MEDIA MOTIVATORS Issues 35 - 40

ISSUE No. 35

IN THIS ISSUE

1. 8M's Quotable Quote
2. The Insiders Guide to the Media - Tips & Advice
3. Media NTK's (Need to Knows) - A Glossary of Terms

Quotable Quote

"Bad news sells. The financial press will report a $6 billion stock market
wipe-out but won't give much space to the next day's $2 billion to $4
billion recovery. It's the core of your being to yell out a negative
message. You will also seek out the people who will fill the holes in your
thinking in terms of facts. You can always find someone to agree with you,
and they're the ones you will choose."

Hans Kunnen, head of investment market research at Colonial First State
commenting in 'The Australian's' media section why bad news sells.

TIP: Journalists will always look for the conflict, use this to your
advantage to turn a negative into a positive.

THE TEN ESSENTIAL TIPS ON HOW TO HARNESS THE MARKETING POWER OF THE MEDIA

We all know bad news sells.

And bad news dominates the media.

But how do you use this to communicate your message?

In the 'Age of Scepticism' gaining media coverage is one way of
cutting through the ever increasing noise to get your message across.

Research shows the average consumer receives between 1500 and 3000
marketing messages a day.

Editorial generated by media coverage is more credible than
advertising and can help cut through the clutter.

It can also help build your reputation.

But how do you get media coverage?

Here are 10 tips for harnessing the marketing power of the media.

1. Know Your Strengths. What are you an expert at? What is your specialized
area of expertise? What unique services or information can you offer?
Position yourself as the expert. Even in a crisis this can position you or
your organisation as the 'go to' person. This builds credibility.

 2. Clarify your communication objectives? What do I want to achieve? To
inform or entertain? To provide information? To build a profile? To
influence public opinion? Personal marketing? Marketing or launching a new
product or service?

3. Define your target audience? Who is my target audience? General public?
Customers? Competitors? Suppliers? What age are they, what level of
education, what beliefs and values, geographical location, how do they use
the media? What influence do they have?

4. Identify the best channels of communication. What is the best way to
reach your target audience? TV, Radio, Internet, newspapers - local or
Statewide, specialist or generalist, industry publications, community
newsletters?

5. What is your key message? Distil what you want to say into three key
points. Remember less has more impact. Be disciplined and stay 'on message'.
How can this message resonate with, influence or tap into collective
attitudes among relevant consumers?

6. Build your case? What are the features, advantages and benefits of your
message for your target audience? What evidence and proof do you have? This
helps overcome what I call 'the hump of cynicism' entrenched in many
journalists when they ask 'why is this news?'.

7. What is the hook? What will make your message or news release stand out
from the rest. Be creative. Use a media release to control the information
flow.

8. Develop long-term relationships with the media. Visit and meet them face
to face. Network and get to know them.

9. Use the Three Golden Rules to Perform at your Best  = Know Your Topic, Be Prepared, Relax.

10. Seek Professional Help. For maximum impact, effectiveness and value seek
the advice of a media and communications professional.

Media NTK's (Need to Knows)

Robust: A descriptive term used to describe an investigative-style
interviewing technique employed by journalists to maximise the conflict in a
story. Often their approach will be terrier-like and unflinching in the
pursuit of a 'news-grab'. This often provides added entertainment to an
electronic media interview or colour to a print one. The theory is the more
robust the questioning the more entertaining or appealing the interview will
be for the audience.

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ISSUE No. 37

IN THIS ISSUE

1. 8M's Quotable Quote
2. The Insiders Guide to the Media - Tips & Advice
3. Media NTK's (Need to Knows) - A Glossary of Terms

Quotable Quote 

"Not only is NETWORKING an essential life skill, it is also the most basic
business building tool in today's competitive market. In the New Millennium,
networking will account for more than 87 per cent of all business in the
market place."

Robyn Henderson, Author and Speaker

TIP: Much of my ideas on networking have been picked up from hearing Robyn
speak and then customising to fit my own needs. 

MAKING THE MOST OF CHRISTMAS NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES

The festive season is a great time to sharpen and hone your networking
skills.

There is not a better time to start building long-term business
relationships.

I am grateful for hearing Robyn Henderson speak about networking several
times and I have successfully implemented many of these ideas into my own
business.

In this article I want to highlight what not to do so you can maximise
your networking opportunities

Here are 10 Common Mistakes People Make When Networking Over the Festive
Season.

1. Not Planning Prior to the Event

Work out what you want to achieve from going to the festive event. Is it
just to relax, have fun and unwind after a busy year? Is it to say thank you
to your clients, meet new people or build long term relationships? Your
approach will differ in all these situations.

2. Running Out of Business Cards

There is nothing more embarrassing or unprofessional when someone asks you
for a business card and you can't produce one. Always carry too many rather
than too few.

3. Sticking to People You Know

Make a goal to meet five new people at an event. Don't try and meet everyone
of the 100 or so people at an event, instead make a lasting impression with
a few rather than a shallow interaction with many.

4. Meeting People You Know First

I know most people have a great fear of walking into a room full of people
they don't know. See this as a challenge rather than a handicap and avoid
going for the easy option of meeting people you know well first. Certainly,
acknowledge these people but leave them until the end of the function to
catch up with. This will maximise your chances of meeting new people.

5. Talking Too Much

Avoid talking too much about yourself. This is probably the biggest turn-off
for prospective clients or alliance partners.

 6. Not Listening

I believe business is all about providing solutions to people's problems.
How can you understand their problems if you don't ask questions and listen.
Use active listening skills to build rapport and gain a true understanding
of their issues and concerns.

7. Hard Sell

I remember when I first set up my own business I was so focused on getting
new clients that I pushed too much on the hard sell. Build a relationship
first and then the business will come.

8. Lack of Clarity

I often find many people have a lack of clarity in what they do. In the
research I undertake in my seminars 95 per cent of people who go to
networking functions get asked 'what do you do?' when they meet someone new.
Many have difficulty articulating what they do. Especially difficult is
conveying the benefits to a prospective client. I find having a 'personal
branding statement' (PBR) really helps in this situation. It helps to
clarify how you or your business can solve their problems and takes
all the stress out of answering this question! An archived article on
building a powerful personal brand can be found in 'Media Motivators'
Issue # 17 at http://www.8mmedia.com/mm(16-20).htm

9. Over Indulgence

My father-in-law who is actively farming in his 70s and competing in
orienteering events around Australia is a living example of all things in
moderation. Avoid too much alcohol which may lead to inappropriate
behaviour. For example, an opening line to your firms newest client of 'do
you want to see my latest tattoo' is best avoided.

10. Not Following Up

I find many people simply fail to follow-up on the prospects or business
leads they meet at festive networking events. Put in place a system to
follow-up, otherwise many of your networking efforts will be wasted.

Media NTK's (Need to Knows)

Acoustic Coupler: A device onto which a telephone handset is placed to
connect a recorder or computer with a network. The acoustic coupler
might also contain a modem, or the modem could be a separate device.

Popular in the 1970s, especially with field reporters, acoustic couplers are
no longer widely used. Nowadays, telephones connect directly to a
modem via modular telephone connectors. This produces better
connections than acoustic couplers and avoids the problems produced
by irregularly shaped telephones. Still, acoustic coupler modems are
useful in some situations, such as in hotel rooms where the telephone
cable is anchored to the wall. Modems that do not use an acoustic
coupler are sometimes called direct-connect modems.

When I was with the ABC I remember doing many outside broadcasts from remote
locations using a nagra field recorder, acoustic coupler and telephone
line. (Source: adapted from http://www.webopedia.com)


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ISSUE No. 38

IN THIS ISSUE

1. 8M's Quotable Quote
2. The Insiders Guide to the Media - Tips & Advice
3. Media NTK's (Need to Knows) - A Glossary of Terms

Quotable Quote

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step."

Lao-Tzu, Chinese Philosopher, c. 550 BC

Source: 'Coach Yourself', Anthony Grant and Jane Green, Momentum Books,
Pearson Education, London 2001.

TIP: If you want to make 2003 a truly successful year, start now.

TEN QUESTIONS TO ASK NOW TO MAKE THE MOST OF 2003

The start of a New Year is a great time to plan for what you want to
achieve.

What better time than to invest in yourself and set a course for the future.

As you reach your goals you will need to set new ones.

How do you do this in a powerful and focused way?

Here are 10 Essential Questions to ask now to make the most of 2003.

1. What is your 5-year plan? What do you want to be doing professionally and
personally in 5 years time? How do you want to be feeling? For example what
will you be doing, how much income will you be earning, where will you be
living, how much time will you be spending with your family?

2. What is your vision for 2003? How do you see the year unfolding?
Visualise yourself in 12-months time, reflecting back on 2003. What does it
look like? What does success look like in 2003?

3. What is your mission for 2003? Who will you help? What problems will you
provide solutions for? What new skills will you learn?

4. What 5 Goals Do You Want to Achieve in 2003? Keep them to no
more than 5 and be as specific as possible. Write them down. Goals set
the big picture achievements for the year. Have both personal and
business or career goals.

5. What are the specific strategies or tasks that will help you
achieve these goals? These are the "how to's". Make them specific and
achievable. Use the OAT formula - Outcome - Action - Timeline.

6. How often will you review your goals? Write in your diary now a
reminder to review them at least every 3 months. Some people like
to review them on a monthly, weekly or even daily basis!

7. Conduct a personal SWOT Analysis. In 2002, what were your Strengths and
what were your Weaknesses? What are the Opportunities for 2003?
What are the Threats stopping you achieving your goals in 2003?

8. Reality Check. How will you measure whether you have achieved your goals?
What are the milestones or performance criteria that set the benchmark for
measuring your success?

9. How will you balance work with personal interests? What will be the
mix of fun & learning, health & fitness, career & finance, love & belonging?

10. How will you reward yourself for achieving your goals in 2003? How will
you celebrate?

Media NTK's (Need to Knows)

Extranet: A new buzzword that refers to an intranet that is partially
accessible to authorized outsiders. Whereas an intranet resides behind a
firewall and is accessible only to people who are members of the
same company or organization, an extranet provides various levels of
accessibility to outsiders. You can access an extranet only if you have
a valid username and password, and your identity determines which
parts of the extranet you can view.

Extranets are becoming a very popular means for business partners to
exchange information. It is particularly useful in public relations and
improving external and internal communications with stakeholders.
(Source: adapted from http://www.webopedia.com)

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ISSUE No. 39

IN THIS ISSUE

1. 8M's Quotable Quote
2. The Insiders Guide to the Media - Tips & Advice
3. Media NTK's (Need to Knows) - A Glossary of Terms
4. 8M's Coming Events

Quotable Quote 

"The worst thing you can do is wear egg, and I look good in yellow!"

Vicki Brown, Tambellup Telecentre and self-described 'Community
Optimist' who shared this with me at the WA Telecentre Conference at
the Vines. Thank you Vicki.

TIP: Always remain positive

THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS OF SELLING

What is Marketing?

Many organisations and businesses have a perception that marketing
means advertising and promotion of their product or service. They
believe being good at marketing is producing a colourful glossy
brochure and having an expensive advertisement in the local newspaper,
on the radio or on television.

In today's competitive and unregulated business environment, basic
marketing skills are vital to the future of running a successful
business.

Marketing helps provide a competitive advantage for many
businesses. If you believe marketing is just about selling or
promotions, you're only partly right. Marketing is much more.

"Marketing is what you do to ultimately get or keep a customer - it is
about positioning and having a process. Marketing is entering a new
paradigm, which means structuring every activity within your business
to meet the needs of your customer. It is about focusing every aspect
of your operation to include a marketing function. It is also about
understanding marketing strategies, the tools of marketing and the
language of marketing. (Source: How to Turn Your Big Marketing Idea
into a Competitive Advantage by Thomas Murrell
http://www.8mmedia.com/Marketing%20Manual.htm)

Ideas, creativity and the ability of turning these into practical
strategies will become the hallmark of successful businesses in the
new millennium. Leading organisations will tailor all of their
activities around these concepts to create a culture where ideas,
innovation and a can-do marketing attitude are fostered.

Successful companies take a marketing approach rather than selling.

The Seven Deadly Sins of Selling.

1. Selling rather than Marketing
Selling revolves around the acquisition of profit through volume of
sales. Marketing identifies the needs of the customers in order to
generate profits through satisfying their needs.

2. Not Believing in Yourself, Your Product or Your Service
You have to strongly believe in your product or service for it to
succeed. How many people give up on their idea because of fear of
failure, fear of rejection, fear of being different, fear of doing the
wrong thing or even fear of success?

3. Not Enough Resources
Many people tell me they don't have enough resources, for example
money, glossy brochures or a large enough marketing budget. I argue,
how many resources does it take to write an idea down on a piece of
paper and set some goals and strategies? In our very busy lives I'm
not arguing that you do more. I believe a solution is to cut something
out! If you watched 1 hour less of television a week that would give
you 52 hours! What could you achieve with this time?

4. Doesn't Meet a Market Need
This is a fundamental principle of marketing. It is imperative that
your product or service corresponds to your customers needs in order
to increase sales and maximise profits. NASA in the USA spent $1
million in research and development producing a ballpoint pen that
works in zero gravity. The Russians gave their cosmonauts pencils!

5. Failure to Network
This is a key principle in all business operations. Networking is a
vital skill to possess and any opportunity to network should be viewed
as a potential to gain new customers, turn leads into advocates and
increase repeat business for your products or services. Marketing is
also based on the 5th P - people. People form relationships and
relationships are built by networking.

6. Not building a Personal Brand
It is essential in today's cut-throat business environment that your
product or service stands out in the crowd. The most effective way to
achieve this is by building customer loyalty around the branding of
your names and symbols associated with your product or service. It is
the brand and the marketing processes around the brand that are the
assets of new companies in this information age. Dick Smith is a
master at building a multi-million dollar business around his personal
brand. How can you capitalise on your brand name?

7. Trying too Hard Without a System
Without a well-designed and precisely researched marketing strategy,
you will not have a clear focus on what you are trying to achieve. It
is imperative that when establishing your marketing strategy that you
clearly define your plan, mission, and target markets needs, set
achievable goals and identify your organisations strengths to enable
working towards achieving the objectives you have set out. It is also
essential that you constantly evaluate and review your marketing
strategy to ensure that it is still on track with your original
strategy and to update it if it is required. A well maintained
database is a goldmine to any business generating leads, prospects and
repeat business. Efficient marketing systems are essential to any
successful venture.

Media NTK's (Need to Knows)

Mailing List: A list of e-mail addresses identified by a single name,
such as mail-list@mediamotivators.com. When an e-mail message is sent
to the mailing list name, it is automatically forwarded to all the
addresses in the list. An essential part of any email marketing
strategy.

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ISSUE No. 40

IN THIS ISSUE

1. 8M's Quotable Quote
2. The Insiders Guide to the Media - Tips & Advice
3. Media NTK's (Need to Knows) - A Glossary of Terms
4. 8M's Coming Events

Quotable Quote

"Never wish life were easier, wish that you were better."

Jim Rohn, American Business Speaker and Author

TIP: Invest in yourself by learning new skills.

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TOP TEN TIPS FOR BETTER BUSINESS PRESENTATIONS TO ASIAN AUDIENCES

Audiences around the world are all different. Cultural, social and religious
differences impact on how people learn, take in information and interact
with presenters.

After delivering 3 presentations to Managers and Franchisees from the
largest fast food company in the Philippines, these are my thoughts on how
to make an impact.

This is the result of extensive feedback and practical knowledge of what
works and what doesn't after delivering business presentations throughout
Asia.

Here are 10 Tips on Delivering Better Business Presentations to Asian
Audiences.

1. Do Your Research. Find out as much as you can about the country and
organisation you are working with. Read guide books, travel magazines,
search the Internet and use the local media to gain as much knowledge as you
can about the cultural background and history of the people you are working
with.

2. Use local language and key phrases as an icebreaker, welcome or to
highlight important points. Modify the content of your presentation to
account for local differences. For example, in my work in the Philippines I
used a range of local 'Tagalog' (one of the two official languages) words in
both my welcome and presentation to make points and this went down really
well. Former US President JFK used "Ich bin ein Berliner" to great effect in
Germany during one of his speeches.

3. Use local examples. Nothing goes down better when trying to explain a new
concept than using a local example. This will make your presentation more
relevant.

4. Get to know the audience. It is most likely you will be a foreigner and
many in the audience may not know you very well at all. Meet as many people
personally before the presentation as possible. When presenting let the
audience warm up to you before throwing questions at them. I've noticed
light-hearted bantering with the audience at the beginning of a presentation
works well.

5. Speak slowly and clearly. For many Asians, English is not their first
language. Speak with less of an accent and present more slowly than you
would with an Australian audience.

6. Use of Visual Aids.  Again, because of language barriers back-up your
verbal message with clear and easy to understand visual aids.

7. Use Humour. This tried and true method works across cultural boundaries.
Use universal humour and avoid material that is country specific and not
relevant. Never ever use inappropriate humour in any situation.

8. Physically involve the audience. Most audiences, no matter what cultural
background, tend to switch off after 20 minutes of information from the
presenter. Use a physical activity or interaction to keep the audience awake
and alert. One word of warning though, don't try this at the beginning when
they haven't got to know you.

9. Cut out some content. You will be speaking more slowly and spending time
getting to know the audience and interacting with them. This will take time
and you will need to cut out some content. Otherwise the presentation will
be rushed. I find with most presenters, nearly all put too much content in
their presentations.

10. Evaluate, review and continually improve. I never stop learning.
Everytime I speak in front of an audience, I always learn something new.
Presenting to audiences outside of your comfort zone is always a challenge.
Be prepared to learn, improve and be a better presenter.

Media NTK's (Need to Knows)

Happytalk: The banter between TV news presenters in between stories or
segments. Examples include comments between two newsreaders or between
the newsreader and the sports presenter or weather person. Rarely
scripted and usually adlibbed. It isn't often that you see it work well and
is the opposite to 'contrived chat'. Depends on the chemistry, personalities
and personal relationships between presenters. In my experience as a TV
news weather presenter successful 'happytalk' that works well is difficult
to achieve and is best avoided as it can often detract from the credibility
and importance of the news message.