How to Waste Time

Do you know how to NOT waste time? Really think about your answer first. In a culture of social media “pings” and feeling like everything has to be done NOW …. more of us actually waste time versus being productive.

The Eisenhower Box method has been tested again and again. It is the best method to use when preventing time from being wasted while boosting productivity. So, what is the Eisenhower Box method?

Basically, this method states one should separate actions based on four possibilities. The possibilities are:

Urgent and important (tasks you will do immediately).
Important, but not urgent (tasks you will schedule to do later).
Urgent, but not important (tasks you will delegate to someone else).
Neither urgent nor important (tasks that you will eliminate).

If you look at every single item that comes across your desk, iPhone, tablet, etc. and apply one of these four possibilities to it – you will not waste time. The Eisenhower Box method is all about assessing and addressing by making an immediate decision on every potential and actionable item.

For today, start apply this method and notice how much you get done and how quickly it gets done. I promise you the productivity in your life will go up and you still will have more time left at the end of the day.

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

Why Businesses Fail

Want to know the top two reasons why businesses fail? Well, you're in luck as I am listing them below.

#1. Relying on a concept and not a product. I can’t tell you the number of times I speak to people, especially in the PR business, who want to be famous or gain their idea notoriety. The problem with this is one of sustainability. You can only skate by on talking big for so long. Don’t rely on concepts to grow your brand. Instead, rely on real products that can be sold before your company can grow. Know where you’re at when it comes to concept vs. actual product and then start taking steps to get to the actual product or services delivered portion.

#2. Cash. Yes, cash is the number two reasons businesses fail. It isn’t a lack of cash that holds a company back, either. It is how it is spent. Don’t throw millions or even thousands of dollars into an ad campaign when you don’t have your product or services perfected. Instead, use the money to perfect the products and/or services. Strategic spending is a big problem for many new business owners.

Need more advise? Of course you do! Please contact me so I can provide you with comprehensive consulting services and more.

Velma Trayham 

"That's Not My Job".....

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

Selling PR - What You NEED to Know

When people don't see the value in public relations, they don't see the dollars they are missing out on. Publicity is a long-term, layered process. You need to build a relationship to be in the game, not just send out a few releases and Tweets over the period of a couple of months.

So, how do you get a client to realize all that you do for him, her, or them when it comes to publicity? Simple, you simply say "yes" followed by "and then."  This tactic has been used for years by Wolves of Wall Street.  It is pretty effective because it tells clients what they are missing out on and helps you upsell all at the same time.

For example,  if a client says to you "I'm not seeing results. It's been four months and I could have done this myself," don't argue with them. For the most part, they COULD have called the media and wrote their own press releases.  Instead, using the 'Yes' tactic will put more into perspective for them.

Your response should be more like this; "Yes, and I can see your frustrations. I'm not doubting your ability to do what I do, but do you really have the time to dedicate to these tasks or  the ready-to-go resources? Results do take time, but let me list what we have accomplished in such as short time....."

The same goes for an upsell situation. For example, if your client states "I love the new Google wire you are working with." Your response should be, "Yes, and I love it too. Did you know we also can run an analytics report and send a follow-up newsletter? It is part of our blanket special right now, which is only an additional $75 dollars per month." 

So, as you head into the week, ask yourself if you are saying "yes" enough when clients are happy, sad, or unsure.

Until next time,

Coco the CEO

Ignoring Advice

Not all advice is good advice. Some people intentionally give you poor advice because they are jealous or want you to fail, while others simply think they are helping and are unaware their advice is bad.

How do you know when you’re getting bad advice? After all, you’re seeking out help for a reason! Well, I’ve come up with a few pointers to vetting the advice you seek.

If you know a know-it-all, don’t take advice from him or her. Really, you should take a step back and look at the person’s life and business. Are things 100% perfect and they have unlimited money and power? If not, they don’t know it all and the advice is likely to come from a place of ignorance.

Nervous Nellies. Yes, those who are way too cautious might seem to offer the right advice, but the truth hurts. Overly cautious people aren’t risk takers. You have to be a risk taker to run a business… period! Again, what has this type of person done in his or her life that makes you want to seek their advice? The reasoning should go beyond being extra careful about things.

Finally, a vested interest in your success or, more importantly, failure. If someone really wants you to go with their advice, question why they are championing it. What is in it for them? If the answer is nothing, keep seeking. You may be being set up with bad advice. There is always an angle. There is nothing wrong with someone getting something out of a deal. It is when they are not up front about this that you need to start being concerned.

Until tomorrow,

Coco the CEO

So, You Want to be A Brand!

Here’s a question for you… how do you develop your own brand on a budget? I’ve spent time on this blog discussing the ins and outs of corporate branding. However, what do you do when it is YOU who you want to brand?

I always suggest starting with knowing your demographic. Trying to be popular and in-favor with all people isn’t possible. Everyone is going to have an opinion, just ask people about Miley Cyrus. Not everyone likes her- in fact, many people hate her, but she has a brand and an empire build on her way of life and how she portrays herself as a brand. Her demographic loves her, he critics- they love her too. In fact, not liking her gives them something to write and broadcast keeping them in business. When building your brand, don’t kowtow to the harsh words of others. Instead, know your demographic and then embrace those who criticize outside of it.

Create a brand statement and stick to it. Yes, it seems silly but you do need one. You can get of course easy with tons of media and opinions coming your way. Do you really want to pivot your brand based on the opinions of others? So, keep that statement close at hand, refer to it often and keep your eye on the prize!

I have a very special branding announcement coming up soon so keep checking back.

Coco the CEO

Google Hummingbird – Are You In?

As a business owner how aware are you of Google’s new Hummingbird feature? You should be very aware of it as it can be harming your company right now. Launched in October of 2013, the feature is changing the way people utilize SEO content. Not sure what SEO content is? Stop reading now and head to your nearest University for a class on social media and web marketing basics.

Hummingbird is going to change how marketers and PR people utilize SEO content. While we relied heavily on SEO content the past five years, people are using their voice control apps via their smart phones to search specific phrases. These phrases aren’t key word orientated and neither is the navigation device on the smart phone’s voice control app. However, Hummingbird acts as the bridge between what a person is asking the voice control app and what results arrive on Google’s search engine. Thus, if you are relying on SEO content to market to someone who primarily uses Siri to find dinner, business tools, or anything else- you’re soon to be dead in the water!

One marketing consultant with B2B Magazine recently said, “People may type things like 'buy yoga mat Buckhead' in Google on a browser, but would say a command verbally such as, 'What's the closest place to buy a yoga mat to my home?'" Leefe said. "A traditional search engine might focus on finding matches for keywords, such as finding a page that says 'buy' and 'yoga mat,' for example. Instead, Hummingbird helps Google understand the meaning behind those words to deliver better search results.”

If you’re not on point with Hummingbird then it is time to get in the game. I can help you with this portion of your company’s social media and web services efforts. Just click any of my contact links and let’s get started working on your company’s growth today!

Coco the CEO