time lag between the transmission of a message and its reception. If you need a price or have to have the funds in an account released now, putting your request in a letter or memo won’t be much help.”
  • “Control. You might spend hours drafting a … letter only to have the recipient superficially scan or not read it….In personal contact, you have more command over the reader’s attention….which permits instantaneous response.”
  •  “Personal quality. Face-to-face contact has the potential to create personal bonds that are more difficult in other types of communication….Nothing takes the place of a handshake, going to lunch, seeing their eyes.”

Yes, in-person conversations or meetings aren’t always realistic or possible, given budgets and geography. But, when they are possible and optimal, go for 1st Person PR. And if you have face-to-face stories you would like to share, we will…right here.

 

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Your Brand: My Gut Feeling and Trust

January 22nd, 2013

“Your brand is not your logo. That’s your trademark.” It’s not your tagline, it’s not your graphic corporate identify, it’s not really your product or service. Yes, they all contribute your brand, but “your brand is this and only this: how a target audience feels about you,” says Simone Joyaux, co-author of Keep Your Donors.

While this book focuses on the nonprofit community,  it definitely applies to for-profit organizations, individuals who represent them or sole entrepreneurs.

The bottom line is that “A brand is a person’s gut feeling about a product, service, or company. … In other words, a brand is not what YOU say it is. It’s what THEY say it is,” Joyaux says when quoting Marty Neumeier, author of The Brand Gap.

Your brand is what we trust you for: expertise, quality of service or product, character and ethics, customer service and responsiveness.

Our gut feeling and sense of trust is, of course, influenced by the way you communicate with us. As Joyaux says, “If, for instance, on your Web site you anticipate the real “frequently asked questions” of your target audience and supply frank, believable answers, then your organization will seem authentic, open, and trustworthy.

“Consider this statement on a research hospital’s Web site: “Do our methods always work? No, sadly. But failure can be a great teacher. Some of our biggest breakthroughs in treatment began as things didn’t turn out as we hoped.”

 Joyaux also reminds us that “every contact between your organization and your target audience has the potential to brand you, either positively or negatively. … One community foundation gave its receptionist a new title, ‘Director of First Impressions’, ” which could become a lasting impression.

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For more thoughts on our personal brands, check out previous posts:

What’s Your Personal Brand? http://sallychapralis.com/blog/?p=106

Brand New You and 1st Person PR http://sallychapralis.com/blog/?p=336

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Create an Online Presence for Your 1st Person PR

January 2nd, 2013

You have numerous and diverse opportunities for an online presence that can reach potential consumers, connections or followers. If you are showcasing your business or expertise, two of the strongest professional “attractions” are websites and blogs.

Before jumping in, start thinking strategically about two critical issues: your content management system (CMS) and your actual content. That is, how will you set up, design, maintain, and troubleshoot a blog, for example? Then, what is your subject focus and how – through “content richness” – will you actively engage your target markets…an ongoing challenge (let me tell you!).

Set-Up

“You can hire a pro to help you establish an online site, or you can do it yourself,” explains Christopher Merrill, Christopher Merrill Web Design. “Several CMS systems enable you to set up and maintain your own website or blog. WordPress seems to be the easiest for most people. Its tried, true and tested templates are easy to adapt to your tastes. You can update the design and add photos, video, other audio/visuals, plug-ins, apps, and links any time you want…changing the look and feel within a wink of an eye.”

You can install a WordPress website or blog on your own server, but Christopher suggests that you include an app to address malware or viruses, a universal issue, especially if you encourage comments from visitors.  WordPress makes it easy to check opportunities for SEO, monitor your follower stats, display your other social media icons, and maximize your platform’s sharing options. And, Christopher adds, “Today, when so many of us use mobile devices to explore sites, your content and design should also allow scrolling down more than across for reader ease.”

Content Rich

“Build it, and they will come.” Well, maybe, but probably not. When you establish your website or blog or both, remember that the content will ultimately be the reason your potential followers return. They/you want targeted, rich, useful, relatable, compelling, responsive content! (You think this is easy?!)

So, yes, your content begins with your site design and its SEO friendliness: your site/company name and its tagline (5 or 6 words about what you do). If your platform is a blog, then remember that SEO includes your headline and opening words. If your online presence is a website, the same rules generally apply: grab them on the home page with content and design that offers potential for their success.

What is rich content (“I can’t wait to read the next post”) content?  Usable information that a visitor relates to, wants or needs. Conversations with and quotes from experts. Stories and case studies that illustrate your points. Inviting writing style for your target consumers – informative and reflective of your expertise. Video, links and other inserts that add to the substance of your post (Yes, I should include more of these?!). Avoid sales and marketing pitches and, instead, give away solid, usable information that continually reinforces your online presence.

Websites, blogs and other online platforms offer lots of opportunities to open new doors, meet new people and explore new interests as our 1st Person PR continually evolves. We would be delighted to share your stories, experiences and comments.

Happy New Year!

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Holidays…Time to Job Hunt?!

December 10th, 2012

You probably want to relax and enjoy the holidays, but November through January are considered optimal job hunting months. You’re networking at holiday events, your boss may be more relaxed and open to “promotional” conversations, and many companies are trying to fill positions during this time.

If, while focusing on the holidays, you wouldn’t mind fine-tuning and improving your job hunting strategies and skills, then you might want to read Guerrilla Marketing For Job Hunters 3.0 – How to Stand Out from the Crowd and Tap into the Hidden Job Marketing Using Social Media and 999 Other Tactics Today, co-authored by Jay Conrad Levinson and David E. Perry.

The book introduces you to the “secrets of getting hired.”

“The #1 Secret to Getting Hired. Create an awesome plan – clear and detailed in every way – and follow it.”

“The #2 Secret to Getting Hired.” Levinson and Perry suggest you show an employer that you are worth much more to them (value) than you cost (salary and benefits). As a Guerrilla job hunter you are going to learn how to package and promote yourself as a blue-chip stock – to appear like money in the bank to an employer,” an achievable goal with a Guerrilla Plan.

Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters, 3.0 explains how to:

  • Build your personal brand and make employers call you.
  • Develop a productive attitude and avoid typical job hunter mistakes.
  • Build a strategy that helps you crack the hidden job market.
  • Develop a competitive edge through research.
  • Create cover letters and resumes that will be read, not tossed.
  • Discover networking that works.
  • Learn how to really use LinkedIn, social media and social networking.
  • Break through and meet the people you want to meet.
  • Learn from ordinary people whose plans resulted in extraordinary results.
  • Understand what to do and say before, during and after an interview.
  • Negotiate with confidence.

You’ll find even more how-to’s, as well as invaluable resources that you can use…now or as New Year’s resolutions.

Happy Holidays.

 

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Write a Column, Become an Expert, Build Your Business

November 28th, 2012

If you can write a regular column for a magazine, newsletter or newspaper, you can “become a sought-after expert on a local, regional or national level,” explains Roscoe Barnes III, in Public Relations made easy.  Barnes adds that your column would be far more effective in reaching your audience than an occasional press release or article.

Start by establishing your objective and audience, identifying your resources and deciding what type of column will work for you. Barnes suggests possible approaches.

  •  Commentary. Whether you take a stand on a particular challenge or address a local/national issue, your Commentary is an opportunity to “explain problems and offer solutions.”
  • Question-and-Answer. Invite readers to send you questions … and use them as the basis for your column. Since they will see their questions in print, they might share the column with family and friends and “become loyal clients, customers, and even fans.”
  • Straight News. If your company is not making ongoing, weekly news, then find news to discuss, via the Internet, e-newsletters, research, or tuning into other media.
  • Instructional. “One of the most popular columns you can write is the one loaded with how-to information,” Barnes says and adds that you can “recycle the work in a small newsletter or repackage it for a wider audience.”

Once you decide on your approach, Barnes presents…

Time-Tested Tips for Writing a Good Column

  1. Use engaging headlines. While you should study the publication’s style and fit in with its editorial package, “you want your work to be different and stand out from the rest,” even knowing that your headline will probably be changed.
  2. Make it relevant and client-centered. Show your readers “how they are affected by your information,” include actual examples, case studies and personal stories.”
  3. Make it friendly.  “A friendly column is personable, chatty, and entertaining….Use short and simple words, vary length of paragraphs and sentences….and include images and ideas that your readers can relate to…”
  4. Watch out for jargon. “When writing for a general audience…hold back on industry jargon” unless you explain it.
  5. Make it lively – tell a good story. “You can open with a dramatic, startling statement, compelling story or anecdote, something that will hook readers or build suspense.”
  6. Mix it up with different literary forms. Barnes suggests that you “use stories in some columns, news in some, and maybe a little history in others.”
  7. Include a Resource Box.  This ‘box’ of information at the end of your column briefly tells readers who you are and how they can benefit from your services or products and includes necessary contact information.

Finally, as you have seen above (!!), when writing your column, “always credit sources.” For example, Public Relations made easy was published by Entrepreneur Magazine/Press.

 

 

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