Breakfast Speakers

Each month at the WBE Breakfast we have an inspirational speaker. Thank you to all of our speakers!  Our speaker for June 2007 was:

Nancy Juetten

Getting the Word Out One-to-One and One-to-Many:
The Ticket to Doing More of What You Love to Do

Like many of you, I attend a fair number of networking events around town.  I love hearing how other people make their way in the world.  It’s the journalist in me.  I believe every growing company has a story, and my curiosity compels me to learn what those stories are and to suggest ways to tell them to a much wider audience.  The more people that know what you do and why it is special and compelling, the greater the opportunities you can have to be of service and contribution to others and do more of what you love to do.

When I step back for a moment, I notice that the people I meet at networking events often fit into three different buckets.

The first bucket is filled with those who have just escaped from cubicle nation.  They are launching businesses of their own at long last.  Finally, they are committed to doing something they love after having had enough of the alternative.  What these businesses share in common is an urgent desire to GET IT GOING right away.

The second group of people run great businesses that have reached or are on their way to reaching GOING CONCERN status.  They’ve got clients on the roster, leads in the pipeline, and they are dancing as fast as they can to keep up.

The third group is comprised of business owners who are GOING GREAT GUNS.  They have great sales, great prospects, and a great support team.

The GOOD NEWS is that business owners in all three groups stand to benefit from what I am going to talk about today.  Those in the first two camps – those who may have more time than money – may stand to benefit the most because they are highly motivated to learn new things, acquire new skills, and take their businesses quickly to the next level. They are eager to roll up their sleeves to make things happen because maybe they don’t have the luxury to outsource that task just yet.

My intention this morning is to share a few ideas that can help you move along from GET IT GOING to GOING CONCERN to GOING GREAT GUNS without spending a fortune or spinning your wheels.

Whether you are connecting one-to-one or one-to-many, you need to attract the right people and the right opportunities so you can do more of what you love.  It all starts with how you describe what you do in the first place.

Do you “have them at hello” – or do you utter uninspired words that hasten a quick goodbye?  Think about that. Here is an example.

My husband Steve used to be in a career that wasn’t making him very happy.  He had been there, done that, got the t-shirt.  And, he certainly didn’t want to talk about it any more than absolutely necessary.  His answer to that was to tell people he met that he worked for the IRS.  I can tell you that this is an amazingly effective way to stop a conversation before it has the chance to start

Fortunately, Steve made a career change and started a business as a fee only certified financial planner (www.finpath.com).  Now, he’s guiding people to achieve an abundant retirement, and he can’t wait to talk to people about it.   His passion for his new work is magnetic, and he is attracting new clients all the time.  It’s a beautiful thing.

Steve, like many others, has figured out a way to describe what he does in a way that is a contribution to others first with just a few well chosen words.  Plenty of other local business owners are doing the same thing with excellent results.

For example, Olympic Hot Tub Company makes it easy for its customers to take it easy.

Darwin’s Natural Pet Products add years to your pets’ life and life to your pets’ years.

Affirmagy is changing the world, one Affirmawrap at a time through the power of intentional living.

And Thach Nguyen intends to inspire a billion people to live bold lives of contribution.

Wow.  These folks have me at hello.  Their passion for what they do and their bold declarations to make a difference are magnetic and infectious.  Their passion glows from their fingertips and emanates from their smiles as they describe what they do.

What these powerful statements share in common is that they go beyond the self centered notions of providing food, clothing, and shelter for each business owner.  Not one of them asks you to buy a widget or engage a service. In fact, they are bold, selfless declarations that intend greater good.  Immediately you want to know more and find out how you can engage them and benefit.

Best of all, these business owners make an emotional connection with others.  What they offer scratches an itch and offers the potential to ease pain and worry.  It’s all about how they serve others first.

When you describe what you do, do the words sound like the “blah, blah, blah” that appears in a conversation bubble in a Peanuts cartoon, or does it SAY SOMETHING that really resonates with who you are talking to?

I confess, in my own business, I labored over this very question for a long time.  I kept wondering, “Was I providing ink and air for people?  Free publicity?  Awareness?  Recognition?  Lead generation?”  When I thought about these attributes as benefits, I was uninspired.  I think some of my clients and prospects felt that way, too.

It wasn’t until I looked at the file box of client thank you notes I have received over the years that it finally hit me.  Clients were so appreciative of being recognized for their winning ways and their successes.  It was personal to them.  So many of my clients have made great personal sacrifices of family time, leisure time, and sleep to achieve their success that to be celebrated in the media for their accomplishments means more to them than words can express.

Being seen, heard, and celebrated in their own backyard was the win for my clients that seemed to matter the most.  So even though what I deliver is awareness, ink and air, publicity, and so on, what makes the connection, what scratches the itch, what lights the fire of the clients I serve is being seen, heard and celebrated

Take a moment to consider how you share your story one-to-one at the local networking event or one-to-many through your own speaking and media relations efforts. Do you offer a statement of fact about what you sell or the service you provide? Or, do you offer a statement that actually invites more conversation by hitting a nerve, scratching an itch, or relieving universal pain?

Having a winning way to start the conversation makes is easier to keeping it going.  Think about how you can serve and contribute to their success?  Do you know someone who would be a perfect client?  Do you know of a resource that can solve a specific problem?  Do you have the answer to a question that has been giving this owner pause for quite some time?  Is there someone in the room right now who can make this problem go away?  Can you hook these two people up?

My advice is to listen and give first before you attempt to get because you’ll make an impression that will last long after the event has concluded.

Once you’ve mastered the art of the one-to-one connection, you can take those same skills, and that same passion, to connect with more people.  I invite you to think about all the ways you can connect with larger audiences to make the most of the contribution you can make.

Do you publish an electronic newsletter?

Do you joint venture with other like-minded professionals to build your respective lists?

Do you speak at events like this?

Do you host workshops, seminars, or teleseminars?

Have you thought about sharing your expertise on a local radio show?

Do you blog or have a blog of your own?

And do you share your news and expertise with the print and broadcast media through press releases, pitch letters, and offers to serve as an expert?

These are all powerful ways to get known, build buzz, and be of service.  In combination, they pack a powerful punch.  Example:  Last July, I debuted my Media-Savvy-to-Go publicity tips booklets to the world, and I endorsed Joan Stewart, the publicity hound, as a fabulous resource for the do-it-yourself publicist.  She called me to thank me in a way I could not have anticipated.  She endorsed my booklets to her 25000 ezine subscribers.  I received orders from all across the nation as a direct result.  It was a beautiful thing.

Consider this.  At an event like today’s WBE Breakfast, you can connect with dozens of people, and that’s great.  But imagine how your influence can grow with the power of the media behind you.  Imagine you are speaking from this podium and have the opportunity to share your useful information with everyone here in a way that inspires their journey toward success.

When a larger audience learns what is special and compelling and useful about what you offer, the buzz starts to build.  As long as your message connects.

Referrals start to flow.  New engagements launch.  And soon, you have as much business as you can handle and need to add staff.  It’s a beautiful thing.

Those of us in the GET IT GOING and GOING CONCERN buckets know in particular that getting the most impact from every move we make really matters.  That is why the power of the media appeals to my very practical nature.

For example, if you have a bylined article in the Puget Sound Business Journal that eases a pain, scratches an itch, or provides useful insight to a timely, relevant, and pressing issue or business problem, that message would reach over 60,000 business decision makers. These are the people with the influence, inclination, and discretion to engage your services or purchase your products.  That, my friends, is efficient and powerful delivery of your message to a targeted audience of potential clients.

And, this article can then serve as a fabulous reprint to convey your credibility, published author status, and reinforce the confidence clients feel when they engage your services.  You can post it to your Website, frame it for your retail window or conference room, and include it in your marketing collateral package.  It is the most persuasive brochure you can buy because of the impact and credibility of the editorial coverage.

Now, you don’t have to be a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist to harness the power of the media.  You simply have to deliver the facts in a useful, organized, and compelling way.  That means covering the “who, what, where, why, how” information concisely, while making the “why we should care” part of the message crystal clear.  News is what media relations is all about, so remember to keep the news center stage.

The businesses that earn winning headlines and broadcast air are those that offer the right hook or angle to invite interest and serve those who pay attention to the news.  A big part of that is making a connection and telling a story that resonates with the editors and reporters who serve as the gatekeepers to much broader audiences.  It’s a lot like networking one-to-one!  Isn’t that something?

Approach your story by making clear why it is timely, newsworthy, relevant, trend worthy, and local.  When the reason the readers and viewers should care is center stage, you are in an even better position to earn the coverage you seek. A good story is one that touches your heart, kicks you in the stomach, makes you think, hits you over the head or squarely between the eyes, or kicks you in the behind and into action in some way.  To bring these ideas to life, consider how a few local companies earned publicity by sharing compelling and timely story hooks.

• Darwin’s Natural Pet Products (www.darwinspet.com) is a Seattle-based manufacturer that offers convenient home delivery of its pet foods made from free range meats and organic vegetables.  When the national pet food recall became big news in April, Darwin’s had a story to tell. This company jumped on the timely nature of the news to offer resources and information to help pet lovers make safe and nutritious choices during a troubling time.  In doing so, it earned a front page story in the Seattle Post Intelligencer, a feature story in the Puget Sound Business Journal, a radio interview on 1150 AM radio, and a KING TV broadcast feature.  For Darwin’s, the opportunity couldn’t have been better to share its “adding life to pet’s years and years to pet’s lives” message.  Best of all, new customer counts grew four-fold in the weeks following the national pet food recall, and the trend continues.

• Affirmagy (www.affirmagy.com) is a Seattle-based company that makes personal affirmation blankets that celebrate big ideas such as abundance, courage, strength, and love.   Given the popularity of “The Secret” and the media messages resonating nationally about the power of intentional living, Affirmagy’s goal to change the world one Affirmawrap at a time is a big idea at the right time.  This company has aligned itself with major non-profit organizations such as the American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life events to make it easy for everyone to give to this cause as they purchase the company’s products.  The company is making good on its intentions to change the world through the power of affirmations.  And, from a media relations standpoint, this company has a story to tell.  The Puget Sound Business Journal wrote a feature about how start-ups are embracing cause-related marketing as a means of building brand ambassadors and inviting contributions to worthy causes, and Affirmagy was at the center of that story.

• Olympic Hot Tub Company’s  (www.olympichottub.com) co-owner Alice Cunningham has grown her company over the last 30 years by making it easy for customers to take it easy.  She has also adopted a customer service philosophy of making it easy for consumers to buy, own, and refer her products.  This has resulted in a powerful army of satisfied customers who are delighted to refer her company and products.  Many business journals seek out useful “how to” features from local experts to guide their readers to achieve more success.   Cunningham’s customer service philosophy has served as the foundation for article placements in several local newspapers and Internet article directories.  As a result, she has earned local speaking engagements to inspire others to follow her lead.  Her one-to-one messages about doing business and serving others have carried forward to much wider audiences, reinforcing her reputation as a successful business veteran who offers credible advice. 

Consider these examples as you think about how to tell your own story to whomever will listen as an elevator speech, a speaking topic, or a story for the media.  Be prepared to tell your story one-to-one or one-to-many in a way that invites conversations and new relationships to propel your business forward by focusing on how you serve others first.

Here are some of the easiest and most effective ways to get the word out:

Pitch your story to the local newspaper.

Write an article to inform and inspire the reader.

Get interviewed on the radio or TV.

Write a press release.

Share a photo opportunity.

Enter and a media-supported contest for excellence that celebrates your winning ways

Offer a workshop and promote it to the “calendar” sections of the local media.

Serve as a content expert to reporters.

Write a letter to the editor.

There are all kinds of media opportunities ripe for the picking.  I’ll breeze through a few right now, and the contact details are in your handouts.

-       Submit your first job story Gary Dougherty at the Seattle Times at gdougherty@seattletimes.com.  Share what you learned, what you earned, and why it mattered to you, along with a digital headshot.  Presto. Bingo. You’ve earned the ink and make it easy for readers to get in touch with you.

-       Submit your meeting and seminar notices to the “business calendar” sections of the local newspapers and the Internet.  Presto.  Bingo.  You’ve earned the ink and likely attracted new event guests to your door.  Consider purchasing the Media-Savvy-to-Go Special Report #3 that offers 27 of the top 27 print and online venues to help you reach the right people.  Just $10.  Visit this link for all the details: http://www.nsjmktg.com/sp3.php.

-       What if Ben Miller of the Puget Sound Business Journal interviewed you in anticipation of your meeting for his column?  It could happen if you ask.  Just make clear some of the provocative tips and insights you intend to share during your event and why readers should care. Ben just might interview you his column, bringing awareness of your event to a wide audience of potential event guests.  Send your email pitch to bwmiller@bizjournals.com.

-       Added new staff to your team?  Submit a personnel release to the “people on the move” editors at the local papers.  Presto.  Bingo.  You’ve earned the ink and made it easy for prospects to get in touch with your new people to write more new business.

-       Won a prestigious award?  Submit a press release to the local newspapers that cover awards and accolades.  Presto.  Bingo.  You’ve earned the ink and delivered a message to a wide audience about your company’s winning ways.

-       Run a retail business with a great story to tell.  Send a pitch to Craig Harris at the Seattle PI at craig.harris@seattlepi.com.   You just might end up on the front page of the business section on a Saturday morning, reaching 100,000 readers with one shot.  Imagine the new leads that might flow to your Website and telephone line in response to this kind of exposure.

-       Want to be on the radio to share your expertise?  Get in touch with Paul Casey at ‘Small Business Innovators’ at paul@caseycommunications.net.  He interviews business owners on the path to success every Monday and Tuesday morning during the 8 a.m. hour.  His next could be you if you have the courage to ask for the opportunity.  And that radio interview can serve as a launching point for even more radio interviews still to come.

-       Have useful perspectives to share for the next special section scheduled for the Puget Sound Business Journal?  Make a pitch to Steve Goldsmith at sgoldsmith@bizjournals.com, and you just might earn an assignment for 750 words to run under your byline.

-       Want to write a column for the Snohomish County Business Journal’s Business Women 2007 special supplement?  Get in touch with Kimberly Hilden at khilden@herald.net to make your pitch, and your photo and expertise could land within this September special publication.  The deadline for this year’s issue is June 22, 2007.

And these are just tip-of-the-iceberg media opportunities that make it easy and inviting to get into the game and realize ready results.  Just imagine what more you could accomplish by making media relations an essential ingredient in your overall marketing plan?

Is anyone in the room feeling overwhelmed?  Take a breath.  Relax.  Because here’s what I know to be true based on years of experience and results for business owners and myself in the media.  When you get into action today, you will experience the buzz and results that flow from your efforts.  You’ll be glad that you got started, and you’ll wonder why you didn’t start sooner.

The opportunities to earn the ink are abundant. Your challenge is to choose the right opportunities to tell the stories that will reflect best on your growing company, your expertise, and your intention to contribute to the world in only the ways that you can. But remember, the message must start with being of service.

When I started my business, I wanted to earn enough money to buy better groceries.   At some point, better groceries weren’t enough to help my business grow to the next level of success.  I had to redefine my success in a new way.  Similarly, Alice Cunningham of Olympic Hot Tub often says that she defines her company’s success by the impact her products have on her customers’ lives.  I think there is great wisdom in that.  I know that better crackers are just where my business got its start.  What propels me forward is knowing that I can make an impact on helping my clients get seen, heard, and celebrated for their winning ways through the power of the media.  Their success grows, and mine grows along with it.  It’s a beautiful thing.

So, think about defining your success in the ways that matter most to the customers you serve.  Boldly declare your intentions to be of service.  Listen, connect and be generous as you meet people one-to-one and one-to many.

Thach, who I mentioned earlier, is a master of creating success by connecting with people and making a difference in their lives. Even though he’s made millions, he’s continues to work with non-profits like First Place School and helps low-income families buy their first homes. Now he’s taking his message to many. If you’re interested in learning more about how he’s done it, consider attending the “Mental Journey to Millions” event at the Seattle Westin June 22-24, 2007.   Visit his marketing table to learn more about a special offer he is extending the WBE today.

My contribution today is to offer as my GIFT a Media-Savvy-to-Go tips booklet I created. Each of these booklets provides business owners with the insights they need to launch their own winning media relations efforts with confidence.  Today, you now have at your fingertips multiple powerful and proven ways to build your business and profit from free publicity.  My challenge to you is to get into action on at least five of these tips so your business can prosper in ways you never thought possible once you find ways to connect with people one-to-one and one-to-many with your own powerful story.

And, if you are hungry for more information, I invite you to visit my Website at www.njmktg.com where you can sign up for my free Media-Savvy-to-Go ezine and get a host of other resources to help you make more connections in your own backyard and beyond.

If I could make a request of you to contribute to my success, here it is.  This is a new presentation I created just for WBE.  I’d love to learn if the content was of service to you.  If you would fill out the evaluation sheet I have provided for each of you, along with my other handouts, that would help me improve this presentation for future audiences.

In closing, if I could transition from desperate housewife to PR diva by following my own publicity advice, just imagine what is possible for your growing business once you find ways to connect with people one-to-one and one-to-many.   The opportunities are unlimited.  The upside is fabulous.  And the time to begin is now.  Thank you.