Media Interview Success

Media Interview Success
The first thing you should do when asked to do a radio or
television interview is say, yes, then control the panic
that may set in.

A lot of people unfamiliar with doing an on-air interview
are daunted by the prospect and get very nervous. This fear
can stop us moving ahead and saying no to the chance of
promoting our businesses. You need to put this fear into
its right perspective - what is the worst thing that is
going to happen to you?

You might think you are going to die or pass out and faint
once a microphone is put in front of you but it is highly
unlikely. The knocking knees and shaky voice you might
think will give you away but generally nerves are pretty
normal and not noticed so much by other people even though
you may be feeling it strongly.

Nerves can be used as a source of enthusiasm to show your
commitment to the subject you are talking about. So let's
look at how we might eliminate unnecessary fears from an
interview situation.

Prepare

You only have one chance to get it right with live radio or
television. You know your subject better than anyone else
so think about some possible questions they may ask and
prepare your answers. Ask your partner or a friend to ask
you a few questions and have a rehearsal - practice. Find
out as much as you can about the program on which you're
being asked to appear - is it live or pre-recorded? What
angle are they taking? What are they expecting from you -
what are the question areas? Is the audience completely
general, or is targeted at housewives or business people?
Think about the points you could make which are most
interesting, useful and relevant to the appropriate
audience.

Stick to the Point

What's really useful is to prepare three or four main
points which you wish to convey. Write them down on a
sticky note and refer to it. Most radio interviews are less
than four minutes long so always keep to the point and
avoid being drawn into side issues. Always try and take
control and use every opportunity to get your message
across. Don't wait to be asked the appropriate question.

Give Yourself Time To Think About It

The phone rings, and out of the blue a journalist is on the
line asking you some tricky questions about your company's
activities. How do you handle it? Your company's reputation
may depend on the answers you give. Don't be afraid to call
the journalist back rather than talking straight away off
the top of your head - but find out when their deadline is
and don't leave it too late. Use the time to think through
what you should be putting across, particularly in response
to any controversial issues that are likely to be raised.

Have Something To Say

If there are controversial issues in your area of
expertise, work out where you stand, and what you should
say. It is better to respond rather than say "no comment".
Don't be afraid to put your point of view across.

Make It Interesting and Relevant

Make your message more memorable by using real stories and
examples. Use word pictures. Cut through the clutter with
words that paint a picture in the mind of the listener.
When you have facts and specifics to back yourself up, you
will come over as more authoritative. Remember to stress
the points that are likely to interest the listeners or
viewers rather than just your own internal messages.

Make it Personable

Use the interviewer's name to make it more personable when
answering questions. If you're doing an interview
face-to-face use eye contact and try and interest the
interviewer in what you're talking about rather than
thinking - do I sound OK - do I look alright on TV. If your
eyes flicker around during a TV interview, you look
uncomfortable, and possibly a bit shifty. If you keep your
eye-line focused on the interviewer, you will come over as
being in command of your subject. Focus on getting those
main points across.

Be Buoyant & Enthusiastic

Be bright and buoyant in your answers - boring answers will
probably be edited out and boring interviews will be
dropped altogether. You need to be slightly more animated
and larger than life. Pep up your delivery so that it is
bright and enthusiastic, rather than dull and low-key.
Remember broadcasting is a performance! If you do not hold
the audience's attention, there are plenty of rival
channels people can switch over to.

Mind Your Language

Think about the way you talk in your work life - is your
conversation peppered with abbreviations, technical terms
and other jargon? For the outside world, this will just not
do. Imagine instead that you are chatting to someone who is
perfectly intelligent, but who simply doesn't know anything
about the subject. People often make the mistake of
addressing their remarks to the interviewer (who may be
well informed) rather than the audience.

Keep Your Comments Concise

Catchy short answers work best in the media especially for
television news. They're known as "grabs" and can be
slotted in to a news story. If you watch the news, or
listen to radio news, you'll notice that the grabs or
"sound bites" are about 5-7 seconds long. If you don't give
enough information the journalist will simply ask a
follow-up question.

Be Available

Always make yourself available for radio interviews. Be
available to go into the studio for better quality than
over the phone. If you're on talkback radio use a landline
not a mobile phone and be aware of external noise. When you
do radio interviews make sure the background is as quiet as
possible.

Warm Up Your Voice

Always take time to warm up your voice so you sound more
articulate, intelligent and authoritative. This will give
you more confidence.

Call to Action

Most people will remember the opening and closing of a
radio interview. Always have a strong closing with a call
to action, something you want listeners to do i.e. attend
the event or buy the product. And finally remember to smile
- when you smile you feel and sound much friendlier - and
enjoy it!

----------------------------------------------------
Sue Currie, the director of Shine Communications
Consultancy and author of Apprentice to Business Ace - your
inside-out guide to personal branding, is a business
educator and speaker on personal branding through image and
media. Sign up for free monthly tips on personal and
professional PR at
http://www.shinecomms.com.au/contactmanager/default.cfm
and learn more about how you can achieve recognition,
enhance your image and shine.

Making Money Online Secrets

Making Money Online Secrets
It is hard to make money online. Don't let clever web sites
and glowing promises of quick wealth fool you. There are
some steps that you can take to achieve your hopes, dreams,
and goals.

Here is what one person said, I will call Steve, about his
experiences with doing business online:

"I started looking for ways to earn a little money over two
years ago when my company started having layoffs and I was
damn scared I was going to lose my job. I worked for a
good company, and an okay job, but after this first round
of layoffs, I figured it was a good time to begin building
an insurance policy in case I got fired. And honestly, it
would also be nice to have another income stream (to buy a
new car, take a nice vacation and to finally pay off the
credit card bills and start saving). I thought about
taking a second job but I wanted to have a life and I enjoy
spending free time with my family and friends. So I
started looking for ways to make money myself!"

"I spent the next several months trying almost every
business opportunity and even tried MLM. I was ripped off
and scammed a few times with various 'get rich quick'
schemes and I lost over $2000 in 4 months trying them. I
almost gave up. Besides wasting money and trying all of
those programs - my performance at work started to suffer."

So here is what you can do about this:

#1. Don't give up on your plans to succeed at a business
offline. Discover what is holding you back from the success
you rightfully deserve. I call this unlocking your dark
secrets.

#2. Use online ventures as a way to supplement your main
goal, which might be to have a thriving home or independent
business in your local community.

#3. You will need a "killer" web site to attract visitors
with something called a splash page. There are some
wonderful ones for free that will also pay you to advertise
your site.

#4. Discover how to get 24 hour free support via the phone
or e-mails for your online business. Increasing your
support systems is one of the keys to unlocking those dark
secrets.

#5. Sell your own products and services rather than
strictly going for the affiliate business.

#6. Develop multiple streams of income on your web site.

#7. Give away free stuff on your web site to get people to
sign up for your business list.

#8. Find ways to sell your product or service on eBay.
There are many other online auctions that can help too.

#9. Find inexpensive ways to promote your web site with
search engines. Some sites will help you promote your
business to millions of sites for only $4 or less.

#10. One of the best ways to get your business out there is
by writing articles. Go on a search to discover how this
can be done.

Don't be afraid to reach out for help to create a plan with
goals, objectives, and a system of overcoming your dark
secrets. You have the right to have a better life today.

----------------------------------------------------
Mr. Eby is a Master Social Worker with more than 30 years
of professional experience. He is the author of Challenging
Your Dark Secret. He currently works as a therapist and
counselor for Options of Southern Oregon, the local mental
health agency. He has also provided online life coaching
services on eBay for many years. Visit his site at
http://www.challengedarksecret.com

How can you make them trust you?

How can you make them trust you?
People really don't trust you. They don't trust me either.
Society is at all time peak of distrust, and it is YOUR
duty to find ways to win them over.

It's the way society is - paranoid that everyone is out to
"get them." And if email marketing is your main focus - you
have to work even harder to make them believe in you.

When you look at everything in the marketing cycle, what
would you think is the most difficult part to achieve?

- Open your doors for business is as simple as it gets.

- Making products is fairly easy.

- Finding the right market to go after... no prob'.

- The correct media to use? Options have never been more
diverse.

- The message? Never been more tools and training to get
the right message written.

THE most difficult part about growing your business will
always be the trust factor.

Here are a few ways to win them over...

Promote your credentials, qualifications, training,
experience, education, media mentions - don't be
embarrassed to toot your horn a little. If you have any
write-ups someone gave about you - use them (I was guilty
of this in my mention on the Forbes website).

Use Testimonials! There is no better proof than a real
testimonial sharing their experience in working with you.
Make sure it gives their full, real name. Make sure it
gives specifics about how you helped them... not "it was
great buying from _____". That doesn't help. This kind of
testimonial DOES help:

"…1,175 orders in about 48hrs!"

I must say that the Results that we have seen from Troy's
copywriting skills have been amazing. I did a test run to
one of our lists and the numbers were quite impressive,
although it was done during a holiday weekend. See for
yourself!

We had over 1175 orders in about 48hrs. The most exciting
part is that the orders kept coming and coming with no
further effort from me. Troy has assisted us in building
our list and making consistent sales. The investment in
his services has been well worth it and we can see how the
profits will continue to come in.

I would Highly recommend Troy's services. You want to
take advantage of his talent and expertise now because I am
sure his prices will go up soon.

Dr. Charlie Drake - - President of BraveHeart Productions

Guarantee it. If your product IS as good as you claim - why
don't you guarantee it? It certainly helps alleviate the
fear of buying from you. Give them a 90 day, even a 365
day guarantee. Or a "I'll pay you if I waste your time"
guarantee for a service business. If you aren't willing to
put your own butt on the line in a guarantee - why should
THEY?!

Be Specific - specific instructions on how to order - who
to talk to - what to expect when they do order - and what
specific results they should see within ____
days/months/years of using your product or service. This is
also VERY applicable in testimonials - make sure they give
specific instructions on how you helped them.

Provide Proof - screen shots, videos, audios, free samples
of the products or service. Find ways to give them proof
that you deliver.

This is NOT easy - but it is necessary.

You must overcome their natural skepticism. Everyone has it
- and your clients are no different.

What can YOU do to help their buying decision?

----------------------------------------------------
Troy White, The Marketing Results Mentor and Expert
Copywriter helps clients achieve HUGE growth surges in
their business in very short periods of time. If you are
interested in how you can learn the secrets to becoming the
market leader and a very wealthy entrepreneur in your
industry - make sure you visit
http://www.SalesLetterSuccess.com for info on his home
study course or sign up for his Free Newsletter at
http://www.CashFlowSurges.com

Act Now to Accomplish 20 Times More!

Act Now to Accomplish 20 Times More!
Warning! Watch Out for Dangerous Delays and Risky Inaction

In most situations almost any direct action is better than
no action. If nothing else, you'll learn from what you try
and then refocus in a more productive direction. In support
of this view, Thomas Edison made thousands of unsuccessful
attempts to invent a practical light bulb. Edison saw what
he was doing as "learning" rather than "failing." Clearly,
his approach speeded up the process.

When fear is an element, that fear can create a disastrous
delay. In the 1930s, a sudden wind swept an American
helium-filled airship aloft from its moorings. The rising
ship carried away some of the rope crew as well. Most let
go right away and suffered no worse than sprains. Others
held on until they lost their grip. Each time a man let go,
the dirigible leapt higher. Those who hesitated longest
fell to their deaths.

Fear and Trembling in the Executive Washroom

Fear rules many business leaders and their fear comes in
many guises. One of America's most admired CEOs feared any
negative publicity. As a result, he would only acquire
smaller, privately held companies knowing that public
scrutiny would be minimal.

Another CEO trembled at the thought of being fired. The CEO
frequently fired his key lieutenants for nonperformance,
hoping that the board of directors would be more dependent
on him. As a result, no one wanted to rock the boat, and
procrastination ruled every operation. When the company
sold one of its businesses, profits soon rose under either
the same management or new management burdened with less
fear.

Similarly, when major layoffs occur, many survivors feel
worse than those who lost their jobs. If they cannot find
new jobs, these shell-shocked troops will do anything to
please, including simply maintaining the status quo.

A different type of fear dogs those who aspire to be CEOs.
Companies often pick two to five contenders and stage a
two- or three-year "beauty" contest to see who will be the
next leader. If your unit does well and no one else's does,
you get to be the big boss. As you can imagine, almost no
one in that situation is going to try anything that might
not work perfectly during the beauty contest.

It's far easier to stand back and let others be innovative.
But that's the way to ruin, not to progress. One CEO took
avoidance to an extreme. Presented with a list of all the
issues that the company had known about for five years and
had never been resolved, the CEO grabbed all the
information and destroyed it. "This information is too
important to get out," he said. But the first step in
resolving any problem is to get it out in the open where it
can no longer be ignored.

Like the CEO who got rid of the list of issues, anxious
executives often connect their fear to the wrong things. A
company that had frequently failed with advanced technology
products decided to pursue only low-technology products.
That decision only made matters worse. In the meantime,
many areas blossomed where the company had developed
advanced technology products. The company had simply
developed its products a little too far in advance of
customer demand.

Talk It to Death

Some companies build monuments to delay with never-ending
committees and lengthy studies by consultants. These
actions give the appearance of doing something worthwhile.
Employees relax and stop paying attention.
Organizational consultants frequently lengthen the delays
by setting up a game of musical chairs. They recommend
reworking the organization before addressing the old
issues. It's like telling those hanging onto the airship
ropes to count to 200 before making a decision.

A Diversionary Tactic

Companies faced with seemingly insoluble problems will go
out and buy new and bigger problems to draw attention away
from the existing issues. AT&T is thought by some to have
used this approach in acquiring NCR under the leadership of
Bob Allen. NCR was later sold for a loss of $5 billion
after costing NCR employees thousands of jobs. AT&T's
declining position in long-distance telephone services
remained unresolved.

STALL ERASERS

Practice, Practice, Practice: Success Through Simulation

Wise companies assume that fear will freeze the unprepared
into costly inaction. Is that what you want airline pilots
to do when they hit terrible turbulence? Of course not. The
solution: Simulate extreme conditions and allow employees
to become accustomed to making timely decisions and taking
action. For example, utility employees learn in a simulated
nuclear plant by facing a potential core meltdown if they
don't act appropriately.

Listen, the Answers Are in Front of You!

To make faster progress, track suggestions from the time
they are made to the time of action. Some organizations go
one step further and authorize employees to make
improvements the employees suggest if no one objects within
30 days.

Do It Yourself

CEOs like to bring in consultants, in part, to blame
unpopular or risky decisions on the outsiders. It is better
to be forthright about what needs to be done and take any
heat that develops … it's faster, too!

STALLBUSTERS

Act First

When new CEO, Lou Gerstner, entered IBM, he found a company
frozen in inaction. He set about changing that by personal
example and by sharing a new value of taking timely,
appropriate actions. Those who persisted in the old way
soon found themselves looking for work elsewhere. The
message was soon received and understood.

Answering these questions will help you identify where
action should replace in-depth analysis:

• When should the customer be considered right and receive
immediate recognition and resolution?

• What threats to safety require immediate action?

• What competitive actions require immediate responses by
using your best judgment?

• When two people in different parts of the organization do
not agree, when should one of them automatically
prevail, when should an automatic rule prevail, and when
would a coin flip suffice for the decision?

• What problems should receive immediate action because
they almost always get worse if ignored?

It's Okay to Take a Chance on Action

Many delays occur because employees are afraid. They fear
that mistakes will end their careers. To overcome the bias
to play it safe, everyone must know when they should act.
These questions will help you clarify your optimal
direction:

• What is the minimum time needed to make a significantly
better decision?

• Worst case, what can a delay cost you?

• What deadlines are appropriate for taking action?

• How can people be encouraged to overcome procrastination
in routine situations?

Copyright 2007 Donald W. Mitchell, All Rights Reserved

----------------------------------------------------
Donald Mitchell is chairman of Mitchell and Company, a
strategy and financial consulting firm in Weston, MA. He is
coauthor of six books including The 2,000 Percent Squared
Solution, The 2,000 Percent Solution, and The 2,000 Percent
Solution Workbook. You can find free tips for accomplishing
20 times more by registering at:
=========> http://www.2000percentsolution.com .

How to use the power of outsourcing to help you earn more

How to use the power of outsourcing to help you earn more
When you run your own business, it's easy to be busy all
the time. You can soon find yourself working long hours and
often being busy doing tasks that don't make you money and
that you don't enjoy.

But, if you're working round the clock, you don't really
have a business, you have a job working for yourself.

One of the key points of having your own business should be
giving yourself the freedom to do what you want to do with
your time. Your business hours should be spent profitably
and, ideally, enjoyably - freeing you up to make the most
of your quality personal time.

Try this quick exercise:

On one side of a piece of paper, write down all the things
you love about your business. On the other side, write down
all the things you hate.

If it's on the right hand side of the page, you should find
someone else to do it if at all possible and reasonable. If
it's on the left, you can spend more time on it - unless
you can find someone else to do it more cheaply.

Outsourcing can make your day a thousand times easier and
more profitable. Here are some of the advantages:

- It allows you to focus on your priority tasks.

- You cut the learning curve by employing an expert.

- They can probably do the job faster than you.

- It frees you up to do things you enjoy.

You can outsource just about anything you can think of,
including:

- Customer support.

- Website design and programming.

- Copywriting for websites, scripts, advertising and eBooks.

- Search engine optimization.

- Press release writing and distribution.

You can also employ a "virtual assistant" to help you with
a wide range of tasks.

Through the Internet, somebody in another part of the world
is in a position to help you - probably at a fraction of
the cost you'd pay someone around the corner.

The best way to find vendors is to get recommendations from
other people. If you can't get recommendations, try them
out yourself with small tasks before you give them anything
big or important to do.

There are several websites that provide access to
outsourcing services. These include elance, rentacoder,
workaholicsforhire, scriptlance and getafreelancer. Try a
google search for those or to find more.

This is how they generally work:

- You post details of the project or service you need help
with.

- Vendors or freelancers who have the ability to do the job
for you will post responses or bids.

- These services are usually free to buyers with the vendor
paying a fee to the site when they are awarded the work.

- You select the vendor most suited to your needs, based on
their proposals and on your view of their portfolio of past
work.

- You agree payment terms - which may be part payment in
advance or use of an escrow account, which ensures that the
payment is not released until all the agreement terms are
met and the work is completed.

- Then you work with them until the task is completed to
your satisfaction.

Think about what tasks you can get someone else to do more
cheaply or quickly. If you're new to outsourcing, start
with small tasks. You'll quickly find you want to outsource
more.

Then you'll have to decide whether to spend your new-found
free time working more or having fun!

----------------------------------------------------
Robert Greenshields is a marketing success coach who helps
business owners and independent professionals who are
frustrated that they're working too many hours for too
little reward. Sign up for his free tips on earning more
and working less at http://www.MindPowerMarketing.com

The Great Two-Sided Business Card Debate

The Great Two-Sided Business Card Debate
A business card is one of the most important marketing
pieces that you'll develop for your company, since it is
typically the first piece of your marketing materials that
a new client will see.

One of the most debated points in business card design is
whether to print information on just one side of the card
or to use both sides. There are many views on this
controversy, and here are some that we frequently hear.

The arguments for keeping the back of the card blank are
that printing on both sides has the following disadvantages:

- Not having a space to take notes while networking: Many
business people use a system of writing notes on the backs
of the business cards they receive while networking. They
do this to remind themselves of the commitments they made
or to later jog their memories about the conversation. Too
much printing on the back can make this difficult or
impossible. Glossy coatings on the backs of cards can also
prevent note writing.

- Rolodexes, business card filing systems, and card
scanners: These are widely used in business today, and many
models don't allow for the back of the card to be viewed.
For this reason, you should not put vital information on
the back, so that the card can still be functional when
only one side is visible. Also, if your prospect uses a
business card scanner to store business cards, they might
not scan both sides.

- Greater printing expense: Printers charge more to print a
two-sided card, because of the additional work and ink
involved.

- Ink smearing: Some inks are more likely to smear or rub
off on neighboring sheets of paper than others; for
example, blue Pantone inks are especially prone to this
effect. If you do choose a two-sided card with a field of
color on the back, then it is best to also varnish or
clear-coat the back of the card in order to seal the color
in and prevent this. The varnish also adds drying time and
expense to the project.

The arguments for putting information on both sides are
that you can use the back to:

- Add more information: If you have a lot of contact
information, putting it all on to the front of the card
will often make the font too small and the text too dense
to read comfortably. Putting some of that information on
the back will free up the front of the card and make it
look better.

- Make your business card more valuable: By including
interesting information like a calendar of events, tip, or
quote on the back, you can make your card more likely to be
kept. Other things that you can put on the back include
coupons, appointment information, or directions to your
store or office.

- Enhance your brand: The back of the card is often the
perfect place for graphical treatments and pieces of your
Visual Vocabulary.

- Maximize your message: Use the back to add more
information about your business. It might not be clear to
everyone receiving your card what you offer, so you might
try listing that on the back.

And it might not cost that much. Some printers will print a
two-sided card for as little as $20 extra per 1000 cards.
In that case, the low price for additional "real estate"
really makes it worth the cost.

With all of these points in mind, the most effective card
for small businesses is often a two-sided card. The next
question to address is what to put on the back of the card.
We recommend:

- Not putting vital information on the back of the card:
Since the back of the card might get hidden or ignored in a
filing system, it's best to put all of the most important
information-like your name, logo, phone number, email, and
website-on the front of the card. If you have a physical
office, you should also make sure that your address is on
the front of your card.

So what's left to put on the back? You could put your
tagline, a couple of lines that explain your offerings, a
list of your services, or a short testimonial. Or try one
of the suggestions from "Make your business card more
valuable," above.

- Try graphics: You can print a field of color, small
graphic, or a simple pattern on the back. A card with
graphics on the back looks more sophisticated and high-end,
and is more memorable as well. If you don't print in a
color that is too dark and you use a solid color field,
people will still be able to take notes on the back of the
card. Just don't forget the varnish!

If you use these tips, you'll be able to maximize the
effectiveness of your business card. Your card will go from
being just a thing to hand out when you meet someone to
being a strong marketing tool.

----------------------------------------------------
Erin Ferree is a brand identity designer who creates big
visibility for small businesses. As the owner of elf
design, Erin is passionate about helping her clients stand
out in front of their competition and attract more clients.
Her "Define Your Difference Branding Workbook" will help
you with your brand definition - the most important step in
the logo design process.
http://www.elf-design.com/products-define.html