Author: Christina Hamlett

The very existence of flamethrowers proves that sometime, somewhere, someone said to themselves, ‘You know, I want to set those people over there on fire, but I’m just not close enough to get the job done. – George Carlin

Among the overused metaphors about progress, invention, and career advancement is the one about expanding your mental margins by “thinking outside the box.” While it’s certainly true that unconventional approaches throughout history have given us a broad spectrum of time and labor-saving devices, the memo that way too many people seem to miss is the fact that before you can start breaking the rules, you have to first learn what those rules actually are.

In other words, have you ever spent time in that box you’re trying to bust out of?

In an earlier generation, it was called “paying your dues” and “learning the ropes.” It was about listening to mentors, participating in hands-on training, making trial-and-error mistakes, and identifying the academic credentials and skill sets required to climb the ladder and achieve success. That was then. This is now. A now in which an entire population feels entitled to demand that we allow them to bypass all of the recommended reading, placement exams and entry-level jobs and not only be installed at the top of the class but also on the very top rung of that competitive corporate ladder. While more opportunities exist today than yesterday for young people to chase whatever dreams beckon, there’s a clear and disconcerting disconnect in appreciating the efforts of the dreamers – and hard work – that all came before and made those opportunities possible.

Whether it’s the intern who expects a corner office on her first day, the new busboy who tells the chef, “Cooking doesn’t look that hard – why not just let me take a spin in the kitchen tonight?” or the aspiring young screenwriters who eschew the strict industry protocols of formatting, we’re faced with an escalating mindset of individuals determined to reinvent a wheel just for the sake of reinvention, of being different, of making a statement. If it’s your quest to develop a more efficient car, to improve health care delivery, or to write a boffo movie plot no one has ever seen before, we say, “Bravo!” We also say, though, that you first judiciously study existing vehicles inside-out, pinpoint specific deficiencies in current health care programs, and watch a century worth of films before you proclaim that your premise of a cute extraterrestrial getting left behind by the mother ship and making friends with kids in suburbia is an original concept that people should pay attention to.

In a nutshell, you must know what has already been done before you can lay any claim as to how to do it better.

Here is this month’s exciting lineup of guest blogs:

Stop Writing for Web Crawlers and Write for Readers – by Amandah Blackwell

The Psychology of PR: Tips and Tricks about Why People Like What They Like – by Mickie E. Kennedy

Social Media Marketing Checklist for Your Next Trade Show – by Richard Larson

The 5 Things to Avoid in Your Next Web Conference – by Carrie Wynne

 

 

 

After working almost two weeks on the creative slant for an interior designer’s upcoming feature for the local press, the last thing I expected was a call from her assistant telling me that the story needed to be put on hold. “The thing of it is,” she meekly explained, “Caroline has sorta been working on a similar story with another publisher and since they want exclusivity – well, uh, would it be okay if she held off on doing yours for a while so that theirs can run first?”

Why did I suddenly find myself flashing back to high school and hearing that the guy who asked me to the prom had apparently found a hotter date. “But hey,” he might as well have said (indifferent to the money I had already spent on my dress), “maybe we can go bowling or something in a couple months…”

In the years I’ve spent in the media industry, I’ve met no shortage of business owners that treat journalists as if they are either coveted trophies or simply placeholders that can be ditched guilt-free in a heartbeat. Just like a teenage girl without a steady beau, they spend every waking hour hoping that someone really popular will sweep them off their feet and into the spotlight. In the meantime, they’re indifferent to any wannabe suitors that are not only besotted with them but would also probably be attentive and show them a great time.

When it starts to become apparent that they’re just not going to get that date with destiny they’ve been dreaming of, they grudgingly accept a “lesser” invitation rather than not be seen at all. Their grumpiness, however, quickly manifests in snarky behavior toward the person who has offered to gallantly rescue them from being home alone on prom night with a carton of Chunky Monkey ice cream. They don’t return the date’s phone calls. When they do, it’s with the attitude that they’re being taken away from something much more important. To top it off, instead of enjoying any time on the dance floor once they arrive, they’re the ones most likely to sit there with arms folded and a grumpy scowl the entire evening.

Getting back to the interior designer, she had to have known that accepting two invitations for the same event would eventually require her to choose one over the other. The way she handled it, however, did far more damage from a credibility standpoint than she likely took into account when she decided to become a player.

In the first place, the weekly newspaper for which I contribute feature articles has treated her extremely well throughout the years she has been an advertiser. The competition – a magazine-style monthly – has never worked with her at all…and yet she is convinced it will be a marriage made in Heaven. Secondly, she was dishonest with both of us. Not until the question of exclusivity was raised was she finally forced to admit that she was already in a long-term relationship with someone else. Thirdly, isn’t it a bit of cowardice to use a messenger instead of making the call yourself?

While I’m professionally bound to accommodate whatever assignment decisions my publisher makes, on a personal level it’s pretty remote that hers is a business I’d ever want to hire. Based on a glaring lack of media manners, what assurance would I have that she wouldn’t abandon my kitchen remodeling job halfway through on the excuse that she just couldn’t say “no” to a guest stint on HGTV?

The takeaway lesson? If you pride yourself on never breaking promises to the customers that keep your doors open, the same courtesy needs to extend to your dates with the media.

Here’s the lineup of this month’s blogs by my guest contributors:

It’s All About the Conversation – by Shannon Mouton

How to Get More Eyes and Ears on Your Webinar – by Noelle Sterne

7 Cardinal Sins of Web Content Writing – by Melissa Rudy

The Truth About Money, Abundance and Success – by Wayne Porter and Mandy Wildman

8 Reasons Why Not Having a Blog is Hurting Your Business – by Amandah Blackwell

It’s a fact of life that within every volunteer organization or public/private entity, there’s always going to be that one irrepressible personality who not only has the vision to routinely color outside the lines but also the chutzpah to liven up dull meetings by suddenly blurting out, “Hey, I know what! Let’s all go chase rabbits!”

Assuming that the notion of rabbit-chasing as The Next Big Thing has never occurred to anyone, the group response may initially be one of unabashed excitement.

Wow! Rabbits! Who’d have thought?!

In the early stages of that giddy moment, it’s enough to make everyone want to drop their pencils, lace up their track shoes and follow the idea gal/guy right out the door as if s/he were the pied piper of Hamelin.

This, of course, is not always the best approach to take if you’re hoping for a successful outcome.

Has anyone paused to consider, for example, whether rabbits are actually indigenous to the area or would need to be imported? Are there rabbits aplenty or just one or two? Is someone with more experience on rabbit-chasing already doing this? What types of skill sets are required to be an effective rabbit-chaser? Will there be costs involved? Are there environmental groups that might oppose this activity? To what purpose will the caught rabbits be put?

In most cases, the person who came up with this idea is the one least likely to have any answers on how to actually implement it. That’s okay. It’s their ongoing sparks of imagination that light a fire under those on the committee who have the analytical expertise and methodical patience to explore multiple options, determine the risks, and establish a timeline. How often, for instance, have you heard someone remark, “I think it would be cool to open a restaurant,” “I want to start my own PR firm,” “I’ve always wanted to write a novel”…and yet they’ve done none of the research to see what’s already out there, who it is they’d like to reach, and how long it will take them.

Bottom line: The best idea in the world isn’t going anywhere unless time is taken to develop the very best plan to bring it to life.

As we celebrate America’s birthday this month, consider what might have happened if the Founding Fathers had decided to chase the British out of town, forego the formal paperwork to create a new government, and just make stuff up as they went along.

The rest, as they say, might not have been history.

**********

Here’s the lineup of this month’s blogs by my guest contributors:

How to Find and Select the Perfect Venue for Your Event – by Kim Hesse

“No Comment” – 6 Alternatives and Why, When & How to Use Them – by Cecelia Haddad

Marketing a Charity Through Social Media – by Mark Tomich

Do You Know the Buzzword? – by Toni Nelson

Media Relations Demystified – by Kaitlin Friedman

In 1996, defense lawyer Gerry Spence penned a book called How to Argue & Win Every Time. The title alone grabbed my attention, given that I was surrounded at the time by a lot of contentious people – including relatives – and wanted to have an inside edge on persuading them to my point of view. The book has long since disappeared from my home library (the perils of loaning favorite tomes without a smart tracking and retrieval system) but not a week goes by that I don’t apply its two most valuable takeaway lessons to interactions with my media relations clients; specifically, (1) winning isn’t winning if it damages the personal connection and (2) the best way to lead an opponent over to your side is to demonstrate empathy for their side.

Too often in the zeal to prove a point, make a sale or close a deal, what gets lost is an investment in the actual relationship. Creating a platform of trust – coupled with showing respect for the opposing viewpoint – is what lays the foundation for positive interactions…and repeat business. As a professional ghostwriter, for instance, my initial consultation with prospective clients often reveals the latter’s lack of familiarity with today’s mercurial publishing industry. They’re typically so hell-bent on “authoring” a novel that they’ve given no thought as to its scope, its target audience, its competition, its marketing plan or, for that matter, whether a book is even the best medium to deliver their particular vision. While Marshall Field – and later, Harry Gordon Selfridge –swore by the adage, “The customer is always right,” neither of them would have been good stewards of a ghostwriting client’s career, especially if they purposely catered to demands they knew would ultimately be detrimental to the person seeking assistance.

During any negotiation phase, the more support someone perceives is being given to the elements on which both sides agree, the more ownership they’ll embrace of ideas (including differing opinions) set forth by the other party. In any form of sales, it’s the ability to play devil’s advocate – to provide your customers with the tools and knowledge to not only make an informed choice but even potentially choose someone else – that establishes and sustains your reputation as someone who knows how to help others get what they really want.

**********

Here’s the lineup of this month’s blogs by my guest contributors:

Writing an Effective Press Release – by David Price

Everyone Could Use PR – by Michelle Messenger Garrett

Putting Personality Into Your Events – by Peita Bates

Blow Your Chances in a PR Job Interview in Four Easy Ways – by Nicole Reaney

Planning The Perfect Event (On a Not-So-Perfect Budget) – by John Leo Weber

 

If you’re looking to garner a lion’s share of publicity for your business, a common misconception is that you have to pay a king’s ransom in paid advertising. The fact that you have just shelled out a lot of money for a one-time ad in a newspaper or magazine, however, is never a guarantee it will translate to major sales for your product or service. The operative phrase “one-time” means that you’re banking on every prospective buyer reading the publication that very day and responding to your call to action. But what if they’re on vacation, spill coffee on the page or toss the magazine into their Read Later Stack…and then never do? You just wasted your money.

A smarter approach is the concept of “earned media.” Unlike paid advertising or the content you personally own (i.e. your website, business cards, brochures), earned media is all about putting the power of your brand into the hands of readers and subliminally encouraging them to share it with their network of family, friends and colleagues. Every time you contribute a guest blog, comment on the blogs of other writers, tweet and retweet interesting articles, start a LinkedIn discussion, post a review, “like” a Facebook page/comment/photo, pen an editorial, or offer a quote to a journalist doing research, you’re putting – and keeping – your name in circulation with the consumers you want to attract.

In this heightened age of sensitivity when everyone is wary about who to trust, are they more likely to respond to a hard sell “My product is really great because I said so” or the word-of-mouth referral from a social media connection who re-posts your funny/insightful/useful bons mots on a regular basis? If each of that friend’s friends follow suit and your content goes viral, you have essentially created your own virtual sales force to start a buzz and make the media shout-outs for you…and it didn’t cost you a cent.

 

Here’s the lineup of this month’s blogs by my guest contributors:

Getting Emotional in Business – by Carlo Pandian

Event Technology – Using Websites, Social Media & More to Promote and Plan Your Event – by Justin Ungerboeck

A Simple 10-Step Marketing Checklist – by Amandah Tayler Blackwell

How You’re Wrong About Debt Consolidation – by Marcelina Hardy

5 Foolproof Blogging Tips for Photographers – by Dazzle Rogers