When asked to speak on PR, in front of my peers at the UK WSI Excellence and Innovation Conference in Birmingham this month how could I refuse?
I have been an IC for 5 years now andmy business is very profitable and relies totally on referals to gain any new business. In fact, the last two years I have not had to do any other form of advertising at all, and I have a very healthy recurring monthly income.
I knew I had to pull something special out of the bag for this one and sat down with my action plan to create my presentation.
Thinking about PR (Public Relations) I looked at the history, and discovered a man called Pulilius Syrus who was around in 85BC. He was a slave brought over from Syria who managed to win his freedom and education simply by being what his master wanted, when he wanted it. So, he used his relationship with his public to his advantage.
I also knew I needed to understand the difference between advertising and PR. The difference being that advertising you organise, and you showcase yourself (paid or unpaid). However, the thing that gives PR its power is that it is third party endorsement, in other words pr is all about testimonials from other people. It can open new doors, it can attract high quality employees, and if you are more reputable, you are more valubale too, and so you can increase your prices.
I felt that the first step in using PR is to actually identify who your Publics are.
Most people would of course list Suspects, Prospects and Customers. However, to engage in an all round PR campaign, the big players would always include their suppliers, employees and colleagues, the local community and also potential investors too. After all there is no point in having a great reputation with your clients if an ex employee could ruin that in one swipe.
Once you have identified who your publics are, then you need to identify how you will be engaging with them:
SPONSORSHIP
In my own business, I am very happy to sponsor local community projects and have created a few websites that have really helped children in the Overstone, Northampton area. These websites cost me mainly time, but the income that has been generated as a direct result is immense. These free websites have generated thousands of pounds for my own business, along with a great reputation and some feel good factor as well. The direct advertising I also get from this can also be measured in thousands as well.
NETWORKING AND PUBLIC SPEAKING
Of course WSI heavily endorse networking as a great way to bring in new business. I would totally agree, networking builds relationships and trust that cannot be achieved with other forms of marketing. Sometimes networking can be difficult, saying the same thing over and over again to the same people. When I was talking with people at the conference, it also transpired that even after months of networking, sometimes the other members of their networking groups still did not understand fullly what WSI do. I run my own networking group, which has really enhanced my credibility in the local Northamptonshire area, so I get the opportunity to speak about my subject whenever I want, but I knew that for some people public speaking is not a natural thing to do, and also we just get a little stale now and then. With this in mind, out came some red feather boas!
I asked the audience to identify keywords that these boas brought to mind and asked Ron McArthur if he would not mind writing these down.
With these key words, I asked Ron to produce a 60 seconds elevator speech. Keywords included Can Can, Moulin Rouge and Dead Bird amongst others, luckily he was up for the challenge.
Yes, this was a bit of fun, but what I was also trying to do was to teach that a 60 seconds can be interesting, and that although I used a feather boa (only for the fact that I knew I could get Ron to dress up a bit later!) you can use other props that are perhaps more appealing to your target audience, and use analogies to explain what we do in terms your potential customers can understand. For example, you can use a car analogy for an Auto dealership, or a chocolate analogy for a sweet shop (if of course you have not eaten the chocolate before you see your prospect!).
NEW MEDIA
Of course, not all of us are lucky enough to be able to get on the TV or Radio for free, but I showed the audience how you can use someone elses publicity on new media to your own advantage. When I got a call from Channel 4 TV, I was a little suprised, they had seen my profile on a web directory, knew I run two businesses and had children, and invited me to particiapte in "Wife Swap". It was not for me, flattered as I was, but i did put them in touch with other ladies, which apparently did the trick. So when they needed someone to revamp a garden for their "Property Ladder" programme, I chased a few leads. So whilst my landscaping company was working on property Ladder, I was building him a new website!
Furthermore, we optimised a video for Mo Shapiro, an International Speaker who also teaches presentation skills. She had been on TV talking about Body Language, and how Jose Mourhino would possibly not take on the role as England Manager (she was right of course). We popped this on Youtube, whacked on some simple optimisation, and a week later, at my networking meeting, she announced to the group that she had been asked to appear on a TV series, all thanks to our optimisation skills. I gained 4 orders worth thousands as a direct result from that verbal testimonial. Third Party Endorsement at it's best.
PRESS AND PRESS RELEASES
This is something we can use in our business, but also in our clients businesses. An online press release is a great way to build on your reputation, by adding credibility, and also by adding backlinks to your own website. After speaking with a journalist, I knew what they were looking for; Feel Good Factor, First Hand Knowledge or Funny.
I applied this to a company who had contracted me to help them increase their online sales. We first started with general website optimisation, which worked a treat, the company then doubled their monthly spend with me, and we incorporated some time on Press releases. The company had created an atlas aimed at the Saudi Arabian market, and so a press release regarding its launch was put online. A week later, my client had signed a deal with a company to create a new atlas, called Earth. Again, a press release was sent out, and my client got anopther phone call. This time from David Bellamy, who wanted to work with my client to develop and promote the book. The book was launched, another press release, and my client has been on Local radio, Local TV, Local newspapers, National Newspapers, BBC news and even Blue Peter!
When I tell this story, by way of a case study, you can imagine how easy it is to sell my services.
FREE ADVICE
For me, this one is so easy to do, as I love to help other people. I also give my time to give free advice for Business Link as a New Business Start Up Mentor. They gave me full training, and put me in front of new business owners as their expert. They also encouraged me to apply to be on the EMDA brokerage, and I have a 5 start rating (as good as it gets!). Furthermore, Business Link allow me to go free to their business exhibitions and speak in the "Expert Corner". Imagine how much business this generates!
To finish, I told the story of a young man called Bob (Bob is not his real name) and how PR helped him.
Bob is 24 years old and has around 4 physical and mental disabilities. He runs a very successful business that started only a few months ago. He had a few very serious problems with his reputation, and I needed to get him to think about that and how he could reduce the damage. We discussed PR. That afternoon, he secured a slot on the radio and an article in the local newspaper. This resulted in endless phone call, another 8 new employees being recruited and his turnover tripled.
Bob is a great example of how PR can work, and I would love to think that a few IC's will take on a few ideas and implement them in their own business to generate trust and new business. The trust that 3rd party endorsement brings not only makes closing a deal easier, it helps you keep those customers too.