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I Advice - Increase Your Sales 300% with Public Relations
Who is an e-mail customer service representative?This is a management or a company agent that does customer relations via the internet or e-mails. His principal duty is to represent his employer and the company at large. He does this by replying e-mail inquires and answering customer questions.As businesses expands and organizations breakeven, the need to complement growth with adequate management becomes inevitable. As we all know, poor management is at the bottom of most business failures. The bank of America in its publication “The small business reporter” said that in the final analysis, more than 90% of business failures are due to managerial incompetence and inexperience. In summary, businesses or organizations succeed almost to the extent that they are well managed.Customer relations which is another branch of management is the engine room for the success of an organization. You will agree with me that without customers, there is no business. They are the mind of any business, hence the nee
That article – and the media preceding it allowed Dream Arcades to increase the price of their products, while at the same time increasing their sales volume. The PlayBoy feature alone resulted in a sales increase of more than 250% and remains at a much higher level than it was prior to that.
The lesson that is important to draw from this is that sometimes PR takes months to generate dividends but when it does, it pays off dramatically. For the example above, the story began in Sept. 2005 and the feature came out in Feb. 2006 – five months later.
So what can a business owner do and, if she should hire someone, what should they help her with?
Anyone with time to spend, the ability to write clearly and speak English well can:
1. Write a press release
2. Write a letter to the editor of their local papers and trade media
3. A
Choosing an office location for your business can be confusing. If you are planning to rent or lease an office, there are some advantages and disadvantages to consider. The time and money you're willing to invest in office setup and operations determines whether you will lease an office traditionally or rent a Business Center. Below is useful information about both options to help you make an informed decision.Differences between Traditional Leasing and Renting a Business CenterTraditional office leasing means you're renting an office from a landlord but you must cover the expenses of setting up your office with furniture, equipment and office decor. You're only paying for the office space. A lease is a contract between you and the property owner stating that you will rent the office for a certain length of time. Many lease agreements are renewable every one or two years, and there is often a penalty for breaking a lease agreement prematurely.Renting a Business Center differs with traditional
The fact is, almost any small business can receive a positive return on investment if they manage their expectations and budget accordingly. Unlike advertising, you can’t dictate where, when, what and how often your message will be delivered. Public Relations is many things, but it is NOT "Free Ads." Instead, one should view it as the ultimate “word of mouth.” Instead of one happy customer telling 10 of her friends, today's Internet media can reach MILLIONS of people in a single day!
This is a great thing if you have confidence in your brand and patience with reporters who may have never heard of you, your company, products or even your new business concept. Ultimately, if you can sell the idea to an individual reporter he will talk about it – to his readers, co-workers and his friends at the TV station on the other side of town.
The long term benefits of public relations are what really create value. Unlike advertising, public relations campaigns aren’t always powerful immediately, nor do its effects fade once the campaign is over. Good press will last for months and years. It will also help defend your company from negative things that may come up. Additionally, positive press and public image can also generate increased awareness, leading to even more coverage … without you even lifting a finger!
For example, if you put a banner advertisement on a site that features a review of your competitor’s product, your message is delivered and that’s great. But what about two weeks or six months later when that advertising campaign is over? Your competitor’s review is still there … building value for their brand.
In fact, with today’s search engines, that review may actually become more powerful as people begin to link to it and treat it as an authority!
Last fall I created a campaign suggesting that as people upgraded their Xbox game consoles to the Xbox 360 that they might find a new home for their old console inside an arcade cabinet kit from Dream Arcades (http://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/11/prweb310903.php). The results from this campaign are a perfect example of the power of public relations.
The news that their controls would work with Xbox was old – everyone in the enthusiast community already knew that – but people that read Maxim, Stuff, New York Times, NBC … even ESPN didn’t!
They all loved this pitch. It was timely, well crafted and most importantly, it stood-out from the thousands of "Coming soon, an even better Xbox!" articles that everyone was obliged to write.
As a result, traffic to www.DreamArcades.com exploded – and so did their orders!
You are probably thinking that sounds like the end, but in reality this was the beginning. The wonderful thing about public relations campaigns vs. advertising campaigns is that the impact just keeps growing … if you are able to keep feeding it.
A few weeks later I got a call from PlayBoy. They had heard about Dream Arcades and now wanted to feature it in their April 2006 feature "PlayBoy’s Ultimate Gameroom." With nearly 2 million paid subscribers and who knows how many total readers, this is a MASSIVE achievement. If I had simply called them and pitched cold I would never have made it past the call screener. Instead, I had an editor CALL ME!
That article – and the media preceding it allowed Dream Arcades to increase the price of their products, while at the same time increasing their sales volume. The PlayBoy feature alone resulted in a sales increase of more than 250% and remains at a much higher level than it was prior to that.
The lesson that is important to draw from this is that sometimes PR takes months to generate dividends but when it does, it pays off dramatically. For the example above, the story began in Sept. 2005 and the feature came out in Feb. 2006 – five months later.
So what can a business owner do and, if she should hire someone, what should they help her with?
Anyone with time to spend, the ability to write clearly and speak English well can:
1. Write a press release
2. Write a letter to the editor of their local papers and trade media
3. An
First, circle the independent claims, which will illustrate here with parentheses, e.g., (1) means claim 1 is independent (it always is, BTW).Second, use an arrow after a dependent claim to show what claim it is dependent from.Third, use the PTO check mark and equal signs (from the file wrapper claim chart format) to indicate rejected or allowed claims. "=" means allowed, "./" (the closest can get to a check mark here) means rejected.Fourth, draw the claim chart veritcally on the inside of the file wrapper (in the margin) – this way you get a road map of the claims during reviewing the case.Miscellaneous notations might be added to remind you about the scope of the claims or other notes. e.g., "A" for apparatus, "M" for method, "o" for objected to, etc.Example: A ten claim case with 3 independent claims might have a chart like this:A (1) ./2 -> 1 =3 -> 1 ./4 -> 3 = M (5) =6 -> 5 =7 -> 6 =
The long term benefits of public relations are what really create value. Unlike advertising, public relations campaigns aren’t always powerful immediately, nor do its effects fade once the campaign is over. Good press will last for months and years. It will also help defend your company from negative things that may come up. Additionally, positive press and public image can also generate increased awareness, leading to even more coverage … without you even lifting a finger!
For example, if you put a banner advertisement on a site that features a review of your competitor’s product, your message is delivered and that’s great. But what about two weeks or six months later when that advertising campaign is over? Your competitor’s review is still there … building value for their brand.
In fact, with today’s search engines, that review may actually become more powerful as people begin to link to it and treat it as an authority!
Last fall I created a campaign suggesting that as people upgraded their Xbox game consoles to the Xbox 360 that they might find a new home for their old console inside an arcade cabinet kit from Dream Arcades (http://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/11/prweb310903.php). The results from this campaign are a perfect example of the power of public relations.
The news that their controls would work with Xbox was old – everyone in the enthusiast community already knew that – but people that read Maxim, Stuff, New York Times, NBC … even ESPN didn’t!
They all loved this pitch. It was timely, well crafted and most importantly, it stood-out from the thousands of "Coming soon, an even better Xbox!" articles that everyone was obliged to write.
As a result, traffic to www.DreamArcades.com exploded – and so did their orders!
You are probably thinking that sounds like the end, but in reality this was the beginning. The wonderful thing about public relations campaigns vs. advertising campaigns is that the impact just keeps growing … if you are able to keep feeding it.
A few weeks later I got a call from PlayBoy. They had heard about Dream Arcades and now wanted to feature it in their April 2006 feature "PlayBoy’s Ultimate Gameroom." With nearly 2 million paid subscribers and who knows how many total readers, this is a MASSIVE achievement. If I had simply called them and pitched cold I would never have made it past the call screener. Instead, I had an editor CALL ME!
That article – and the media preceding it allowed Dream Arcades to increase the price of their products, while at the same time increasing their sales volume. The PlayBoy feature alone resulted in a sales increase of more than 250% and remains at a much higher level than it was prior to that.
The lesson that is important to draw from this is that sometimes PR takes months to generate dividends but when it does, it pays off dramatically. For the example above, the story began in Sept. 2005 and the feature came out in Feb. 2006 – five months later.
So what can a business owner do and, if she should hire someone, what should they help her with?
Anyone with time to spend, the ability to write clearly and speak English well can:
1. Write a press release
2. Write a letter to the editor of their local papers and trade media
3. A
1.Be aware of what your competition is doing but don’t “compete” with them. To do so results in a game of “leapfrog” – this year your product’s a little better, next year, theirs is a little better, etc. This is a tough way to do business. This is the way to stay at breakeven or less. Instead, keep your focus on your customers and on how to “create” a better world for them. You’ll soon be so far ahead of the competition that it will just be you and your customers in the game. Where does one start in getting out of this game of leapfrog? That leads us to the next tip…2.Start the ball rolling with strategy. Developing a strategy – a plan of action to reach a certain destination or goal – is the start. Think of all the most successful businesses that you know of or have heard of. What is their strategy? They all have one. Some have referred to this as a big, hairy, audacious goal. This is how a business moves away from reactive mode and into proactive mode. This is how you “energize” yo
In fact, with today’s search engines, that review may actually become more powerful as people begin to link to it and treat it as an authority!
Last fall I created a campaign suggesting that as people upgraded their Xbox game consoles to the Xbox 360 that they might find a new home for their old console inside an arcade cabinet kit from Dream Arcades (http://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/11/prweb310903.php). The results from this campaign are a perfect example of the power of public relations.
The news that their controls would work with Xbox was old – everyone in the enthusiast community already knew that – but people that read Maxim, Stuff, New York Times, NBC … even ESPN didn’t!
They all loved this pitch. It was timely, well crafted and most importantly, it stood-out from the thousands of "Coming soon, an even better Xbox!" articles that everyone was obliged to write.
As a result, traffic to www.DreamArcades.com exploded – and so did their orders!
You are probably thinking that sounds like the end, but in reality this was the beginning. The wonderful thing about public relations campaigns vs. advertising campaigns is that the impact just keeps growing … if you are able to keep feeding it.
A few weeks later I got a call from PlayBoy. They had heard about Dream Arcades and now wanted to feature it in their April 2006 feature "PlayBoy’s Ultimate Gameroom." With nearly 2 million paid subscribers and who knows how many total readers, this is a MASSIVE achievement. If I had simply called them and pitched cold I would never have made it past the call screener. Instead, I had an editor CALL ME!
That article – and the media preceding it allowed Dream Arcades to increase the price of their products, while at the same time increasing their sales volume. The PlayBoy feature alone resulted in a sales increase of more than 250% and remains at a much higher level than it was prior to that.
The lesson that is important to draw from this is that sometimes PR takes months to generate dividends but when it does, it pays off dramatically. For the example above, the story began in Sept. 2005 and the feature came out in Feb. 2006 – five months later.
So what can a business owner do and, if she should hire someone, what should they help her with?
Anyone with time to spend, the ability to write clearly and speak English well can:
1. Write a press release
2. Write a letter to the editor of their local papers and trade media
3. A
A lot of students considering a civil service career think that a criminal justice degree is only good for being a law enforcement officer or, in combination with a legal degree, a criminal lawyer. Here are a whole range of criminal justice career choices that many degree-holders overlook, but are well worth consideration:Social Work/ Personal Cases These may include child support and child protective services, missing persons, domestic violence and spousal or elderly abuse. Domestic legal social work is often identified as having extreme pros and cons to it. On the one hand, you're working to make everyone's home life better. On the other, the work can be stressful when confronting a perpetrator or heart-wrenching when confronting a victim. Social workers will work with law enforcement officers to assess a domestic situation, monitor a case to ensure that the desires of the court are carried out, and make further recommendations to the court for the disposal of cases.Criminal Investigators and Spec
They all loved this pitch. It was timely, well crafted and most importantly, it stood-out from the thousands of "Coming soon, an even better Xbox!" articles that everyone was obliged to write.
As a result, traffic to www.DreamArcades.com exploded – and so did their orders!
You are probably thinking that sounds like the end, but in reality this was the beginning. The wonderful thing about public relations campaigns vs. advertising campaigns is that the impact just keeps growing … if you are able to keep feeding it.
A few weeks later I got a call from PlayBoy. They had heard about Dream Arcades and now wanted to feature it in their April 2006 feature "PlayBoy’s Ultimate Gameroom." With nearly 2 million paid subscribers and who knows how many total readers, this is a MASSIVE achievement. If I had simply called them and pitched cold I would never have made it past the call screener. Instead, I had an editor CALL ME!
That article – and the media preceding it allowed Dream Arcades to increase the price of their products, while at the same time increasing their sales volume. The PlayBoy feature alone resulted in a sales increase of more than 250% and remains at a much higher level than it was prior to that.
The lesson that is important to draw from this is that sometimes PR takes months to generate dividends but when it does, it pays off dramatically. For the example above, the story began in Sept. 2005 and the feature came out in Feb. 2006 – five months later.
So what can a business owner do and, if she should hire someone, what should they help her with?
Anyone with time to spend, the ability to write clearly and speak English well can:
1. Write a press release
2. Write a letter to the editor of their local papers and trade media
3. A
Making money on the web by selling cars online is not just a pipe dream. There are people making good money by selling cars online.At first glance some may think that this is difficult or requires special skills. In fact it is possible to learn selling cars online techniques in a short time. Then it's a matter of applying what you have learned to the real world.Many people are surprised that selling cars online is a big business on the Internet. After all who would buy a car online? Actually quite a few...thousands of people every month buy cars online.Some folks do buy from local online sources such as Craigslist or online classifieds from neighborhood newspapers. If you check out the many online car advertisements, you'll be surprised how many are listed.But there are many car enthusiasts who are looking for a particular car. They won't settle for another model or year of that car. Perhaps they want a classic Mini Cooper. It may be difficult or impossible to find this car locally. So the
That article – and the media preceding it allowed Dream Arcades to increase the price of their products, while at the same time increasing their sales volume. The PlayBoy feature alone resulted in a sales increase of more than 250% and remains at a much higher level than it was prior to that.
The lesson that is important to draw from this is that sometimes PR takes months to generate dividends but when it does, it pays off dramatically. For the example above, the story began in Sept. 2005 and the feature came out in Feb. 2006 – five months later.
So what can a business owner do and, if she should hire someone, what should they help her with?
Anyone with time to spend, the ability to write clearly and speak English well can:
1. Write a press release
2. Write a letter to the editor of their local papers and trade media
3. Answer the phone when a reporter calls
4. Quickly and concisely provide the information the reporter needs.
Additionally, with access to the internet, most people can also research the contact info for national and regional media. Or they can use a service like PR Web to quickly, cheaply and easily send out a press release.
So why do you need a public relations agency if you can write a press release and talk to the media all by yourself?
The answer is simple; because a professional can usually do it better – generating more positive results quicker, with less mistakes.
A public relations agent can:
1.Provide access to pre-existing contacts, PR tools and media databases
2.Provide an outside perspective – and the ability to suggest new ways of promoting the company, products, and services. I once had an article in the Financial Times and my boss called me in and demanded to know why I was "wasting my time" with, "some paper he had never heard of!"
3.Work with the business owner to maximize opportunities such as holidays, pop-culture news, or even political events.
4.Construct and polish pitches that are tailored to individual media and reporters.
5.Provide the experience of knowing what will and what won’t work – so that you make less mistakes. Good PR agents have already made and (hopefully) learned from their mistakes!
6.Help when the business owner simply doesn’t have the time to do it herself.
Should a business owner decide to brave the PR world all by herself, there are some quick and easy ways to make reach the public and the media – without spending a lot of money.
Make Friends with Trade Press!
If you are in an industry such as plastics, vending, gaming, dentistry, or even video games, find out who your trade media is. Almost every industry has trade media – websites, magazines, and newsletters. These guys are your friends. Your suppliers and your distributors probably read these. The best part is that if you send updates and news once per month you can build good awareness and even better – experience working with the press … a friendly press.
Make your Website Press Friendly!
You should have a website. Your website should be easy to navigate. Reporters should be able to quickly find a section labeled as "press" or "media." This section should contain all the information that a reporter would need to cover your company and products.
This at a minimum should include: contacts (phone and email), product brochures, product and company logo images for print and online use, brief company history and accomplishments, press releases and a list of upcoming events.
Let People Know about Your Website!
All of your marketing materials should include a link to your website. This includes emails, business cards, and brochures. Today you can even buy personalized stamps (http://www.zazzle.com) to make your mail stand out even before it’s opened.
Learn from your Mistakes!
You will make mistakes. Don’t let that bother you. Most media people are very forgiving. Often, they want the story as much as you want to give it to them. Just remember, they are human too.
Talk, Write and Share Your Knowledge!
Write articles for sites such as this one. Hey, it’s free except your time! This creates your own PR. Just like an article written by someone about me; it will last on the internet. If you like my ideas and comments I am sure you will be interested to learn more about who I am and what my company does. This c
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