Personal Pr: Public Relations and Marketing Tips That Work to Your Advantage

By Bruce H. Joffe

In the beginning, Dale Carnegie taught us How to Win Friends and Influence People. Later we learned The Power of Positive Thinking, how to Dress for Success, become One Minute Managers, and appreciate The Art of the Deal.
Now, comes Personal PR: Public Relations and Marketing Tips That Work to Your Advantage.
Strategically designed and practically oriented, the books simple suggestions and anecdotes relate how-to-do-it tactics and strategies youll use to succeed in your business and professional life.
On the pages inside, discover how to benefit by utilizing publicity, marketing, advertising, diplomacy, and other promotional practices to tackle your goals and achieve your objectives.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Mar 26, 2008
• ISBN: 9781462802289

Bruce H. Joffe

Professor and Pastor Bruce H. Joffe, Ph.D., believes that God’s love is experienced transformationally—through compassion

Book preview

Copyright © 2008 by Bruce H. Joffe.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This book was printed in the United States of America.

To order additional copies of this book, contact:

Xlibris Corporation

1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

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Also by Bruce H. Joffe:

A Hint of Homosexuality?

‘Gay’ and Homoerotic Imagery in American Print Advertising

Square Peg in a Round Hole

The Scapegoat

Contents

PREAMBLE Nog and Nora

CHAPTER ONE The PR Perspective

CHAPTER TWO Develop Your Strategic Plan

CHAPTER THREE Research the Possibilities

CHAPTER FOUR Establish Your Credentials

CHAPTER FIVE Communicate with Care

CHAPTER SIX Impress the Important People

CHAPTER SEVEN Practice Personal Diplomacy

CHAPTER EIGHT Pyramid Your Potential Through Peer and Professional Networks

CHAPTER NINE Generate Favorable Publicity

CHAPTER TEN Advertise Special Advantages

POSTSCRIPT Can This Business Be Saved?

For their invaluable input, special thanks to

Marjina Kaplan and Anthony Das.

PREAMBLE

Nog and Nora

One day, Nora was taking inventory of her cave. As she was counting shells, her favorite things, Nora stopped and frowned. She had an idea: "Why, with the shell I brought home yesterday, I now have more than ten. In fact, I have ten . . . and one left over. I have gone into higher math!"

Unable to account for that one extra shell, Nora thought she should make a pictorial record of it on the wall.

Now, the woman who rented this cave before Nora was an artist who had left behind a decorative delight in wall paintings. Nora constantly admired the artistry of her predecessor and confined her own wall work to one small spot in the corner. It was there that she lightly sketched the accounting of her 10 + 1 shells, grouping together the ten original shells and sketching the new one to their right.

The next morning, Nora left her cave to do some collecting. She was filled with a strange exhilaration over her new math and therefore felt quite light-hearted. For once, she didn’t think about a man. And that was something, because, since she had seen and studied the wall paintings of that creature and had read the word man printed below them, she was intrigued—and even at times obsessed—with a desire to see one in real life.

Little did she realize that this very day, when her thoughts were elsewhere, she would bump right into him—MAN—and from that moment on, her life would take on new and untold twists.

It happened like this:

Nora had gone to the shore where she usually found the prettiest shells. She was preoccupied in her searching when she tripped over a foot. There followed a loud Ouch! Then a baritone voice of the sternest timbre asked, With 17 miles of pure, sandy white beach on which to walk, why have you chosen to tread on my foot?

Nora was shocked. She quickly put in her apology. I’m so sorry, she said. I was so caught up looking for shells that I’m afraid I wasn’t looking where I was going.

The man sat up with sudden interest. Wait a minute, he exclaimed. "You’re not a guy . . . you’re different. You’re much, much prettier!"

Thank you, replied Nora, smiling as she realized that the compliment had just that very moment been invented.

Nora couldn’t resist trying a compliment herself: And you are better looking than your paintings, she said.

My name’s Nog.

And mine is Nora.

"Well, Nora. Now that’s a lovely name. I bet you have a little shell shop. Something like ‘Nora’s Nook,’ with bath soaps, scented candles, little toothbrush holders, sachets, and imported thing-a-ma-jigs. Am I right?"

Nora paused. No, not at all, she responded. Actually, I’m interested in higher math.

What’s higher math?

Well, it’s coming to me in bits and pieces. But I have a feeling it’s going to revolutionize accounting, as we know it today. You see, I have just grouped by tens and have thereby created decimal and metric systems. Language and culture will also be greatly affected as well, I would suspect.

Nog, somewhat embarrassed because he understood not a word Nora had said, quickly changed the subject.

So you like shells?

Yes, oh yes, very much. I was collecting them for their interesting shapes and colors. But now I need them for a totally different purpose. My grouping by tens. I might even let one larger shell represent ten. Then the smaller ones could be used as units.

There she was, going on about her higher math again. Nog was quite bewildered. If only she had been a simple shop girl, they could have hit it off right away.

If only you did have a shop! he interrupted. "I could have done you a promotional campaign—logo, brochure, spot mailings, ads . . . the works."

Well, I’m afraid I’m not a businesswoman. I don’t even know what a logo is. Nora could feel a gulf growing between them. She had completely run out of things to say and sensed that Nog had, too.

After a long, awkward silence, she turned and walked away. How could so promising a beginning fizzle so fast?

For the next several days, Nora lost herself in her work. As her shell collection increased, she found it simpler to work out her calculations with the shells themselves, stringing them by tens. Soon she had a rather pretty arrangement of threaded shells. She learned that she could count the other things in her cave and add them up by manipulating the shells on their strings. This pleased her greatly.

I do believe I’ve got a ‘computabacus’ here, she thought. Offhand, she decided to try and sell her new invention, and put up a sign outside her cave: Computabacus for Sale. Inquire Within. She was somewhat disappointed when no one showed any interest in her merchandise.

So after a few days, she went back to calculating things in nature and spent most of her time outside the cave.

One day she went out for a stroll. When Nora returned to her cave she received a pleasant surprise. There stood Nog in a new goatskin, wearing a sheepish grin.

I’m afraid I didn’t put my best foot forward the other day, he openly admitted. "But, well, by golly, I got to thinking . . . that Nora’s got a good head on her shoulders, as well as a pretty one. Better not let this one get away."

Nog noticed Nora’s shell arrangement and found it to be quite a pleasant design. A wall hanging? he inquired.

"No, it’s a computabacus. I use it to add, subtract, compute multiples . . . things like that. Saves time, too!"

Computabacus? repeated Nog, furrowing his brow. "I see what you can do with it . . . but that name is quite a mouthful!"

Do you have a better idea? Nora asked him.

How about something simpler, say, like iCalc?

Nora clapped her hands in delight, appreciating Nog’s way with words. Calling her invention the iCalc was easier and saved time.

Next, Nog decided he might as well try to get into this higher math since Nora seemed to be so taken with it—besides, he was beginning to see a certain vague potential in her attractive instrument.

Would you teach me to use it? he asked.

Over drinks and soft music, Nora proceeded to instruct Nog in the use of her iCalc. He caught on quickly and soon was able to compute wind velocity, chart the tides, and approximate the annual rainfall.

Say, he said. "This little thing is terrific: small . . . compact . . . lightweight . . . easy to carry about. All you really need now is a pocket."

So that day, several ideas were born: the pocket, the business lunch, and modern technology.

Nog offered to work out a strategic plan to help Nora market her iCalc.

First he met with some friends and business associates to evaluate the iCalc’s market potential. Then he went to the library, where he did some research to find out if anyone else had ever invented such a machine.

Next, he sent a letter to the president of the local merchants association requesting they set aside time at their next regular meeting for him to demonstrate the many uses of Nora’s amazing calculating machine.

He planned to suggest that each of the businessmen take a number of iCalcs on consignment. They could be given as favors to suppliers and distributors to spread the news of Nora’s talents beyond their village. Through such a network, he supposed, a larger demand could be created for the iCalc.

All over the countryside, Nog posted large, colorful signs reading, You need IT. He allowed the signs to remain a week or so, then replaced them with You want IT signs . . . which he then replaced with signs stating that IT could be seen and sampled at Nora’s cave the following Saturday.

Recognizing the value of added publicity, Nog also tipped off the local newspaper. The editor was intrigued about IT and ran several stories speculating about what IT could possibly be. Of course, he wrote that when IT was unveiled on Saturday, his paper would be there and cover the event with a full report.

The Thursday before the big event, Nog arrived at Nora’s cave with balloons and banners, champagne, caviar and 100 tasteful shopping bags that had Nora’s printed on the side. Together, they began decorating the cave. They worked late into the night so that the day before the Open Cave there remained only a few minor tasks to perform—getting gift-wrapping paper, door prizes, and such favors as pens and pencils imprinted with Nora’s name.

The long-awaited day finally arrived. Nog was excited and Nora was nervous, though she was very impressed with Nog’s planning. Her place looked perfect and—if people really showed up—she felt they would at least feel comfortable and welcome.

The first people to arrive were two couples with a child. Oh dear, thought Nora, I hadn’t thought about children.

Don’t worry, said Nog. I have something to occupy the kids, and he handed a small box of assorted toys to the child, who beamed and fell to playing with them immediately.

More people began to arrive and Nora’s cave was soon swarming with curious shoppers.

Is this ‘IT’? asked one lady, picking up an attractive vase.

Oh no, responded Nora. That’s just an ordinary cocktail shaker. In a few moments, Nog and I will unveil ‘IT’ and I shall demonstrate its many uses.

A hush fell over the crowd as Nog stepped forward and dimmed the lights, leaving a spot trained on Nora and the curiously draped object in front of her. With a flourish, Nora whisked off the drape. There sat her wonderful iCalc.

Whispers rippled through the crowd.

It’s a musical instrument.

No, it’s art.

"I’ve got it . . . it’s a food processor."

It’s a lamp.

Nog moved into the spotlight. Ladies and gentlemen, let me present Nora’s iCalc. After you’ve seen its many uses, I don’t think I’ll have to sell you on the advantages of owning one of your own. Now, someone give me a number—any number.

Six, someone shouted.

Now give me another number, asked Nog.

Three, someone else shouted. That was followed by cries of nine, five, and two.

As the numbers were called out, Nora deftly flicked the shells of her iCalc. That comes to a total of twenty-five, she announced.

Everyone was astonished. They stared at the iCalc. Nora beamed. She knew she had the undivided attention of each person in the audience. Like a seasoned professional, she held the iCalc before her and began to divide and multiply, add and subtract, arriving at answers so swiftly that the people gathered could hardly believe their eyes.

There followed an incredible rush forward. Practically everyone wanted to be the first to buy an iCalc. Nora couldn’t hand them out fast enough. The money from sales was piling higher and higher.

With our profits, we can invest in other village businesses, said Nog, taking her aside. After all, a wealthy village brings dividends to all.

Now listen, everyone, announced Nora. You will need a bit of training in how to use the iCalc. So I have set aside next Saturday for a little seminar, free of charge. Everyone is invited to come here for general instructions and familiarization.

Nog promised to carefully write out the instructions for using the iCalc and have them printed in an attractive brochure. Anticipating the calculator’s potential and growing applications, he also agreed to put out a monthly newsletter to keep all the buyers up-to-date on the many practical uses of their iCalcs.

Everyone cheered. It was a total success. And as the people were leaving, Nora smiled across at Nog (who was busy with the final wrapping and bagging, handing out complimentary pencils and shaking hands with the customers).

She saw in Nog the consummate businessman—easy with the public, sincere, concerned about quality and fair-mindedness.

What a team we make, she thought.

Suddenly, she found herself calculating in a whole new way!

CHAPTER ONE

The PR Perspective

Talking about public relations is a little like talking about food: It means different things depending upon whether you’re hungry or full.

Enough textbooks have been written about public relations to fill a public library. And there are just as many definitions. But when you get right down to it, public relations are . . . well . . . public relations. It’s what you do with the public and how the public relates to it.

To put it another way, public relations are getting people to know you, to like you, and to support you. Whether it’s getting your name in the paper or your reputation around the neighborhood, PR means exercising what control you can to make sure that all references to you are positive ones.

Public relations mean many things to many people. The words are among the most misunderstood, abused, and frequently bandied-around terms in our marketing vocabulary.

For example, some people think of public relations as publicity. But public relations are more than publicity. Publicity can get people to notice you. Public relations, however, can get people to like you, to trust and support you.

Why the distinction?

Think about your own reaction. All things being equal—product, service, price, convenience and so forth—wouldn’t you rather deal with people you like and trust?

Whether you’re looking for a good job, are on an upwardly mobile career track, already are a corporate manager or executive or the proprietor of your own business, public relations can work for you to make people notice, like, trust and support you.

Think of it as reputation management. After all, that’s what the big guys do. From national office supply stores like Staples and Office Depot to the big box stores such as Best Buy and Circuit City . . . or multi-national merchants including eBay, amazon.com, and others, the element of feedback—how you say you’ve been treated by the company, as well as your opinion of its products and services—prominently figures into buying decisions these days.

We’ve all experienced the frustration of trying to deal with these larger-than-life companies with their automated phone systems and computerized responses. We’re made to feel like anonymous and impersonal ciphers—today’s Davids dealing futilely with the Goliaths.

When my cable (and internet) bill arrived in the mail, I noticed that it didn’t credit me for past payments I had made. So, with a list of my checks sent and deposited on account in hand, I picked up the telephone and called the company’s toll-free number. After five minutes pushing buttons—1 for English, 1 for questions about my cable service (not Internet), 2 for billing (not technical) questions . . . and then entering my account number followed by my zip code and telephone—a mechanical voice droned, Please, WAIT . . . Please, WAIT . . . Please, WAIT, . . . Please, WAIT, and then announced, before disconnecting me: We’re sorry, but due to heavy call volume, we cannot take your call now. Please call back.

I did, twice, with the same results.

Needless to say, I was angry and annoyed. I grabbed my bill and printout of payments, trotting over to the company’s local office where I insisted on speaking with a supervisor. Furious with the sheer arrogance of their big business attitude, I was determined to get some satisfaction. Needless to say, after standing in line and waiting my turn, I learned that the company indeed had received all my payments in full . . . but that it can take them up to two or three weeks from receiving the check to post it on a customer’s account. Is that so? I asked. Looking directly at Madame Supervisor and turning around to make sure all the people still waiting in line were watching, I ripped up the bill and said to her: When someone in management can find time to call me, I’ll be glad to discuss my payment history and your bills. As I stomped out, several people began to cheer and clap.

Is it any wonder, then, that when a 75-year-old woman reached her breaking point with this same cable company, she reached for a hammer to settle the score? And settle the score she certainly did: Her story about being victimized by the corporate colossus appeared in The Washington Post and was quickly quoted by people at dinner parties, business meetings, and government watering holes.

Why? Because we all could relate: we all had had enough with being taken advantage of by big business. In Paddy Chafesky’s movie Network, news anchor Howard Beale (played by Peter Finch) galvanized the nation by ranting, I’m mad as hell, and I’m not going to take this anymore! Americans everywhere, opened their windows and shouted out the same words during a spectacular lightning storm.

Compare this type of public relations with what’s practiced by one of America’s largest retailers—a chain known for its reputation of providing customers with the best possible service:

A man from another city flew into Washington, DC, to present a speech before a major trade group the following day. For some reason, the formal dress code required that men wear light blue shirts with white collars and cuffs, along with their suits and ties. Searching everywhere for the elusive blue shirt with white collars and cuffs, they were nowhere to be found. Finally, he entered the department store we’re referring to and explained his dilemma to a customer service associate, the term used to identify the store’s sales personnel.

Sir, I’ve looked everywhere in our inventory—in the stock room as well as throughout the displays—but I can’t find what you’re looking for anywhere, the associate apologized. Thanks, anyway, replied the customer, as he turned to leave. Wait a second, sir! the associate exclaimed. You said you don’t need the shirt until tomorrow afternoon? Tell me your exact size and where you are staying, and I promise to have the shirt delivered to your hotel room by 9:00 am tomorrow.

Sure enough, the next morning our frazzled executive opened his hotel room door to find a gift-wrapped package with his name on it. He tore open the paper and found the exact shirt he needed. It fit him perfectly. Later that afternoon, following his speech, he returned to the store to thank the sales associate for everything she did on his behalf. Tell me, he asked. I had looked everywhere, but couldn’t find the shirt. How did you come up with one in such a short time? The sales associate laughed. Please don’t make me answer that, she said. "But the next time you need a white shirt with blue collar and cuffs, we’ll have one here for you."

Public Relations Mean Relating with Your Publics

In its simplest definition, public relations refer to your relations with the public. But it’s a lot more, too: It means organization—finding out who your publics are, learning what they need (or want) from you, determining how what you do can benefit them, and then making them aware of what you have to offer in ways they can understand and appreciate.

Public relations are also about exposure. After all, the only way people can like you is for you to get them to know you . . . to get them to know the best about you.

What, then, do people know about you? Probably nothing more than they know about the major computer manufacturers. But ask them, Who makes the best computers? and chances are they’ll say Compaq, Dell, or maybe Apple. Do they know for a fact that these companies make the best computers? Of course not.

You use toothpaste; almost everyone does. Which brand is best? Most have fluoride—but which fluoride is better: Stannous fluoride? Monofluorosphosphate? You don’t know? You’re not a chemist? Then why are you buying Crest? Or Colgate? Or Gleem?

Because Dell or Crest has planted in your mind—one way or another—that its brand is the one you want to use. And they didn’t do it entirely by advertising.

Compaq, Gateway, and Dell don’t really advertise their computers all that much; but they do have incredible public relations programs operating continuously. Crest’s initial market penetration, which it grabbed and still holds, was based on public relations: merchandising the American Dental Association’s endorsement.

You develop that kind of trust through exposure. It’s been proven over and again that it works. People tend to buy from familiar faces. More importantly, they prefer to buy from familiar faces that they trust.

So, how do you go about getting this kind of positive exposure? Quite simply, you do things the public will appreciate, remember and respond to. You spend time planning and carrying out programs designed to bring some benefit to the publics you serve. Then you relate the good feelings about that benefit to you and/or your business.

For example:

•       A trash collection company announces it will be cleaning up a particularly messy neighborhood in town as a token of civic goodwill. TV news cameras cover the clean up.

•       A real estate agent publishes and distributes a booklet of tips for staging a house to appeal to most home buyers. One satisfied seller refers several of her friends to the agent.

•       A restaurant donates food to a nearby shelter for homeless men and women. The local newspaper spotlights that restaurant in its Good Neighbor profile.

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