Winning the PR game: No Lucky Breaks

As professionals in the public relations field we are often asked the same question by entrepreneurs seeking media attention: “Why is it that I see well placed articles spotlighting my competition yet I can’t seem to get anyone interested in MY business story?” There are some business owners that actually believe some people are luckier than others when it comes to getting well-timed publicity in a targeted publication. In our years of working with journalists we can clarify one thing for sure:

Luck is not part of a winning PR formula.

Those that succeed at story placements have learned the proper way to court reporters. They also agree to play by the rules of the press. Think about it from a reporter’s viewpoint. All publications whether local or national, receive hundreds if not thousands of faxed and electronic press releases daily. Aside from the reality there are not enough proficient staff to read through the prodigious flood of information, most of it is self-serving advertising and not newsworthy. Here are four critical rules of winning PR strategy you should follow:

Rule #1 – Don’t try to sell a reporter on your product or service.

Pitch them a unique story instead. They know a sales job when they hear it. It’s a big turn-off. We all loathe someone trying to sell us something we don’t need. Now multiply that times 100. That’s what a reporter feels like every day in their office.

Rule #2 – Have a PR practitioner help you find and write your story.

Over 90% of all press releases submitted have poor grammar, spelling errors and a complete absence of proper writing skills. This causes a disconnect between the journalist and sender. Your credibility is shot immediately. Any “luck” of getting a story just went in the trash along with your press release. What is often missing from the homegrown press release is a compelling storytelling style. Remember, the reporter is a buffer between you and the audience. If your audience cannot understand and follow what is written, they will certainly not buy what you are selling. Your goal should be to tell your story better than anyone else. This does not require luck, it simply requires common sense. A good PR practitioner can save time and energy and often will write a press release and help with distribution. In the end this is always money well spent.

Once you make it past the first two rules and have a proper press release ready, you need to consider what the reporter will do for further information. Almost always reporters will look at your website before calling you for a story. Again, think like a reporter. The faster and easier you can make their work, the better.

Rule #3 –Have a solid marketing plan in place before a PR plan.

Your website and marketing materials better be in top-notch shape. Your company logo and image must be branded effectively and consistent. Trying to get press coverage before your marketing plan is in place is like putting the cart before the horse. So many overzealous business owners make this mistake. A reporter on his own can deduct quickly if you are not ready for PR. Their reputation depends on the readership interests and approval. The information on your website must be in complete harmony with your press release and all the marketing elements in alignment.

Rule #4 –Develop the relationship with reporters.

You must accept the need to communicate with journalists properly on their terms, not yours. Take a local reporter to coffee. Exchange cards at your next networking event. Journalists are interesting people and love to hear about new exciting things. If they like what they hear, you now have an “in” with that reporter. They will remember you and will be more open to looking at your release. They are the ones that will get it in print for you, not luck.

You now have some added clarity to the process of effective media relations, which is an important and vital aspect of winning PR strategy. Good PR practitioners are already well versed in these rules and are far ahead of the average business owner when it comes to media relations. They will have good relationships with reporters established and have credibility when it comes to pitching your PR story.

Effective PR like many business elements comes down to this:
“Good planning and preparation brings its own luck.”

Copyright © 2008-2009. Michael Gallion & Vicky Gallion. All rights reserved. Michael and Vicky Gallion are owners of The Gallion Company in Redondo Beach, CA and offer sales optimization through marketing and public relations strategy. They also focus on developing marketing recession strategy for small businesses. For more information about The Gallion Company, visit their website at http://www.thegallioncompany.com

The Best Sales Tip EVER.

Ask any small business owner in any kind of business what is the toughest job to do and the hardest position to fill?
The most common answer is: SALES. Why else would salespeople rank among the highest earners in their organizations? Because it is the hardest job to succeed at, that's why. I know because I have been doing it for quite a while now and have had measurable success as well. In addition to requiring an abundance of energy and many "special" personality traits that make you the right candidate, a truly successful sales person will have only one quality that stands far above the rest.

Notice that I have not made this article into a series of "Top 5" list or "10 common mistakes" list for a very specific reason. I am not going to fill it full of other catch phrases to surround it with either to make me sound important. My advice is about ONE simple truth that will tie all successful sales leaders together, and coincidentally, one of my favorite words in the English language: ENTHUSIASM.

Of the dozens of great books I have ever read on the subject of sales and selling, none has left a greater impact on my sales career and income than "The Psychology of Selling" by Brian Tracy. There are many great authors on the subject of selling but in this book, Tracy has documented the most accurate definition ever to describe what a sale really is and it is this:

"A sale is nothing more than a transfer of enthusiasm." This is by far the best description of what selling is all about from my actual experience of the long hard hours I have committed to selling.

In any business you have to be good if not the best at what ever it is you do if you really want to succeed. The core to any marketing or sales plan is first, have great quality of the product or service you are offering. If the quality is not there then how can you truly and honestly expect to generate enthusiasm for what you offer? And where is a salesperson to get the enthusiasm from to transfer in the first place? Because in the end, you must transfer enthusiasm to the customer in order for them to buy.

Sure you can try the old school approach and get a "slick" sales professional to "put things in their best light". But I have news for you. It won't work anymore. This is the day and age of direct sources on the world wide web and good information is readily available. Sales success is now, and always has been, about honesty and transferring genuine enthusiasm about what is sold. When a sales rep knows he has the best product or service he will become unstoppable with enthusiasm. You can't fake enthusiasm because customers can see right through you. If you are honest and full of pure enthusiasm, they see it in you and they buy.

This brings us to the conclusion of the lesson and the heart of the matter. Enthusiasm, as defined on my dashboard dictionary is "Intense and eager enjoyment, interest, or approval." Sounds about right to me. But what brings it all home for me is the history behind this great word. The word enthusiasm comes from the Greek and although you may not know it, there are spiritual elements to the history behind the word. Inside the word enthusiasm is the Greek "Theos" meaning "God". Hence, the study of God is called "Theology". Entheos, the direct translation for enthusiasm means "God within."

So there you have it. Be honest and improve your product or service to the point it becomes very good, if not the best. If it is good for others you will have "God within" you. Transfer the enthusiasm you have created to your customers and they will buy. Then you will attract sales people into the mix also because they will also have enthusiasm to transfer to their clients. Your sales will improve dramatically. And everyone will win.

Copyright © 2008-2009. Michael Gallion. All rights reserved. Michael is co- owner of The Gallion Company in Redondo Beach, CA and offers sales optimization through marketing and public relations strategy. They also focus on developing marketing recession strategy for small businesses. For more information about The Gallion Company, visit their website at http://www.thegallioncompany.com