Archive for May, 2009

Don’t you want thousands of targeted prospects at your door wanting to buy from you and only you?

If you answered no, then read no further. But if you answered yes, you need to start thinking strategically about your marketing efforts.

You see, there’s a lot you CAN do out there. And most can really help you grow your business.

But here’s the thing: we often focus on too many marketing tactics at once. That’s why I want o share with you the two tactics I use the most to bring more prospects to my door.

Join me on June 2nd at 9 PM EDT (6 PM PDT) when I talk with good friend  Ken McArthur, best-selling author and international speaker, to find out exactly how to create a thriving business with the top 2 free marketing methods.

In this exclusive free teleseminar, sponsored by JV Alert, you’ll:

• Identify the #1 mistake most coaches, consultants, and small business owners make when they hang out their shingle to get more prospects
• Discover Ken’s specific techniques for getting others to work with you to promote your offerings
• Debunk the common idea that getting on Oprah is the key to your success
• Explore my own easy-to-use formula to get the word out to the mass media – just by sharing your opinion on your expertise
• Distinguish the right ways to promote any promote any product or service
• and much more

Here are all the details:

DATE & TIME: Tuesday, June 2nd at 9:00pm Eastern

FORMAT: Simulcast! (Attend via Phone or Webcast)

TO ATTEND THIS EVENT, CLICK THIS LINK NOW…

http://instantTeleseminar.com/?eventid=7561542

I help people get into the media by thinking like a reporter. As a news anchor turned PR specialist, I know that if you tell your story the way a journalist would tell it, you have a better chance of being heard.

Sometimes, though, you have to think like a journalist in order to prevent your story being given a spin you don’t want. Reporters need to get a story, and they can be ruthless with you if they think they are on to something big.

That’s why you need to brush up on your interview skills before you’re faced with your big media appearance.

Here are some of the secrets journalists use to get you to reveal more than you want to, and how you can avoid falling into their traps.

1. Taking control. Journalists like to take control of interviews. Don’t be intimidated. Take control yourself. Start by establishing the terms of the interview. When a reporter calls you to be interviewed, ask them questions before you get started. Who do you represent? What’s the focus or slant of the story? Are you interviewing anyone else? What’s your deadline? These questions will give you information to prepare. When you give the interview, stay in control of your message. Make the points you want to make. If the interviewer doesn’t ask you about something you want to say, then just say it anyway.

2. Time to think. No reporter actually thinks a person just drops everything they are doing to be interviewed. But interviewees often think that’s the case and give some unprepared answers that they regret later. Avoid this by arranging a mutually convenient time to get back to the reporter. Then get all your ducks in a row before you talk. During the interview itself, don’t be afraid to pause for breath while you compose your answer. You can also create some time to think by saying something else. It could be answering the question you wish they had asked. Or make a positive comment that fills the time, such as, “That’s a very good question; I’m glad you asked me about that.”

3. Moving on. Journalists like to control the interview agenda and will often move on to a new subject before you have said everything you want to say. Don’t be afraid to go back and conclude an earlier point that you didn’t finish explaining. For print publications and pre-recorded TV and radio interviews, remember that you can always start over if you misspeak or lose the thread of what you are saying. Even in a live interview, you can restate your point: just say something like “Let me reiterate that point” or “Let’s make it clear”.

4. Silence is golden. Silence is a tactic reporters use to get you to keep talking. A pregnant pause will often prompt an interviewee to blurt out something or to fill the gap by saying more than they really want to say. When you’re done answering the question, stop. Allow for the silence. If the reporter wants more information, let them ask for it.

5. Holding a mirror. Some journalists use a technique called “mirroring.” This involves reflecting your attitudes, words or style back at you to make you feel more comfortable. But being too relaxed may lead you to reveal something you normally wouldn’t mention. If you notice a reporter mimicking you verbally and nonverbally, you may want to take your time answering.

6. Throw-away questions. Many reporters have what’s called ‘throw-away questions’ that really mean nothing to the story. These can be used to feel an interviewee out. Watch your words even if the question sounds irrelevant.

7. Off the record. In movies and TV shows, people are always telling reporters secrets “off the record” in the full confidence that they won’t get printed. Well, don’t try that one at home, folks. Even when the reporter is chatting casually to you, assume everything is on the record.

8. Pretending to know. Some journalists will ask question that make you think they know more than they really do. If the reporter has made a false assumption, speak up. If not, don’t help the journalist confirm it unless you’ve made a conscious choice to do so.

Unfortunately, all of these warnings can make people so paranoid that they don’t give good interviews. So I have one final piece of advice: don’t be paranoid, be prepared.

I just took a look at my calendar for the upcoming month and realized I have a lot of presentations on deck. (Check out my next week’s ezine to see them all. Sign up at http://www.beheardsolutions.com)

So I thought I’d share why speaking is such an important publicity tool.

Throughout history, great speakers have touched the lives of millions of people.  Today, in schools throughout North America, motivational speakers inspire students to stay in school, say no to drugs, become leaders, and prepare for life after graduation.

Adults are inspired by motivational speakers to follow their dreams and achieve their goals. Among other things, speakers help people to succeed in business, improve their relationships, develop a positive attitude, become healthy, achieve financial prosperity, and have more fun in life.

To generate new opportunities for business, today’s business leaders must increase the value of their service in ways others in their marketplace do not. Public speaking is one of the most effective tools to do that. You’ll gain an audience of potential customers, and a chance to generate new business and profits.

By speaking at public forums produced by other organizations –at conferences, seminars and forums held by independent associations, professional and industry trade groups, academic institutions and think tanks – you’ll look like a valued resource.

There’s a lot of evidence that speaking at public forums often results in the attainment of business. It provides increased awareness of the company in general and specific subject areas in particular, to an audience of potential customers or clients.

And it’s presentations about industry trends or “how-to” talks – not a canned sales pitch for a product or service – that makes a large impact on the audience.

If you want to give the most powerful presentations, it doesn’t take a college degree in public speaking. You just need a few strategies to help you:

1. Speak from the heart. Believe in what you have to say, or don’t say it. If you’re passionate about your subject, the words will come. Speak about the fundamental beliefs you have about life – the simple truths that you believe in with all your heart.

2. Develop key points. Write down two or three specific objectives you have for this speech. What do you want the audience to do as a result of your speech? Think differently? Act differently? Do something differently?

3. Write it out. You need to understand your speech so well that you could explain it to an eight-year-old. You know, if you write it down enough times, you will become familiar with it. Don’t read your speech. If necessary, just read the lead sentences that you write on a three by five card.

4. Be present. Connect with your audience in the first 60 seconds and then engage them throughout your speech. Once you get the audience rolling, be sure to expand on certain comments that you know are being well-received.

5. Use personal stories. Be sure to share your personal stories with the audience. People will relate to your mishaps, and learn from your successes. You don’t have to be clever; just share your life with your audience. Remember they are looking to trust you.

6. Conclude with action. What do you want your audience to do now that they’ve heard your speech? Go around the room, and ask them to share one nugget they got. Ask them for one idea that they can use now. In two weeks. In one month. Be sure to summarize your speech and then give them a call to action.

Press releases are a great tool to attract more clients and get more sales, by using it both online and traditionally to media outlets. Yet, people write a release, and find it frustrating when results are lack luster. It often boils down to a few, but important, issues that can make a press release turn sour.

1) Grammatical Errors: We all make mistakes, but it is highly important that you proof-read your article several times prior to submission. A badly written press release can receive lots of views, but very few taking the time to visit your site because of the grammar errors.

2) Content: A good press release always has some form of content. Ensure that when you write your release that you excite the user and deliver exactly as promised in regards to the content. Do not have a title that misrepresents what you are offering in the body of the press release.

3) Advertising: As mentioned prior, always stay away from seeming like a commercial. A press release is a news related item. Do not try to pitch sales within the press release; always present the information as news related.

4) Exaggerated Comments: Stay away from hyping your news release with comments that seem far from the truth. Your press release must sound believable or it will be ignored. Do not fill your press release with hype and exaggerated statements that cannot be backed up.

5) Email: Never include an email address that you treasure and consider personal. Every press release is made public; therefore if you post your email address within the press release you are subjecting yourself to the ever unfortunate spam offers.

6) Website: Some users actually forget to include a link to their website in their press release. Always include your website link, as more than likely it’s what you are trying to promote.

This happened to me, and through my Internet travels, it seems I’m not the only one.

People who, well frankly, are snobs in social media.

Here’s the story:

There is one person on Twitter I’d REALLY like to get to know for business reasons. I’ve tried everything to get this person’s attention. Sent several direct messages, retweeted tweets written, asked about this person’s family, pointed out our similarities… you name it. Plus, I have had several people email this person or introduce me on Twitter, because they felt we really were a good match.

Still not a tweet or a peep. Not even a curt response saying, “Not interested.” “Too busy.” (Fill in your own pat blow off answer here)

When asking around if this was common, and it seems with certain people online it is. As a matter of fact, several named the same person I was trying to reach out to as a snob.

I know that many will excuse this person by saying people like this are too busy to answer every request. But I know folks who are just as busy who at least have the courtesy to say just that! And I know plenty of others who make the time to just say hello once in a while, regardless of their own crazy life.

Well, Snob Twitterer, I have some news for you.

Social media, like Twitter, is a public relations tool. Sure, you may be able to build a huge following, but without building and nurturing those relationships you’re going to lose in the long run. The word is already out about you: your reputation is tarnished!

Public relations (and especially social media) is about relationship marketing. And you are failing at building and nurturing the relationships you may need in the future.

And, if you are reading this, Snob Twitterer, and want to make amends, please tweet me at http://www.twitter.com/ShannonCherry (@ShannonCherry), and I promise to answer your tweet!