Winding Up for the Pitch

Is your mouth watering at the mere thought of the sublime fragrance of succulent, sun-warmed peaches interwoven with brown sugar and a hint of fresh vanilla bean and freshly ground cinnamon? Ahhh .... yes? Are you concerned with whether the restaurant owner paid $1.84 or $2.03 per pound for those peaches? Yeah, didn't think so ...

Whenever I hear the phrase "I need to pick your brain" I think "BLOG POST!" Usually the brain picker has a very specific question related to their business or cause, but strip away the specifics and the principles are useable for darn near any communication ... whether you're looking for a job, pitching a product, or just writing a sternly worded letter to your homeowner's association.

A little background: one of my dear friends is launching her own business. Very exciting stuff. I can't share more due to national security restrictions (kidding, she's just still in prep mode), but it's a solid concept that she'll take out into the world very, very soon. So, said adorable friend comes to me with this query:

"How do we prep for the big pitch on a super-tight budget?" 

This can be tricky. When you're low on capital it's tempting to go cheap on marketing. But if your print or digital marketing comes off as "budget," your audience starts getting antsy. They start wondering if you've really thought this whole thing through, are you fly-by-night, do you go single-ply instead of double which is both cruel and wasteful, are you stirring up more questions than you are solutions ... not exactly a confidence building exercise for you or the audience.

Take the time to build thoughtful, compelling marketing messages and package them professionally -- whether in a letter, with a website, or with a gorgeous printed piece -- and you'll find your audience takes you far more seriously and is far more likely to do what you want ... whether that's buy something, agree to something, or give you a raise!

Here's my advice how to Land the Deal on a Shoestring Budget:

Adopt this mindset: you're not selling ... you're telling a story. In order to really connect with your audience, you must package your story in a way that lets them see themselves with a better life. I stumbled upon this video from a TED conference that sums up this concept so well that I want you to hop off my blog and go watch it ... but then you have to come right back. Watch at least to around the 5 minute mark (where he talks about how Apple creates their story by turning the message on its head,) but I encourage you to watch the whole thing (my favorite quote: "Martin Luther King did not give the 'I have a plan' speech. No, it was the 'I have a DREAM speech.')

Take care of the basics. Grab testimonials from your current customers and incorporate the best ones into your marketing materials. Start collecting statistics on everything: your sales, your customer satisfaction rate, your customer retention and loyalty ... whatever you are doing, you can collect stats on it. Why are testimonials and stats so important? Because people are more willing to try something if someone else has vetted it first and is happy with the results.

Get very solid on what makes you better than your competition. What are you doing differently -- and way better -- than your competitors? The question of "why should I go with you over them?" will come up, whether you're giving a presentation or someone's just reading your letter. Have a compelling answer.

Remember you have two audiences: the gatekeeper and the end user. So, let's say you're trying to convince the owner of a restaurant (gatekeeper/person who has buying power) to buy your brand of fresh peaches for their world-renowned peach cobbler. Yes, you need to address the owner about how your exquisite, farm-fresh peaches in plenty of time daily to prepare for the lunch crowd, and for three cents less than your competitor. Guess what? The folks tying on their napkins at lunch (end user) could care less that your peaches cost the restaurant less. Nope, they want some hot-from-the-oven peach cobbler that makes them feel a little shaky it's so good. You must appeal to both audiences to land the deal.

Flip your message on its head. Don't get so caught up in your awesomeness that you fail to tell your target audience how your product makes their life better. Talk about their needs first, then about how you fill that need.

Budget for an excellent marketing professional to help you craft your story. This is not a sales pitch. Hire me, hire another qualified professional, just hire someone to help you pull together your brand story professionally. I believe more businesses go up in smoke because they put more money into their systems or supplies and failed to invest in excellent marketing. Guess what? It doesn't matter how amazing your product is if no one knows about it. True story. Companies that see the value and invest in marketing are more successful. Hook up with a great marketer ... it's worth every penny.

There ya go. My brain dump for August 2014. Totally just saved you the cost of a Starbucks, but potentially created a craving for peach cobbler. I shall not apologize.

XO ---

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Free PR/Branding/Writing/Social Media Advice -- Just Ask!

                     

Friends, I'm planning and plotting and writing the second edition of the Amy Mac PR Newsletter. (What's this? You know not of what I speak? Please click here for the last issue!)

Here's your opportunity to get a little publicity, branding, social media and writing advice for free. Send me your question by clicking here. It doesn't have to be limited to the above categories, either. If you have a question about working from home, running a small business, writing your resume, working with a printer, setting up a blog ... whatever, just send it along. You can also leave a question in the comments, if you prefer.

Be sure to give me your contact information (just an email address will do, though a first name and  your industry will allow me to be polite (hi, Mom!) and give you the best possible answer) in case I need to get in touch.

For the next issue, I'll need your questions by Monday, April 22. Make sure you're signed up for the newsletter by clicking here!

News You Can Use

When someone finds out I'm a writer with a background in branding and publicity, lots of times they'll have a related question for me. Sometimes it's about how to get better rankings for their website on Google searches, sometimes it's how to improve their staff's writing skills, and sometimes it's how to give their resume a boost.

These are always smart, professional folks who know getting a little advice can be a cost-effective way of building their business or personal brand. So in 2013, I'm going to start gathering up the most commonly asked questions, formulating my very best tips and pointers, and sending out a quarterly newsletter. It's my tiny way of helping my favorite small business owners and folks building their personal brands with a free resource for their marketing needs.

The newsletter will differ from the Amy Mac blog in that it will focus entirely on publicity, marketing, branding and business writing tips. So, ya know ... no stories about the kids, dogs, the hubby, or me accidentally trying to destroy the earth. But genuinely relevant information nonetheless.

I'd love it if you'd sign up! You'll get four emails in 2013, chock full of information. (This is an entirely different list than the blog subscriber list, so even if you already follow the blog ... please sign up for this, too!)

I expect the first issue to be ready in the next week, so sign up on the email form below soon! (You can also find the link on the sidebar of the blog.)

Subscribe to the Amy Mac Quarterly Newsletter!

Done? There now, wasn't that easy?

Muchos gracias....see you soon!

PS -- Have something you'd like me to address in the newsletter? Leave a comment!

The Good Egg

One of my first post-college jobs was at a public relations and advertising agency in Cincinnati, and I was lucky enough that the woman who hired me was (and still is) one of the best in the business. She taught me more about writing, client relations and creating the “wow” factor for every public relations campaign than any of my college courses … but she also taught me how adding the special touch to the little things can make everything you do memorable. And when it comes to public relations, advertising, branding and writing – being memorable is a key to success.

For example, my husband and I were married a few months after I started working with Gail. She gave us a lovely Williams-Sonoma egg skillet for which we had registered and added the note “For two good eggs on their happy day!” Almost fifteen years later, I still remember that message (and made eggs on that very skillet this morning!)

I still draw on the things Gail taught me all those years ago – the measurable ones (like spell check doesn’t catch all your mistakes, but cultivating an excellent eye for proofing will) and the slightly more nebulous, but equally important (like how being especially sweet to coworkers attempting to undermine you befuddles them, but often makes them putty in your capable hands.)

So, two questions: who’s the person who taught you more than any professor in a lecture hall?

And, what are you doing today to make your product or service memorable?

The Grape Debate (and your Free Publicity Tip of the Week)

If I forget to bring a snack into my home office while I’m working, I’m hopping up approximately every 47 seconds to find something to eat. Not a very effective way to get work done. Some might suggest medication to stave off this habit of jumping up and running around. “Pshaw!” I say (I have always wanted to work Pa Ingalls favorite saying into my writing. Mission accomplished.) I just bring snacks, and line them up on my desk like my own personal little convenience store.

Today, I decided to be virtuous and bring these grapes instead of the chocolate chip cookies nestled in the treats basket in my pantry. Those cookies, I swear they are screaming my name. They are loud. And aggressive. Quite pushy, and rude. The grapes are much more subtle, but it seemed like the right thing to do … so here they are.

Anywho, as I’m gobbling my grapes, I’m simultaneously preparing a client for an upcoming radio interview. Radio interviews are more relaxed than television interviews, if for no other reason than you don’t have to worry if your hair is doing something weird. But there are a few things you must do in a radio interview so you’ll sound like the intelligent professional I know you are. So here’s your free Publicity Tip of the Week:

In a radio interview (or television, telephone, or job interview for that matter) - slow down. Take a deep breath. When we’re a little anxious, we tend to talk faster. Eliminate the “ums” and “you knows” from your lexicon, if just for the few minutes you’re on air. And type up the main points you want to drive home, in a decent-size font, so it’s easy to get back on track if you lose your train of thought.

Now, to find a way to silence those cookies. I don't have a good feeling about this .... Happy Weekend!– Amy Mac