Pirozzolo Company Public Relations Ideas

Tax Credits Save Some Green, Natural Home Magazine

Understanding the environmental and financial impact of the 1,400 page Carbon Credit Bill before Congress may seem a bit daunting. 

The environmental and financial impact of the Administration's Stimulus Package however is clear –- cut energy consumption at home and you cut your taxes. 

In most cases, a $5,000 energy-saving home improvement will knock $1,500 off your Federal Income taxes. There are often state, local and utility company incentives one can piggyback onto the improvement to save more money. In some areas of the US, the incentives add up to point where the cost of installing solar hot water is about on par with the cost of a gas or electric water heater.

Going green has never been greener. For further details, check out Tax Credits Save Some Green, by Dick Pirozzolo, Natural Home Magazine.Download GreenTaxes.FF

Social Media? What Every Public Relations Professional Must Do!

Delivering PR Value to our Clients and Employers in the Web 2.0 World

Like most communication and marketing professionals, we're on the Social Media learning and implementation fast track -- educating ourselves and clients who say: "I understand blogs and LinkedIn, but Twitter? What's that all about?" 

To be sure, the inexplicable Twitter is emerging as a valuable communication tool with clients and communication professionals who are starting to "get it." Much credit goes to the celebrity power of Ashton Kutcher who launched a competition with CNN to see who could reach one-million "followers" first. 

Now think back a few short years -- during pre-browser days of the Web -- when early adapters -- like us -- were using Byzantine systems to access the Internet, just so we could pull up some useless bit of information like the card catalogue from the Munich University Library. During that time, savvy PR pros were teaching themselves the technology and the value of the Web. Those who jumped in early, put themselves in a position to advise clients who were beginning to ask: " Do I need a Website? What do I put on it? What's the potential?" We discovered that the Web could help our clients do more than publish brochures online -- The Web gave our clients a way to educate, entertain and build community like never before. 

With the advent of the second Web Explosion -- the Age of Social Media and the redefining of News Media --  we continue to rely on the five enduring rules we have always lived by, no matter what medium emerges. 

1. Content is King. Regardless of the medium, we must always communicate information that is of value to our clients publics (stakeholders) in words and images. 

2. Beware of the "Stogies." Our agency started out representing WBZ-TV when broadcast TV ruled. Over the years, we have gone from having clients who did not understand television -- dismissing the medium as being too fleeting and not in-depth enough for their "serious" message and clientele. These CEOs would tell us, "I only watch sports and Public Television." Yet they knew Archie Bunker, the Smothers brothers and the Fonze! So despite client protestations about this emerging medium or that emerging medium not being right for their message, we take the lead. We educate our clients -- and encourage them to see the value of understanding and learning how to use the tools at their disposal to achieve their goals and objectives. 

3. There is no such thing as "X Writing." Banish the adjectives agencies put before the word "writing" such as, "Technical Writing," or "Web Writing" or "Copy Writing" or Collateral Writing." As Public Relations professionals we must be able to understand the potential and limitations of a wide range of media. Likewise, we must remain curious and open to learning eclectic subject matter. We need to push our skills and learn every day. We are no longer "reverse journalists" who only have to be able to write news releases and feature articles. We must get well beneath the surface of our clients activities and business. Look at it this way, we really understood the astronaut culture and the NASA space program from reading, "The Right Stuff" by Tom Wolfe, and everything we know about the American whaling industry came from reading "Moby Dick" by Herman Helville. Now Tom Wolfe was not a "technical" or "aerospace" writer -- he was an art major. He is, however, a keen observer of American life. Herman Melville, was a bookkeeper who went on one whaling voyage and didn't like it much, yet he wrote the definitive work on an entire industry and era. The lesson for PR professionals: observe, learn and push the limits. 

4. Don't become a solution looking for a problem. When corporate video was hot, everyone -- including PR firms -- was out selling 20-minute documentaries to their clients, even though no no one watched them. Now that Social Media is hot, PR firms are selling and using Social Media, for the sake of seeming hip. As a public relations firm, we are communication managers who either perform the entire public relations management function for a client or we augment the capability of the in-house public relations professionals. In either case, we proactively look for trends and situations that impact our clients and either help or impede their ability to achieve their objectives. We then look for solutions and Social Media is simply among solutions that we can now turn to help our client achieve its objectives.

5. Read everything. It may seem fundamental, but PR pros can't just fall into the trap of absorbing the world around them from blogs and 24/7 Cable. Read the newspaper. While the Web is great for getting right to information that you are interested in, reading the newspaper pulls one into new subjects and expands ones area of interest. Likewise read fiction even poetry, for in every case we still have to grasp the skills needed to tell a compelling story in a compelling way.

"I wrote the book on it!" How-to advice for business owners who want to write a book.

When a new business prospects asks:

"What do you know about my industry?" 

There is no greater joy than to be able to respond with:

"I wrote the book on it!" 

Even better. Make the grand gesture of presenting a signed copy right then and there.

A lot of entrepreneurs and company owners have been asking Pirozzolo Company (www.pirozzolo.com), 

"How do I get a book written and published, particularly a nonfiction book about my industry?" 

Since I've done corporate bios on the media and books that have been key to promoting our firm's expertise in residential design and construction, I'll share a few pointers to help you get started. 

1. The first question to ask is, "Do I want a book to augment the marketing of my business, or myself -- my brand --  or do I want the book to stand on its own financially?" The former is very beneficial to generating sales and income for your business and doable.  If on the other hand, you want to be the next Robert B. Parker, and create the next ace-detective Spenser, then give it your best shot. But don't spend the royalty checks before you get them. 

2. Self-Publish or Trade Book Publisher? Either way is okay, especially in our Web 2.0 world. Some business topics and industry sectors have broad market potential and lend themselves to the trade book route  (Dutton or Little Brown). The more crowded subjects are small business strategies and personal finance, with personal finance being dominated by celebrity authors such as  Ali Velshi and Suze Orman.  

If you do get a trade book publisher interested, make sure you get a decent advance -- based on anticipated sales for the first year - 18 months.  Read your contract carefully before signing. Most publishers are honest and ethical, but they do not give away the store. A lot of what are now called subsidy publishers (or the more dated "vanity" press) run the gamut -- from ego-strokers to professional. Warning signs are poor editing and proofreading, packaging, design and overall quality. Check out the subsidy publisher with other authors who are working in a similar industry sector before you sign a contract. 

Beware of subsidy publishers that latch on to a single industry and specialize in me-to books that differ little from one to the other. The idea of doing all the work that goes into a book is to make your company stand out from the competition, not blend in. Producing what amounts to nothing more than a hard-bound sales brochure with no theme or point of view does little to promote your brand identity. 

Small point, make sure you get an ISBN number, without which no bookstore or online seller will stock your book.

When it comes to publishing images, if your book involves photos, art or materials from others, make sure you establish ownership and usage rights in writing and reinforce usage righs in a conversation to make sure that a. the person providing the photo owns it and b. they understand that it IS going to be published and c. whether they will get paid and how much. If the person giving you a picture is not the photographer -- get a release from the photographer too, just to be on the safe side. 

3. Write a strong proposal, whether you self-publish or want a to get a publisher to take on your book. A proposal will include a vision for the work, your credentials for writing it, an introduction and one or two chapters, plus a marketing plan that addresses the competition and tells the publisher how your book differs and why your book will stand out. A proposal will crystalize your thinking on subject, direction, vision and MARKETING -- even if it is only for your own benefit. (You may discover that you have two or three magazine feature articles in you, but not a book of 25,000 - 30,000 words.) 

4. Publicity is all over the ballpark in terms of what to expect from the publisher including subsidy publishers who do offer promotion for a fee. Remember, publishers live in the world of books, book wholesaling, book stores and literature. Their focus will initially be on promoting the book among booksellers and at book-buyer fairs. If you are Boston Red Sox broadcaster Jerry Remy and are writing Watching Baseball, you know the baseball world and will have a much better chance of getting Dan Shaunessey to write a review in the Boston Globe than the publisher. Publisher Globe Pequot Press, however, will do a great job at getting the trade media that covers books to do reviews, and possibly local book reviewers at major newspapers. 

5. Marketing -- if you self-publish, start promoting your title when the book is in the galley stage (before binding) and also ask the publisher to provide a "blad" -- a few sample pages in a booklet to promote your book. Industry trade shows often have a "bookstore," on the show floor and are an excellent venue to boost sales.  A book also gives the trade show organizer a reason to put you on the dais -- which gives you exposure to a large number of potential clients and customers. When these opportunities come up, the publisher may be willing to design and print a one-page "sell sheet" for you to pass out at the show, drop off at the press room and mail to trade media reporters.

6. Consider your time -- how much do you want to do yourself? How much do you want to budget for professionals, who can help you with overall concept development, proposal, ghostwriting, marketing and negotiating with the publisher. 

Look at it this way: royalties are around $2 a book. If I go to an event to talk about my book -- and I can talk about my expertise among to people who are likely to retain my professional services -- the time spent is invaluable. If I do a book signing or bookstore event among people whose only interest is in buying the book, it takes some serious thought to justify the time. BUT -- if the bookstore event draws press attention, or if I can tie-in my bookstore talk with a media interview that reaches 30,000 readers, then the time spent is worth it. One of the best bookstores in the nation for getting a crowd is independent bookseller R.J Julia in Madison, Connnectcut (www.rjjulia.com). 

7. Since this blog is meant for active participation, please share your own experiences in writing and publishing books that have promoted your expertise, business or services. 

Dick Pirozzolo

dick@pirozzolo.com

Laid off or Sacked! Don't Look For a Job. Look for Work.

If you get laid off or sacked, try looking for "work" in your field instead of a "job". This can be a big boost to your ego, networking success and income.

 Jump in with both feet. Establish yourself in business. Print business cards and stationery with a simple logo using your name and what you -- or rather -- what your business does. Run a small ad in your leading trade magazine. Get a Web Site and URL fast. Maintain membership in the trade group that your employer was paying your dues for... in my case PRSA. Get a business telephone.

Here is what networking to promote your business instead of networking for a job, can do to enhance your relationship building program.

1. You can now legitimately ask your previous employer for assignments, which keeps you in the game and money coming in if you do get some project work.

2. You get to contact all your friends and associates you know from your previous job without having them feel threatened or uncomfortable. You are no longer, "poor out-of-work Sally," who wants to have lunch, you become the CEO of Sally Forth Enterprises, Inc. You are now inviting another professional to share knowledge and industry information. Starting a business is in the American DNA -- be it a steel mill or plant watering service. Your associates will admire you and want to help you.

3. Make a meeting with your accountant, interior designer, cousin who owns a shoe factory and offer to trade your services in exchange for using their business address and conference room now and then. This puts you in a professional environment, face-to-face with people -- including salespeople who call on the company. By just being there contacts will develop and ideas will emerge.

4. Depending on your contract with your previous employer, call clients you worked with and offer to continue your service to them seamlessly -- not for less money mind you --  just offer to continue their service so they don't get bounced around your old company. If you can't work for those clients, say NBC, ask them to give you the names of their counterparts at the competition -- CBS, ABC, FOX. They will.

5. Do something controversial -- take a position involving an industry issue be it FASB rules in accounting or ethics in journalism or public relations. Blog about it, write an op ed piece, etc. Once you get something published, send it to all the people in your network. Remember, word of mouth advertising is the most powerful advertising in the world. Now get the mouths moving.

6. If you offer professional services, join  http://www.raintoday.com. It is one of the best groups around for small firm marketing advice and making contacts.

7. Seek out speaking and teaching engagements. I teach a course on Public Relations with www.mediabistro.com in Boston. In addition to meeting a lot of young professionals, who keep my knowledge fresh, I build my network with people who will one day become business owners and will need some Public Relations help, hopefully from Pirozzolo Company.

8. Write articles on timely subjects. I just wrote a piece for Rain Today on Social Media and its value as a marketing tool. I learned more about Social Media by writing the article and got to network with a number of colleagues who I quoted in the article.

9. Join LinkedIn -- it is one of the most powerful ways to build relationships and learn about what's happening in the industry. The groups are particularly helpful and I can directly attribute income, new associates and professional expertise to my involvement with LinkedIn.

10. Stop selling. Whenever you take part in an organizational meeting or social event -- including family functions -- put the emphasis on what you can contribute rather than what you can get out of the networking meeting.

Worked for me. I never did get a job -- or really wanted one -- but I did plenty of work and have been keeping a successful business going for decades!

Dick Pirozzolo, APR

Pirozzolo Company Public Relations

Greater Boston

Here's to the Class of 2009!

Dear Mom and Dad

Please send money, I'm so broke that it ain't funny,

Well I don't need much, just enough to get me through ...

Love, your baby girl.

Jennifer Nettles

"Baby Girl"

Boy did we hand ya'll a mess ... the worst recession in our lifetimes, wars, foreclosures, college loans to pay back, plus your grandkids will probably have to start chipping away at that trillion dollars everyone talks about.

Take heart, you're not the only ones. Our parents handed us a mess -- Cold War, Vietnam, segregated schools, etc., etc., and their parents handed them a mess -- Great Depression and WW II.  Go back a few more years to the class of 1909 and college grads were facing the Spanish Influenza or the Great War.

Anyone trying to land that first professional job right after college, has never had it easy -- even during the dot-com boom. 

I don't believe the enormous changes taking place in Public Relations today, however, have any real impact on young careerists.  There is growing impact of the Internet and decreasing impact of local newspapers -- folding -- and the audience share of local TV news is shrinking. 

 Likewise, automated news release distribution and database services, cut both ways for the newbie.  Not having to stuff envelopes or run the Gestener Machine, does not mean that fresh college grads get to develop strategy for clients or write position papers and op-ed pieces. 

Despite technology changes and the current groundswell of interest in Social Media, young professionals in public relations get to start on routine matters -- news releases, assist with events management and work their way up. During the process, they get to sit in on strategy and new business meetings and learn the ropes, all the while doing the routine jobs that need to get done. Same as it ever was.

But if you are frustrated looking for that first job, consider these suggestions to get you through.

1. Try to freelance for a weekly newspaper covering town meetings. It will give you practice writing and thinking like a reporter -- essential PR skills. And you will learn a lesson in making a dull zoning board meeting sound interesting. You will also learn how to find the issue and see both sides of it. Plus you will get paid for writing something, that first $25 check will be a big ego boost. 

2. Cable companies all have studios and local news operations, where you can volunteer and learn basic TV news production skills -- from camera operation to floor manager to editing on Final Cut Pro. 

3. Write one article for the school paper before you graduate -- at least you will have a news clip to show prospective employers. 

4. Join the US Army, US Air Force or US Navy. Talk to a local recruiter about getting into Armed Forces Radio and Television (AFRTS) or becoming part of the information operation of a military branch -- best training you will ever get in PR, News and Life! And, despite all the misconceptions about "having to take orders," you will get more responsibility, respect for your position and have more authority a lot faster than in any civilian job you can get right out of school -- whether you are a young officer or enlisted person. (There are also reserve slots available, so you can combine work with military experience and training.)

5. Volunteer for a social action or church group -- take the organization on as you would a client and promote them like crazy. 

6. Find an aunt, uncle or neighbor who owns a business and offer free PR services for the summer. Then ask a local PR agency to give you some guidance... most pros will share their knowledge. Even a tiny business needs a news release now and then. 

7. Go to graduate school in public relations or journalism. Go to a university near where you want to work -- e.g. BU for Boston, NYU or Columbia for New York. You will make old-school-tie contacts that will pay off for years. Take Media Bistro courses to hone your skills in various aspects of PR and writing -- www.mediabistro.com.

8. Go to law school -- and forget the whole thing! 

9. Produce your first feature film or documentary -- pay for it with your parents' credit cards and enter it into film festivals, hoping for the best. If your film gets selected you will meet a lot of interesting, creative and media savvy people.

10. Don't sweat it -- get the folks to buy you an SLR digital camera and a really good flash for graduation, and travel on the cheap to Asia, The Middle East or Europe. Keep sending your pictures out to magazines and your local paper... just get something published! 

And to continue with the Jennifer Nettles theme...

.. I know it's worth all the dues I pay,

When I can write to you and say,

Dear Mom and Dad

I'll send money, I'm so rich that it ain't funny ....

http://www.cmt.com/videos/sugarland/37164/baby-girl.jhtml

GOOD LUCK CLASS OF '09

Is Print Better Than The Web?

I just saw this discussion on a LinkedIn discussion board ... it's a little like a bunch of medieval monks arguing about how many angels can dance on the head of a pin.

Nevertheless, it got me thinking that we used to have to justify the value of TV- versus - Print Media with clients arguing that print lasted longer and TV was too fleeting. Besides, they would tell us: "I only watch sports and PBS!" Funny how they (like everyone in America) knew the plot of every Seinfeld episode.  Never mind that the print  news hole -- especially for business announcements and routine news such as contracts, new employees, etc., has shrunk to about the size of the head of a pin.

FAST FORWARD 

Of course it is not either or. Clients who say they ONLY want to be on the Web or only in print miss five points that all argue for an integrated approach to communication.

1. So many people get customized news reports based on their own search words e.g. specific interests -- so if you sell Atlantic char, chances are you will reach Atlantic char buyers directly through Web visibility. 

2. A feature article in Restaurant News about ones Atlantic char distribution operation will pay off in prestige and image a.k.a. brand equity. Note too that reporters, with Restaurant News and other print media outlets, look for information and news sources on the Web just like everyone else. More web exposure increases the likelihood of getting more editorial attention. 

3. Dominating Google searches also comes into play. The more exposure a company has on the Web, the more it will fill two or three pages when a prospective customer or client checks out the company using Google. That helps to reinforce a buying decision. 

4. Immediacy -- by targeting Web media, we can be pretty sure (if the story has a modicum of news value) that we will get a placement on a Web version of a major media outlet right away; be it The Boston Globe or just the other day we got our client covered by the Khaleej News in Dubai, UAE. Those placements can be easily "clipped" and sent to stakeholders. The placement in Khaleej also tells constituents that my client is firmly positioned in the Middle East. 

5. Control your message -- When a crisis erupts, you may just want to get out there with your side of the story, carefully crafted with the details and context included precisely the way you want. These types of placements do not do much to win over detractors, but they certainly bolster support among allies. 

And ... in case anyone missed it, the candidate who understood the value of the Web and continues to use it as a way to communicate and build community won the Presidential election and the other guy didn't

Dick Pirozzolo 
781-235-9911 
The Public Relations Training Board 
( www.publicrelationstraining.org )

Chris Taylor wants you to SWOT your clients

I read an interesting item from Chris Taylor, marketing miracle worker for Silicon Valley Success Stories and founder/CEO of The Tager Group (http://www.tagergroup.com). Chris has wisely branded his company www.tagergroup.com/ as "Your  marketing department tm"  Smart move -- all too often outside consultants get pigeonholed as implementers, doers --- and in some cases clients use the dreaded term "vendor" to describe their brilliant marketing and PR firms.

Chris points out in his entry for Pro Marketers, a LinkedIn forum for industry professionals, "It  always surprises me how often companies don't have real marketing plans or answers to the core questions a marketing plan is designed to address. By "real" I mean a good analysis of the market, the competition, themselves. A SWOT analysis delving into Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. Being able to articulate their value proposition, their positioning, their key messages. Measurable objectives with the strategies and tactics to achieve them."

Chris also points out, "I built a template about ten years ago and have used it over and over to great success. I know there are a million books and sites about building plans. But which are really excellent? Has planning caught up with the world of web 2.0 -- social marketing, brand monitoring tools? Realizing that social marketing doesn't make sense for all companies in all industries, what is on the horizon when it comes to planning?"

Here is my PR consultant perspective: Gotta have the marketing plan! 

Without a Plan it is too easy to fall into the trap of being measured against benchmarks such as news releases-per-month or placements per quarter... that is a vortex that will suck the marketing communication campaign right down the drain.

Plus you are not positioning yourself high enough in the corporate structure as a strategic thinker and someone who can get -- and keep -- a company moving along a path with real goals in terms of awareness, markets, sales, and mechanisms to deal with problems that occur along the way.

A few random ideas on planning.

Chris is absolutely correct about SWOT -- push the corporate management team into developing the SWOT plan. What is more, creating the plan gets everyone involved who interacts with the BOSS. That generates publicly stated goals which leads to  broad commitment. You want the SWOT plan to be THEIR plan.

Make the plan part of what you get paid for. Minimize the Spec Proposal and, if you can, abandon the word "proposal' from your lexicon. If you are with an outside PR agency offer to do "a comprehensive marketing plan" as your first order of business "once you have been retained."

Evaluation ... Let's say you send out a thousand news releases on a new software wrinkle your client has come up with and 2-3 reporters write lousy reviews. A lot of CEOs would blame the PR person. If you have a plan you can -- at the very outset -- educate the CEO to understand that media feedback is the cheapest market research a company can do. Reporters are gatekeepers. They get to keep their jobs because they understand what their public (your customers) want. Heed bad reviews and make that part of the evaluation process within the original SWOT plan.

If that doesn’t work remember the words of Motivational Guru Tony Robbins (http://www.tonyrobbins.com) – “There is no such thing as failure. There are only results.” 

Meet --  it is easier to just keep doing and not pull the plan down from its virtual shelf, open it and take a tough look at where you are going. Insist on bi-weekly meetings. Face-time keeps the marketing communication campaign focused and helps to position you as part of the management team. A monthly evaluation and a quarterly evaluation with the whole management team participating is essential.

But I still want to be in The New York Times (http://www.nytimes.com). Despite enormous changes in communication – including more recent emergence and impact of social media on corporate communications  --  clients still love to see their name in print.

Alas, the news hole is getting tighter,  print media is shoving more content online -- the Christian Science Monitor (http://www.csmonitor.com ) now only publishes an online edition. And reporters are pressed to churn out copy for hourly  deadlines. It is a constant education process to build a comfort level among clients that online REALLY matters and that their customers are looking online for specific information. One way to make your point -- where do your clients put advertising dollars today? Hmmm pay-per-click, other online advertising and increasingly interactive, information packed websites media buys that did not exist a decade ago. The New York Times is nice, but online PR results matter more when it comes to branding, awareness and SALES. 

For more on SWOT visit http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTMC_05.htm

Dick Pirozzolo

www.publicrelationstrainingboard.com

www.pirozzolo.com

Check out Jerry Rouleau's Builder Radio Blog for Great Selling Ideas

Master marketing and sales guru Jerry Rouleau turns lackluster home and real estate sales operations into profit powerhouses. He has also started BuilderRadio a new online forum that is filled to the rafters with blockbuster sales ideas and promotional tips. Here is a recent post from Adrian Miller on Top Ten Tips for Effective Sales. 

We’re all crossing our fingers these days and hoping for a better economic environment. It’s been more than a little scary for many of us. However, even during these tough times, effective salespeople are acquiring new customers and making sales. How? Here are the top ten tips for effective sales that will bring you success regardless of the state of the economy.

1. Know Your Product or Service
It seems straightforward, doesn’t it? Well, it is, but unfortunately, there are far too many salespeople who, for one reason or another, have been trying to sell without having a good grasp of what they’re selling. These individuals can have a certain degree of success in a good economy, but they’re the first to fail when the going gets tough. You need to know what you’re selling from top to bottom. You should have every feature and benefit on the tip of your tongue. If you don’t, you need to make this your top priority.

2. Know Your Target Market
Knowing who to sell your product or service to is just as important as knowing what you’re selling. You need to pinpoint who it is that buys what you’re selling and target them specifically. This is especially true during an economic slowdown when you might not have as much to spend on advertising and prospecting.

3. Know Your Competition and Your Competitive Advantage
Your competition is always there, but they’re bound to be more ruthless when there are fewer customers. Start by listing your obvious competitors and then dig a little deeper to discover any others who might be sneaking under your radar. Then, figure out what makes your business different from theirs, and how you can stand apart. Evaluate obvious advantages like cost, features, quality, or distribution, and don’t underestimate other advantages such as location, reputation, or social responsibility.

4. Be a “Proactive” Business Developer
Now is not the time to be waiting for your phone to ring. Make your own opportunities by networking, advertising, making calls, and pounding the pavement. The more you reach out, the more you’ll get in return.

5. Mine the Gold in Your Existing Client Database
Don’t underestimate the value of your existing clients. When business is slow, use the opportunity to call your “regulars” to inform them of new offerings, specials, and volume discounts. You’ll probably be surprised just how much business you’ve been leaving on the table by not contacting them sooner!

6. Don’t Leave Business on the Table- Cross-sell Your Products and Services
This goes hand-in-hand with the previous tip. Always offer your clients other products or services related to whatever they’re buying. As long as what you’re offering is relevant, they’ll appreciate your suggestions, and they might take you up on what you’re offering, as well.

7. Track Progress and Results
Without tracking your sales processes and results, you will never know what works and what doesn’t. There are plenty of easy-to-use customer relationship management (CRM) software programs that can help you monitor your sales efforts from start to finish. Trust me. They’re well worth the investment.

8. Learn From Your Mistakes
Have you had difficulties with a certain market segment? Or, have you been burned by one particular customer repeatedly? Well, there’s much to learn from these situations. Don’t keep hammering away at someone who isn’t buying from you. Learn from these mistakes, and move on – quickly.

9. Be Persistent
The old adage, “sales is a numbers game” is true, especially when business is slow. Persistency is one of those traits that is common among all successful salespeople. A “don’t give up” mentality is truly one of the most valuable attributes that you can have.

10. Enjoy the Process
Let’s face it. Not everyone is cut out to be a salesperson. Selling should be fun. You should enjoy the challenge and feel the thrill each time you acquire a new customer. If you feel this way about sales, be grateful. There are many others who dread their jobs and would prefer to be doing something else. So, show your enthusiasm, enjoy the process of selling, and succeed.

Check out BuilderRadio at: http://tinyurl.com/77ecxo

Business Owners: Don't Scratch Your Head Over Twitter

Social media may baffle business owners over 30 who dismiss the phenomenon as a way for college and high school kids to feed their incessant need to always be in touch. Twitter is especially head scratchworthy. Twitter (http://twitter.com) is designed for making mini-posts that let other Twitter users know what you are doing -- walking the dog, buying a pair of Manolo Blahniks, or watching  the Pats vie for a playoff spot.

Before you dismiss Twitter as pointless prattle, hold on! Here is how Boston PR guru Roger Bridgeman, CEO of Bridgeman Communications (www.bridgeman.com) sees Twitter, “A lot of B2B companies are dismiss new social media networks such as Twitter.  The claim is ‘This may be fine if you’re talking to college students but my customers don’t twitter.’  That may be, how many CEO’s Twitter when they go to lunch?  Nevertheless, technology companies are using Twitter as their front line for customer service and satisfaction. Tech companies who deliver business service applications – think Sales.com, a VoIP managed service provider or on-line business service – will see customer complaints on Twitter before they get an angry email.

"Case in point.  We just converted to a new version of Bacon’s Cision, a B2B media database.   We hit a snag with the new interface and one of our young colleagues who was “tweating” a friend just happen to complain.  Guess what?  Cision monitors Twitter references and a Cision tech rep was on the phone to her in 20 minutes.  That’s smart B2B.”

And in case anyone is wondering what blogger Dick Pirozzolo is doing at 6 AM on Christmas morning, I'm waiting to open the presents!

Long Live the Press Release as Readership and Relevance Soar

The press release is back-and stronger than ever.

Readership of corporate announcements and releases has skyrocketed because the public no longer relies

 solely on the press to police and present information. In fact, the general public now comprises 50 percent of 

today's release readership online-thanks to online newsrooms, search engines and tools such as RSS. The 

potential for communicators seeking to reach audiences directly is staggering. If you can master SEO and 

keyword usage, your news could go viral with the push of a button-especially if you're savvy about how 

you distribute your announcements. What's more, mainstream media (MSM) is more likely to pick up your news 

these days to run on its websites and news feeds-if you can hone your news judgment and think like a journalist 

when crafting copy.

Observations are thanks to Bull Dog Reporter editor Brian Pitman bpittman@bulldogreporter.com. FREE 

daily news content -- and PR University's audio conference schedules are -- at Bulldog Reporter's Daily 'Dog at 

www.bulldogreporter.com/dailydog.