The way you treat clients directly affects how successful your business will be.

We’ve said it before: Being nice can set you apart. I was recently reminded of this again thanks to one of our client’s blog posts. Tony Quintong of Securieon posted an article on his site about one rule to live by in business: Treat others as you would want to be treated. The whole idea is that no matter who you’re working with, the way you interact with them can play a big role in how successful you are in your business.

Here’s some of what Tony wrote:

Here’s the essence of this observation: It’s a Glengarry Glen Ross world of pushy real estate salesmanship. We live in a plethora of readily accessible information. There is no need for the capital required of the Procter & Gamble’s or Mattel toy companies of the world. Market research of what a client is likely to buy – and why – is a few keyboard taps away, yet how many sales people really do their homework? Here is a simple Sales 101 Training approach to catching a prospect’s attention:

• Do the homework on the person and their company
• Develop a solution statement based on their needs – not on your unfounded opinion
• Provide an insightful view on their industry/company challenges
• Follow up with a compelling point of interest to them

If you want the potential customer to be receptive, treat them as you would want to be treated. If you don’t agree or have not considered their point of view, its ok with me; however I would seriously consider another profession.

Have you taken the time to actually do the homework, listen to your customers and find a compelling point of interest to them? Not only can this help you make the sale, but it can help you develop a marketing strategy to actually reach your target audiences effectively!

Photo Credit: JodiWomack

Tweet

Media Advisories are used to tell journalists about upcoming events their readers might be interested in.

Media Advisories are sister documents to a Press Releases or Pitches in which the focus is an event. Like a pitch, you want the information to be as clear and concise as possible. The main difference is the formatting.

The important information to include is:

Contact Info – Your phone number and email address.
What – Generally 2-3 sentences about the event.
When – The date and time.
Where – The name of the venue in addition to the address.
Why – The purpose of the event and why their readers / other locals should care.
Who – 1-2 sentences about you or your organization.
More Info – A link to the event page for more information.

We generally recommend you send Media Advisories to the media 6-8 weeks in advance of the event. If the event is a press conference, we also recommend you distribute the advisory a couple of times: once as far in advance of the event as possible (preferably 6-8 weeks) and again a day or two in advance of the event to remind the media.

Photo Credit: englishpen

Tweet

I use a 4-step process when writing professional biographies for clients or myself.

Do you have a professional biography ready to hand out as needed? An easy way to provide additional details about yourself, and fantastic information to include on your website, professional biographies can sometimes be hard to write about yourself for a couple of reasons:

• Sometimes it can be hard to identify your achievements.
• You want to make yourself sound impressive but not conceited.
• A lot of people aren’t sure what the right mixture of personal and professional is.

When I’m writing a professional biography for a client or myself, I use a 4-step process:

1. Make note of the information I want included. Here’s the list of details I start with:
   1. List your post-high school education and include areas of study, colleges or trade schools, dates of graduation or certifications. Include any special classes or on-going education, work-shops etc. that are directly pertinent to your field/line of work.
   2. Make note of your work history with your current company. Include the date you began working and any professional highlights of your career there.
   3. List any awards, recognition, or honors you received in the last 5 years.
   4. List any professional organizations or affiliations you have (networking groups, clubs, trade groups etc.)
   5. List any personal organizations or affiliations you have (volunteer work, community groups etc.)
   6. Write down hobbies you have, sports you play, special talents, places you like to travel to, etc.
   7. Make note of your family including spouse or significant other, children (include ages), and pets.
   8. Any other information about yourself you want to make sure to include.
2. Go through the list and turn the bullet points into sentences. Try to combine items that are related (such as an award you received from one of your professional organizations).
3. Combine the sentences into a few paragraphs that make sense. You don’t need to use everything, but try to include the most interesting and relevant information to what you’re doing now. It’s usually best to put the work-related highlights first and the personal tidbits at the very end.
4. Read through your professional biography a couple of times, and make sure you proofread.

You might also want to have a friend or family member that knows you well read through your professional biography to make sure you didn’t miss anything important or accidentally misrepresent yourself.

Tweet

These 6 articles will tell you what your body language is saying, how to jump into social media and more.

Is your body language getting your message across? How should you start using social media for your company? Here are 6 articles to help you with those topics and more:

1. 10 Words That Don’t Mean What You May Think They Do http://ow.ly/4WVQf – English changes little by little over time. This post shares 10 words that mean something different than you may think.
2. 10 common body language traps for women in the workplace http://ow.ly/4TnFa – Is your body language saying something different than you intend? This article shares common ways women in the workplace miscommunicate their message based on how they stand, tilt their head, etc. A quick study of psychology might have some big payoffs.  Check out 50 Mind-Bending Psychology Blogs.  It provides some great advice to further understand your reader.  Never stop learning.
3. Do you run your business or work from a home office? Here are 7 steps to help you achieve work-life balance http://ow.ly/4VYhi – A lot of small business owners work from home. This article shares helpful tips for managin work-life balance.
4. How to jump into the social media pool without drowning http://ow.ly/4YLUI – This is a great resource for business owners jumping into social media. It includes advice regarding which types of media to use and activities you don’t want to forget.
5. Are you an educated business blogger? 12 things every business blogger should know how to do http://ow.ly/544tX – There’s a LOT of advice out there for business bloggers. This post shares a good list of things you don’t want to miss.
6. Life Without Twitter – An Infographic http://ow.ly/4VYi8 – This is a fun infographic of what life might be like without Twitter.

Photo Credit: Rd. Vortex

Tweet

These five articles are perfect for small business owners and entreprenuers.

What does your body language say to coworkers and colleagues? Does your online content stand out? Here are five articles I’ve recently stumbled across that can help you with your business.

1. 10 common body language traps for women in the workplace http://ow.ly/4TnFa – One small nonverbal signal can change the dynamics of an entire business interaction. Women are usually the champions in the warmth and empathy arena, but lose out with power and authority cues—mostly because they fall prey to these ten common body language traps.
2. 8 Ways To Make Your Online Content Stand Out http://ow.ly/4UHCS – This article includes 8 ways to consider when creating online content for your business.
3. Five, Five-Second Rules for Delivering Your Message http://ow.ly/4TnBG – 5 tips valuable for getting your company’s message out quickly. These suggestions are great for numerous types of marketing.
4. Integrate Your Brand for Marketing Success http://ow.ly/4Ry3x – This post includes tips for integrating your brand in marketing communications materials.
5. An important concept for small business owners? Delegation! http://ow.ly/4UHAr – Time management and productivity expert Brian Tracy recommends “if somebody can do [a task] 70% as well as you, [you should] delegate it, especially if it is not a major task…. As your business grows, you get someone to do the little things that are of low value so that you can do more of the things of high value.”

Photo Credit: Johan.V.

Tweet

Here are 5 must-read posts we’ve found around the Web recently.

Do you want to know how to write killer headlines? Or be happier at work? Here are 5 must-read posts we’ve found around the Web recently.

1. 21 things PR is NOT http://ow.ly/4D0Mx – Public Relations is a lot of things, but it is also NOT a lot of stereotypes people assume go along with the industry. This is a great list from Proper Propaganda of what PR isn’t.
2. 10 everyday decisions for social media success http://ow.ly/4jbp5 – Here are 10 decisions and choices you make daily that will impact your social media relationships, activities, and business results.
3. What makes people happy at work? http://ow.ly/4HFdY – Are you happy at work? This study gives practical ways to be happy at work, from having a flexible schedule to a pleasant physical workspace.
4. The 8 R’s of Twitter for Newbies http://ow.ly/4BwJy – Great advice from PR In Your Pajamas for those just getting started on Twitter.
5. 4 tips for writing killer headlines—from Gawker http://ow.ly/4jbsQ – This post provides 4 tips to help you write better headlines for your blog, Twitter, etc.

Photo Credit: SCA Svenska Cellulosa Aktiebolaget

Building a solid media list can be tedious, but is worth its weight in gold.

So you’ve got your Virtual Press Kit, High-Res Photos and Pitch ready to go. What do you do next? Obviously, before you can contact the media you need their contact information. You need a media list.

What is a media list? It’s exactly what it sounds like: a list of media you plan to contact. A completed list includes the name of the journalist, the outlet they work for, contact information and any other important notes like preferred method of contact, best time of day to reach them or their own personal comments for pitching them.

Media list building is one of the most tedious, yet important, media relations activities; without a solid list, your efforts to try to secure editorial coverage are completely wasted.

So how do you build a solid media list?

• Personally, I think the best standard program to use when building a media list is Microsoft Excel. This will help you organize all the data you collect into columns like: Name, Media Outlet, Email Address, Phone Number and Notes. Plus Excel allows you to have a separate worksheet for each segment of media such as “Women’s Magazines” and “Mommy Bloggers.”
• Start by making a list of outlets you think your pitch is appropriate for, such as Women’s Magazines or Blogs. You can do a simple Google search to get the names of publications you might not have heard of before that would still be appropriate.
• Comb through the website to determine if it’s a good fit. Read through articles, look at their about page. If it’s a good fit, add the outlet to your list.
• While you’re there, look to see who wrote the articles that would best fit your product or service. Is there contact information posted? If possible, add their email address and phone number to your list. Add any additional comments you’re able to find, like “Susie writes about eyeliner” or “Steve prefers to be contacted via email.”
• We always recommend pitching via email as it’s less intrusive and reporters tend to prefer it to phone pitching. That being said, if all you can find is the main office number, give the receptionist a call and ask for the reporter’s email address. If they transfer you or give you their phone number instead, tell the journalist you have a story idea you wanted to send more information about via email, and ask what address is best to reach them. Remember – you’re asking them for a favor, so be sure you are polite and courteous on the phone, even if they aren’t. “Please” and “thank you” can go a long way.

Spend a little bit of time regularly to fill out your list. Investing 30 minutes here or there will be just as effective as a few hours once a month, although the smaller chunks of time will keep you more sane!

Photo Credit: kylemac

Tweet

An Editorial Calendar is a way to pitch the press with an angle they're already planning to cover

Do you know what an Editorial Calendar is? A valuable tool in trying to secure media coverage, an Editorial Calendar is a list of planned stories for upcoming issues in magazines, newspapers and websites so you can pitch the press with an angle they’re already planning to cover. Advertisers use them to decide which issues to place their ads in, and PR professionals use them to decide when to pitch specific outlets and with what angle.

How to Get an Editorial Calendar

1. Decide which publication(s) you’d like to target.
2. Check their website to see if it’s posted online or downloadable. The best places to look are in their media kit and/or in their advertisers section.
3. If you can’t find the Editorial Calendar online, call the media outlet, ask for their advertising or sales department, and request a media kit, which will include demographic information, ad rates and an Editorial Calendar. They’ll either email you a PDF or mail a hard copy version.

How to Use an Editorial Calendar

1. Make note of the stories that would be applicable to your company.
2. With lead times in mind (large magazines have about a 6-month lead time, whereas online targets have a much shorter lead time – sometimes even just a few weeks), check the calendar to make sure there’s still time to pitch them.
3. Carefully craft a pitch that ties your company to their upcoming story and email it to the appropriate reporter at the publication. For example, if you’re pitching a food angle you should contact the Food Editor. For a line of beauty products, a Beauty Writer.

If you aren’t able to find an email address or want to follow up via phone, give the reporter a call. We always recommend the following when calling reporters.

• Know what you’re going to say before you call, and make sure it includes some substance. Simply calling to make sure they got your email is an annoyance to the journalist. Instead, tell them about your pitch and offer additional value – such as another angle or a potential interviewee (besides yourself).
• If they answer the phone, ask if they’re on deadline before you jump into your oral pitch. If they are, ask when would be a better time to call back. If not, jump in but keep your pitch as brief (while still compelling) as possible.
• If you get their voicemail, don’t speak too quickly. Include your phone number at the beginning and end of the message along with your pitch. I always like to include my email address as well so they can contact me that way if it’s more convenient. Just make sure you spell your address slowly and clearly so they have time to write it down.

Not sure how to find a reporter’s email address or phone number? Stay tuned – I’ll cover that in my next post!

In the meantime, here are a few additional blog posts that might help:

• How to Get Editorial Coverage in Media Outlets Like Oprah’s Magazine
• 9 Dos and Don’ts for Working with the Media
• DIY PR – 3 Subject Line Tips
• Before You Pitch the Media
• How to Pitch Your Story

Photo Credit: DafneCholet

Tweet

Make sure you read these 5 articles

Do you want more Twitter followers? What about better relationships with influencers? Here are 5 articles that can help you achieve those goals, in addition to assisting you along the road to social media success, the press release and PR management.

1. How to get more Twitter followers – the definitive list? http://ow.ly/4hEFN – Do you want more Twitter followers? This blog post provides a lot of good suggestions, such as find people that work in your field that are interesting, follow them and try to engage them in conversation.
2. 7 gripes about the press release—from someone who writes them http://ow.ly/4cPoj – There are a lot of problems with the press release. This article discusses seven of the blogger’s gripes.
3. 10 everyday decisions for social media success http://ow.ly/4jbp5 – What decisions and choices can you make daily that will impact your social media relationships, activities, and business results? This post provides 10 decisions you can make that will help.
4. 4 tips to help PR managers manage http://ow.ly/4hEFf – From minimizing multi-tasking to learning about new tools, these tips are great for everyone – from PR Managers to Small Business Owners.
5. 5 steps to a better relationship with an influencer http://ow.ly/4hEGo – This article provides specific steps for pitching influential people in your industry like “Leave comments on blog posts” and “Send customized mass-mailed emails.”

Photo Credit: Morten Liebach

Tweet

From website design and content to communication lessons and laws, here are 5 articles we don’t think you should miss.

From website design and content to communication lessons and laws, here are 5 articles we don’t think you should miss:

1. 7 Things That Annoy Website Visitors http://ow.ly/41xw7 – A lot of websites annoy visitors with slow loading times, cluttered layouts and more. These 7 things not to do on your site will help your site even more powerful.
2. 5 useful reminders about communication from a 5-year-old http://ow.ly/43JVT – With all the reading, painting, Disney Princess snap, Dora the Explorer computer games, and splashing through rivers in the forest, communicators can learn a lot from the younger (well, much younger) generation, and their way of viewing the world.
3. 10 Laws of Social Media Marketing http://ow.ly/42kWT – These are 10 helpful rules to understand the social media marketing fundamentals.
4. Ten tips for writing for the web http://ow.ly/3Mjbu – Consumers read websites differently than they read books. This post provides ten tips for writing for websites and blogs including keeping it short, using numbered lists and bullets, adding links and more.
5. Why You Aren’t As Successful As You Want To Be http://ow.ly/46QNL – Words of wisdom from Chris Brogan about why you aren’t as successful as you want to be, including the distractions, worries, etc.

Photo Credit: Frerieke

Tweet