I recently watched a friend of mine fail at a public cocktail event that had a lot of prospect business in attendance. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. It was then that I realized, my friend wasn't trying to be bad at networking. She just wasn't a naturally social person and no one had ever taught her how to mix business in a social setting. So, if you can related to my friend- then keep reading. These 5 networking sins are noted to help you learn, grow, and then become a master at networking.
1. It’s all about you….. Well, it’s not. People love to talk about themselves,so let them. I’ve learned to go to these types of events and ask anyone I wanted to meet a simple question… “So, what do you do?” And they’re off. Listening to someone else talk… and I mean really being engaged… will make them like you. They will say they had a great conversation with you— even if it is one-sided. So, instead of pitching yourself, let others pitch you.
2. No follow up. If you leave the event with business cards and wait for the phone to ring, you’re committing a “sin.” Go through the cards and enter them into your mailing list. Then call- yes use the phone, don’t send an email- the contacts you believe can bump up your business and invite the person out for coffee on your tab. Don’t pitch at the coffee meeting either. Instead talk to the person about what they do some more and learn where they can use help.
3. Not offering value. Once you have that coffee meeting and you discover how your potential referral contact can use help, find a way to provide it. Solve their problem for them- no charge- and without pitching yourself. Pretend that you have it all handled and clients are coming through the door. The contact won’t forget this move and YOU will be their number 1 priority when it comes to referring business.
4. Don’t think you’ve failed if none of this works. There are selfish and bad people out there. The system noted above works 95% of the time. Your first time out (maybe first 3 times out) may fall within the other 5%. Keep trying…
5. Stop going to every networking event. You should be selecting your networking events carefully and not by open bar status or what’s on the menu either! If you know a networking event is going to be filled with pediatricians… pass. They may not help your market. If you know an event is going to be filled with people within your industry… go and practice steps 1-4. If you know an event is going to be a mix of professionals you may, one day, sell your services to then go and practice steps 1-4. You may get referral or direct business off of it. Protect your time by picking events that (long-term) can provide you with real ROI. Don’t just network for the sake of meeting people. After all, the goal is to establish your brand and bring in money.
Velma Trayham
Showing posts with label itsthinkzilla. Show all posts
Showing posts with label itsthinkzilla. Show all posts
Monday, May 18, 2015
Friday, May 15, 2015
Quotes for Business
I was recently was reading a trade industry magazine for business men and women. This magazine had a section dedicated to sound business advice. While a lot of the information and quotes were pretty basic, I found five quotes that really inspired me to look at what I can improve upon in 2015.
1. "Never confuse activity with progress." —Ty, Boston, MA
I agree. You can be busy and still not grow. Don't be satisfied with the business you do have. Go after the business you don't have!
2. "Cash is more important than your mother." —Grace, Shanghai, China
I know this is harsh, but cash is king. Your mother wouldn't have nice things if it wasn't for your extra support (I hope). So, know cash makes the world go round and if you're not bringing it in as a business owner then you're doing something wrong.
3. "Always look for people smarter than you, and surround yourself with people who can challenge and inspire you." —Doug, Redwood City, CA
If you think you're the best then you will fail fast. Find people who know more than you and continue to learn.
4. "Hire slowly. Fire quickly." —Jenny, Seattle
I couldn't agree more. You can develop skill, you can't develop customer service. If you have someone on your team who is abrasive and not caring, fire them right away before the situation becomes worse.
5. "Getting your business launched and your first product onto the market will take you twice as long, and cost you twice as much, as you think it will." - —Dave, Toronto, ON
Well said! If you think this is easy, you're not really equipped to run a business.
I hope these quotes have inspired you to do great things for the rest of 2015...
Until next time,
Velma Trayham
1. "Never confuse activity with progress." —Ty, Boston, MA
I agree. You can be busy and still not grow. Don't be satisfied with the business you do have. Go after the business you don't have!
2. "Cash is more important than your mother." —Grace, Shanghai, China
I know this is harsh, but cash is king. Your mother wouldn't have nice things if it wasn't for your extra support (I hope). So, know cash makes the world go round and if you're not bringing it in as a business owner then you're doing something wrong.
3. "Always look for people smarter than you, and surround yourself with people who can challenge and inspire you." —Doug, Redwood City, CA
If you think you're the best then you will fail fast. Find people who know more than you and continue to learn.
4. "Hire slowly. Fire quickly." —Jenny, Seattle
I couldn't agree more. You can develop skill, you can't develop customer service. If you have someone on your team who is abrasive and not caring, fire them right away before the situation becomes worse.
5. "Getting your business launched and your first product onto the market will take you twice as long, and cost you twice as much, as you think it will." - —Dave, Toronto, ON
Well said! If you think this is easy, you're not really equipped to run a business.
I hope these quotes have inspired you to do great things for the rest of 2015...
Until next time,
Velma Trayham
Friday, October 17, 2014
Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital has hired Burson-Marsteller
I recently read all the nasty brand hitting Burson-Marsteller is taking on behalf of its new client, Texas Health Presbyterian. Wow, what some PR agents have to go through.
Typically, medical clients are a hard sell for the publicity teams who represent them. But, it doesn't have to be this way. In life, there are always exceptions to the rule. While Burson-Marsteller has an uphill battle for its client (which hired a PR firm way late in the game), all is not lost.
I'm sure Burson-Marsteller is going to implement these two rules (below), so why am I sharing them with you? Well, they are PR secrets that only season professionals implement during a time of crisis. Since this is a learning blog, it is important for me to share with both clients and professionals what steps need to be taken during these situations.
First, state a positive position on non-paying clients. Why? Well, there are already racist accusations and poor-hating statements on social media. The medical group needs to make a public statement on how it handles patients with no insurance and cite examples of its quality-control committee reviews in relation to paying (insured) and non-paying patients. This is damage control 101.
Second, host a town hall meeting with employees. Reporters are going to seek out employees to comment. Smart reporters are not going to the PR firm at this point. They want quotes - even if anonymous- to support sensationalized headlines. Reporters will find disgruntled employees to speak with before contacting the medical firm's pr team. A town hall meeting can help address what would happen if non-aligned statements or concerns leak to the media before internal resources.
Cover ups shouldn't happen, but accidents do. Handling these situations from a media perspective can be a challenge. Remember, control the message and accentuate the positives.
Until Monday,
Velma Trayham
Typically, medical clients are a hard sell for the publicity teams who represent them. But, it doesn't have to be this way. In life, there are always exceptions to the rule. While Burson-Marsteller has an uphill battle for its client (which hired a PR firm way late in the game), all is not lost.
I'm sure Burson-Marsteller is going to implement these two rules (below), so why am I sharing them with you? Well, they are PR secrets that only season professionals implement during a time of crisis. Since this is a learning blog, it is important for me to share with both clients and professionals what steps need to be taken during these situations.
First, state a positive position on non-paying clients. Why? Well, there are already racist accusations and poor-hating statements on social media. The medical group needs to make a public statement on how it handles patients with no insurance and cite examples of its quality-control committee reviews in relation to paying (insured) and non-paying patients. This is damage control 101.
Second, host a town hall meeting with employees. Reporters are going to seek out employees to comment. Smart reporters are not going to the PR firm at this point. They want quotes - even if anonymous- to support sensationalized headlines. Reporters will find disgruntled employees to speak with before contacting the medical firm's pr team. A town hall meeting can help address what would happen if non-aligned statements or concerns leak to the media before internal resources.
Cover ups shouldn't happen, but accidents do. Handling these situations from a media perspective can be a challenge. Remember, control the message and accentuate the positives.
Until Monday,
Velma Trayham
Friday, September 12, 2014
Publicity and Event Marketing
Many people believe PR people are also event people. Well, this is true to an extent but there is a difference. A great event coordinator will work with the press agent to ensure the details of the actual event are carried through. There should also be an event promoter to work to promote the actual event.
Now, when you read this- don't think that an event promoter does the same thing a pr person does for the event. Here is the difference; an event promoter is out on the streets. He or she deals with the the public to get them informed about the event and promote ticket sales. A PR person has to get the media to pre-cover the event, cover the actual event, and then write a post-event review. While the PR person and the event promoter work for the same reason (seats in the place), they have two very different roles.
And again, the event coordinator does nothing as far as getting people to the event. Instead, the event coordinator staffs the event and makes sure all vendors are on point so there are no hiccups at the vent.
If you are thinking about getting into event PR, you have to chose your position carefully. Think about what part of the event excites you the most to deal with and then go for the gold. If you have an event coming up that needs promotion, make sure you have your PR position covered, an event coordinator position covered, and an event promoter person working. These three people will make sure any event is well promoted, publicized, and executed.
Until Monday,
Coco the CEO
Now, when you read this- don't think that an event promoter does the same thing a pr person does for the event. Here is the difference; an event promoter is out on the streets. He or she deals with the the public to get them informed about the event and promote ticket sales. A PR person has to get the media to pre-cover the event, cover the actual event, and then write a post-event review. While the PR person and the event promoter work for the same reason (seats in the place), they have two very different roles.
And again, the event coordinator does nothing as far as getting people to the event. Instead, the event coordinator staffs the event and makes sure all vendors are on point so there are no hiccups at the vent.
If you are thinking about getting into event PR, you have to chose your position carefully. Think about what part of the event excites you the most to deal with and then go for the gold. If you have an event coming up that needs promotion, make sure you have your PR position covered, an event coordinator position covered, and an event promoter person working. These three people will make sure any event is well promoted, publicized, and executed.
Until Monday,
Coco the CEO
Thursday, September 11, 2014
The Art of 'No Comment'
The phrase "no comment" is an ongoing joke in the PR world. I've never met a publicist who had nothing to say. I've met clients who use "no comment" as a way to rev up interest, but I have - to this day- never came across a media adviser who refused to talk about a subject either on or off the record.
I bring this up today because I overheard another peer with a problem. She was planning on using the "no comment" phrase to make the issue go away. First, the "no comment" statement will only drive the media nuts and make them insist on getting a reply. Second, using "no comment" as a publicist means you are not doing your job!
It is your job to communicate information accurately and on behalf of your client. The client can use the phrase because 1) he or she wants to drive further press attention and/or 2) he or she doesn't know how to handle the media directly and will wait for you to make a statement.
Any publicist who relies up on the phrase "no comment" is going to make a bad situation worse. Think about the recent Beyonce / Solange elevator incident. If Beyonce said "no comment"- there would be no problem. If her publicist said "no comment" then it would validate what everyone was thinking. The publicist had to give a statement, which she did. You can read it here:
http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/15/showbiz/celebrity-news-gossip/solange-jay-z-beyonce-statement/
My point today is this, don't rely on "no comment" to deal with hard situations that your client may have put him or herself into. Address things head on and they will go away quicker.
Until tomorrow,
Coco the CEO
I bring this up today because I overheard another peer with a problem. She was planning on using the "no comment" phrase to make the issue go away. First, the "no comment" statement will only drive the media nuts and make them insist on getting a reply. Second, using "no comment" as a publicist means you are not doing your job!
It is your job to communicate information accurately and on behalf of your client. The client can use the phrase because 1) he or she wants to drive further press attention and/or 2) he or she doesn't know how to handle the media directly and will wait for you to make a statement.
Any publicist who relies up on the phrase "no comment" is going to make a bad situation worse. Think about the recent Beyonce / Solange elevator incident. If Beyonce said "no comment"- there would be no problem. If her publicist said "no comment" then it would validate what everyone was thinking. The publicist had to give a statement, which she did. You can read it here:
http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/15/showbiz/celebrity-news-gossip/solange-jay-z-beyonce-statement/
My point today is this, don't rely on "no comment" to deal with hard situations that your client may have put him or herself into. Address things head on and they will go away quicker.
Until tomorrow,
Coco the CEO
Monday, September 8, 2014
Pr and Permission
Today I want to talk about permission. It is a huge public relations issue. Why? Not all PR companies obtain permission when working on co-events or co-accounts to use certain photos, comments, namesakes, etc. This can get you (either as a publicist or a client) into a lot of hot water.
Not everything on the internet is public domain. Also, if you are going to advertise a guest speaker or a celebrity endorsement, you better have written permission to do so beforehand. Otherwise, you will be sued and your brand can be destroyed.
There is no "sure fire" when to check if something is public domain or not. If a celebrity gives a quote to a certain magazine, you may have to reference the magazine before you can republish the quote because of exclusivity rights.
The best way to offset a potential permissions issue is to do the right thing and seek it out before publishing. As professionals in the PR industry, we should already know that if there is even a minuscule chance that a news release will need to be retracted, we can't send it out. A newswire – press release or news newswire – can’t have all of its affiliates and syndicates retract your story once it’s published.
All this said, don't every obtain secondhand permission or permission to use anything over the phone. Send an email or a letter and make sure you have a clear response before going forward. If you release something too soon, you will be liable and after the lawsuits have been settled- the internet will still show traces of the content and/or press release.
Until tomorrow,
Coco the CEO
Not everything on the internet is public domain. Also, if you are going to advertise a guest speaker or a celebrity endorsement, you better have written permission to do so beforehand. Otherwise, you will be sued and your brand can be destroyed.
There is no "sure fire" when to check if something is public domain or not. If a celebrity gives a quote to a certain magazine, you may have to reference the magazine before you can republish the quote because of exclusivity rights.
The best way to offset a potential permissions issue is to do the right thing and seek it out before publishing. As professionals in the PR industry, we should already know that if there is even a minuscule chance that a news release will need to be retracted, we can't send it out. A newswire – press release or news newswire – can’t have all of its affiliates and syndicates retract your story once it’s published.
All this said, don't every obtain secondhand permission or permission to use anything over the phone. Send an email or a letter and make sure you have a clear response before going forward. If you release something too soon, you will be liable and after the lawsuits have been settled- the internet will still show traces of the content and/or press release.
Until tomorrow,
Coco the CEO
Thursday, July 24, 2014
The 2014 Go DJ Awards In Houston Broke Entertainment Records!
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