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The New Rules for Successfully Landing Media Coverage

One of the upsides of the net, social media and blogs, is that you can now learn so much about writers, editors and producers that you are pitching. You can learn their interests and study their writings. Now, when you pitch a story, you can have a much better take on whether your pitch is appropriate or off-base. Instead of sending out hundreds of emails and packages hoping that a few hit the right target, the savvy approach is to pick a small number of media contacts, do your research and make more focused, targeted pitches.

FIVE GREAT LESSONS FOR ENTREPRENEURS for Standout Pitches TO ACCESS ANGEL INVESTORS
Five great lessons for entrepreneurs for Standout Pitches to access Angel investment. There are many elements that entrepreneurs should be aware of to access private investment. This article defines 5 great lessons that entrepreneurs should be aware of.

Five Questions that Will Let You Spot a VC Bluffer
Many -- okay, most -- VCs aren't paying attention during pitches. Either they've already decided they don't like the deal and haven't told you, or they are distracted by email, or something else, but the upshot is the same: They are bluffing, so they start spewing non sequitur questions.

The 10/20/30 Rule of PowerPoint

I suffer from something called Ménière’s disease—don’t worry, you cannot get it from reading my blog. The symptoms of Ménière’s include hearing loss, tinnitus (a constant ringing sound), and vertigo. There are many medical theories about its cause: too much salt, caffeine, or alcohol in one’s diet, too much stress, and allergies. Thus, I’ve worked to limit control all these factors.

How to Write a Business Plan: Ten Questions with Tim Berry

I work in the surreal world of Silicon Valley where venture capitalists fund companies based on PowerPoint pitches and executive summaries. My friend Tim Berry rightfully pointed that business plans still serve an important role in "the rest of the world." He's right, and he should know because he's the president of Palo Alto Software, the principal creator of Business Plan Pro, and the author of a blog called Planning, Startups, Stories. He was recently named the US Association of Small Business & Entrepreneurship (USASBE) Corporate Entrepreneur of the Year for 2007.

Live blogging the Thanksgiving drive
I’m headed down I-35 somewhere south of Oklahoma City fully wireless and blogging - don’t worry I’m not driving.

Rejection - Not By You, Really

Rejection isn't failure. I've been back from vacation for five days (including the weekend) and I've send out around 100 50 (if felt like 100, but I went back and counted and it was slightly more than 50) rejection emails to deals that came into my inbox while I was on vacation. It's part of my job - and I try to always at least give a little context as to why something isn't interesting to me. But 50 in five days (really 10 days including the vacation) starts to be a little discouraging.

The Soul of Wit
According to a series of psychological studies discussed on Psychology Today, research participants are able to successfully communicate sarcasm and humor in a mere 56 percent of emails—and most of the senders had no idea their attemps were so ineffective.

Right and Wrong of PR Pitches
For years I was on the pitching end of PR and, while I still do some for my own promotion, I am more often on the receiving end of pitches these days.

The Magic of Jiffy Lube, Sales Adaptability and Plagiarism
Perhaps you've noticed that while driving past a Jiffy Lube during (slow times for them) your commute there may be a mechanic out front, holding a sign, offering a discount, hoping you'll pull in. I don't know about you, but I am not particularly moved by a guy in a jump suit waving for me to stop. But it made me wonder, does this work?

Isn't That Amazing!
TV pitchman follow a super-effective selling method. Learn exactly how their formula works. There's a sales lesson to be learned here.

The Long & Short of It -- Long Copy Versus Short Copy
There's an age old debate about long copy versus short copy. Which is more effective in marketing? TThe long and the short of it is that both are effective when incorporated in your overall strategy.

How To Make Money In A Recession With The Help Of Public Relations
Studies have shown that companies that stop all marketing during a recession are those that fair the poorest not only during the recession, but in the long run. Tough economic times are precisely the times that you want to reach out to and stay in front of your target market. They are also challenging times marketing-wise because you also need to be frugal and savvy with your marketing budget.

C- Level Selling -- Subtleties Make Big Differences in C-Level Selling
Just a few words rephrased, or a few actions rearranged can make huge differences when it comes to winning over C-level executives and closing sales. However, without a sales coach you’ll never pick-up what needs to change with your approach and/or delivery.

Recession-Busting Small Business ((inexpensive) Marketing Tips
A struggling economy offers those that move forward a greater opportunity to reach their market, precisely because their competitors are hiding their heads in the sand. Studies have shown that those that do market in a recession are those that prosper and position their businesses to thrive during the eventual turn-around.

How to Cold-Pitch a Reporter
If you ask journalists their biggest peeves with PR people, and especially with people trying to do their own PR, the most frequent response you’re like to get is “they waste my time with off-topic pitches. If you think the rest of us have crowded inboxes… triple it for journalists. They are looking for excuses to hit the delete button or drop your precious press kit in the recycle bin.

Internet Marketing – Short Term Strategy
After spending a lot of time and effort on building a site, many wonder where they should start with Internet marketing. Site owners can be bombarded with pitches about marketing and it is hard to sort out what should be done. In this article, a short term marketing strategy is discussed.

B2B PR: How The Times Are A Changin'
The changing nature of media and how it affects the intricate balance of the PR world.

Quit Swinging the Bat and Start Hitting the Ball
Correct technique can assure favorable outcomes. But focusing on technique alone can become a distraction.

How to Buy a Media List That Gets You, Your Products, and Your Services in Front of the Right People
Before you buy a media list, be sure to ask these questions, so You Get the Most publicity for your buck...

It's Really Not Just About Winning, It Is About How You Play
What can baseball teach us about today's business climate? Watching how a hitter responds to different pitchers can help you to understand how to respond to challenging economic times.

Sales Calls are Like the 1978 AL Playoff Game

So here we have two stars of the game, obsessing over how their upcoming interaction would go, what might happen and how they would respond. It's not only a great example of visualization and preparation, it is practice at its best. Do you do that? Do you visualize, role-play, rehearse, and prepare for your calls? Or, are you so good that you don't have to? What would happen if you began to obsessively prepare like that - especially now - especially in these times?

Getting investment from BBC's Dragons Den

In August 2008, Buggyboot creators Charlotte Evans and Carolyn Jarvis appeared in BBC's Dragons' Den TV series to seek investment for their business. Charlotte and Carolyn made a spirited presentation, which they describe as being one of the most challenging and nerve-wracking pitches they've ever given. After demonstrating the product and explaining the business, Charlotte and Carolyn secured the full amount of funding they sought and the support of a Dragon - Deborah Meaden. Read more how they got started

10 Tips to Gain Credibility Online
Below, are some key points that may give you a fresh perspective on how to enhance your credibility online.

How To Field Others’ Pitches
I learned some lessons about putting out a call for sources for my new Business With Passion TV series...

How to Pick a PR Firm

As the Internet and self-publishing tools have flourished and caused massive ripples to the journalism industry, the next wave of the ripple is hitting PR firms. During this transition, the number of journalists went from few to many. At the same time, the number of companies & new products needing media coverage went from few to many. And this has happened quite rapidly, so the industry as a whole has not had a chance to catch up.

Is Social Media Killing PR?

Social media tools, such as blogs, Twitter and Facebook, represent the next big thing for growing businesses to get the word out about their products and services. So what does this mean for traditional public relations? Some bloggers have gone so far as to pronounce PR dead in the water. No surprise PR folks don't want to hear that, so they gathered to discuss that very topic. Their conclusion: Times, indeed, are a-changin', but don't count them out by any stretch.

Utilizing Your Press Coverage
There are countless ways in which you can effectively utilize copies of articles or tapes of programs you have appeared in. This media can be like gold if utilized properly.

The Sales Management Equivalent to Baseball's Pitch Count

One friend suggested I find a way to correlate pitch count to sales. No problem. I am not a proponent of a sales manager doing the closing for his salespeople, however, should a two-call close cycle be on its fourth call; a six month sales cycle be in its tenth month, an exception is certainly called for. Or, if you consider a salesperson who is expected to perform certain levels of activity, who isn't meeting expectations, another exception might be called for.

Making it Easier for Your Salespeople to Succeed
This baseball story is a good example of how to change things so that salespeople who are struggling can enjoy greater success.

Turning Order Takers into Salespeople

Salespeople need to make adjustments. New competition, new buying strategies, unfair competition, price competition and the resistance brought on by the recession all change the way they need to play the game and they need to make adjustments too. They need to be quicker, sharper, more strategic and much more effective with their use of selling tactics (skills, not tricks). This article explains how.

Make Cold Calls More Successful- Stop Focusing on the Sale

All the sales gurus have been teaching for years that you must be enthusiastic and aggressive in cold calling tactics. You’ve been trained to focus on the sale and move cold calling conversations toward a sales conclusion. What would you think if I told you to surrender your sales agenda entirely? The new sales mindset actually does just that. It brings cold calling out of the dark ages where you’re going into battle almost as soon as you dial the phone. It lets you get rid of “pitches” and “strategies” and “closing techniques.” And instead, you can become a real person again.

When Cold Calls Become a "Dog and Pony Show"

What happens when you’ve made a cold call and your prospect invites you to make a sales presentation? At this point, you might have a hard time creating a two-way conversation because you’re forced to go in with a canned sales pitch and try to get them to buy your solution. After all, you do believe in your solution don’t you? You can help most people, so all you have to do is show them how. Oh, and in the end, get them to buy. Be sure to ask for that order at the end of your presentation.

Going Up? Make Sure Your Elevator Pitch Isn't Going Down
When you only have 15 or 30 seconds to make an impression - are you ready?

The PR Release Is Done - Now What?
Now that the press release is ready to go - it's time to let it do its work, but first you need to do your work. Do you know the right contact to send the release to? Are you sending it to the right address, fax, or e-mail?

The PR Doctor’s Prescription For A Great TV Guest Appearance

One of the media opportunities that you will seek is to appear on TV as a guest of a show or to be interviewed. This article will focus on the times you are a guest on a specific show. First, it is important to note that the television news media are literally inundated with pitches for media appearances every day. So when your chance arrives you want to be prepared. So what are the strategic actions you can take to be a top TV guest? The PR Doctor offers the following prescription of strategic actions to help you achieve that goal.

UTILIZING YOUR MEDIA to Land More Business
If you use it correctly, media begets media.

The PR Doctor’s Prescription of Strategic Actions For A Healthy and Strong Pitch To The Media

The news media is literally inundated with pitches for media coverage every day. Unfortunately a very large percentage, some say as high as ninety (90) percent are useless form letters and from people who have done absolutely no research about the media where they have sent their pitch. Media pitches that are done with a lack of media-savvy are real irritants and can really greatly diminish your chances of getting the media attention you want. However, there are proven professional ways to improve your chances with the media by being strategic in your pitches to the media. So what are the strategic actions you can take to improve your “pitches” to the media? The PR Doctor offers the following prescription for a healthy and strong pitch to the media.

Sending Out Your Press Release
Whether using email and snail mail or faxing, learn the PR basics before sending your press release to the media.

The PR Follow-Up Etiquette
You need to make follow-up calls after sending out your press release. Initially it’s often best to concentrate on your local media. The local press will usually be more open to your calls and pitches.

CPG Marketing - The Freebies Marketing Component

When planning a CPG marketing campaign, several components must be considered. There are many great ways to market CPGs, such as product display, scent marketing and freebie marketing. While these methods, and others, are effective, business owners may have to pick what methods are the most effective, especially if they are operating on a tight budget. However, some CPG marketing methods are free, like visual displays and employee pitches.

Real Leverage
Most salespeople are too desperate to think beyond the immediate gratification of a sale. That is why they will never be anything but a salesperson. Here’s how to break through the glass ceiling.

PR Guarantees
If a public relations company guarantees you specific placement or a successful campaign, I suggest you start looking for the exit. But you can access what a company can do in the future by taking a look at their past track record.

Paint A Word Picture - Excite Your Customer
So many sales pitches are boring. But you can bring your selling to life by painting pictures in words to excite your prospective customer.

Autoresponders – Here’s Some More Unusual Uses For Them
You have probably heard about using autoresponders to set up ezines and sales pitches – but there are other just as profitable ways to use them. Here are just a few suggestions.

Target Your Pitch or Suffer the Consequences
Bad pitches can cost your business its reputation. Here's how to avoid that pitfall.

Unconventional vs. Conventional Pitches
One size does not fit all when it comes to pitching a story idea to the media. In many cases, you will have more success with your story pitches by targeting the proper news medium and reporter through unconventional ways.

Melting the "ICE" Out of Price
Now, I've said this before - you shouldn't be positioning yourself solely on price. If your aim is to be the "Walmart" of your niche, then by all means, slash those prices. For the rest of us, we need to take a good hard look at our sales letters, our sell sheets, and our pitches.

Stop Losing Money With Poor Presentation Skills
Whether you are using whiteboard to get new ideas, run office brainstorms or give client pitches, one thing is certain. Poor presentation skills will cost you A LOT of money.

Change Is Good. Heads Up For Sales Communication Training
You’ve heard all about the end of one-directional sales pitches. Now comes the reality check. Get the heads-up with 5 insider tips right here, right now.

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