PR, Viral Marketing And The Dangers of Spin

The difference between Spin, PR, and Viral Marketing.

Spin is when you lie to promote a good image.

PR is what you have to do to get you out of the crap left by your lies!

And Viral Marketing is the bad or good things people say about you, all depending on your Spin and/or PR.

There couldn't be a finer cautionary tale on the dangers of spin than the venereal (my misprint!) British Prime Minister, The Right Honourable Anthony Blair, Our Tone to his friends.

Putting my political bias to one side, Mr Blair seems to have really believed that the public are fools.

He used spin to enhance his image with the public, but to him image was the priority over substance.

There is no point in enumerating the many examples of Downing Street spin, they are already well documented.

But image over content is no way to engage and build on the trust of a not so gullible public.

Remember that any promises you make, every word you utter can, and often does come back to haunt you.

And to try to cover half-truths and maybe downright lies, as in the Iraq war, with spin attempting to make the decision appear correct is a guaranteed recipe for disaster.

No matter what the size of your company, a one-man business or the British or US Government PLC, your word is, or should be your bond.

There is no finer way to build a business than to have a well-earned and respected image, honestly won and diligently built on.

A good reputation, enhanced by PR and voluntarily passed on to others by Viral Marketing is worth more than any amount of paid for Advertising or Spin.

Mr Al Fayed, who bought the illustrious Harrods store in London, also discovered that a good name must be earned not bought.

Money can't buy a good name, or the prestige, which goes with it.

And empty words and rhetoric will not maintain it.

PR, Public Relations, is just that, building a relationship with the people you come into contact with.

And Spin is what a car often does when it runs out of control, just before it crashes!

Contact

Have you ever noticed how people you haven't talked with in years come out of the woodwork when they are looking for a job? They call it networking. I call it bad public relations.

Staying in touch with people is important throughout your career not just when you need help finding a new position. People who develop strong contacts will achieve more than those who reach out only when they need help.

If you want to have good contacts, you must be a good contact. Try to help the people on your list achieve their own personal and professional goals, and they in turn will be happy to help you.

Friend Brent Dees of the Focus Four entrepreneur coaching system teaches a concept called the Focus 40, based on the theory that you can only maintain 40 truly close business relationships. Dees says that you should identify the people who can do the most to assist you in reaching your personal and business goals and then find out what they are trying to achieve. Once you know this, your efforts should be directed toward helping them reach their goals. This is smart business and good public relations.

You'll have other relationships besides your Focus 40, but you just won't spend as much time trying to strengthen them. That's not to say, you should ignore them.

With today's technology there is no excuse for you not to keep up with people on your personal, professional and work-life lists. Plaxo is one web-based system that helps keep your contacts apprised of changes in your business and personal information. LinkedIn is another good way to develop and stay in touch with your expanded network.

And when someone does help you, say "Thank you" or even send a handwritten note of appreciation. Our society has neglected these seemingly small but powerful gestures. The bar is set low, so jumping it takes little effort but places you in high esteem among your contacts.

Public Speaking Anxiety - How to Deal With It

Do you shudder at the thought of being asked to take part in a presentation at work or college? When you speak in public, do you feel that you want the floor to open up and swallow you? Are you more worried about getting the jitters rather than delivering great content in your presentations? Well if so then you may be a victim of one of the most common and most horrid phobias. The fear of public speaking is widely thought of as the worst fear that a person can suffer! In fact on a survey the fear of death was at number seven and the fear of public speak was at number one – this just goes to show how severe it can be for the sufferer.

As a hypnotherapist, emotional freedom technique and Neuro-linguistic programming practitioner, I am regularly asked by clients to rid them of their fear of public speaking. In most cases I will use a combination of all of my expertise to help them overcome this most irrational but very terrifying phobia. I really like to work with clients on this as it is something that I can empathize with them on, as I too once suffered at the hands of this phobia. I remember once speaking at my local church and feeling my throat slowly tighten, my knees started to give out and my hands were shaking like a jack hammer. Luckily and with the help of hypnosis, that fear and phobia are now behind me and I now love being in front of a crowd.

Hypnosis helps to reprogram the way that we deal with public speaking and allows us to start enjoying the experience and forgetting the negative affects that the phobia may have caused us. Anyone with the fear will understand that the lead up to talking can also make you feel bad. This is down to the fact that you expect all of the negative things – it becomes like a self fulfilling prophecy and your mind makes you 'feel' what you are 'thinking'. Hypnosis gets rid of this expectation that things are going to go wrong, thus giving you more time to positively prepare for your presentation as your stomach will not be in knots just thinking about it anymore.

If you really want to deal with your fear of public speaking and move on in life and maybe even up the career ladder then hypnosis is for you. Why not start with a hypnosis download or recording or even look up your local hypnotherapist?

Surefire Tips To Overcome Fear of Public Speaking

For millions of people, public speaking is a fear that they cannot overcome. Some experts believe that it is because it is the fear of speaking to peers or people who the speaker perceives to know more about whatever subject they are speak about. This occurs even though to become a public speaker, one needs to be proficient in the subject.

Even the most seasoned public speaker will get butterflies in their stomach just before their appearance. No one is immune to this. It does not matter if you are speaking to a group of a thousand or a group of ten that little knot in your stomach is the fear that you will freeze at the podium or worse.

Studies have shown that the fear of public speaking is not an isolated event. One study showed that forty percent of people were so afraid to speak in public, that they could safely say that they would never consider a position where it was necessary.

There are many studies on this subject. One such study done was a study of fear. When the group in the study were asked question related to public speaking, seventy percent of them agreed that they would only speak in public in a panic situation.

In still another study, eighty percent of those asked responded that they would rather face eminent death before speaking in front of large crowds of people.

It takes a special kind of person to become a public speaker. It not only requires you to have knowledge on a specific subject, you also need to be strong and confident as well as skilled at the art of public speaking.

There are several things that you can do to perfect your public speaking skills if you choose to add this to your career. A good public speaker will create a lasting impression when they speak in front of a large crowd.

When you are a public speaker, you need to be confident enough to deliver a speech that is compelling and convincing whether the audience is large or small. A well-delivered speech does not only make the audience respond favorably, it also make the person delivering the speech feel like they are on top of the world.

Fear is a normal part of life. It is our defense mechanism that warns us upon impending danger. While in most cases of public speaking the danger does not apply, fear of looking foolish in front of great crowds is a normal reaction. Nobody is perfect, and a fear of making mistakes is what keeps millions of people from becoming public speakers.

No one who is a successful public speaker was born that way. Even the most seasoned speaker has had years of practice. There are many places where you can practice speaking; you can practice in front of a mirror, in your car on your way to work, or even in the shower. When you are ready to try your hand at speaking in front of people, use your family as the audience. Practice is the most powerful tool that can use to improve your public speaking skills.

In order to be a successful public speaker, you have to have confidence. This is something that is gained over time. When you practice, you are also building confidence. It is important that you overcome any fear of public speaking. If you give in to fear, it will take away any chance you have of becoming a public speaker. When you overcome your fear, you are effectively eliminating any limitations you may have.

Nobody in this world is perfect. The majority of people who have a fear of public speaking have that fear because they see flaws within themselves. They are afraid that they will fail; therefore they do not even try.

The power of the mind is an incredible thing. If you can convince yourself that you can succeed at public speaking, you are taking the necessary steps to improve your life. Having a positive attitude will only aid in your quest for a successful public speaking career.

Top 10 Ways To Attract Publicity For Your Business

1. Web, web, web -

The first thing most journalists do when they are looking for experts to interview is search the internet. The bigger the footprints you leave on the web, the more chance there is for a journalist to track you down. If your business does not have a website you are making it harder for the media (and your clients) to find you.

2. Write a book -

The second thing most journalists do is to find out who's written a book on whatever subject they're covering. Writing a book automatically makes you an expert in your field.

3. Write letters to the editor -

Comment on a current issue and your letter may be printed on the letters page, instantly raising your profile considerably.

4. Approach the journalists directly -

Journalism is a notoriously undervalued profession and not one where there's a lot of feedback. Contact anyone who's written a piece you admire and let them know. Establish a relationship.

5. Invite journalists along to your public speaking gigs -

Then they get to see you in action.

6. Offer your services freely -

Media professionals get offered a lot of free stuff, so they can be blasé about it. Still, a person who's successfully used your services is much more likely to become an advocate for it. So offer your services or products freely to journalists and you may be paid in publicity. Remember that there are no guarantees and this is not a bribe.

7. Offer case studies -

Do you have a client for whom your product or service has made a noticeable difference in their life? Are they happy to speak publicly about your business? If so, their local paper may be interested in featuring you both.

8. Offer a prize for a competition -

Many publications are happy to mention your business if you donate a competition prize – and then again when they're announcing who's won. The value of this sort of free publicity will far outweigh what it costs you to donate a prize.

9. Be topical… -

Link what you do to something that's happening currently or is coming up soon.

10. …And timely -

Most monthly publications plan issues 3-6 months in advance, so for example if you want to be featured in the January issue you will need to submit information by the preceding September. Topical TV and radio shows have a much shorter lead-in time so ask if you're not sure.