Working With the Media ~ It’s Not Just Who You Know but Who Knows About You

(c) Copyright 2010, Suzanne Evans
http://www.helpmorepeople.com
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Leaders are key in business and motivation, but if you truly want to make money you need to be a follower. I was thinking of two very special clients tonight who have experienced some very massive success in 6 months. When Paige and Brian came to me they were barely getting by (and this is NO exaggeration). They needed help in their business and they needed direction. From our first session I was pretty tough with them. But, I also loved them from the first five minutes of our call. I told them they had to do exactly what I asked them to. Period. That’s how I coach.

* First, they had to come up with the money to coach with me. I gave them some hard tasks to do that. CHECK

* Second, they had to change their business focus and niche. CHECK

* Next, they had to leave their house and speak to strangers if necessary to get clients immediately. CHECK

* They had to have income to fund their business even if it meant a part time job. CHECK.

* They needed to listen to my marketing ideas and implement them immediately. CHECK.

* Finally, they had to agree to not always understand why I told them to do something, but trust me 100% and do it. CHECK.

I could go on and on, but the point is they did exactly what I asked them to do every single time I asked them to do it. They have called me in tears, in cheers, in confusion, and in clarity, but always with an absolute trust and a willingness to follow. When I was growing my business I did the same:

* I found a mentor that was patient, loving, and kind – she told me what to do… I did it 100% and grew my business to over six figures.

* Next, I worked with a marketing master and did the same. Even in fits of frustration I did everything he said and grew my business to over $300,000.

* Finally, I worked with my current mentor and again, I humbly agreed to be the best follower to ever be doing exactly what he suggested and I earned 7 figures in revenue.

What I have learned is most people would rather be right than rich. They would rather ask questions than obediently take action. Are you doing all that is asked of you by your coach and mentor – and I don’t mean most – I mean EVERYTHING? Because it takes 100% commitment to follow and take action on exactly what they share has worked for them. Why would you work with someone and then not take their advice and direction? What does it say about you that you invest (or don’t invest at all) and then ignore the information?

Paige and Brain got it and now they have regular 5 figure months. Being a follower pays off and it keeps paying off. They emailed me to say they want to renew the current program they are in (it doesn’t even end until July) but they wanted me to know now.

I responded – you will always have a seat at my table. No reservations needed.

You see followers want to hang out with other followers because they know the key to success. Thank you, Paige and Brian, for reminding me of what works. To be a leader you must be a great follower.
Working With the Media ~ It’s Not Just Who You Know but Who Knows About You20013Working With the Media ~ It’s Not Just Who You Know but Who Knows About YouI was talking with a reporter the other day about what works and what doesn’t work to attract the media’s attention.

When I asked him what he most needed from a source to cover a story, his answer was surprisingly simple: Lead time.

He said:You wouldn’t believe the number of times people have called me and said, we’ve got this really great story or photo for youit starts in 25 minutes.’

The amount of lead time reporters need to plan to cover events varies by media. Most newspaper and radio reporters and TV talk shows would like two to four weeks notice.

TV news crews that cover breaking news, however, often prefer only one to three days notice. They are usually slammed with assignments and focused on what is immediately before them.

In contrast, most magazines are written, edited and designed months before they appear in print. That means the December holiday issue may go to print in October or even August.

Taking the time to remember these deadlines is one example of the importance of educating yourself about the media you hope to attract. That means knowing the basic differences between print and broadcast media as well as developing mutually beneficial relationships with reporters.

Some key points to remember:

1) Ask if your message is more educational or entertaining. If the entertainment value is high or there are great visuals, television is the best medium. If you have large amounts of detailed information you would like to convey, print is better.

2) ALWAYS return calls immediately no later than 24 hours, and the same day is better. People in other businesses may think two or three days is acceptable. Not with the media. You have to get back to them immediately if you want a shot at being covered.

3) Make them look good. They’re trying to impress their executive producer or editor. Give them research, statistics, trends and background articles.

4) Don’t just follow up. Give them more research, statistics, articles, trends, commentary from your expertise. If you’re working with broadcast media give them more dramatic and compellingshow ideas. If it’s print, give them more scoops.

5) Just because they don’t return your call and emails doesn’t mean they’re not interested. It just means they’re busy. Don’t hold it against them. Be patient. Remember, media professionals are usually overworked, underpaid and under a tremendous amount of stress. Keep helping them and eventually they’ll take your help.

6) Remember the lead times differing media need to cover your story: two to four weeks for newspapers, radio and TV talk shows; one to three days in advance for TV news crews; and three to six months for magazines.

Above all, keep in mind the media professionals you are dealing with are humans and treat them cordially and with respect. Remember they are dealing with huge amounts of information that they have to fit into a short TV segment or a newspaper or magazine that is probably shrinking.

Building and maintaining good relationships with reporters is mutually beneficial. It gives reporters compelling material and sources higher name recognition and credibility. Remember, it’s not just who you know, it’s who knows about you.

Good Morning America Producer Mable Chan calls Michelle Tennant aFive Star Publicist. Tennant, a partner and executive publicist with Wasabi Publicity Inc., calls herself astoryteller to the media. She has more than 20 years experience publicizingtruly good stories andexclusively represents people who make a positive difference in the world, according to her Web site. You can learn more about her work on her blog at www.storytellertothemedia.com.