How to Outsource Customer Service

People hear or read the phrase “outsource” and panic. They think about a Nigerian Prince waiting to take their money without turning in any work… or worse, sending back a virus. The truth is, it is a global landscape as far as administrative work is considered in today’s culture. Outsourcing is a win-win situation for you and the person you hire.

I don’t believe in handing over the keys to your business to just anyone. You can’t be to lax when it comes to hiring outsourced or virtual help. There should be a vetting process. This said, if you invest your time to properly train a virtual assistant or customer service rep, you will truly get an ROI for the money you pay him or her.

You can’t automate all your business. If you’re spending more time trying to automate your business vs. run in, you will fail. You have to be present to a point. Outsourcing customer service tasks, like live chat on your website or data entry, are perfectly fine. Outsourcing pitching your business to potential customers or the actual service behind your brand… that’s iffy.  Handing over all your tasks to automated programs, virtual assistants, and/or customer service reps who have been outsourced- well, that’s a recipe for disaster.

When you work with me, I help you understand what tasks can and should be outsourced and what items of business need your personal touch and involvement.

Until next time,

Velma Trayham

Google Penalties 101

I was asked about Google penalties the other day. Well, that is a broad topic. If you are a content writer or a tech designer, Google penalties and white hat marketing are like second nature. If you’re like us (the rest of the world), then you probably have no idea that Google can punish your website for certain reasons / actions.

First, Google doesn’t want to be mean. Google has a  great purpose in creating the penalty program- checks and balances. The company wants to give its users access to accurate information, not SPAM or  trolling websites. Google continually tweaks and improves its algorithms (how it ranks your website, etc.) so that the best of the web gets the exposure it deserves.

There are 5 very popular reasons why your website may not be ranking well on Google- almost all of them have to do with content, some of them with design and/or marketing. If you have purchased a template website without quality, original content and marketing-  be warned, you are probably being penalized by Google!

Now, here are the 5 most popular reasons why your website is being penalized by Google;

1. Keyword stuffed content. SEO is important but shouldn’t be abused. If Google detects a high number of keywords in a page, you will get a penalty.

2. Footer links. Not sure what this is? Ask your designer. You see, some web designers use footer links as a navigational aid. Most do it to impress clients with a great search engine ranking once the job is done. However, the longer the link stays there, the bigger the penalty.

3. Hidden links. All of the links on your site should be visible and useful to users. Anything that’s hidden (backlinks or transparent colored/coded) is considered suspicious.

4. Stolen (um, borrowed?) content. If you are using someone else’s web content, maybe even changing it a bit to make it your own, Google knows. CopyScape and other sites help identify plagiarism. Not only does Google see this as pointless duplication and will penalize your for it, they can turn you in for the duplication. Yikes!

5. Affiliate links all over the place. A high number of affiliate links is a red flag that your content may not be up to par. Although it’s possible to mask affiliate links with redirects, Google is wise on to this too. You shouldn’t be hosting more than two affiliate links on your webpage. Period.

Until next time,

Velma Trayham

Make Your Services Your Own!

You are a brand. Period. You may buy a franchise, a program, or start from the ground up. Either way, your business is a brand and it has to be personal or it will fail. The saying, “it’s not business, it’s personal” is complete and utter crap. Get this out of your head. Business is how we support our families. It’s why we sacrifice time so our kids and elderly parents can have better lives. We do everything to build a business, which is why our financial and time investments become personal.

This personal approach has to extend from our own selves to our clients. Don’t buy a program and slap your logo on it. Don't call yourself a publicist without investing in your own brand. While the program may sell, people may not become connected to you. They won’t seek out further products and services. People need to feel like they know the person who they are buying from. They also want their consumer experience to be personal!

My business advice to you today is to take a look at your products. Ask yourself what about them gives consumers a personal experience? Is your weight loss program offering your personal story or is it just a glorified set of instructions and recipes? Are you connecting with people on social media? Is your website showcasing relateable content or is it just a bought template with no personal touch?

 No one likes to be treated like a number. Are you committing this sin with your demographic?

Until tomorrow, 

Velma Trayham of ThinkZILLA

Why "The Money Talk" Can Ruin A Client Relationship

The moment you start negotiating with your clients is the same moment they stop respecting you.  You’re willing to lower your price, which must mean that you are either 1) desperate for business or 2) you like sending a message that even you don’t value your services enough to stand by the price point.

Don’t ever negotiate your pricing. It reflects poorly upon you. You can run specials, but negotiating is something different. It says “yard sale” when people think of your service. Let’s say you go to the grocery store to buy a pound of shrimp. You can’t say to the fish monger or grocer that even though the price says $14.99 a pound, you’re only willing to pay $7.99 a pound. It doesn't work that way. The store might have a sale and lower the price either because of a miscalculated order or because it is a slow season- but the store will never directly negotiate pricing. You shouldn't either.

If a current client starts to complain about your price- stand your ground. Show your value to him or her. If they have to leave you for a while to discover just how valuable your time and attention is- then let it be. You don’t have to devalue yourself because someone else is broke. And you certainly don’t want to open up Pandora’s box to working around their budget situation. Hey, we all have bills!

Stick to your guns and honor your pricing.  If others don’t, find new clients.

Velma Trayham, ThinkZILLA 

The PR Power Is In The Lesson!

Happy Almost Friday! Below are a few powerful PR lessons I've learned. I want to share them tonight so you have a few tools to help you better your ability to compete within business.

Here we go;

Before you create anything in business ask yourself these two questions: “What problem am I solving for my ideal client/how am I being of service?” and “how does this lead to making money?”

Brain storming is vital for success. When you release all of the ideas in your brain and get them down onto paper you can start to strategize and organize. You can put the pieces of the puzzle together and eliminate the ideas that don’t serve you.

Just because you CAN do something doesn’t mean you have to. You are great at many things but that doesn’t mean you have to do all of them at once. Take that one step further… just because you started out doing one thing and became known for that one thing doesn’t mean you have to continue to do it if it no longer thrills and excites you. Let it go.

Community is critical. There is nothing more comforting than sitting in a room with like-minded people who are taking a risk and opening up about their fears, insecurities and limiting beliefs. It’s not easy to speak your truth but once you release it, you can move past it.

Mentoring is invaluable. I truly believe that the fastest way to success is through mentoring. There are things experience can teach you through the lessons and insights shared by those who have been there and done that.

The only way to grow is to take risks. The surefire way to stay exactly where you are is to do exactly the same thing you are doing right now. It’s a choice. Choose wisely.

Until next time,

Velma Trayham

Competition- Why Falling Stars Matter

Pepsi has Coke. Or, as they see it, Coke has Pepsi. McDonald’s has Burger King. Or, as they see it, Burger King has McDonald’s.  Regardless of what you do for a living, there is a competitor. The closer you get to inching over into their profit margin, the more your competition will start to view themselves as a falling star. So, what exactly is a falling star?

Technically speaking, a falling star is defined as follows; A meteor or “shooting star” is the passage of a meteoroid or micrometeoroid into the Earth’s atmosphere, incandescent from air friction and shedding glowing material in its wake sufficiently to create a visible streak of light.

Notice the phrases “air friction” and “shedding glowing material”. When your competition stops competing and starts sabotaging (yes, it does happen) or is consumed by jealousy they become falling stars. They hit friction and they shed their glow doing so. As a business owner, you will come across several falling stars. You are warned. It will happen.

The best advice I can give you is to stay in your lane. These are not the types of falling stars that you want to notice. Ignore them. Ignore the friction. Do not look at the shedding glowing material. Don’t buy into jealousy. Instead, continue to glow as brightly as you can so you too do not fall.

We all need healthy competition in life and in business. It is what helps us grow and drives us to be better than we were yesterday. But when our competition turns into a falling star, know that their friction and temporary glow is contagious and can also drag you back down to Earth while harming your business.

Stay positive. Stay focused. Stay bright!

Velma Trayham, ThinkZILLA

Customer Service - No Matter What Business You're In!

Maintaining your customers is easy to do – that is, if you have amazing customer service strategies. Yes, strategies. Customer service isn’t a one-size fits all game. Some customers need a little bit of help while other customers need hand holding- and that is OK.

I’ve put together some great customer service ideas for you to implement today. These will help you win challenges with customers and maintain happiness among the already pleases… oh, and your brand loyalty will sky rocket.

1. Copy Starbucks. Yep, copy them. Starbucks has a really ridiculous customer service policy. They make you think you’re getting something for free when you’re not. Their slogan is “We will make it right.” Basically, if you’re drink isn’t right, they will remake it for free. Um, for $5 a cup- if it isn’t right- of course they are going to have to remake the drink. The only difference is now they will officially “make it right” and customers feel like they are getting something for nothing.  If you make a mistake, you will correct it (hopefully) with your clients. So, why not advertise this as a guarantee?

2. Be random. Who doesn’t love random attention from a business? I scan my social media accounts and send personalized specials via DM (direct message) on Twitter or free trials of products I’m launching. I know some companies mail out personalized letters with Starbucks gift cards. The surprise element really does work! Try it.

3. Handle problems directly and quickly. As a business owner you will have challenges. Don’t run from them. Don’t cover them up. Customer service starts with ownership. If you can’t say “sorry” and mean it,  you shouldn’t be in business. No one is perfect.  And after you’ve corrected a problem quickly, ask if there is anything further you can do for that client. Schedule an eCard a week later thanking them for allowing you to correct the problem. Yes, this small gesture does work.

Until next time,

Velma Trayham

Measuring Real PR Value

The PR report can help you gain better contracts, more money, and more respect within your industry. PR reports reflecting real value and measurements. If you are afraid to run a metrics report then you know you are doing something wrong or under-serving your clients.

Here are a couple of ways to measure PR efforts to show real value;

1.       Surveys - Ask relevant questions and tally results. Yes, survey results count as part of reporting. In fact, it is a major role if your client isn’t a B2B client.

2.       Scores - Create indices or scoring mechanisms to identify valuable outcomes and results, recognizing quantity (volume of media hits) and quality (scoring for content feature, prominence and mention).

3.       Correlations - Identify correlations between outputs, outcomes and business results. Track public relations events with lead generation (online, email, phone, events) and track public relations events with web traffic.

There are some online applications that can run your social media and clipping reports too, but you often have to pay for these. Yes, they are expensive.

Even if you have to create and keep reporting data in a spreadsheet, do it! Not sending clipping reports or reel reports- heck, any report, can shortchange both you and your client.

Until tomorrow,

Velma Trayham 

Are You TOO Busy for Your Clients?

It happens. We get busy with how to run the business, growing a business, developing our brand, etc. that we forget why we are in business- our customers. I'm listing three ways to tell if you've lost sight of your customers' needs and are cheating them- even without meaning to do so. If so, ask yourself what you can do to correct the situation at hand.

1. You half-ass tasks. Sorry to be so blunt, but it is true. If you perform at your highest level upon first signing a client, but months or years later you could care less if the product/service is amazing or of quality then you've lost focused and are denying your customer what he or she is entitled to.

2. You believe the customer is always right. Um, no. The customer may think he or she is always right, but they're not. You wouldn't sell a standard kitchen oven to someone who wanted to open a bakery would you? No, of course not. If you see a client making a mistake and you don't step in- you're failing that customer.

3. You avoid the evil client. If you ditch a client because he or she is too demanding than you might not be up for the challenge of expansion. Try your best to handle evil clients and resolve inner-conflicts before giving this type of customer the boot.

Dealing with customers isn't always easy. You are not going to have easy clients in life. There will be difficult clients and situations. Remember these three tips and make sure the problem isn't you.

Until Monday,

Velma Trayham 

Not THAT Client! Heading off difficult clients....

There are two types of PR clients. Those who pay you to do your job, council when needed, and help promote growth. Then there are those clients who pay you to say their ideas are great, never challenge what isn't working, and sit and listen to them blab on about how great they are.....

The challenge in being kind lies with the second type of client. It is not your job to be kind to clients, although there is a way of saying certain things, but rather it is your responsibility to be honest and deliver the raw truth.  Clients can become very upset when you do this. They may even drop you for a while. Don't give in and be kind. Instead, restate what you said. Mean what you say and say what you mean.

I had one client who was a celebrity. She thought things were not moving fast enough for her in the campaign. We had many prior branding challenges to deal with. Things weren't going to move fast and I told her this when the contract was signed. Two weeks in, she started to call me every day and complain. I had no choice but to not be kind and be honest. She fired me. She fired the next PR firm and then the one thereafter. A year later, she tried to hire me again. I declined the contract.

You want to work with clients who are ready and willing to hear the truth and to do whatever it takes to build their brand and promote growth. You don't want to work with clients who expect you to be the 'yes' man or women. This said, below are my tips for delivering blunt, unkind PR advice.

1. Don't be sorry... be about shine. Don't ever apologize to a client if you have nothing to apologize for. They may want to hear 'sorry' but this isn't something they are entitled to hear.

2. Back up your words with facts and data. It's hard for clients to blow off your points if you can back them up.

3. Have an exit strategy. If you know a client isn't willing to change, figure out how you are going to exit the relationship within the contract's terms.

Until next time,

Velma Trayham

Public Relations As A Newbie...

Start-up companies are not typically going to bank tons of press right out of the gate.The Start-up companies also will not understand this. They don't think in layers as far as press coverage is concerned. They think everyone and anyone will embrace their concept / services and cover them and then they will see an immediate ROI. Well, this isn't true.

Start-up companies should hire PR companies to help brand their message and get them from Point A to the point between Point A and Point B. After the company is established, real media can start pouring in- which takes anywhere from 6 months to 2 years!

A good PR program can gain critical coverage by positioning companies as experts on the bigger picture, which is what Start-ups should be concerned with.

This said, here is what a PR company should be doing for a Start-up during its first year;

• The media look for experts, particularly serial entrepreneurs, who will share their insights on new trends and technologies. A good PR company will take advantage of this.
• Creative and consistent PR tell customers that the business is strong, which is why AP style press releases- even if they aren't picked up- should be cataloged in a media room. 
• Good relationships with the media help Start-ups shape the competitive landscape to their advantage.
• Social media presence.... enough said! 

If you don't sell a Start-up on your PR company within the first four months, ditch them. They are looking for the end of the rainbow when they haven't even started the journey.

Velma Trayham of ThinkZILLA 

Are Your Selfies Killing Your Brand

You want your social media accounts to show off who you are, your clients, your events, your dogs, kids... the list goes on and on. While having an engaging social media account may be great for your current clients- it could help you lose future clients. You have to toggle between being yourself and being professional.  This is hard to do in today's 24/7 media culture but I have some tips- listed below;

(below- Actor James Franco's selfie)

#1. Don’t overshare. Oversharing photos of yourself, your pets and/or your kids is called annoying. Think of yourself walking down the street and someone stopping you every two seconds with a photo from their wallet to share with you. Annoying! Don’t be this person, especially if you run a company!

#2. Don’t buy “likes”, YouTube views or Twitter followers. We all can tell when “ana zhoisf sdjkdfhss” is a fake profile and you look silly with 10,000 fake followers reading your uninteresting posts. Value who you follow and appreciate those who REALLY follow you!

#3. Have actual conversations. OMG! Yes, don’t send important information via a text or a social media post. That’s classless- especially if it is a welfare check on someone’s emotional or physical health. Be personal, 

you will intrigue more people to follow you on social media when you show you truly care about others.

Until tomorrow,

Velma Trayham of ThinkZILLA 

Media Relations Ruined in Three Steps

Public relations professionals don’t book work or appearances outside of media interviews, talent or literary agents do this. Public relations professionals book media appearances based on what a client is doing. If you have to do the work for your client and then get them media interviews – there is a problem with the client. This said, below are my top 3 common PR mistakes.

1. It is two different things entirely to pitch news your clients force you to pitch against your better judgment and pitch something to a reporter without the thought of you believing it is news in the first place. Yes, pitching what a client thinks is newsworthy doesn’t make it so. You need to educate your clients on this or your company will be reflected in the mistake as much as the client.

2. Your timeline isn’t what the press cares about. In fact, you need to care what the media’s timelines are. I recently read this piece of advice and couldn’t agree more. “Let’s say you are sending a Christmas wish list to a monthly magazine. When do you send that pitch? October? August? Try June or July. If not, tell your client to wait until next year or focus on weekly trades. Editorial calendars change sometimes but lead times do not. Know the deadlines first, and know not to call a reporter when he or she is buried under one second.”

3. Know the news. Everyone thinks their clients are special, and they are. However, you will not get your clients picked up by every single news outlet. In fact, for every 500 outlets pitched, expect a 3% return and not right away. Remember, editorial calendars exist!

As you move forward into your PR career, you will create connections that will make it easier for you to pick up the phone and bump competing press agents and their stories. Until then, follow the rules and don’t make these 3 major mistakes.

Until Monday, 

Velma Trayham of ThinkZILLA

Are You Providing Favors?

Here's my "what what" moment for the day. I was recently asked to do some booking / manager stuff for a PR client. Now, if I say 'no' then I am not a team player. I'm also not paid if I say 'yes' and I am a PR person- not a booking manager. There is so much risk in me saying 'yes' or 'no' that I often don't want to make these decisions.

I don't have an exact answer for you. I can say, however, that you should use your best judgement when making these decisions. Obviously, you don't want to say 'no' and have a client cut out on you. But you don't want to offer sub-par service or cheat yourself out of money, either.

What I would tell you to do is to set-up boundaries with your clients right before they sign with you. Don't allow yourself to be put into this position right off the bat. Note in all contracts that you are setting up the Scope of Work "as is" and anything else will either be charged at a certain rate or will be referred out to a partnering company better equipped to handle the request.

I wish everything was black and white when it comes to PR services, but it isn't. These things come up and they do so often. So, set boundaries ahead of time and visit each scenario on a case-by-case basis.

Until tomorrow,

Velma Trayham

Writing for PR Purposes

AP and PR writing separates the stringers from the professionals. No matter how many connections you have, if you can't write- you will fail. Period!

This said, I wanted to share the top 3 writing mistakes YOU need to avoid. If you don't, your peers will look at you like a stringer and you will not obtain any respect within the media relations field.

1. "At the end of the day"  - Do not ever use this. You should be able to write your point without having to point it out. If you have to write a "look at me" tag, the rest of your writing is fluff and journalists will hate it and laugh at it.

2. "I know you're busy" - If you're using this in a pitch or  a sales letter, slap yourself on the wrist. Everyone is busy. Writing this phrase just wastes more of the reader's time and it sounds corny. Avoid using this phrase at all costs.

3. "In this day in age" - Ok, first- we all assume that you are writing about the present. If not, why are you writing at all. The goal is to be media savvy and relevant. This phrase is ad copy and doesn't have a place in the PR world.

I hope this info helps you become a better writer and understand what separates the true professional from the wannabe.

Until tomorrow,

Velma Trayham 

Budgets Are Tight, Vamp Your Relationships

Our relationships with the media come from a long line of pitching, meeting in person, bugging, sending over holiday cards, repeating this process without feeling rejected, and then repeating it again. It gets easier as time passes and you prove yourself as a publicist.  

This said, I wanted to share one key thought (or magic want maneuver) today when it comes to breaking the ice with a much sought after member of the press. If you can’t crack a relationship (or even a smile) from a press agent, implement the Tripe R method. This method consists of Respect (1), Reliability (2), and Response (3).  

First, you have to respect the demand on journalists today. Many people blog for free and get paid by ads or PPC campaigns- not media resources.  This said, budgets are tight and reporters have more responsibilities along with a skeleton staff due to cutbacks. Traditional media is competing with a heavy freelance community. If you call a reporter once during the day, leave it. Don’t call four or five times. Don’t send emails throughout the day. Don’t trample on their time. Be respected and also make sure what you’re pitching is included in their assignments category, otherwise you’re just being annoying.

Second, be reliable. This means not exaggerating facts or shoving hype when speaking with a reporter. If a member of the press can learn to trust you as a resource, you will have them knocking at your door- not the other way around. So remember, never lie to the media to get press attention. It will backfire.

Finally, be responsive. If you can’t respond to any member of the press within 5 minutes of the day or night (and anytime of the day or night) you can say goodbye to your client’s story / interview and the relationship with the reporter. Most members of the press work long hours and are usually up late finishing stories. They may send you an urgent email at 1am asking you to verify a fact. Do it. Be available at all times to the media as this is part of your job as a publicist.

Until tomorrow,

Velma Trayham of ThinkZILLA

Getting the Attention of Google

I wanted to give you a mid-week tip to help you get your clients' website ranked better. We can spend so much time working on content development and media pushes, that we often forget to advise our clients on simple SEO and website ranking tactics.

Here are my top 3 ways to help get your clients noticed on Google!

1. Research key words that your clients' competitors are using. You want to let their clients know there is an alternative choice. It is a marketing 101 tactic- go to where the business is. So, don't bank on words you or your clients feel are important, instead- use what works!

2.  Make sure you are using these words not just in content development, but as meta-tags within your websites and social media postings (such as blogs). If you're not adding in meta-tags, you're content development is lacking!

3. Don't use high-resolution images for your website. Google actually penalizes users for doing this and will drop the ranking of your website as a result. Make sure your design falls within Google's guidelines- otherwise you are left with a pretty website that no one can find!

Until tomorrow,

Velma Trayham

Pitch Using Twitter

Most people don't understand the power of Twitter. Well, here is a secret- most of the big production television shows request pitches directly to the affiliated producer or reporter using Twitter media. Never heard of it? Well, check out this example; http://www.usatoday.com/reporters/

Now, here's how to pitch via Twitter when you find the right person;

1. Make sure your Twitter profile is complete and professional. Photos of you drinking with clients or partying with other publicists isn’t professional and should be kept to your own private accounts, not your company account.
2. Make sure that your Twitter feed is active with industry news and valuable information for your sector. Remember, members are the press are professional BS trackers. They will call you on not knowing your stuff or being too self-promotive.
3. Follow up with a phone call. If the press agent hasn’t responded to your Tweet pitch, make sure you plan a 3 day follow up via a phone call. If they still don’t respond, don’t bug him or her. Try again later and with a different angle.

Until tomorrow,

Velma Trayham

Branding & PR - A Few Ways to Attract Attention

If you need to call attention to yourself, or your company, there are some tips I'd like to share with you. First, you need to be your own brand. Don't let an interview, introduction, or any other opportunity go by without telling someone who you are, how you can help, and what your tag line is.

Next, your tag line should be a phrase that explains what you do and why you're better! For example, Burger Kind's is "Home of the Whopper". They sell Whoppers. They are the only company that sells Whoppers. Period.

Finally, don't stop selling - it's not shameless to plug yourself, as long as you do it honorably. If you meet a radio show host, talk yourself up but do so in a way that he or she would see how having you would benefit the audience- not yourself. Remember, you have to solve a problem for someone in order to present media value. Often, this problem solving comes in the way of providing expertise or industry insight.

Until tomorrow,

Velma Trayham of ThinkZILLA