3 Easy PR Tips

Someone asked me recently if I had a super tip that would blast them into PR wonderland. Well, I have 3 tips that everyone should know about PR and practice, but they aren’t going to “blast you into wonderland.” Publicity is a layered approach and it requires practice and the development of relationships. There is no such thing as overnight success- unless you’re only looking for 15 minutes of fame.

So, here are my 3 PR tips;

1. 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.

2. 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. BTW – There was no Whopper until Burger King branded it this way…..

3. 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

One Habit Harming Your Business

I’m going to share the most vital of business tip I can – you have a bad habit. In fact, most entrepreneurs do. I had to become aware of this bad habit, which is why I am passing it on to you. Once you become aware of this habit then you can start to work on breaking it.

So, what’s the habit? Living in the past. Yes, the past. You see, dwelling in the past keeps you from moving forward. It is important that you do whatever it takes to bury the past so you can come into the now. You can’t think about mistakes or should’ves. You really have to focus on planning to move forward and think about possibilities.

People who live in the past or judge the present based on how they have experienced the past tend to be dreamers, not do’ers. It is important that you are both. I use to live in the past. I thought about all the money and time wasted learning lessons and thought how impossible it seemed for me to move forward. Then, one day, after realizing that I was frozen by my past , I decided to dive right into my future. I worked on shrugging off irrational fears of what could happen again and made a plan to move forward and prevent these things from happening again. I didn’t become glued to past results, I worked on moving forward because of the past results.

If you can learn to move forward from the past, you will be successful. There is no question in my mind about this strategy. So, I ask you today, what about your past is making you fearful about moving forward today? Whatever it is, address it and then figure out a plan to move beyond it.

Until tomorrow,

Velma Trayham

You Are Worth More Than You Think!

I wish people regarded themselves in a better light sometimes. I’m in line at the grocery store recently and a man was speaking with what sounded like his boss on the phone. “OK, I understand if you want to give him the project.” He hung up and looked dejected. Why didn’t he fight harder?

The same thing happened to another woman I know. She has a great business but she fails to go after the “whale” contracts, sticking with small referral business. Why? When I asked her, she said she didn’t have a big corporate office. As a result, and before trying, she assumed the company wouldn’t want to hire a small fish….

We all have value. Assuming a big whale contract would want a big corporate office to contract with is wrong. Not fighting for the project you want is wrong. Many large companies want independent thinkers, not corporations, to contract with. Assuming you can’t or won’t get a contract, or lying down when someone says ‘no’, are bad habits that should be broken.

It’s very important to know your value and to know when to fight and when to say ‘no’. If you don’t understand the importance of these three elements, I highly encourage you to connect with me on Twitter to continue the conversation.

In the meantime, think about your value. What makes you and your service unique?

Until tomorrow,

Velma Trayham

Promoting Growth, Not Kindness.....

There are two types of clients that any and all business owners have to deal with. Those who pay you to do your job, council when needed, and help promote growth. Then there are those clients who pay you, never challenge what isn’t working, and sit and listen to them blab on about how great they are or how things don’t change….. yada, yada, yada!

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 so you can promote growth.

You’re providing a service to help your clients, not to befriend them. 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. Many publicity people worry about being kind and shy away from what will actually work. In the end, the client doesn’t see results and will end up being mad at you anyway. So, do your job and don’t sway from your objectives in exchange for being nice or being popular.

You want to work with clients who are ready and willing to hear the truth and to do whatever it takes to improve their visibility. 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 ‘”unkind” 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. Remember this.

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 tomorrow,
Velma Trayham

Journalists Wet the Bed!

I was recently asked by a public relations and communications student if having a relationship with a journalist matters. The answer is yes and no. If you ask a journalist, he or she will say - on the record, of course- that it doesn't matter. The journalist will tell you that everything in life is fair and that they treat every single press release with the same consideration.

If you ask someone like me, the answer is 'yes'. Relationships do matter. They matter because it is easier to call up someone you know and get your pitch moved forward vs. a cold call- or worse- a press release via email.

Journalists can't promote something based solely on a relationship. But, they can vet it based on the relationship. A publicist is a sales person. He or she must sell the pitch in spite of the relationship, which is where a journalist may "wet the bed" in industry speak.  If a PR person fails to follow AP style or is pitching something that isn't timely or has media value, then the relationship doesn't matter. If the publicist has something with media value to pitch, then the relationship does matter.

The truth is, media -in general- has more than 50 shades of gray when it comes to rules, policies, and relationships. I saw trust your gut and always be honest.

Until tomorrow,

Velma Trayham

The cost of negativity – firing a client.

Last week I touched a bit on firing a client and a few basic reasons why and how to do this. Today, however, I want to talk about weighing the costs. Most people become emotional about firing a client. They think it’s going to harm the client or their own reputation.

Any smart business owner adds a Terms of Service agreement onto their invoices. These Terms of Service agreements not only show your client what guidelines and expectations come with working alongside and hiring your firm, but they also include social media and online review protections that can allow you to sue your client should you fire them and they become hostile.

Chip Bell, who is a Customer Loyalty Consultant and best-selling author, recently wrote “Business owners may anticipate having to replace lost revenue or fear potential negative word-of-mouth that might ensue from severing their ties with a client. This often keeps them from lowering the boom on highly toxic or bottom-line-eroding customers. And in the viral world, the word-of-mouth concern should definitely be figured into the decision.”

Money is often a concern, along with reputation management, when firing a client. You can replace a contract. You can’t replace your sanity or the amount you may lose because of a toxic client. If you have a client who requires too much of your time, other clients may leave your company. Is it easier to replace one client or many? The answer is pretty simple.

Chip Bell states, “Customers should be encouraged to exit for one of three reasons: They’re costing you too much financially, taking a steep emotional toll or violating a key value of the organization.”  Think about the client you may want to fire. Think about what I said and then think about the three steps Mr. Bell just listed. Now,  can you really afford to keep this client? 

Negativity and finances are always a good reason to part ways.

Until tomorrow,

Coco the CEO