Mid-February, 2007
|
Mid-February, 2007 |
|
|
|
|
|
||||
|
|
||
|
|
|
You may be asking yourself: “Didn’t I just get an e-zine from Dave?” Well, yes you did, but that’s why I call it my “periodic” newsletter. I only write when I have something to say. This month, things are happening so fast and furious with my business and my clients, that important lessons seem to emerge almost daily. Today, I wanted to share a situation and opportunity that presented itself quite unexpectedly. How you react to such situations can have a tremendous impact on your promotional efforts. In fact, it can mean the difference between appearing on a national television talk show and just sitting on the couch watching it. So read on and ask yourself what opportunities are lurking in the sunshine. Next issue: Singapore and Bangkok – Lessons from the other side of the world! David Avrin |
|
|
By David Avrin – The Visibility Coach How many times have you heard the adage: “It’s better to be proactive than reactive.” So often in fact, that the popular admonition has become the de facto rule. Who would dispute it? But the truth is that when it comes to generating positive press, the opposite is more often the case. To be successful in pitching the news media, reactive rules. To understand the assertion, you have to understand how and why the news media makes their story choice decisions. Besides the obvious requirement for a subject or story to be “newsworthy” and relevant to their audience, the element of timeliness is paramount in the minds of the press. With every pitch they ask the question: “Is this story timely or ‘evergreen’.” An evergreen story has no deadline, such as a story about the increasing popularity of soy food items at full-service restaurants. A timely story would be the public’s outcry in response to a politician’s use of a racial slur caught on camera the day before. Although most behind-the-scenes public relations work involves long-planned promotional campaigns and well-crafted press materials, many of the best media “hits” I’ve achieved have come from tying my client’s expertise to a current hot story. If you want to get the attention of a producer or reporter, help them keep a hot story alive by providing a resource or expertise that adds something new to the current coverage.
Very early yesterday morning a client of mine forwarded an explosive editorial written by a college editor entitled: “Rape Only Hurts if You Fight it.” Despite the fact that the author was apparently attempting to be funny and create satire, there was nothing remotely funny about the editorial. In fact, the editorial was so inflammatory and the reaction so explosive, that CNN picked up the story overnight and the outrage began to spread across the country. My client, Mike Domitrz is a very popular college speaker and the executive director of the Date Safe Project, an organization that promotes healthy dating through healthy dialogue. Despite his outrage as well, Mike reached out and began an online dialogue with the article’s remorseful author and forwarded their ongoing communication to me. (With permission) Upon seeing the provocative article and the subsequent mea culpa, I promptly put aside everything else I was working on and immediately began to contact major news organization across the country. Reacting swiftly to the opportunity, I made it clear to my contacts that I not only had a client with strong feelings and credibility around this important subject, but had access to the article’s author as well. Within an hour, I was speaking to a very interested senior producer with the Dr. Phil show. (stay tuned) Had I sent a well-crafted and long-prepared pitch for Mike about healthy dating and the importance of soliciting verbal consent before engaging in physical contact, do you think the show’s producer would have called me back today? Not likely. It’s not to say that the longer pitch wouldn’t eventually bear fruit, but the best odds always come from tying your pitch to today’s stories. And even if this story doesn’t work out this time with this producer, a dialogue has begun and visibility has been generated. So what do you have to offer that is relevant to a “today” story? What is hot in the press right now that has you burning because you think they should be talking to you and tapping into your expertise? Give them a call. Shoot them a note, but be sure you have something new to add to the dialogue. Be opinionated. Be passionate. Be relevant and timely. Most importantly – react quickly and be visible! (You can read Mike’s Blog about this explosive situation at www.askingfirst.com) David Avrin is known internationally as the Visibility Coach. A noted speaker, author, publicist, branding consultant and executive coach, David shows professionals how to stand apart and raise their profile in a competitive marketplace. Visit him online at www.visibilitycoach.com |
 Speaking and Training
| |
Interested in learning more about David Avrin’s Inspirational Keynote based on his new book: The Gift In Every Day – Little Lessons on Living a Big Life? Click Here.
| |
For more insights, check out Dave’s Blog at: http://visibilitycoach.blogstream.com Interested in learning more about the Visibility Coach? Click here!
Interested in having David Avrin, The Visibility Coach, For more information on a full day private coaching session To access past issues of The Visibility Coach newsletter click here. |
Most of what you read, watch and hear each day is what the press calls a “today” story. Not because it has to do with the NBC morning show, but because the subject or story is what is big in the news – today. Those who are successful in pitching the press are the ones who can react quickly and jump on a hot story – early.
