 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|||||||
|
Thank John Jantsch for the article- Author of Duct Tape Marketing!
So, how to write a press release? That’s a million dollar question. If done right, it can indeed bring you revenue. Let’s get started by answering what a press release is. A press release is simply a statement prepared for distribution to the news media announcing something claimed as having news value with the intent of gaining media coverage.
A press release consists of following elements:
• Headline - The headline is the first single line of text in the press release and tells what the press release is about. It can be a very effective tool to grab the attention of the journalist, so writing it from a journalists perspective is very important. All that the journalists care about is readers. Think what headlines catch your eyes in the newspaper. Identify a unique feature about your product or service and then write how it is going to revolutionize the world.
• Dateline - The dateline contains the release date of the press release and usually also the originating city of the press release.
• Summary – The summary let’s your build up your chance to sell your press release to the journalist. It is generally a requirement of online press release services and it can be of the size of a small paragraph.
• Introduction – The introduction is where the press release body starts. It is the first paragraph in a press release, that generally gives basic answers to the questions of who, what, when, where and why.
• Body - The body comes after the introduction. It gives further explanation, statistics, background, or other details relevant to the news and also serves to back up whatever claims were made in the introductory paragraph.
• About – The about section is also called the “boilerplate” as it used over and over again. It is generally a short section providing background information on the press release issuing company, organization or individual.
• Media Contact Information – This section contains the name, phone number, email address, mailing address, or other contact information for the media relations contact person.
General Tips – It is very useful to look at other people’s press releases. Feel free to take a look at the most viewed press releases on this site, as it usually gives a lot of insight into how to write a press release.
Web Addresses for reference:
Here is a free tool for writing a Press release.
www.ducttapemarketing.com/IPR.htm
http://www.prweb.com/pr/_assets/down…s-releases.pdf
Lead generation is a numbers game and a momentum game. Duct Tape Marketing-
Generally speaking there is no one magic way to generate a tons of leads. Granted, for some businesses there are more effective ways, but on the whole long-term effective lead generation comes down to a combination of advertising, public relations and a systematic approach to referrals – the lead generation trio as I like to call them. It’s my belief that you need to employ all three approaches in order to generate the right kind of know, like and trust building that will attract your ideal customers.
In order to better understand why this blended approach makes such sense let me introduce the 3 Cs of lead generation: Cost, Credibility, and Control. Each of the lead gen trio offers you some advantage in one or more of the 3 Cs.
By using them all, you get the perfect mix.
So here’s the matrix of sorts:
Advertising – potential high cost, often lower credibility, high, in fact ultimate, control – turn the ad on and off when you choose – control is the best part about advertising, you can launch a promotion on the day you want or need more leads and then turn it back down when you don’t. There is a definite need for strategy and not just tactics here.
Public Relations – cost can be low, credibility is high – often a tiny mention in a publication can bring more leads than a full page ad in the same publication – readers love the third party endorsement, control can be low – you can’t really dictate when and if you will get any pub
Referrals – again, cost can be very low, credibility a little dependent on the source of referral but often high, control also out of your hands and based on your ability to educate sources properly.
Each of the members of the lead generation trio has pros and cons, but employed as a unit they have the power to help you create the kind of marketing momentum that builds long term success.
Posted by
Who is an Expert? 
Who is an Expert?
How many blogs and articles have I read from “so called experts” in marketing. Too many! There are books out there that are a dime a dozen. There are people that I talk to that say” this works for me and gets profitable leads.” Well, first of all, How do I know that they even have a profitable business?
Blindly following who? Many ideas I hear are just for an occasional attempt to get leads, the old,” marketing event of the week “ type tactics. I even hear people that claim to know niche marketing, but have they ever had to” live and die” from their own ideas and efforts by running a successful business with those same ideas. Do you follow a pretender, contender or a proven leader? Your business depends on you! Your decisions pave the road towards…..where? Throwing words around is fine. Creating perception is one of the things that marketers do. But realize the words eventually become meaningless.
What is Marketing anyway?
Marketing is not about the text book definition that Webster dictionary gives you. Don’t bother reading that, because it will only confuse you after the fourth or fifth meaning. Marketing to me is getting someone who has a need to Know, Like and Trust you! Simple! Marketing is not an event, marketing is not just buying advertising and no marketing is not about driving around with a sign.
Don’t make it more difficult than it needs to be. Marketing is not an event, but it is a system. Marketing is about earning someone who has a need to know, like and Trust you. Marketing when done properly influences peoples decisions. Marketing is everyones job in your business from office staff, employees, and sales people. Everyones job.
Marketing makes you remarkable and not forgettable. Marketing is a consistent effort that needs strategy before tactics, and needs to educate people about your business, services, products, and people. Marketing is a system. Marketing isn’t found in a text book and certainly isn’t found from a book reading teacher. Successful marketing has to be action and not words. There isn’t just a magic idea that creates leads. And really the idea of marketing isn’t to JUST create leads. The IDEA that if you try this advertising piece and get leads is really the WRONG idea. What happens after that advertising piece? DO you run another? What happens next year when the price goes UP? Do the results go UP too? NO, they don’t!
POINT BLANK!
Marketing attracts the right customers, Marketing influences peoples decisions and marketing is a body of work that brings consistent results because you have a consistent system that won’t fade away because it is about doing so many little things properly it is the essence of your business. THAT is marketing!
The question he proposed was,”In the sales process, what questions do you ask the homeowner and how do you frame them?”I think this is a great question and there isn’t a perfect answer that can be molded to everyone’s remodeling and home improvement business, because of the wide spectrum of projects we are discussing. There is one thing that is common however, a process that increases the opportunity for success. A sales process that brings success. Number one goal is to assess their needs. Why did they call you? You can’t sell anybody anything unless they have a need and want to have it resolved. You can’t earn their business unless you address their needs. If they are looking to have additional living space for their grandmother to live with them, but you are focused on quality and service, you’ll miss addressing the proper points. Asking questions, proper questions is essential. It all starts with assessing their needs. This is part of a successful process, but not the only proper step. In order to have a successful sales process there are steps (there truly are) to increase your ability to be in a great position at the time for a decision to chose you. I am sure you have heard this before, but it is fact:
” No one wants to hear how much you know until they know how much you care.”Try asking questions that assess your customers needs and they will listen. Mr, & Mrs Homeowner, have you ever accomplished a home improvement project before? If yes, “How did that go?” What did you like about it? What didn’t you like about it?” They will lean you towards what is important and what isn’t important to them and you will know what to address (focus on) If they haven’t, you can educate them more and they need to be educated more on the process. Earn their trust by addressing what they just told you they do and don’t like or are not aware of. I could go on and on, but the important thing to remember is when asking questions, ask questions that assess their NEEDS. Great first step. Hopefully, if you are marketing your business brand properly, they already know you, like you and trust you. There are many ways to reach your ideal client before you meet them. I am sure they have or will be finding more about you, What did you do to make yourself an expert in the industry before you met them? Here is a helpful podcast we did on a sales process. Maybe it will help inspire an idea or two! www.remodelbuddy.com/sales-process-podcast
There have been many times in sales meetings a sales person will say, “teach me how to close.” He will say, “I just couldn’t overcome that objection and I keep hearing the same one over and over.” Talking strategy over on how to handle that nagging objection and working through a solution is always a good idea. (BUT) Did you ever think about the possibility of overcoming it, before it even arises? That, is the true solution.
No one likes to be sold. Everyone likes to buy. In the remodeling and home improvement industry it may be more important than ever to understand that when a customer becomes a client and says,”yes, you’re hired,” it is an emotional decision. When the decision is made, your prospect will make an emotional decision based from them knowing, liking and trusting you.
A sales process that educates and is unique is ultimately the best path towards reaching your prospect on an emotional level and answering questions before they arise. When more effort to educate before the questions come up, before the objections have time to dwell in their minds, the less effort and time will be spent in the end trying to convince them you are right for the job. Trying to convince people in the end about something they are unsure of will erode that like and trust and more than likely the opportunity for you.
Marketing materials should educate. The sales process starts before they even contact you. The principles we discuss and the processes we follow at Remodel Buddy coaching and MasterBuilder Roundtables are based on getting the client to Know you, Like you, Trust you and ultimately buy and refer you. All of your communications should allow your prospects to really experience your expertise. The most successful remodeling businesses that increase their conversion rate, increase their profits from earning more of the right jobs and eliminate time chasing leads. It is the ones that understand a sales process that educates and is unique is successful. Here is a case study of a remodeling company that increased their conversion rate, decreased leads and at the year end had more sales and revenue, plus higher profits.
Rory, from Remodel Crazy posted this on his Blog/forum. This is from Greg Antonioli. Interesting….curious to hear your thoughts on this.
By: Greg Antonioli I learned a new phrase from Seth Godin:
“Momentum of the Incumbent.”
In Lauren Hunter’s blog “In Support of Licensing,” a bunch of contractors posted comments vehemently against licensing, nostalgically bringing up the way they had always run their businesses on handshakes and honesty….. “Licenses? We no need no stinking licenses!” I’ll call them these commenters “the incumbents.” They fought against losing the right to run their businesses the way they always had. With rights come responsibilities. If you want the right to run your business on a handshake, than it’s your responsibility to make sure others in your industry who don’t act as honorably don’t survive. So far, we’ve sucked at “raising the bar” of professionalism in our industry on our own. In fact, we’ve actively fought change. We’ve steadfastly refused to walk upright. Those who denied evolution in the industry won…until now.
The “momentum of the incumbent” is gone, done, kaput. Sorry, but you had a great run for a lot longer than most industries ever experienced. Now it’s time to get out of the way. Leah Thayer’s “I Feel Your Pain” was, frankly, infuriating: Contractors who refused to “up their game” complaining about (as I see it) what they had coming to them. Every other industry that survived has responded to market shifts. Most try to forecast those shifts and respond ahead of time. Some even have the audacity to influence demand in their markets. Few are as passive and whiney as remodelers, expecting the consumer to hop in their lap and lick their face, then complaining when they don’t.
“Forecasting? Market research? Studying demographic shifts and consumer preferences? That’s for Proctor and Gamble, not remodelers! Sales training? I just want to stick my pencil behind my ear and expect the phone to ring with somebody asking for exactly what I deliver at whatever price I give them.”
Complain about change all you want. You can fight it, and you have fought it way too long. You didn’t squelch it. You just held it back as it built up pressure. You complain about “these people these days.” Most of the people who have the money to hire you only have that money because they’ve known when to accept, embrace, and exploit change. Along the way, they’ve changed the way they engage service providers, the way they buy stuff, the way they want to live in their homes, the amount of time they plan to stay in their homes….and what they’ll put up with from contractors. Currently, many are viewing their homes less as “investments” and more as “homes.”
Hell….this is one of the most exciting times in our industry! If you’re a small company, look at the “Remodeling 550” companies and note how many are predicting much smaller revenues for 2009 vs. 2008. The “momentum of the incumbent” has waned. Stop thinking change is happening TO you and decide it is happening FOR you. What changes will you embraced and how will you capitalize on them? “You’d better start swimming or you’ll sink like a stone, For the times, they are a-changin’!” -Bob Dylan
Answer the question, “Why would I buy from you?” And you are well on your way!
Why would I buy from you is what your clients and potential clients constantly ask themselves when considering a purchase. Of course what they are really asking is “What’s in it for me?”
From John Jantsch of Duct Tape Marketing-
A simple strategy for positioning your firm or product deeply in your target market’s mind is a tool called a USP. The term USP has been around for a long time. The letters stand for Unique Selling Proposition.
The idea here is to identify and then communicate a concise statement of your firm’s most compelling offer and benefit in a way that the potential client can automatically answer the what’s in if for me question. That’s all a USP is.
Most everyone is familiar with the original Fedex USP. On time, every time or it’s free. At the time this offer was very unique in the shipping industry and literally built the company based on communicating this unique selling proposition. So what’s your compelling offer? What can you do and offer that no one else in your industry can offer?
Most consumers view small businesses like commodities. The feeling is that one remodeler is like another or that one home improvement company can get the same result as another.
The problem is that most marketers do nothing to expel that perception. “Buy from us because we’ve been in business for 20 years,” or “we’re dependable,” “Quality and service,”go the slogans of many construction businesses.
Of course the fact that you are dependable, carry a full line of products, offer fair pricing, or are honest are expectations…they are not points of differentiation.
An effective USP communicates your firm’s unique ability to fill an obvious void in the marketplace. The USP shows your target market how your firm is uniquely qualified to solve their pain or increase their gain. A USP can be your firm’s single most powerful marketing weapon.
To craft a USP for your firm first make a list of all the benefits of doing business with your firm. Don’t leave anything out.
Then cut the list down with these guidelines.
1. What things on your list are unique versus your direct competitors.
2. Which of these benefits is most important to your clients?
3. Which of these would be difficult for other’s in your industry to copy?
4. Which of these can be easily communicated?
From this set of guidelines you should be able to narrow your search to the top one or two benefits of doing business with your firm.
From there it is simply a matter of injecting this chief benefit or USP into everything that you do.
Craft headlines that promote your USP, put a USP statement on your stationary and business cards, build your USP into all of your sales presentations.
The ultimate goal is to become known to the market as whatever your USP promotes.
One final word of warning. You must deliver on the big promise communicated in your USP. Failure to do so may actually do more harm then drifting along without any marketing focus.
