 I moved from working in my business to working on my business!
Jim White, Founder Savor Dallas http://www.savordallas.com |
 I found a community of business leaders who make being in business a lot more fun and less lonely.
Jeannine Sandstrom, CEO CoachWorks International, Inc. http://www.coachworks.com |
 I now have a place to be open about my business success and future challenges.
Debbie Mrazek, CEO The Sales Company Author The Field Guide to Sales http://www.the-sales-company.com |
Posts Tagged ‘reporter’
Several years ago, I got a call from a guy who saw my success story in the Dallas Morning News. He called because he had a dream to create a marketing agency and since I had one and one that was successful enough to be written up in the paper he thought I might be a good place to start.
What he didn’t know was that I established a strong working relationship with a reporter responsible for those stories and many of my clients appeared on a regular basis because I was willing to write good stories and pass them on to her. On deadline day, my client still had not approved ‘who’ the spotlight professional would be so I was forced to figure out a solution. Voila! I did one for myself.
Back to the guy who called me. I love to help people realize their dreams and he seemed earnest enough so I met with him. I shared as much as I could, gave him referrals to other people who might be a fit (he wanted to create a sports marketing agency), and encouraged him to ‘go for it.’ I said good-bye to him and didn’t have one thought more about anything else happening.
About a week later I received a call from another guy. This guy referenced the first guy and said that his friend thought I might be able to help. A few days later we were having lunch at a great local Thai restaurant (where he only goes on business lunches because his wife doesn’t like Thai food). As we ate, he shared his story about why he was a new business owner, how his last firm was a huge success but he had kids and his former partners spent mad amounts of cash on marketing, and how he had dreams for the future of being like the local hardware store where people know you and trust you. I told him to hold that vision and if he ever felt lost to come back to it and he would know just what to do in his business. I listened intently to what he had to share and reminded him of all the success he had experienced and encouraged him to never change who he is.
We walked out of the restaurant and he thanked me, and then said… "Do I owe you something? I feel like I got so much from our conversation." I responded that in all of my years in business that I have always shown up where I am directed and things have taken care of themselves. I added as I walked away, "If there’s ever an opportunity for you to tell someone else about me, you’ll know. I said good-bye to him and didn’t have one thought about anything else happening.
About a week after that I was with a client and the subject of a huge project came up. I mean a HUGE job – one that would be many hundreds of thousands of dollars. I just happened to be standing in the hallway when the conversation was taking place. My client and I both knew one other firm, but I also knew this new fellow I met just the week before. What did I have in my mind? Logic? No… I had a guy’s heart in my mind. A guy who wanted to be like the hardware shop – where people could come to him and trust that the job would be done right.
I told my client all about this guy and how successful his previous firm had been and how he was a guy you could really count on. Plus, he was local (the other firm was halfway across the U.S.) and with the size of his company could also be flexible. I gave my client that guy’s card and left. I didn’t have one thought more about anything else happening.
About a week after that, I got a call from the guy I referred to my client. He was ecstatic… this job was the biggest in the firm’s history… as big as many other firms 10 times their size… and they just won the bid. He was calling to thank me. And he wanted me to share in the success. He planned to give me a referral bonus. Since I didn’t refer him to make money, I felt fine with this because the referral was given with the best intention and the bonus was given after I referred who I thought was best to the company.
What was the ‘referral’ bonus? A check for nearly 10 grand from a nice guy I met through another nice guy who didn’t know me from Adam until he saw me in the newspaper.
So, how does relationship marketing work?
- Give first and don’t expect anything. I’ve found over the years that there are people who give first, people who give nothing away, and those who think they give freely but really expect something in return. I recommend going where you feel pulled to go. I don’t meet with every person who calls me, there’s just not enough time in the day to do that. But, when my heart is pulled, I go. When I am there, I give all I am to the moment and share as much as I can. I feel like as long as I’m there I might as well be useful.
- Get to know good people. Birds of a feather flock together. Good people know other good people. When people I know, like and trust suggest I meet someone they know, I go. I don’t ask a lot of questions or question why, I just go. The only way to get to know more like-minded people is to get to know and connect other like-minded people. Be a connector yourself and you will find that others will be happy to reciprocate the kindness.
- Be ready to receive. Too many people complain about not getting enough sales or referrals or business they love and at the same time they just aren’t open to receiving what is available. If you are focused on what you don’t have then your mind can’t be open to seeing what is coming to you. Stay open to opportunities that will enhance your business as well as others. When people only think of themselves then they don’t have room to think of others. Receiving is all about being ready.
Relationships form when you aren’t working hard to make a connection. Give and help others get to where they are going and others will help you get to where you are going. Be sure you know where you are going!
When a spiraling economy pinches marketing budgets, it means marketing money goes away. It doesn’t mean the need for marketing goes away. In fact, you may need to market even more.
Luckily, marketing — and that includes public relations — doesn’t have to cost a lot of money. Keep in mind that what you don’t spend in dollars and cents, you’ll have to make up in energy, time and creativity. Simply put, you can make up for a small budget by rolling up your sleeves and putting your noggin to work.
So what does it take to earn free press? It’s pretty simple, actually. Become newsworthy. Sounds too easy, right? It often is, and the fact that you aren’t a PR person is a plus for you. The first thing you have to do is think like a reporter. For a moment, take off your owner/manager hat and put on a reporter hat. The reporter is looking for a scoop — a hot story. She/he’s going to look good to the editor when she/he comes up with something that no one else is doing, right? This is your opportunity to be a reporter’s resource.
Basically, you want to help the reporter do his/her job. You want to be on the lookout for stories that will help the reporter get the scoop. The stories may be from inside your company, but they could also be inside your clients’ companies or they may even be inside a prospect’s company. While getting PR for a client or a prospect may not sound like a direct route to getting attention for your firm, it is.
By offering information that is not self-serving, you earn reporters’ trust. The best reporters have incredible memories. They work on tight deadlines and when they need a quote from a subcontractor about an issue, guess who they most likely will call first? You are developing a relationship with the reporter as a valued news source. Keep in mind that reporters are bombarded by PR people and others who want to selfishly exploit the press. You want to set yourself apart from those types. You want to appear as unbiased as possible and stick to the facts.
For example, if you are working on a project that is different, unusual, important to the community, or any of a handful of reasons why something is newsworthy, call the reporter that covers that beat and tell him/her about it. Then wait for him/her to ask for more information. That’s the difference. You are looking out for him/her not for yourself. Reporters know people and if you come at them with any other intention than that which is honest, they’ll run in the other direction.
So, what could be news? A store opening? Well, yes. It is especially if the store is an oxygen bar (something different) or if the store is filling a critical need in the community or if the store caters to a sector of the community that is part of a trend. An Albertson’s opening in the suburbs where there are plenty of grocery stores is not news. A Fiesta grocery store opening in a part of town that doesn’t have any grocery stores and that caters to the booming Latino population is newsworthy. See the difference?
The other thing you want to remember about working with reporters is that they are busy. When you call, get to the point. You should practice what you are going to say so you can sum it up in about 30 seconds. Before saying anything, ask if it is a good time. If they are on deadline, they will tell you. When you hand off the idea, your job is done unless they need more information. Trust me; they will contact you if they are interested. If they aren’t, don’t bug them. The last thing they need is someone following up asking if they are going to cover the story. In the end, it’s what they think is interesting that matters. If you study newspapers, soon you will be able to discern what is news and what isn’t. You may think that your new service offering is the greatest thing since sliced bread, but will the paper’s readers? Scrutinize your idea before you let the reporter take a crack at it.
The way you share your idea with a reporter is critical. Do the homework. Share why you think it’s important; don’t assume the reporter will come to the same conclusion. If you go to a reporter and simply tell him/her about what your company is doing, she/he may not think of it as news. However, if you explain how this new service is part of a trend or an answer to a pressing business issue, the reporter can then see that this is a hot topic affecting a lot more companies than just yours. All of a sudden, you are newsworthy!
So, think like a reporter. Learn how the newspaper works. Request editorial calendars. And start developing relationships with reporters. “How?” you may ask. Well, it’s as simple as making a phone call or sending an e-mail. No magic. It’s just plain ol’ relationship building. It takes action. Don’t be afraid. The fact that you aren’t sure what to do helps you be honest. Simply tell them that you aren’t sure what the correct methods are, but you think you could be helpful to them. Reporters have told me that they truly appreciate being able to trust a person’s intentions.
Don’t forget to take part in press “freebies.” Is a new person joining your company? Did your company recently promote a person? Won a new contract? Send a press release to the local business paper. If you have new team members, announce it by sending one to the local newspaper as well. For personnel changes, try to include a picture.
If you develop your reporter contacts, you will be able to see your company name in print more often than you ever dreamed. Most companies spend $2,000 – $5,000 per month to have a PR company on retainer. If you spend a small amount of your time, you will be able to accomplish similar coverage for a lot less than that!