Media

Key Steps For Your PR Sales Funnel

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The Free PR Sales Funnel48b

The number of calls you need to make before you land stories varies based on who you are, what your angle is, what’s happening in the news, and how accurately you’re targeting the writers.

For example, your numbers will be horrible if you are calling writers who cover the oil and gas industry but you’re pitching them about a small business angle.  Even though they’re business writers, none will ever cover you.

Assuming you’re targeting writers who write about your field, in media outlets that have an interested readership, then this is a rough estimate of the numbers you might expect from a PR person once they have been trained on your product and company knowledge.

It takes a couple months before even the best sales person knows enough about the products or company to close better than a long-time employee.You should keep in mind that new hires won’t become pros overnight.

  • Monthly: You should expect five stories per PR person at minimum
  • Daily: They can make six outbound pitches to journalists (this is based on doing it every day for a month)
  • It accounts for tracking what was said on the call
  • Setting up follow up times to call them back
  • Research on the target
  • Getting the correct contact info
  • Sending out follow up information
  • Following up with prospects from calls made in weeks prior
  • That means – 6 calls a day x 5 days a week x 4 weeks a month = 120 outbound calls a month, which should generate five stories a month

These numbers are pretty accurate and cover national, regional, and local media.  They also cover spreading the calls out over TV, radio, print, online, newsletters, and bloggers. The numbers are also pretty conservative, too.  If the angles are well thought out, and if the PR person sells well, they’ll land even more.

You should try and do this yourself – if possible – before your new PR person starts. That way, you’ll have some idea of the environment they will be dealing with. Maybe your numbers are better than my example, and you already have a compelling story. If you can’t find a writer who will listen to you for more than 2 minutes, then you know it is time to go back and rethink your angle.

For more information on this topic, check out: Generating Free PR.

The Keys to Building an In-House PR Team

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49bIf  you’re reading this article, you’re probably interested in performing PR functions yourself, or in hiring team members to do so (or both). It will help you find the right people to execute the PR sales role in your organization, and secure free publicity for your company.Even though this falls under the category of public relations, what you’re really hiring for is a person who likes to do telephone sales.  You’re looking for someone who loves to pitch people, and is technically savvy enough to compile resources online and monitor the media response to your campaign. The first rule –

Don’t hire anyone with a PR background. People with traditional backgrounds in PR will want to write newswires and press releases all day.  Typically people in PR are writers (or they wanted to be), and there’s nothing wrong with that, but what you want—and need—is someone who can deliver a persuasive sales pitch, and follow-up with everyone they contact. It seems simple, but it’s not. That’s why I’ve included the list below.

Here’s what skills and characteristics you’ll want your team members to have:

  • They must love to sell. Candidates will need to the ability to “get past the gatekeeper” in order to pitch. They should be able to raise and handle objections, track their own sales leads, and love to sell.
  • They can handle rejection. Do they realize that every “no” is one step closer to a “yes”?
  • They’re enthusiastic junior players. I like junior sales people, around their mid-twenties and enthusiastic. Remember, you’re not looking for people who can sell to VPs or CEOs.
  • They need to be able to listen. The ability to understand what the writer wants to write about is crucial. It’s the only way to know why an approach isn’t working, and how to change it.
  • They’re “glass-half-full” people. Find someone optimistic so their excitement and energy transfers to everyone they talk to, especially the writers over the phone.
  • They’ve got a great “phone voice.” A great phone voice is important so writers can understand them.  They may be pitching you to writers in different regions too, so hire people with accents that match your market, or have voices that are clear enough to people throughout North America.
  • They need to know how to write. Your PR people won’t be writing press releases, but they will be doing tons of follow up via email.  They’ll have to be able to create excitement and get their point across succinctly.
  • They’ll have to be tech savvy. This role will require the use of a computer and the Internet constantly, since most their resources will be online.
  • They need to be smart. The fact that this is last doesn’t make it any less important than the others. The people you hire to do this work need to be information agregators, and intelligent enough to draw connections within the vast expanse of information they collect. Their research must be accurate, appropriate, and timely. They should love reading blogs, know how to use RSS, and gather info from Twitter. Information like this is crucial so they can stay current on trends, and include them in pitches to writers.

For more information on this topic, check out: Generating Free PR.

What Department Is PR In?

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There is a popular misconception that PR should be considered a part of the marketing department. Believing that story is a big mistake. Public relations, in the way that I’ve been doing it for 22 years, is a sales role and you need to treat it accordingly.  Typically, marketing & communications people are not wired the same way as sales people…and it takes the mindset of a salesperson to excel at PR.

If PR is a part of sales, then the good ideas that you give to the content producers are freebies (a popular sales tool). People may love free stuff, but nobody likes a gift with a really long instruction manual; which is why writers don’t like receiving press releases or being assigned to a story.  Rather, they love to be inspired and write about something they relate to.

With my business coaching and mentoring system, you can have the media on your side, happily furthering your campaign. Remember: writers, photographers and other media professionals are always looking for the next great “cover” shot.  Give them one and they’ll be thanking you.

Over the next three posts in regard to PR tactics, I will explain how to find the ideal angle for your story, select the right publications, and start a dialogue with the right people.

For more information on this topic, check out: Generating Free PR.

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Meetings Suck: Turning One Of The Most Loathed Elements Of Business Into One Of The Most Valuable

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We all know that meetings suck, right?

You hear it all the time. It’s the one thing that almost everyone in business can agree on.

Except it’s not actually true… 

Meetings don’t suck.

We just suck at running meetings.   

When done right, meetings not only work, they make people and companies better.

In Meetings Suck, world renowned business expert and growth guru Cameron Herold teaches you how to use focused, time effective meetings to help you and your company soar.

This book shows you immediately actionable, step-by-step systems that ensure that you and everyone in your organization improves your meetings, right away.

In the process, you’ll turn meetings that suck into meetings that work. 

In life, we always hear about people who’ve made huge decisions from their gut – without data.Today, I want you to make a decision, not only from your gut, but also from some data.  A decision that is only $12 per employee but will be priceless for your business.

Right now, your gut is telling you something is wrong with your company’s meetings.  You KNOW everyone complains about meetings.

People HATE going to them, they HATE running them, and they really have NO idea which meetings are truly necessary but they hold meetings simply because they think that is what they SHOULD do.

Even some of the smartest CEOs in the world complain about meetings – Elon Musk publicly told employees at Tesla & SpaceX to walk out of meetings if they weren’t being run properly.

I sent Elon a message saying that wasn’t going to fix anything – the key is to fix the root of the problem – NOT continue to ignore why meetings suck.

A Meeting is – Any phone call, video call or occasion where 2 or more people meet to discuss or work-through office topics.

Most employees on average spend 1-2 hours per day in meetings.

And likely, none of those employees – front-line staff or leaders – have had any training on how to attend meetings or participate in them, LET ALONE How to RUN THEM.

Consider this…

If the Average employee spends just 1 Hour per day in meetings – that’s 1/8th of their time.

If the Average employee earns $50,000 per year.

And they’re spending 1/8th of their time in meetings, that means you’re paying $6,250 dollars per year for just ONE employee to attend meetings.

The reality is, employees spend 1/8th of their time – and 1/8th of your company’s payroll – doing something they have literally NO idea how to do.

The Reality is…

95% of employees are booking & leading meetings – and they have NEVER been trained on how to run them.

95% of employees have had NO training on how to show up and participate in the meetings they attend daily.

And 95% of employees and companies have no idea what meetings are even necessary to hold.

Meetings CAN be hugely effective – IF you know how to run them

Meetings don’t SUCK, we just SUCK at running meetings. 

Investing $15 per employee – to help ensure the $50,000 a year you spend on them is an obvious and easy choice.

This could be the most impactful $15 you’ll ever spend and will save the company’s money, time and resources instantly.

Buying a copy of Meetings Suck for 100% of your employees and having them read it this month will have a huge impact on your company’s success.

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Free PR: How To Get Chased By The Press Without Hiring A PR Firm

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Public relations has always been an essential part of doing business which is probably why you’re shelling out big money to an outside PR firm. But the truth is that you don’t need them. You already have all the necessary tools in-house to do as good a job as the so-called experts. 

Cameron Herold and Adrian Salamunovic have taught thousands of company execs how to exploit free media coverage and ditch these expensive, often ineffective outsiders. 

Cameron & Adrian have also built in-house PR teams, spent decades learning how to generate Free PR and how to leverage public relations to complement their sales and marketing strategy. 

In Free PR, you’ll learn how the media world operates while you gain invaluable insider knowledge and actionable advice on how to: 

  • Build your own in-house PR team
  • Provide effective interviews
  • Score great media coverage for free with just a few easy steps 

Landing public relations coverage for yourself and your company is a powerful tool to help elevate your personal brand. PR is easier to generate than marketing, PR is easier to leverage than marketing and PR is more cost effective than marketing. In other words, Public Relations is more critical than ever in growing your brand and your business. 

You’ve got more passion, commitment, a larger stake, and a deeper understanding of your business than any outside PR firm could ever have. So stop wasting money and take the reins yourself.  Learn the secrets to landing TONS of Free PR for your company.

What they’re saying:

“I think PR is the core for promoting any business. Public relations acquires customers! That’s what’s cool about this book.”

– Kevin O’Leary,  Shark on ABC’s Shark Tank

“The ultimate guidebook for those looking to get press, grow their brand, and get in front of the masses. Free PR is the roadmap you’ve been looking for.”

– Peter Shankman, Founder, Help a Reporter Out (HARO)

“Adrian and Cameron will show you the secrets of getting massive exposure for your business. This book is packed with actionable insights from two guys that actually know how to to do it.”

– Dan Martell,  Serial Entrepreneur & Investor (Intercom.io, Unbounce)

“I told Cameron to write the book on generating free PR. I’m excited to see that he’s finally sharing his secrets with the world. This is a must read for any entrepreneurial company and marketing team.”

– Verne Harnish, Founder of Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO) and author of Scaling Up (Rockefeller Habits 2.0)

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Vivid Vision: A Remarkable Tool For Aligning Your Business Around a Shared Vision of the Future

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Many corporations have slick, flashy mission statements that ultimately do little to motivate employees and less to impress customers, investors, and partners. 

But there is a way to share your excitement for the future of your company in a clear, compelling, and powerful way and entrepreneur and business growth expert Cameron Herold can show you how. 

Vivid Vision is a revolutionary tool that will help owners, CEOs, and senior managers create inspirational, detailed, and actionable three-year mission statements for their companies. In this easy-to-follow guide, Herold walks organization leaders through the simple steps to creating their own Vivid Vision, from brainstorming to sharing the ideas to using the document to drive progress in the years to come. 

By focusing on mapping out how you see your company looking and feeling in every category of business, without getting bogged down by data and numbers or how it will happen, Vivid Vision creates a holistic road map to success that will get all of your teammates passionate about the big picture. 

Your company is your dream, one that you want to share with your staff, clients, and stakeholders. Vivid Vision is the tool you need to make that dream a reality.

miracle-morning

The Miracle Morning for
Entrepreneurs: Elevate Your SELF to
Elevate Your BUSINESS

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READY FOR EXPLOSIVE GROWTH AS AN ENTREPRENEUR AND ACCELERATED SUCCESS IN THE REST OF YOUR LIFE?

A step-by-step guide to enjoying the roller-coaster ride of growth — while getting the most out of life as an entrepreneur. A growth-focused approach: The book is divided into three sections, which cover planning for fast growth, building a company for fast growth, and leading for fast growth. Each topic the author covers — from creating a vision for the company’s future to learning how to generate free PR for a developing company — is squarely focused on the end goal: doubling the size of the entrepreneur’s company in three years or less. A down-to-earth action plan: Herold’s experienced-based advice never gets bogged down in generalities or theory. Instead, he offers a wealth of practical tips, including: How to design meetings for maximum efficiency; How to hire top-quality talent; How to grow in particularly tough markets; How to put together a board of advisors — even for a smaller company; How even the busy entrepreneur can achieve a work/life balance.

READY FOR EXPLOSIVE GROWTH AS AN ENTREPRENEUR AND ACCELERATED SUCCESS IN THE REST OF YOUR LIFE?

Hal Elrod’sThe Miracle Morning has helped redefine the mornings and the lives of millions of readers since 2012. Since then, careers have been launched, goals have been met, and dreams have been realized, all through the power of the Miracle Morning’s six Life S.A.V.E.R.S.

THESE SIX DAILY PRACTICES WILL FUEL YOUR EFFORTS TO CREATE AND SUSTAIN POSITIVE CHANGE IN YOUR LIFE.

Now The Miracle Morning for Entrepreneurs brings you these principles in a whole new light—alongside the Entrepreneurial Elevation Principles and the Entrepreneur’s Elevation Skills. These are essential skills that you need to create a successful business and personal life. Cameron Herold— Bestselling Author and a widely-respected expert on entrepreneurial mindset—brings his wisdom and insight to you using Hal Elrod’s powerful Miracle Morning framework.

DEVELOP A VISION FOR YOUR BUSINESS, AND BECOME THE INFLUENTIAL AND INSPIRING LEADER YOU WERE ALWAYS MEANT TO BE.

The principles and skills you’ll find in this book will help you to channel your passion and achieve balance in a remarkable new way. – Learn why mornings matter more than you think – Learn how to master your own self-leadership and accelerate your personal development – Learn how to manage your energy—physical, mental, and emotional – Learn how to implement Hal Elrod’s invaluable Life S.A.V.E.R.S. in your daily routine – And much more… You’re already an entrepreneur. Now discover how to take your success to the next level by first taking yourself to the next level. The Miracle Morning for Entrepreneurs is your roadmap to masterfully building an empire with a powerful vision, utilizing your areas of personal genius, with the right team at your side.

Start giving your business and your life the very best opportunities for success, right now.

double-double

Double Double: How To Double Your Revenue And Profit In 3 Years Or Less​

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A step-by-step guide to enjoying the roller-coaster ride of growth — while getting the most out of life as an entrepreneur. A growth-focused approach: The book is divided into three sections, which cover planning for fast growth, building a company for fast growth, and leading for fast growth. Each topic the author covers — from creating a vision for the company’s future to learning how to generate free PR for a developing company — is squarely focused on the end goal: doubling the size of the entrepreneur’s company in three years or less. A down-to-earth action plan: Herold’s experienced-based advice never gets bogged down in generalities or theory. Instead, he offers a wealth of practical tips, including: How to design meetings for maximum efficiency; How to hire top-quality talent; How to grow in particularly tough markets; How to put together a board of advisors — even for a smaller company; How even the busy entrepreneur can achieve a work/life balance.