December 15, 2005
Two Holiday Gifts For You
The holidays are a time of giving, so here's two special gifts for you.
1. As you know, we run a gift basket site that sells high-quality, distinctive gift baskets like none you've ever seen before.
I'm sure that you still have a couple of people (or, if you're like me) lots of people on your list that you still need a gift for.
Therefore, I'm giving you a special last-minute discount as an incentive to try out our service.
Simply enter greatpr1219 as the customer code at checkout, to cut the price of your order by 10%
This is only good until December 19th.
Just take one look at them and I'm sure you'll see what I mean.
2. One of the most powerful gifts I could give you is the gift of knowledge.
So this year I've decided to combine with a group of Marketing Superstars to give you information designed to give you a bigger bottom line in the coming year.
Here's how it will work.
Starting the first week of January, for a total of 12 weeks, you will have the opportunity to participate in a weekly conference call packed full of powerful information on a range of key topics.
None of the calls will cost you a cent, other than long distance fees. But each one has the power to rock your world.
I'll be one of those speakers. In fact, I'll actually be doing two separate sessions, one announced, and the other which will be a surprise bonus later on, but that's actually a secret, so keep it quiet.
So, here's my second present to you - the gift of knowledge.
I can tell you, I'm going to be listening in on most of these calls. I believe you should too!
Tags: Gift Baskets, Gifts, Christmas, 12 Week Intensive, Holiday,
Posted by Don Crowther at 07:33 PM | TrackBack
September 14, 2005
How To Create A Fantastic Publicity Event
I admit it, I'm guilty. I have two food-related weaknesses... chocolate, and tomatoes. (A weird combination, I know.)
One side effect of this weakness is a need to have 15-25 different tomato plants growing in my garden every summer, I've even tried growing them inside during the winter (miserable failure!).
I'm still working on growing chocolate plants (where's Mr. Wonka when I need him?)
So, when one of our local garden centers held "Tomatomania" last week, I was all over it.
And what I saw was a powerful example of a perfectly executed publicity event with some resultant learnings that can benefit all of us.
First, let me outline their strategic situation. Imagine that you're a privately-owned player in the midst of a chain-oriented marketplace. The chains have big money that they spend on TV, print and radio ads. Plus, your staple business (nursery items) has been encroached upon by the discount stores, with every KMart, Wal*Mart, Target and Shopko trying to steal your customer base. How do you react?
Most companies in this situation do exactly the wrong thing, choosing the knee-jerk price competition route by running lots of sales and undercutting everyone else's prices. This simply speeds their demise by decreasing their profit margins.
This nursery, called Milaeger's, in Racine Wisconsin has done just the opposite of the norm. They have chosen to go upscale, focusing on providing a wide range of gorgeous and unusual plant varieties that you can't get anyplace else. So, when everyone else offers one variety of Kohlrabi (try one, they're in your vegetable aisle and they're great!), they offer six.
They've also developed a catalog business, supplying mail order annuals and perennials all over the nation.
Plus, they've expanded beyond the nursery into a a retail boutique, lifestyle-type company, with upscale yard furnishings and ornaments, some quality clothing, perfumes and the like and a cafe.
But my favorite line addition is their Christmas selection. Since not many plants are sold in Wisconsin winters, they offer this line to as a counter-seasonal offering. They manufacture their own line of Christmas trees, some even pre-lit with tons of lights, all with joints that allow you to store the tree broken down, with the lights still on it. Plus they offer a wide variety of classic Christmas ornaments, like Christopher Radko, Old World, Patricia Breen and my favorite, Polonaise.
Every year they create a Christmas Tree Village, with a room full of trees featuring their high-fashion tree decoration designs, and another room filled with ornaments, trains and collectable villages.
Their stores have become a tourist attraction, with multiple busses pulling up every day during the holiday period, packed with people who all end up buying a few souvenirs (oftentimes to the tune of several thousand dollars) to take home. (Nice strategy... people actually pay to get on charter busses to come and visit your store!)
I go there every year to get my first hit of holiday spirit...
Back to Tomatomania.
It's Labor Day weekend. In Wisconsin, planting's finished long ago, with the exception of a few fall items. Christmas hasn't kicked in yet. This is the classic recipe for yet another low traffic / low sales weekend.
But that's not the way good businesspeople think - for a good entrepreneur, if there's no external factors to drive sales, they create one internally. Thus the birth of Tomatomania.
Tomatomania is a simple concept - give people the opportunity to taste different varieties of tomatoes to determine which ones they personally prefer, in hopes that they will come back next year and buy those plants for their garden.
But its the way that Milaegers executes it that gives us lessons can be learned.
Tomatomania was held in one of their newest greenhouses (with high, rounded roofs) located right behind the boutique portion of their store. As one walked in, we were directed outside through their remaining nursery inventory, featuring lovely blooming roses with signage pointing out that fall is a great time to plant roses.
Walking into the greenhouse we were faced with a u-shaped set of tables, surrounding chairs and additional tables in the middle. On the outside tables there were 83 different plates, each containing cut-up pieces of a different variety of tomatoes. (I had no idea that there even were 83 different varieties!) Each variety was numbered. We were handed a worksheet where we could record our choices (by number only - no names to influence our choices) and a recipe book containing tomato recipes. All of this was accompanied by nice music and a plethora of managers and employees tending to the samples and chatting with the visitors.
When we finished sampling, we returned to a table, where we were given a chart allowing us to determine which varieties we personally preferred, and an entry form for a door prize. That form asked for our contact information, plus a list of the tomato varieties we preferred. This simple door prize entry enabled them to
1. Build a mailing list of tomato lovers
2. Mail us in the spring, reminding us which varieties we chose, and inviting us to return to pick up our plants from them (which, in my case would have to be from them, because I found that none of my personal favorites were varieties which are commonly sold in other garden centers... another key reason to hold an event of this type)
3. Determine which varieties are most preferred by their customer base, enabling them to feature that in their signage next year and to determine in advance how much they should plant of each variety.
From there we were drawn into the middle where they were serving food, cooked by their cafe staff and available either in their store or from their cafe (sampling their products)
Finally, they conveniently set the operation up to draw us from the greenhouse directly into the boutique portion of their store (remember that we already came through the nursery operation, now we're exiting through the clothing, Christmas, and other product lines) where we ran right into the discount racks clearing out inventory at good prices, and catching a glimpse of the Christmas preparations being made on the side.
And, by the way, I heard that they had done a special closed showing the night before for their A-list customers.
In total, they probably pulled in 20% of all of their target households from the community, plus many from outside, who will then probably make a special trip in the springtime just to pick up their personal favorite tomato varieties for their garden.
All in all, it was a great example of how attention to detail can turn a so-so promotional event into a success. Remember, they could have just put out a bunch of tomato slices for us to try. Instead this event featured:
1. Good marketing (marketing actually started early spring with flyers given to anyone buying plants at the store) and it was included in all of their promotional announcements throughout the season (they have a regular set of seminars and other activities throughout the year)
2. Forced exposure and strong tie-in to their core of the business (it's amazing how often we see events that, though they bring in a ton of people, don't have anything to do with the business that sponsors the event - picnics sponsored by banks, and parades sponsored by insurance companies leap to mind). Remember, they pulled us through the mainstay of their operations either on the way in or the way out of the event, where I'm sure lots of people dropped a few dollars too.
3. Participatory - this wasn't just a stand around and chat with a drink in hand, it was an opportunity to interact on a deep and personal level with the product they sell. After all, I was actively (and blindly) choosing my personal favorite tomato varieties.
4. Providing an automatic and useful recycling mechanism (I say recycling because the mailing that I'm sure I'll receive in April will recycle me back into their store and future Tomatomania events.) Remember that this mailing can not only be personalized to my address, but to my own individual tastes because they asked me to tell them which ones I liked.
5. Providing an upwardly-spiraling promotional loop. This event will feed into next year's sales, which will inspire next year's event, which will increase the next year's sales etc. And keep in mind that though this promotion pulls me into their store to buy tomatoes, I will also walk out with lots of other products during the key planting season next year.
Keep in mind also, that this whole discussion didn't even talk about the media attention received by the event. This was pure public relations, building relations with their public.
All in all, a powerful program that really works. Now, jump back and read this list of 5 criteria for a great event. How many of these types of elements did you have in your last event? What ideas can you implement in your next one?
Want to make that next special event a successful one? Check out our newly relaunched How to Plan and Promote Sizzling Special Events. This 7-CD set and/or ebook features specific advice on how to successfully plan a special event and advice on how to maximize the publicity resulting from that event. It also includes 15 detailed checklists, that walk you through the process of planning and promoting your event in a way that ensures your success! It's available either as a 7-Audio-CD set or as an instantly downloadable ebook, or you can get both at a special discounted price. Check out How to Plan and Promote Sizzling Special Events.
Posted by Don Crowther at 10:56 AM | TrackBack
June 29, 2004
How To Talk To A Reporter At A Social Gathering
PR expert, Joan Stewart, recently told the following story:
At an after-work cocktail party recently sponsored by the local weekly business journal, a woman I was chatting with told me she was dying to meet the new editor who had relocated here several months ago from an out-of-town newspaper. "I'm going to suggest he write a story about our company," she said.
Fortunately, I rescued her before she convinced him that she was clueless about how to work the media.
"He's got more people swarming around him than flies around a garbage barrel," I said. "Besides, they're probably all pitching ideas to him. And the last thing he wants right now is a story pitch."
I know because I had his job six years ago. After a long day at the office, he might not have wanted to be at the party to begin with. And he had a drink glass in his hand, not a notebook. So how in the world could he remember who you are and what you're pitching? There are far better ways to get his attention:
--Introduce yourself, tell him what you do and ask how he likes his new job.
--Ask about his family. Is he married? What does his wife do? Do they have children?
--Have they had a chance to investigate their new city? What do they like to do for fun?
--What kinds of restaurants does he like?
--What are his hobbies?
Once you've obtained that information, make a beeline for the restroom and write his answers on a sheet of paper.
The next day, send him a short note welcoming him to the area. Include with it your business card along with a recommenation for a restaurant he might like, a suggestion for a fun place where he can take his family, or an article from a magazine that talks about a day trip his kids might enjoy. I promise you, he will remember you from among all the other people he met--most of whom want something from him.
Introducing yourself to the editor might come in handy some day, like when you have to go before the newspaper's editorial board to ask its support for a controversial issue you are concerned about. But if you really want a story, go about it the right way. Find out the name of the beat reporter who covers your industry. That's the person you should be schmoozing and pitching to--not the editor who is bogged down with management responsibilities.
Lots more tips like this one on how to schmooze reporters and cement relationships with media folks are on the one-hour audio tape "Get Free Publicity in Print." It's one of Joan's very best interviews. You will learn
- The most important thing you must do when establishing valuable media relationships,
- The 5 most important words you can say to reporters,
- What to do and say when you take a reporter to lunch
- What you should NEVER say to a reporter or editor,
- The "forgotten" reporters at newspapers
- Tips for creating news releases, media kits and tip sheets
Get your copy of Get Free Publicity In Print today!
For lots of insider secrets on how to convince editorial boards to support your cause, check out "How to Win the Support and Respect of Newspaper Editorial Boards." Only $9.
Posted by Angie at 08:10 PM | TrackBack
How to Clinch a Media Sponsorship for Your Fund-Raiser or Special Event
Lining up a media sponsor can be one of the most powerful ways to attract attendees, donations or volunteers for your fund-raiser or special event.
The media co-sponsor these events for many reasons. Yet competition is fierce in the event-planning world for media sponsors. Some TV community affairs directors routinely get several dozen requests a week for sponsorships. That’s why your pitch must stand out in the crowd.
First, however, you need to understand why the media are eager to team up with community groups like yours and co-sponsor events:
- It makes the media outlet look good in the community
- It can sometimes mean additional publicity, even by competing media
- It’s an inexpensive way for the media outlet to spread the word about its good deeds.
- It gives the media a chance to sell their product (newspapers, listenership, viewership) at an event.
- Having its name associated with successful community events enhances the media’s credibility.
- Sometimes media celebrities such as news anchors are asked to serve as emcees, thus elevating their profile in the community.
- It’s the right thing to do.
Now, here are the advantages TO YOU of lining up a media sponsorship for your special event:
- It will save you thousands of dollars in advertising costs because newspapers magazines, and TV and radio stations typically donate free ads.
- A media sponsor will give your event more credibility.
- The media sponsor might give you more publicity than it would have otherwise, particularly if it’s a TV station. This is not necessarily true with print media, however.
Want to learn exactly how to land a media sponsorship? Click below.
How to Clinch a Media Sponsorship for Your Fund-Raiser or Special Event
For a complete guide to achieving fabulous success in planning your next special event, click here: How to Plan and Promote Sizzling Special Events
Posted by Angie at 08:06 PM | TrackBack
June 25, 2004
Public Relations Networking How To Work A Room
We have all seen the movies where the main character enters a party. Heads turn, people whisper, drinks fall to the floor from the hands of those who are so enamored by the powerfully dynamic individual with the stylish hairdo and expensive watch. Quickly, this character moves from one end of the room to the other, shaking hands, making deals, and scheduling golf games with every person in the room. Of course, this isn't difficult for them, since everyone in the room jumps at the chance to bask for a moment in the presence of this person. Then the scene ends with the person leaving the room with a flourish that typically involves the exchange of large amounts of money, a fist fight, an amorous encounter, or a security escort.
But, in real life, everyone knows that this never happens! (Hint: Really, this never happens, unless you hang out with politicians and move stars.)
Real life: You've been invited to the event of the year, where you'll hopefully be able to schmooze with some powerful media gurus and other highly influential people who know everyone within a 1000 mile radius. This is your chance to network yourself into some great deals or exposure that you couldn't get otherwise.
Quiz time . . .
Do you:
A - Hide in the corner, twiddle your thumbs and tap your foot to every song played in the background?
B - Attempt to meet everyone in the room, with the goal of having every one of them walk out with your business card clutched in their hot little hands?
C - Focus on the big shots in the room, ignoring everyone else. After all, aren't the big shots the ones with all of the power?
D - Introduce yourself to a few select individuals and conduct quality conversations that focus on them and their interests, only peripherally discussing business?
What did you answer? If you're "normal", you probably answered B or C. (Actually, if you're normal, you probably spent the whole evening chatting with the three people you already know at the party...not a recommended networking activity!)
Here's where I part company with normality (something my wife thinks happened years ago), as my experience, and that of most of the leading networking experts shows that something else works much better...
I remember a conversation that I had about 18 months ago with a friend of mine.
We were both walking into a key networking cocktail party for our industry. As we approached the door he turned to me and said "I bet I can walk out of here with more people's business cards than you can." I answered, "you're on" then watched him flit from one person to another in the room, literally giving out his card and getting their's within 60 seconds of starting the conversation, only to move on to the next person within another couple of minutes.
I, on the other hand, spent the entire evening in deep conversation with just 3 people.
Obviously, I lost the bet.
But did I?
18 months later, his business is struggling. My business is doing just fine, due in a large part to two of those three relationships that I created that night. And, that evening created not only one of my best friends, but references to dozens of other industry bigshots whom I would never have met otherwise.
The lesson that I've learned over and over again in my career, is that the relationships that make a difference are rarely begun in a 3 minute business card exchange conversation. They almost always take a significant investment in time and truly getting to know someone during the initial meeting.
What most people don't realize is that working a room has nothing to do with meeting everyone. The art of working a room is to create deep, foundational conversations with just a few key people. Trust in a person comes over time.
Here are some tips that could certainly help you:
1. Plan in advance who you want to meet during the activity. If possible, have a mutual friend introduce you, so that you come into the relationship with a good recommendation.
2. Be willing to invest 10 minutes with someone before you decide that they're not worth developing a deeper relationship. You'll be amazed at how often you'll find out something 8 minutes into a conversation that will become the networker's dream that you would have never heard if you would have rejected that person after 3 minutes of discussion.
3. Start with getting to know the person. If you introduce yourself, then jump into a sales pitch, you'll be brushed away faster than the dirt on a hardwood floor. Build a relationship of trust.
4. Focus the conversation on them, not you. People love to talk about themselves. Learn something personal about them - get them talking about their family, their interests, their background, in addition to finding out what they do for a living. This tells them that you care more about them than their business.
5. Think about how you can help your new acquaintances to meet their business or even personal goals. Then tell them how you can help them to do that for free. You're not selling your services / products at this point, you're helping...
6. Once everyone seems to be at ease, don't be afraid to confidently tell them what you do, and pass them more information. If done right, they'll be more than happy to learn more.
The business world can be tough. Quite often, it comes down to who you know and how well you know them. These tips should help you put your best foot forward without tripping over it in a crowded situation. Good luck, and happy partying!
Oh, one more thing - we rarely even try to meet the big shots at parties, other than maybe shaking their hand, for several reasons:
1. They're going to meet hundreds of people that night, and certainly won't be remembering you.
2. They're usually so involved in accepting adulation that they won't even be thinking about the others in the room and how they could work a deal with them.
3. It's usually easier to develop the relationship with the big shot outside of the room through follow ups done the next day reminding them that you met the day before (yes, all you did was shake their hand, but you did meet...) and offering them some idea to help them build their business.
By the way, the answer is 'D'.
These skills take time and effort, but most importantly, they require a mind set of how networking really works. If you'd like to find out more about this key subject visit 101PublicRelations.com's sister site, WinningAtBusiness.com for two additional articles/special reports:
How to Reach Your Business and Career Goals Through Professional Networking
8 Secrets That Will Guarantee You Professional Networking Success
Posted by Angie at 01:44 PM | TrackBack
June 23, 2004
How to Create a Sizzling Special Event
Why is it that during the summer, the seemingly most relaxing time of the year, that PR and marketing people still seem stressed out? Could it be your responsibility to plan that "big event" - the company picnic, grand opening, convention or holiday party?
If you're dealing with those challenges (or may sometime soon), you will need to consider a whole host of questions and issues. For example, here are some location-related questions:
- Do you have a new building or location that you wish to showcase? If so, why not have the event there.
- Is the location easy to find. If it's not, you'd better have good maps handy and make sure that they get sent out with the other information.
- Is there an adequate number of restrooms for the size of the event? (In all seriousness, DO NOT skip this question. I was recently at a large event where, because they had rented only part of the building, all of the restrooms were blocked off except one pair and we had 500 people to run through them in a 15 minute intermission. NOT PRETTY, especially after we turned the men's room into a women's room leaving the few last-minute men frustratingly standing outside!)
- Is there any road construction that will make it difficult for attendees to get to the site? You probably should check with the city/county/state to make sure that nothing's planned to start just before your event.
- Is the site located in an area that attendees consider safe?
- Is parking easily accessible to guests and vendors? Is it free?
- Does the cost of the location fit within your budget?
- Does the location meet all standards for accessibility to those with disabilities?
- Does the image of the location fit the image of your organization?
- Is the site easy to work with and willing to go the extra mile?
- Are there special permits required for the site? Don't get caught without one if you need it. Don't forget questions like music, closing times, parking issues, crowd control, etc.
- If it is an outdoor site, do you have an indoor site alternative in case of bad weather? Is it close enough to the outdoor site so that people can move quickly and easily if the weather suddenly changes in the middle of your event.
These are just a few of the 899 questions we've identified to help you pull off the greatest event your organization's ever done. Need the rest?
How to Create a Sizzling Special Event
Posted by Angie at 05:12 PM | TrackBack
How To Plan and Promote Sizzling Special Events
Special events, be they must-attend galas featuring your community's movers and shakers, grand openings, customer-appreciation picnics, trade shows, etc. have huge publicity power...if you do them correctly.
Our new guide, "How to Plan and Promote Sizzling Special Events" ensures that you will NEVER have to spend another sleepless night worrying about your next special event. In it, former event planner Debra J. Schmidt and publicity expert Joan Stewart have created six audiocassettes and a collection of 15 valuable checklists that reveal all the little-known secrets of how to plan and promote sizzling special events.
CREATE THE EVENT YOU CAN BE PROUD OF.
This seminar in a box will help make you a success, regardless of the type of event you are planning. The strategies in this package can be used by those planning a festival, charity ball, fund-raiser, church event, food fair, school event, open house, black-tie dinner dance, corporate event for clients, arts program, new business opening, concert, training session, convention, health fair, picnic, etc.
PICTURE YOURSELF AT SUCCESSFUL EVENT?
It's a full two months before your event, and you can barely keep up with reservations. In the subway, at the coffee shop and at the local gym, everybody is buzzing about it. Even the media folks are excited, because you've piqued their interest. Stories and photos are ALREADY showing up in newspapers and on TV. And tickets for the event are flying out the door. Impossible? Not if you know the tricks of planning your event, then promoting it to the hilt.
DO YOU MAKE THESE MISTAKES?
You don't have a way to stay organized. You can't keep your event staff motivated because everybody's bickering and there's too much to do. You're buried under scraps of paper, Post-it notes and memos. You have an unrealistic budget. Nobody has thought about creating a timeline. You don't know anybody in the media who can help you publicize the event. But you DO know one thing - You're in BIG trouble. YOUR REPUTATION IS AT STAKE
All it takes is one or two dumb mistakes during the planning, or a missed opportunity to promote, and your event can be a COLLOSAL FLOP. First you must apologize to everyone from your planning committee to hundreds of disappointed guests. Then you have to overcome all the negative publicity. Finally, if it's an annual event, you have to virtually start from scratch next year. Don't risk ruining your reputation or that of your company or non-profit. Take the time to learn all the fail-safe methods of event planning and promotion. Or you'll hate yourself later.
WHO SHOULD OWN THIS PACKAGE:
Event and meeting planners Corporate HR departments Non-profits Marketing and PR departments PR agencies who publicize their clients' events Volunteers Fund-raisers Community groups Schools and colleges Arts groups Party planners Anyone who co-sponsors events Media sponsors
HERE'S WHAT YOU GET IN THIS POWERFUL SEMINAR IN A BOX
You'll get over 5 hours of information-packed audio:
Tape 1: The Critical Checklists for Pre-Event Planning
Tape 2: Tips for Staging the Event Without a Hitch
Tape 3: How to Evaluate Success and Hot Tips for Follow-Up
Tape 4: Laying the Groundwork for Pre-event Publicity
Tape 5: How to Lure the Media on the Big Day
Tape 6: Secrets for Promoting Your Event Long After It's Over
Plus, you get a CD-ROM containing 15 "Can't-do-Without" checklists to make your job hassle-free
This is the exact same information that professional event planners use to justify charging you $20,000 or more to plan your event. How much would you be willing to pay to save $5,000 to $20,000.00 on your next event? You'll be amazed at how little this costs...
Want to see a complete list of everything that you'll learn in this package? Click here:
How to Plan and Promote Sizzling Special Events
