Quit Being Such a Bad Pitcher
Now THAT'S a bad pitch.
This past week, Houston Chronicle social and arts writer Douglas Britt wrote a very detailed, very meticulous account of all the ways PR professionals who send him things can be better at their jobs. Of course, that’s not how he phrased it, but that, in essence, is what it was: a breakdown of all the memorably annoying, obnoxious, abstruse marketing collateral/emails/phone calls he’s received throughout his years as a reporter. Being on the receiving end of pitches can be dizzying. I know this, because I frequently pitch, but I also frequently receive pitches from people who’d like to be guests on The Businessmakers Show. Now, I did not receive this document because I do not pitch to him (at least not with any regularity), but I discovered his email the way I imagine many, many thousands of people did… over at Gawker.com. No doubt someone who received it sent it over to the good folks at Gawker, who then posted it. As I told Douglas upon discovering it, when I read his name in the headline, I was, at first, “very, very nervous.” But after reading through it, I was relieved to find that, even though they do poke fun at the sheer length of the document (“Arts Writer Sends 1,400-Word Email on How to Communicate Efficiently“) they never knock him for sending it in the first place nor do they disparage any of his tips. The truth is, the tips are good. Real good.
Last year, I ran a query in the 3X daily Help a Reporter Out (HARO, for those in “the biz”) newsletter. This newsletter features submissions from journalists who are looking for sources. Because the newsletter has many thousands of subscribers, a journalist looking for obscure sources is bound to find a PR pro with a client who fits her needs. What I was looking for: Savvy, bootstrappy CEO’s who had unique and unusual businesses. I wanted to hear from people who had identified a niche, or found a way to grow their business with not much else than an idea in which they believed. I wanted passion, and yes, proven performance: someone who had employees.
I received over 200 pitches, and 99% of them were not what I asked for. Most of them were from marketing consultants (or their PR people) pitching me the new books they’d written about how to make money on the internet, or how to “do social media.” A few gems did emerge amid the crap. Katie and I got a chance to talk to some incredibly interesting people who’ve done some remarkable things, but for the most part, the pitches were off key, out of place, and unusable.
If you’re familiar with the Cision Database – my very favorite PR tool – then you know it’s not only filled with complete contact information, but it also tells you when and how each reporter wants to receive your information. For instance, if you see “Bob only wants press release by fax or mail on Friday’s between 9 a.m. and 12 p.m.,” that is code for “DO NOT SEND BOB PRESS RELEASES. EVER.” There is a good chance Bob cannot use your press release, nor does he have the time to sort through all the press releases you will inevitably send anyway. Imagine if the database was also filled with 1400-word manifestos from each journalist, giving us a glimpse into their minds and motivations. We’d be able to tailor each piece of material to exactly suit that person, and hopefully, be a lot more successful at our jobs.
Unfortunately, not everyone is as kind as Douglas. In fact, I’ve never seen this before, and probably never will again, which means, we have to pretend we have all of this information anyway. We have to try to imagine what motivates each person we pitch, and to do that, we actually have to READ THEIR STORIES. We have to use our best guesses to provide them not just with content they can use, but WANT TO use.
The better you get at pitching, the less you’ll have to do it. If you’re able to seriously tailor your information to suit the person you’re speaking to, you’ll get more hits out of less pitches. Your goal should not be to pitch 1,000 people and hope 10 cover what you pitch. Wouldn’t you be more effective putting 100% more effort into pitching 20 people and getting those same 10 mentions?
What are you working on right now to laser-focus your pitches and be an all-around PR powerhouse?
The Rules of Engagement: Dating vs. Job Hunting
If you’re a normal person with a discerning eye, then you probably agree that over-eagerness is an undesirable trait when looking for a mate. When I was single, I heard the phrase “I don’t want to play games” from time to time. It seemed to me that in some instances, people were confusing “playing games” with me “taking time to figure out if I want to go out again.” If that phrase was declared on a date, it usually meant there would be a carefully-crafted text message or phone call (or both) later that evening, and possibly some the next day as well. While it is easy to justify these behaviors when you are the sender, and they seem like a good idea at the time, sometimes it’s best to let the night marinate and process before follow-up’s ensue, even if the evening in question really was all that. The days in between outings waiting for someone to call can be excruciating, but they also help build momentum. A necessary evil, I’d say. Yes, there are rules, and they help members of society keep order while deciding if they like or don’t like one another.
On the flip side, is looking for jobs. Another activity, often done in a social setting, that requires you to be charming and unique and qualified by someone else’s standards. Though hopefully in the workplace you’re not being judged on your love of dogs and whether you like red or white wine, you still have to sell yourself. But the rules are very different.
Yesterday, I was impressed with a girl (woman? whatever) who sent me an e-mail asking for job advice. I gave her a few suggestions, not expecting to hear back. There have been many times when people have contacted me for advice, which I gladly dole out, only to hear nothing back from the person who was so hell-bent on launching a career in marketing. The relationships we build in this industry are absolutely critical to our success, and when someone takes the time to help you, it’s best to respond with at least a “thank you.” Best not to wait three days to do it, either.
The young woman (that’ll work) sent me an email in response within 12 hours, telling me she’d already taken some of my suggestions. It only made me want to help more. Needless to say, this gal got off on the right foot with me. Skills like this demonstrate follow-through and a willingness to take suggestions and advice to heart, two things that take a lot of people years to learn. Some never learn them.
Though over-eagerness has no place in dating (unless you both fall instantly, madly in love, then it’s probably okay), being eager when looking for jobs and being very clear of your intentions with possible employers will help you stand out. Thank you notes, follow-up emails after interviews, phone calls with additional questions… these things are appreciated. We’re still in a recession, people, or something like it. If you want a job, go out and try to get one, and be aggressive. No need to be coy, Roy. Don’t be afraid to show the people hiring who wants it the most.
Image by Matthew Inman.
Back in May, I spoke at Internet Retailer’s Women in E-Commerce Workshop on a panel of incredibly accomplished women in the industry. On that panel were:
Shirley Tan: Director of E-Commerce at AmericanBridal.com
Andrea Gulli: VP of E-Commerce, New York & Co.
Susan Aplin: Founder and CEO, Bambeco.com
These women have raised capital (in spite of how much more difficult it is for women to do, historically), they’ve successfully run, and in some cases sold, companies to even bigger companies, and have managed to make names for themselves in a young industry like e-commerce, where most of the top executives are men. From my perspective (the “under 30″ perspective, as was my charge to present at this particular event), they give a girl a lot to aspire to and work toward.
It got me thinking about mentorship. The topic came up a lot at this particular workshop: whether it was important, how to find one, how to keep one, how to make the relationship work. People inquired about how to find mentors as well as how to establish good relationships with mentees. If you’re feeling frustrated and unable to find someone solid to guide you through the up’s and down’s of the business world, then it might be time to rethink modern mentorship and what it means to you. Here are 9 tips to help you do that.
1. Mentorship does NOT equal apprenticeship. Long gone are the days where a person was required to teach those in line behind him the minutiae of a specific trade. We have college and internships for that. Any mentor worth his weight in paperclips will help you develop the tools you need to solve problems, not give you all the answers. Don’t rely on your mentor to walk you through difficult situations, or show you, step-by-step, a new technology or platform. The old adage, “Teach a man to fish…” holds true here. For your own good, ask your mentor to give you the basic, need-to-know steps, then fill in the gaps as best you can.
2. Set realistic expectations about the relationship. Your mentor is not one of your girlfriends (or bros, as the case may be). It’s best to keep tales of your drunken escapades through Vegas and your anger towards the mother who won’t stop criticizing your taste in men to yourself. Keep the talk professional. Of course, personal bits will creep in; that’s a pleasant side effect of getting close to someone. That being said, keep it top level. Too much information can be a relationship, and a career, killer.
3. Your mentor may tell you something you don’t want to hear. Listen. So you’re the rising star in your organization and your parents told you you your 4th grade English paper deserved a Pulitzer. Your mentor is not here to sugar coat things for you, they are here to tell you, to your face, what you could be doing better. No one’s perfect, not even you. Instead of getting defensive, take their advice to heart. Evaluate how true the words are (and they may or may not be true), then act.
4. Look for more than one mentor. You might not get everything you need from one person. Identify different people within your company and outside of it who can give you varied perspectives on issues you may have. Your mentor inside of the organization might not be able to see the forest before the trees. In that case, consider looking outward for a more objective opinion.
5. Don’t wait for your mentor to reach out to you to set up time to meet. If you’re upset because your phone isn’t constantly ringing with calls from a mentor eager to sit down to coffee with you once a week, it’s because they don’t have time for that. Those who are good at what they do and worthy of mentoring in the first place are busy. Make it YOUR priority to initiate that contact and follow up to see the meeting or conversation through.
6. Prepare for meetings with your mentor. Just as your time is valuable, your mentor’s time is valuable. Take time to think about what you want to cover during your meeting. You’ll get a lot more out of it if you identify specific items you want to discuss ahead of time.
7. You can find mentors where you least expect it. Not all mentors will be your superiors. I know that I consider my father to be a mentor to me. Consider reaching out to a family member. You might even consider looking to a younger person, someone who is well-versed in new technology, to advise you.
LeBron James is a Genius. Haters abound!
lebron james
In the wake of King James’ decision to leave the big Cleve, I came across something that legitimately pissed me off. And it’s Friday. I don’t enjoy being pissed off on a Friday. The article is titled “Now Hated, LeBron James Makes Worst PR Move in History.” I rarely comment on things, but I decided to leave words for the writer of this ridiculous piece, and they are reprinted for my readers below:
“No one outside of Cleveland is mad at LeBron for leaving. He made the same move many business professionals make when offered the chance to stretch and grow in the workplace. If you had the chance to work side by side with the best business thought leaders in the world, would you? How is this different? Worst PR?? Best PR I’ve ever seen. Even my great aunt was watching ESPN last night.
He has to stay in Cleveland forever to be considered a loyal, humble man? He didn’t shoot himself in the foot, or do drugs , or sleep with strippers… he made a strategic business move that, if you recall , cost him money . If anything, children should take from this that in life, we must make hard decisions, and not always the ones that are going to make people like us.
“Now Hated, LeBron Makes Worst PR Move in History?” Really? Talk about hyperbolic. This is the kind of rhetoric that pisses me off.”
Were we rivited by the antics? Yes. Were some disappointed that he didn’t end up in their cities? Most definitely. Are Cleveland fans upset? Rightfully so. Should his jersey be burned? Absolutely not. Cleveland fans put all their championship eggs in the LeBron basket, and are now faced with the harsh reality that they might be waiting another 50 years to win a giant trophy and hold a fun parade. That stings. Houstonians, we know the pain of how elusive a championship – in ANY sport – can be. But face it Cleveland, THAT’S what you’re upset about, not the three-ring circus that has transpired in the last few days leading up to “The Decision,” as ESPN has titled it. Please weigh in. What do you think?
7 Deadly Sins of PR
In the absence of any real writing on my part due to unforeseen circumstances (a lot of work), here’s a link to something that sort of reminded me to get back to basics.
On BNET, the 7 Deadly Sins of PR.
No buzz words allowed.
If You Do Nothing, You Get Nothing.
Ever seen a kid in a batting cage on a hot summer day? He’s sweating and parched. He swings away as that mechanical arm lobs perfect pitches at his face, yet he does not recognize the danger, nor feel fear. He doesn’t notice the sweat, nor does he stop often to relieve his thirst. He practices until his hands are raw and his back aching from the follow-through. He doesn’t do this because it’s fun. It’s a means to an end.
There’s a good chance that, as he tweaks and repeats his swing, he has a goal in mind. The end goal may be to play one day for his hometown major league team, but there’s a more likely, more immediate goal of which he’s dreaming. For him, the major leagues are intangible for the time being (they can’t all be the Rookies of the Year), and there is another goal he can actually touch. For now, he’s dreaming of that varsity jersey. Maybe he wants to hit one out of the park at his next game. Maybe he just wants to make the team at all. The point is, you can see that he wants it, whatever “it” is, and he’s going to spend all summer in the batting cage preparing for it. He’s willing to put in the work to reach his small goals, regardless of whether he ever makes it to the big leagues.
At some point, the dream of the majors is put on the shelf and looked back upon fondly, through reality-tinged glasses. At some point, it is no longer possible to do the impossible (unless you’re Rudy, of course). Eventually we come to understand that we aren’t all going to be Manny Ramirez, or whoever you thought you might one day be.
The thing is, there is no ladder that will allow you to climb directly from A to Z, sidestepping all potential chutes. It almost never happens. There are so many challenges in between A and Z, that most of the time, we struggle through B, get to C, and give up. Instead of relenting over how difficult it is to get from A to Z, we need to focus on the small challenges, and subsequently, the small victories. No minor league baseball player ever tries out for the majors and makes it, but he can prepare himself for the one chance he may get to play on that grand stage. The accumulation of small goals often times leads to the realization of our overarching goal.
There’s no guarantee that he’ll make the majors one day, but it doesn’t matter. He’ll work as hard as he can anyway. Should his chance come and go, he’ll have to find a new dream, and love it enough to struggle through the challenges it will take to make it happen.
We all struggle, but those who are willing to sweat have a much better chance of getting what they want. If you do nothing, you get nothing.
Image from the Magnolia Voice
What I’m Doing in Chicago
I am speaking at the largest convention of online retailers in the world, Internet Retailer. You may laugh, as a phrase like “largest convention of online retailers in the world” may conjure up images of Storm Troopers all gathered together in a large hotel ballroom (some wearing kilts, some painted hot pink) for you, as I know it does for me as soon as I say it. However, this really is the largest convention of online retailers in the world. Amazon is an online retailer (and on the Fortune 100 list). Zappos is an online retailer. Barnes & Noble. Sears. You get what I mean. It’s overwhelming how many organizations are here, proof that people are not only investing in e-commerce, but their e-commerce educations.
On Wednesday, I co-present “Taking the Scary Out of Going Global” with Drugstore.com CMO David Lonczak. Thursday evening, I speak at Women in E-Commerce, a workshop exclusive to IRCE that will take a look at women’s roles in e-commerce. Much more of an informal session, like old friends chatting over cocktails. Yes, there will be cocktails.
If you’re here at IRCE 2010, come find me.
It’s Always Better to Say “No” Than to Say Nothing
“Everybody thinks they have good taste and a sense of humor but they couldn’t possibly all have good taste.”
This is the most underappreciated quote from When Harry Met Sally, one of arguably the most quotable movies of all time. It’s filled with gems, but because of Carrie Fisher’s impeccable delivery of this line, it’s always stuck with me. It could also be because the words “good taste” and “humor” are so interchangeable with many other things.
No one thinks they’re unreliable or the type of person who can’t be counted on, and yet, many people are just that. And in denial about it.
I wish it were possible to tell in advance that a person is or is not reliable. Unfortunately, this information can only be gleaned through interaction, and by the time you’ve figured it out, it’s too late. You’re in a pickle, or you’re at the very least frustrated or wondering, “didn’t we have a call scheduled for ten minutes ago?”
I know it sucks to disappoint people, to tell them, “No.” It can be downright uncomfortable to be on the other end of someone’s, um, frowny face. But next time you’re contemplating not sending that follow-up email declining someone’s request for your help, or screening the call of the person you’ve been working with on a big project that you’ve decided you no longer want to work on, consider this: the person who would have been perhaps a bit disappointed in your response is now pissed off and thinks you’re a flake. Once you’ve been labeled “flaky” it’s hard to go back. Plus, you know what’s really going to be awkward? That first time we see each other after you’ve stopped responding to phone calls and emails.
I had the chance to interview Jeffrey Hayzlett last week, and he told me that the most important thing you can do in business is to be the no bullshit, do-what-you say kind of person who always follows through. It’s not just me who thinks this is important; if you read leadership books, you’ll find this to be a common theme.
This is a bad habit that can be broken, but you first have to determine your motivations; why aren’t you following through? Fear? Laziness? Once you’ve recognized why, you can more easily ignore the urge to avoid tackling things, even difficult things, head-on.
Face the music, the world won’t end. People (not just me, people) appreciate a straight answer. They will respect you more; they will more often help you when you need help too. I promise you, the alternative is worse.
* This post is dedicated to Mitch Cohen, whose help I really appreciate.
The Luxor Las Vegas: A Frightening Experience
If you frequent Vegas, then you know you spend little to no time in your hotel room. Even still, you expect a certain amount of cleanliness in that space, since it will likely serve as your brief refuge from the grime and debauchery of the Strip. Last year, I attended Shop.org’s Annual Summit in Las Vegas, which was an overall fantastic experienceThe conference, held at Mandalay Bay, was pricey enough. To save money, our team booked rooms at The Luxor, which is attached to Mandalay Bay. The rooms were a third of the price, but I figured, “how bad could it be?”
I’d like to preface this by saying I’m not the type of person to take to the internets to hoot and holler when I have a bad experience. I’d rather deal with the company personally, explain the problem, and give them a chance to solve it instead of shame them into doing so.
That being said, my stay at the Luxor was the worst hotel stay of my life. But that’s not the only problem. I’ll get to the trouble in a moment.
I arrived in Vegas late, the night before convention. As I cabbed it to the hotel, I was overtaken by an exhaustion that only sets in when you’re surrounded by chaos and want nothing to do with it. I finally pulled up to the Luxor. And why did I not assume ahead of time that it was shaped like a pyramid?
I check in without issue. Once inside the room, I throw my stuff down and all I want to do is crawl into bed. I conduct my pre-sleep rituals, put on my PJs, pull off the covers. Lo and behold, THE SHEETS ARE NOT CHANGED. And how do I know the sheets are not changed? There is hair in the bed. And the sheets are in disarray. I am disgusted. Physically ill at the thought of how dirty the rest of the room must be. I immediately call down to the front desk and they send someone up to change the linens. Too late, damage done. I spend the rest of the week sleeping with a t-shirt I brought from home draped over the pillow. Like I’d ever put my face on that dirty pillowcase.
The rest of the room is also awful. Separate shower and tub, thank goodness because when I turn the shower on, a strange brown liquid rises up from the bathtub drain. It was like Ghostbusters II. I thought the liquid might jump up and devour me.
So no, Luxor, I did not enjoy my stay. I told you so on my comment card. In fact, the card that was left for me to fill out on the final day of my trip featured some very choice words. I believe the phrase, “I’m going to tell everyone I know how horrible it is here.” Zero stars all around. I dropped that in the comment box on my way out, fully expecting at the very least a follow-up email.
A few weeks later, something ridiculous happened.
I do get an email, but not the kind I’m expecting. I’ve been added to their mailing list.
Somebody in the Luxor marketing department looked at my comment card and thought to himself, “Now here’s someone who wants to be contacted with promotional materials!” I almost felt dirtier than I had walking around the room at the hotel.
I never received a response to my comments, but would frequently receive offers for discounted rates because I am a “preferred customer.” I had to unsubscribe THREE TIMES before the emails finally stopped.
A preferred customer, who would prefer to stay somewhere else.
Something in me continued to nag, something said, “tell the world.” Why talk about it all these months later? Truthfully, when I think about it, or tell someone what happened, I still get all riled up. So here I am, begging you to cough up the extra dough to stay somewhere that changes their sheets and pours Drain-o down the drain once in awhile. There are times we want to forget what went on inside the hotel rooms in Vegas, but it shouldn’t be for reasons like this.
Photo from http://thewordguy.wordpress.com/
A few months ago at eTail West, I had lunch with Manish Mehta, VP of Social Media and Community for Dell, Inc. If you attend marketing conferences, then you know that many of the panelists and speakers talk about integrating social media into their marketing strategies and investing marketing dollars in the implementation of these strategies. If you’re like me, that sentiment scares you. “If Dell is investing in social media, how much am I going to have to invest?”
Social media exploded in 2009 for many reasons, but I imagine one of the most pertinent ones is that it is relatively free. Sign up for a Twitter or Facebook account, create a business page, and you’re in business. In the face of a crippling recession and budget cuts, many companies relied on social media to expand their audiences and push out messaging. Don’t have money for traditional media buys? Be your own media. Start a blog, establish credibility, and become a thought leader in your space. This is possible in any industry. Believe me, I never thought the Washington Post would be referring to me as a “window treatment trends blogger,” but that is what happened in 2009. I spoke of using black and white draperies to create contrast and depth in a room, and searches for black and white window treatments skyrocketed after the article ran.
So yes, this stuff works. That being said, hearing someone who designs social media strategies for a company like Dell say they are “investing” in social media can incite apprehension. The word “invest” has certain connotations. It connotes that you’re going to be paying a hefty chunk of money up front, and that you’ll have to wait a considerable amount of time to see the ROI from it. As far as social media is concerned, we don’t have a lot of solid metrics to track conversions from the first point of contact in a social media space to the actual sale, so in some ways you have to just trust that it works. If you’re a small business owner with a limited marketing budget, “trust that it works” doesn’t really help you sleep at night after you’ve spent the amount equal to a car down payment to hire an outside social media consultant.
Manish and I got to talking about the very meaning of social, and what the purpose of his job was. His answers surprised me, and echoed my own sentiments about what it means to “do” social media. We agreed that the tools through which you practice social media can be used by any 15 year-old kid. In fact, that kid can probably do a better job than some social media consultants can. That’s not to say there aren’t creative, talented people who design gorgeous and functional Facebook pages, but I posit that many “experts” have little graphic design expertise or knowledge of coding to design blogs.
I believe that a lot of social media consultants mean well. I believe they think they’re providing a great service. I believe they think they bring a lot of value to the table, and in their defenses, they usually bring some value. But I want to suggest to business owners who are looking to employ a social media consultant: determine if you need to spend thousands of dollars for this stuff. With a little trial and error, you might be able to accomplish the basics yourself.
There are a lot of PR, marketing, and advertising consultants who use social media as part of greater whole when designing a custom strategy for a potential client. Hire one of them instead. Someone with a more comprehensive background in marketing and/or graphic design field will be able to design you some beautiful pages (or outsource to someone who can) and help you measure your ROI.
Social media is not a fad, though calling it social media probably is. We’re moving towards a more social web, and eventually, everything we do online will be social. We’ll know what our friends are buying (Facebook Beacon was just a little ahead of its time), we won’t buy a single thing without reading a review first, and we’ll be merging and mashing channels in ways we can’t even imagine yet.
We DO marketing. We DO pr. We USE social media as a part of the plans we design, as a means to an end. If the ultimate goal is to build a bustling, thriving community of people who love your products and want to tell everyone about them, by all means, USE social media to help you do that. But remember, it’s not the only key to the castle.
When Manish says that Dell is investing in social, he means they’re building – from scratch – custom advocacy programs. Forums. Media buys that advertise that they use these social platforms. Think of Best Buy, who spends millions to advertise its Twelpforce through traditional mediums. If you’re Best Buy and you can afford to draw people to your social channels using tv and radio advertising, then do it. But I’m suggesting here that you don’t have to to make it work.
Manish and I agreed that we’re doing the things we’ve always done to build these communities, plus adding social media tools to the arsenal. But the next time someone tells you he’s a social media expert who will charge you $1000 an hour to design you a Facebook page, remember that he doesn’t know you already know you have all the tools you need.
