Until I did my first public workshop here in Boston last June, I didn’t realize the amazing similarities of my work as a publicist and how it relates to the work I know do with helping my coaching and consulting clients to land large corporate contracts and sponsorship programs with Fortune 500 companies. Since then, these ideas have been rattling around in my mind and I thought I’d share them with you.
1. Do your homework-As a publicist – or better yet – a business owner wanting to target the big guys – you’ve got to do your homework and jump on-line to determine the ins and outs about your target list (media outlets if you’re a publicist), or ideal corporate prospects. Fortunately, there’s so much free and accessible information on-line, there’s no excuse but to be prepared when you make your “pitch.” The more information you know about the CEO and the company – the better.
2. Know their “beat” – or target market-Reporters have special areas of interest and focus. The same is true for CEOs. They’re interested in particular markets and know that not everyone is a potential customer, but they have a sweet spot of a demographic or target market that is ideal. Speak to their target market. If you don’t know it, refer to #1.
3. Remember, it’s not about the quantity of your list, it’s about the quality of your list-Because not every reporter– is attempting to get every reader to be interested in what he or she has to say – or CEO is concerned about every person being an ideal consumer of their product or service, focus in on the best prospects and make the information you send to them relevant. They’ll appreciate your taking the time to make your correspondence relevant.
4. Contact them when you aren’t “pitching” them-When I liked a particular slant a reporter might take on something, I wrote them a brief note and let them know that.
The same is true for a CEO or company that is outspoken on a particular issue. Recently, Aflac pulled all of its ads from The Savage Nation over the host's comments about autism. Host Michael Savage made the comments on the air during a recent broadcast.
"I’ll tell you what autism is. In 99% of the cases, it’s a brat who hasn’t been told to cut the act out. That's what autism is," Savage said on his show.
It was just last year that Lowe's pulled its ads from CBS's Big Brother 9 after one of the contestants made a derogatory remark about people living with autism. That contestant, Adam Janinski, was working for the United Autism Foundation of Florida during his time on the reality show. Personally, as a mother with a child diagnosed on the Autism Spectrum, I commend both of these companies for making such a bold statement and I personally sent their CEOs thank you notes for doing so.
5. Invite them to events-If you’re attending a conference or an event that you think a media contact or corporate executive might be attending, let them know and send them an invitation. Even if they can’t attend, they’ll be impressed that you thought of them and were not asking for something as a result.
6. Attend events they host or speak at -The same is true if you are hosting or speaking at an event. It positions you as a resource and the media and corporate exs respect and appreciate this kind of outreach.
7. Respond quickly with relevant information-When the media calls – just like the CEO or Corporate Executive calls – respond quickly and with the information they’ve requested. Be respectful of their inquiry and their time and get back to them with at your earliest convenience. Provide them with a cell phone number for immediate response.
8. Spell their name correctly-Details matter. Be sure that you’ve taken the time to spell their name correctly and refer to them by their correct title. If you’re paying attention to the details, it will be likely that they’ll perceive you to be paying attention to the bigger issues as well.
9. Ask them how they like to be contacted and make a connection according to the way – they want to be connected with-Oftentimes the media, when asked (as you always should) want to be contacted in a particular way – e-mail, snail mail, fax or a phone call. Ask them and deliver information to the in the way that they have requested it. The same is true for CEOs and corporate executives as well. Give them what they want, in the manner that they prefer to receive it.
10. Attempt to meet them face-to-face-As part of my job as a publicist, I had the formidable task of taking out one television reporter out to lunch per month. This may sound more glamorous than it is, but it’s important to do for several reasons. You get to know a person better – especially when breaking bread together. The conversation becomes more personal and in-depth and you have a greater understanding of where that person is coming from. This is all valuable information for you to have. The same is true in the corporate world. You may remember, I bid on lunch with Office Depot’s Chairman and CEO at the time, Bruce Nelson. It landed me my biggest individual client to date.
11. Focus on building the relationship and being a resource-Relationship building is all about establishing the know, like and trust factor and if you’re doing what I’ve suggested so far, you’re well on your way – whether or not you’re targeting the media or Corporate America. Just keep on keepin’ on.
12. Create a consistent and regular way to correspond with them-Marketing plans are very effective when targeting your prospects, clients, vendors and the press. The same holds true when wanting a major corporation to become familiar with who you are and what you’re attempting to sell them. Create a communication program and deliver it to them consistently. Pretty soon, they may think they discovered you.
13. Understand “news” or industry trends and piggyback your idea off of what’s happening in the marketplace-There are stories in the news that are current or part of a trend. If you have an idea that is related in some way, the media is always interested. Fortune 500 Companies are also affected by current trends and influences. Get familiar with their web sites, their initiatives and determine how you and your company connect to that issue. Remember Aflac and Lowes and my connection to those companies’ decisions. Respond to them and they may respond back to you in positive and lucrative ways.
The key when attempting to build long-term relationships is the process of building trust by looking out for the interest of the other person. The same is true in all relationships. I’m grateful I had an early education in relationship building basics by learning how to deal with the media – and now, Mega-Companies as Clients!
13 Lessons Learned on Approaching the Press - To learn more about this author, visit Nancy Michaels's Website.
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Nancy Michaels
(Visit Nancy's Website)
Is the author of five books on marketing
for small businesses, including Perfecting
Your Pitch, (Career Press 2005) Off The
Wall Marketing Ideas, (Adams Media 2000),
How To Be A Big Fish In Any Pond, Media
Madness, and A to Z to Visibility
Served as Small Business Editor at US
News & World Report, and the Small
Business Marketing Expert for Entrepreneur
Magazine. She is a regular contributor to
Franchise Update and has been featured in
The Wall Street Journal, Fortune Small
Business (FSB), Success Magazine, The New
York Post, Franchising Magazine, among
numerous other publications
Nancy also was the publicist for Matt
Lauer (currently co-host of the Today
show)
Nancy is the President of her marketing
company, Impression Impact, which she
launched in 1990 and Founder of the Grow
Your Business Network
In the spring of 2005, Nancy became very
ill and underwent a liver transplant due
to liver failure. She is the grateful
recipient of a donor liver. Find out how
you can become a donor at www.organdonor
.gov.
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