Susan Young's
Amplify Blog
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Avoid this Business Card Goof
Business cards aren’t going out of style anytime soon, but there is one serious misuse of these calling cards that I want to share with you.
I recently went to a networking event with about 300 people. A client had invited me and then got stuck downtown at jury duty. With the delay—and rush hour traffic—she didn’t make it. Did I run back to my car and say, “Oh well…” No.
Even though I didn’t know anyone, I stayed, mingled and watched.
And I remembered a lesson from many years ago about business cards: Don’t give anyone your card unless they ask for it.
Why?
It’s a waste of our collective time –and paper. I’ll bet most business cards given without being requested land in a:
- Car
- Desk drawer
- Purse
- Jacket pocket—and then the garbage
When we take a few minutes to connect human-to-human with a meaningful conversation and rapport, we can then decide to hand over a card. Not everyone will be a good fit...
How to Be Visible in a Noisy Content World
I’m a middle child, and, over the years, people have asked me how I managed to get noticed. After all, my older sister was the (almost) perfect “Marcia Brady,” and my younger sister was “the baby” who could do no wrong.
The real lessons, however, on how to stand out, came from my extended family, sprinkled across New Jersey and New York.
I didn’t truly understand how “different” we were until I had children of my own. My “kids”—now 25 and 23—asked me questions when they were younger that most parents DON’T hear:
- Is our family loud?
- How did everyone get to be so funny?
- How do you come up with these 1-liners?
- Is it OK that I’m nervous to talk 'cause I’m not really funny?
- How do I get to be in the spotlight when there are 40 people around the table?
I’ve been incredibly...
5 Common Rookie Mistakes to Avoid When Looking for Publicity
“If you want to attract media attention, think like a reporter.”
It’s something many professionals who want to be more visible must learn. But what does it mean? How do reporters think? And why do you need to be privy to this information?
You can’t effectively pitch stories to anyone in traditional or social media if you don’t understand how their minds operate.
How do journalists, bloggers and podcasters decide what is newsworthy and what gets tossed?
I was a news reporter. Please, allow me to share these five common rookie mistakes small business owners should avoid when looking for publicity:
Rookie Mistake #1. I can sell my products and services with an article, post or interview. It’s all about me! When pitching a self-serving story that fails to connect with a specific audience, you’re missing an...
What it Means to Get in Front
People often ask me about the "official" name of my publicity training company, Get in Front Communications.
Get in Front is a constant reminder to me to be proactive. It goes back to one of my "signature stories" when I speak and train people. It's about my husband Andrew, our son Danny, and the game of ice hockey.
When Danny was seven-years-old and learning to play hockey, Andrew, who has been on skates since he was four, told him, "Get in front of the net, the puck, and the other players."
Danny didn't understand, and with a puzzled look and a shrug of his shoulders, he quizzically asked, "Why? Why should I get in front?"
Andrew's response was simple and it applies to each of us.
"Because that's where all the action is. Nothing exciting happens to the guys who hang out in the back....
7 Tips on Creatingā€”and Managing Your Content Calendar Ā
In a perfect world, we could put a pushpin on a calendar date and plan out days, weeks and months of special events, announcements, contests and news to share. Wow, an entire road map of content, blog topics and email promos. It would work out just fabulously.
[RELATED: To continue learning about communicating with confidence and clarity, join Communication Nation on Facebook.]
Of course, anyone who has walked the planet for a few decades knows that social media—and breaking news—can quickly push our best-laid plans out the window. If the TV interview you’ve been working on for weeks has arrived but there’s a major earthquake in California, your big moment might be rescheduled—or axed. That’s why you—and your editorial calendar—must be flexible.
First Things First
Though content planning can bring challenges, savvy professionals still keep a framework in place.
Templates that allow you to easily track—and...
10 Storytelling Takeaways from Donald Miller and StoryBrand
Chances are, you’re getting your business story—and marketing copy—all wrong. Don’t worry; you’ve got plenty of company, myself included.
Listening to a presentation by Donald Miller, author of the best-selling book “StoryBrand,” I was laughing—and cringing. The focus of Miller’s talk was clarity around how we present our offerings (products and services) to prospects.
Here are 10 gems from Miller’s keynote at the EntreLeadership Summit. The final one is a video clip (above) from my follow-up interview with Miller.
- On knowing your place: “Your brand is not the hero. Your customer is the hero.”
- On helping your customers survive: “Everything humans think about is about survival. Associate your products and services with your customer’s survival, or...
Opening the Window of Opportunity
One of the things I missed the most when we moved from New Jersey to Texas is the change of seasons and opening the windows in our house.
In San Antonio, the air conditioning is on for 9 or 10 months. Of course, we're grateful to have AC in the steamy months. Still, I miss the change of seasons and cracking the windows in the house to enjoy the breezes and crisp air. It's refreshing and brings a new energy.
The same is true with work...businesses need to re-energize and take advantage of the many windows of opportunity that are often right in front of our faces.
For entrepreneurs and professionals who want publicity, there is a HUGE window of opportunity to get media attention and "free press"---right now!
NewsFlash: The next 3 months are fresh with topics and timely subjects for interviews and stories in print, radio and TV news (traditional)...
How to Supercharge Your Online Presence in 3 Easy Steps
Discover the secrets to connecting with your audience and creating content that builds communities. The strategies and tips are in this 5- minute video; check it out!
Grab this Bonus, too! "How to Get Your Press Pass" and build instant credibility by mingling in-person with influencers and leaders in your niche! https://sueyoungmedia.mykajabi.com/presspass
10 Tips on How Successful Brands Manage a Media Crisis
"This kind of thing never happens here."
How many times have you seen and heard that line in the midst of a breaking news story?
Business leaders who think a publicity crisis is "for someone else" are likely to get caught short when something unexpected happens. Hopefully it won't be a massive incident that the networks cover. Still, we must be realistic because a local story can negatively impact your brand reputation, hiring and revenue for years to come.
If a plane or truck crashes into your building, you may find yourself scrambling to craft a statement or press release. A white-collar crime or violent incident can also attract unwanted media attention.
The following 10 points will help you be proactive when dealing with reporters and the public.
1. Have a crisis management plan in place and update it once a quarter. This...
Stop Selling and Focus on People: My Interview with Seth Godin
The days of B2B and B2C sales models never existed, according to business author Seth Godin.
During a recent interview, Godin told me that behind every business is a human being who makes purchasing decisions.
Transcript: (Seth Godin) “When you’re selling to a business, you’re not really selling to a business. Businesses don’t buy anything; people buy things.
The person at Ford buying brake lines, doesn’t need brake lines. They need a story to tell their boss. Because they’re not actually on the assembly line, they are the purchaser.
We sell stories. The shift now is that there’s way more people to connect with, which is good. But, those connections are way more difficult because there are way more people to connect with. So, we have this challenge. Which is stop being bureaucratic and understand that people are going to buy a story that increases their status based on what’s important to them.”
...
