Using Public Relations to Grow Your Organization
Everyone’s trying to spread the word. It seems everyone I speak to and everything I read focuses on business owners and nonprofits who are clamoring for the public’s attention. This is especially true for people in the job market who want to get hired; they must spread their own message about their skills, successes, and accomplishments. In the end, it’s all PR.
Leveraging traditional media such as newspapers, radio and Television, along with social and online media, can be both time consuming and a bit overwhelming. Many of us are just beginning to dabble in social networking sites, webinars, and online videos to promote our businesses and selves. Others have been “Twittering” and “Digging”, post video resumes when job-hunting and live for Craig’s List.
For some reason, Public Relations seems mysterious to so many people who could be reaping the benefits of it. Publicity is essential to your overall communications and marketing plan. It often complements other initiatives such as direct mail, display advertising and local radio/cable TV spots.
All the trainings and seminars I provide on Public Relations, including my January 29th free Teleseminar on “How to Build Your Proactive PR Strategy in 2009” (details coming this week on my website!), revolve around the need to be proactive and leverage the media to grow your business or nonprofit. Take the time to learn and invest in educating yourself on how traditional media and on-line PR /marketing can take your organization to new heights. Another option is to hire a professional PR expert to help you. I’m not advocating one or the other—simply encouraging you to use all the resources and technology that’s available for you to be successful.
The Two Keys To Your Success
If you ever consider areas of personal and professional development that you want to focus on, the two most important areas are communication and self-confidence.
Mastering these two skills will have a huge impact in every single area of your life.
Think about it. If you have superior communication skills, it affects all of your interpersonal communication and relationships. Outstanding communicators tend to motivated leaders who have positive attitudes, charisma, and vision. They understand the power of questions and the art of listening. Emotional Intelligence (compassion, congeniality, empathy, self awareness and assertiveness) is directly linked to strong communication skills.
Self-confidence is the key to success. Individuals with low self-esteem and self-worth are usually not leaders. You can blame everyone and everything under the sun for lack of self confidence. Maybe it was your parents, your first-grade teacher, the neighborhood bully, being overweight, and on and on….It’s time to end the “Pity Party” and know that you are in absolute control of your thoughts, behaviors, actions and habits. Regardless of what experiences you have had in the past, you can learn how to develop your self-confidence.
One of my favorite personal development books is the classic Psycho-Cybernetics by Dr. Maxwell Maltz. It sold 30 million copies worldwide, long before Tony Robbins, Dr. John Maxwell and Denis Waitley (they are among my favorites, but Maltz came first). Dr. Maltz was a plastic surgeon in the 1960’s and knew that he could repair the outer scars and wounds of people. He was more intrigued though by the inner scars and wounds that destroyed so many people. He spoke and wrote about self-destructive thoughts and behavior that are linked to a lack of self- confidence. According to Maltz, belief in yourself as a confident, competent human being is the cornerstone of success. We must acknowledge our self-worth and build our self-esteem. No one can do it for us.
If you want to supercharge your life, I recommend studying these two areas: communication and self-confidence. The rest will follow, like a miracle.
The PR Buzz
The New Year brings new “stuff”, including my snappy new electronic newsletter (e-zine) called “The PR Buzz.” Since 2005, I’ve been publishing a freebie newsletter every month on Public Relations and how to build relationships with reporters, write better press releases, prepare for news interviews, manage crisis communications, media coaching and more. It’s written for business and nonprofit professionals who want to get more publicity, build their visibility, credibility and revenues. Hey, we all need that!
“The PR Buzz” will be a short, punchy and fast-read for all of us “crazy busy” folks. It will feature topics, issues and solutions related to all of the above and more, including social media and online PR. It will be e-mailed to subscribers the last Friday of each month. Sign-up at www.sueyoungmedia.com.
Many people responsible for PR in their organizations are flying solo or haven’t had much experience in the news arena, so I’m also happy to offer “Recession-Proof PR” (http://www.getinfrontcommunications.com/RecessionProofPR/index.htm). This program allows me to be your Virtual PR Coach. Since it was launched a few months ago, “Recession-Proof PR” has kept me busy brainstorming and working with many folks to create PR plans, critique press releases and pitches, and more.
And of course I’ve saved the BIG news for last! I am hosting a F*R*E*E Teleseminar, “How to Build Your Proactive PR Strategy for 2009”. Mark Your Calendars for Thursday January 29, 2009 at 1:00 PM EST/12:00 PM Central. Details and registration will be available soon at www.sueyoungmedia.com.
The Failure in Resolutions
No need to stress over your New Years Resolutions. Whether you have made one or not, or have succeeded or failed in the past, don’t worry.
We don’t need New Year’s Resolutions to be successful. The word resolution means to resolve. The synonyms for the word resolve are: determination, steadfast, doggedness, tenacity and decide.
Day-to-day, it’s the word decide that keeps me moving forward toward my goals (resolutions.) I don’t need that magic second at midnight when the calendar page turns to January 1 to set a goal or resolve to do something. You can set your goals as I have, on April 4, June 28, September 17 or November 1. It all comes down to deciding. Once you consciously decide to do something, you automatically spring into action with momentum and energy. It doesn’t have to magically happen on December 31st.
At any given moment, we can set a goal, examine our attitudes, consider our tenacity (how bad do you want it?) and map out a plan for success. It’s all an inside mental job that takes root when you make up your mind with an unwavering commitment to succeed. You make a promise to yourself. Problems come up and you will solve them. Obstacles come up and you will go around them. People say you can’t and you run away from their poison.
Look back on anything you may have accomplished in your life and think about what motivated you and how you did it. It may be learning to ride a bicycle, understanding a new computer program or graduating from college. You succeeded because you made up your mind. This can happen at any on any day of the year.
Don’t pressure yourself to make a half-hearted resolution on December 31st that doesn’t have your absolute commitment and attention. Instead, find the right moment in your life when you have decided to make a promise to yourself…and keep it.
Developing Strong Vocal Habits
It’s no secret that New York Senate wanna-be Caroline Kennedy is getting raked over the coals for her “you knows” and other distracting vocal habits.
Make no mistake: I am not here to criticize or evaluate what she has said or done.
I prefer to offer some tips if you are interested in improving your own speech patterns, vocal vitality and communication skills. I cover this topic in my book Communicating with Confidence: Tips & Techniques for Powerful Business Communication. I also include a lot of this information, and more, in my Powerful Public Speaking program. In fact, I even write wedding toasts and eulogies, and coach individuals on their public speaking.
You may know that Kennedy is a Harvard-educated lawyer and author. She is clearly well-educated and bright. Articulating a message, to one person, or 100, is an art that can be learned. Many people, both public and private figures, hire communication coaches to help them learn the art of public speaking. Strong leaders are typically strong communicators. They have the ability to make their words come alive, which is an integral component of communication. Reading a textbook in college is quite different that actually practicing with a coach.
In my college broadcasting classes, my favorite professor taught us that radio is “theater of the mind.” He explained that on the radio, we had to use our voices and vocal vitality to capture the essence of our words so we could create mental images for our listeners. After all, in broadcasting, there are no visuals or body language to fall back on. It’s all in the voice. We had to make our words come alive.
Even if you’re not on the radio, you probably still have to speak to people on conference calls, on voicemail messages, in meetings, and for presentations. The spoken word is a huge part of your overall communication and how you convey a message. You don’t have to sound like a blustery game show host to have a vibrant and energetic voice.
A strong voice exudes confidence, authority, integrity, passion and enthusiasm. It builds instant credibility. A weaker sounding voice can diminish all of the above. Saying “you know” and “um” are empty fillers that distract listeners and imply you are struggling to formulate your thoughts.
The good news is that you can learn how to improve your delivery and vocal habits and work with what you have.
Here are five tips to improve your vocal vitality and delivery:
1. Avoid timidity. If you sound nervous or unsure of yourself, your professional credibility will be diminished. It’s all about self-confidence. Be sure to drop your voice down when completing a sentence. If your voice goes up at the end of the sentence, you sound as if you’re asking a question, not stating a fact. Avoid the “sing-song” delivery used by a lot of teenage girls.
2. Listen to yourself. For the sole purpose of learning, tape record a few casual conversations in your home and on the phone. Let your answering machine record your conversation. Pay attention to your inflection, pacing, tone of voice and vocal habits. Critiquing yourself can be a real eye-opener.
3. Emphasize important words. By stressing a key word or phrase, you truly drive your point home. Conversely, emphasizing the wrong word can confuse the listener.
4. Take advantage of silences and pauses. These are especially important in business communications and sales. Many people feel uncomfortable with quiet. Silence is critical in sales meetings when you drop the gauntlet and ask your prospect the golden question, “Are you willing to give it a try?” or “Are there any concerns you have that are stopping you from signing the contract and getting started right now?” That moment of silence can make or break the deal.
5. Express passion in your voice. If you sound bored, dull or monotone, the people listening to you will pick up on it. They will probably be bored as well. If you are excited and truly believe in your words and message, you have a great shot at capturing their attention. Enthusiasm is contagious.
Whenever you have the opportunity, try and smile when you speak. It may seem funny, but a smile on your face translates into happiness in your voice.
Sugar Coating Communication is for Kids and Grandma’s
I was recently interviewed for the International Association of MBAs. It was a fun and intriguing interview that prompted me to remember all the media training tips and strategies that I provide to my public relations clients. I invite you to read the interview. It’s titled, “Sugar Coating is for Kids and Grandma’s.” It is a short and quick read that covers personal PR and self-promotion, communicating with candor and “The 3 Most Dangerous Words.”
http://internationalmba.wordpress.com/2008/12/27/susan
If you enjoyed the interview, you’ll want to read Communicating with Confidence: Tips & Techniques for Powerful Business Communication. It covers these topics plus public speaking, reading body language, writing with simplicity, building rapport with Silent Listening skills, Emotional Intelligence, bridging communication gaps, NLP, and other topics on interpersonal relationships.
I am following the lead of a new associate I met recently. She told me she reads one new book a week and applies it to her life and/or business. I am grateful to her for this personal development tip. I have already started following her lead. Sign up for my free report, “Top 20 Success Tips to Master Your Life.” http://www.getinfrontcommunications.com/report/Top20SuccessTipstoMasterYourLife2008.htm
Communicate with Confidence. The sugar-coated stuff is for Kids and Grandma’s.
Self-Promotion and a Postive Mind
If you’re looking for insights and ideas into crucial communication techniques like personal PR (I call it “The Shameless Art of Self-Promotion”) and how to bridge communication gaps with Neurolinguistic Programming, or NLP, check out the interview Lisa Cummings did with me for the International Association of MBAs. http://internationalmba.wordpress.com/2008/12/27/susan-young/
Lisa asked me some great questions about why people are bashful and yes, even embarrassed about self-promoting. We all must self-promote in order to successfully market ourselves, our businesses, products, services and expertise. You don’t have to be self-employed to self-promote! If you work for a company, large corporation or nonprofit, it’s critical that you have your 30 second commercial or promo down to a science. New college grads definitely need this and a longer 2-3 minute infomercial for job interviews. More importantly, these promotions help you develop self-confidence. It’s not about regurgitating a mission statement or resume objective that’s equivalent to a sleeping pill. If you need an ideal promo, contact me and we’ll create a dynamic one together. Don’t have an identity crisis!
When Lisa interviewed me for her blog, we also talked about NLP. NLP is such a key tool for your communication because it focuses on our perceived reality and how we respond to it. Positive perceptions will take you a long way in life.
Making News
Too many people and organizations want to get publicity and “free press” but don’t have much to say. Some people mistakenly believe that thinking and breathing constitutes a news story. In other words, the events listed below will not attract the attention the media:
• A typical business seminar
• Your appointment to an internal committee in your company
• Sponsoring a minor league baseball game (and giving away free travel mugs to the first 100 visitors)
These are not newsworthy stories. They don’t affect the public.
I can’t begin to tell you how many people tell me they want to be in the New York Times, USA Today or on Good Morning America and Oprah. But what have they done?
Reporters and producers (the gatekeepers to the stories that get covered on radio and TV) are looking for people willing to buck trends, speak their minds, make strong statements and use a forward-thinking approach. They are looking for interesting, inspirational, and different.
For a long time, one of my PR clients was a bank with 19 branches. In the midst of the mortgage crisis on the East Coast and the subprime debacle, the CEO was cautiously watching from the sidelines and refused to answer media inquiries or follow any recommendations I made to get publicity. He was too afraid to make any kind of statement or speak to a trusted reporter I knew who may bring up the jaded topic. When the marketing director called and pointed out a big story in our state’s weekly business magazine about a competing bank, she wanted to know why we weren’t profiled.
How ironic. How do you get news coverage if no one in your company or nonprofit wants to speak to reporters?
You must be willing to say something or do something to make news. Living, breathing (and hiding) won’t get you publicity.
I’ll be talking about a news strategies and how to make news during my free Teleseminar: “How to Build Your Proactive PR Strategy in 2009.” Details on the January 29th call will be available at www.sueyoungmedia.com right after New Years. Stay tuned…
In The Business of Knowledge
The Star Ledger newspaper in New Jersey recently reported that President-elect Obama’s transition team selected Rutgers University history professor Clement Price to help choose the next director of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
This may not be the biggest news of the day, but Price, had an amazing quote.
When interviewed, he said, “The National Endowment for the Humanities is designed to promote knowledge and I’m in the knowledge business.”
Are you in the knowledge business?
The way to get into the knowledge business is to become a lifelong student of learning. This is just one of the habits listed in my “Top 20 Success Tips to Master Your Life” that’s available for free on my website.
Turn off the poisonous newscasts filled with doom and gloom, the shallow reality shows and the other things we fill our heads with that don’t help us grow, learn and succeed. Too many people are complaining they have mediocre lives. These are NOT people in the knowledge business. They are in the business of having their own never–ending “Pity Party.” Mediocrity is not for you.
People in the knowledge business follow my “Attitude Adjustment 101” program. They are disciplined. They set goals, visualize their triumphs and surround themselves with successful people. There’s no talk of ”Pity Parties” and Paula Abdul. They focus on empowerment and achievement.
Commit yourself to the business of knowledge: learn one new thing a day and actually apply it to your life. Develop your self-confidence, communication and leadership skills. When you model success and learn the business of knowledge, your life will take a new amazing path in 2009.
The Gift
If you’re considering a goal (I’m not a big fan of New Year’s Resolutions), think about giving people the gift of your attention. It’s the best gift you will ever give and it’s the one that everyone enjoys. What’s even better is that you don’t have to shop for it or wrap it.
When you were child, didn’t you excitedly tell your parents or older siblings “Hey look at me!” or “Watch this!” You may have been swimming, playing ball, doing handstands or a mastering a cool bicycle trick. All we wanted was the attention and focus of the people we loved. Even as kids, we were astute enough to know when they were watching with only half an eye.
The way we connect with people and build rapport in all of our interpersonal relationships is to give people the gift of our attention. Neurolinguistic Programming, or NLP, focuses on rapport and behavioral outcomes. It reminds us how we can connect and bond with people on deeper and more thoughtful levels. It works hand-in-hand with Emotional Intelligence, which focuses on compassion, thoughtfulness, congeniality and self-awareness. How do you respond when people ask you questions and request your attention? Do you truly pay attention and give the gift of your concentration? Or are you simply going through the motions to appease people?
Consider the goal I made 18 months ago: to live by the mantra of “Wherever my feet are, my head is.” This means that I am fully present and in the moment. I refuse to allow mental distractions to pull my mind in different directions. There’s no question that in our busy worlds with so many distractions, gadgets and messages, this is difficult.
When I’m with my 15-year-old daughter, I give her the gift of my undivided attention. When I speak at colleges or business meetings, I don’t allow my mind to drift to an e-mail I forgot to send, dinner plans or the dry cleaning. When you’re fully present, you’re more engaging. You listen differently, and as a result, you ask better questions. Your communication skills and relationships will take on new meaning and depth. “Wherever my feet are, my head is.”
Give the gift of your attention to everyone you encounter.
