What’s New with Who’s Who?
Marketing and Public Relations in 2010
Member Profile of the Month
Member Testimonials
Biltmore Who’s Who Offers MORE!
New Diamond VIP Membership
Ask The Experts
Contact Biltmore Who’s Who
Marketing and Public Relations in 2010
If you’re providing a great product or service, the belief is that your customers and clients will continue to come back for more. Their satisfaction, or even delight, with your ability to meet their needs can result in more business through word-of-mouth recommendations. That’s a type of “free” marketing that can help a business grow and increase the bottom line. Depending on the industry and nature of your work, as well as the geographical market that you are targeting, personal referrals aren’t always enough to be enough to meet your goals.
Marketing and public relations are time-tested ways to garner new business, but they can be expensive. Furthermore, the traditional methods such as direct mailers and press releases are not producing the same results as in the past. Today, direct mail pieces are often deemed “junk mail” and aren’t given a glance before they hit the trash can. As for press releases, journalists have been let go from news rooms across the country in order to combat the economic struggles that have severely impacted the media industry. A press release announcing a significant, newsworthy event may generate coverage, but it also might be overlooked because there is no one looking at it. Do-it-yourself press releases won’t generate the same results that someone with experience in the industry can provide.
Signing a contract with an outside marketing or public relations agency is a good option but it typically involves a significant monthly investment and it doesn’t guarantee returns. An alternative is to hire a full-time employee who has a proven track record in the areas in which you are pursuing new business. The decision of how you pursue marketing and PR should be carefully considered and weighed in regards to the cost and expected results. Whether the decision is to outsource or make an internal hire, the expectations must be clearly defined and reviewed on a regular basis.
Strategies for Getting New Business in Today’s Economy
A recent article in the Atlanta Journal Constitution featured Kathy Rizzo, the Vice President of Sales at TeleNet Marketing Solutions. TeleNet is a telemarketing company, but not the kind that calls you at home during dinner hours. Her company focuses on business-to-business lead generation. The concept is to define potential and target clients, to determine the appropriate decision maker within an organization and to have a caller ask the relevant questions to establish whether or not it is a lead worth pursuing. It’s a common-sense approach, but many organizations don’t have the time or the financial resources to pursue customers or clients in such a diligent manner.
When you’re busy handling the work at hand, there isn’t a lot of time left for making hundreds of calls that might result in new business. What are the alternatives?
Consider using an industry consultant, or even an intern, who can be coached on the qualifying questions to ask a prospect on a phone call. They can be engaged on a short-term basis so that the expense is limited. Based upon results, their work can be extended or terminated.
Freelance writers and publicists can also be engaged on a one-time or project basis. The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) has local chapters around the country and websites that enable potential employers to advertise their needs.
New Media – FaceBook, LinkedIn, Twitter and more – is an opportunity to gain attention, recognition and potential business. If you aren’t comfortable or familiar with these social networking tools, hire a consultant or a college student who can bring you up to speed. Brainstorm about the ways in which these tools can help your business.
Assess your level of commitment to everything you do that is in the public sphere. If you have a tab on your website that is equivalent to “recent news”, it should be updated on a regular basis. When the latest news is two years old, you need to start posting or call IT and eliminate that tab.
Blogs and newsletters are a great way to share information with current and potential clients. The benefit is that you share thoughts, ideas or wisdom that they will hopefully find interesting. Be sure to have a second pair of eyes edit your writing because even the best writer can make a mistake and that will be detrimental to your efforts.
Relevancy is critical when approaching new business opportunities. When you send an email, leave a voice message or write a letter, make sure that you are addressing a specific need that the recipient may have and a solution that you can provide.
These tips apply equally to companies that can afford an internal team for marketing and PR or choose to outsource those responsibilities, as well as the ones that choose to handle it themselves. The most important questions:
Who is my target?
How can I best reach my audience?
What do I want to achieve?
What is my message?
How will this impact my bottom line?
Biltmore Who’s Who Offers MORE!
Membership in Biltmore Who’s Who is an opportunity for recognition amongst your peers and potential clients. Membership also offers benefits that can help you to market your business at a significantly lower cost than the going rate.
Press releases are effective, but must be professionally crafted and sent to the proper contacts within the media. With the assistance of Biltmore Who’s Who, you can take a professional approach to pursuing media coverage without the cost of a PR agency.
Option A is a free press release, which is free for the life of your membership. Simply contact our customer service and ask to speak to someone in our PR department. The first step involves filling out a questionnaire that will help the PR team develop your release. Once written and approved by you, it will be released to the world wide web and will viewable via any major search engine (such as Google, etc.). Your release can also be forwarded to your local newspapers and/or publications in your area for more coverage opportunity.
Option B is to garner exposure on a much larger scale. Your press release would be exposed to five major audiences:
1. Your geographic area (daily and weekly newspapers, radio and television stations within your state),
2. Disclosure destinations (domestic circuits such as the Associated Press, Dow Jones, Reuters),
3. Investors (buy and sell analysts and investors in your area),
4. Trade and industry media (print and online trade media), and
5. eSearch engines, websites, syndicates and databases (all major databases).
Contact our customer service department to get connected!
Member Profile of the Month
Biltmore Who’s Who Selects Lisa Chase, of Back to Normal Physical Therapy, Inc. as this quarter’s Honored Member
Biltmore Who’s Who is spotlighting Lisa Chase, the founder of the physical therapy clinic Back to Normal in St. Petersburg, Florida. Chase was educated in Physical Therapy at the University of Pittsburgh and fell in love with providing hands on, one-on-one care. After working for many years as an X-Ray technician, she was drawn to sports medicine. The result was a nine-year stint overseeing the athlete care programs for the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA).
After so many years on the road, Chase decided to put down roots in 1998 and started a physical therapy clinic at St. Vincent’s in Jacksonville, Florida. She is launching the Back to Normal clinic this month with a new approach towards health advocacy coordination. The concept is a team approach that uncovers and provides a full spectrum of a patient’s needs, which may range from physical rehabilitation to medical, nutritional, and recovery care.
I have a wheel that I give to my patients so that I can assess the cause of their injuries in addition to other components of their overall health such as dietary issues, Chase said. Then I can make recommendations for a complete plan of care that will assist their recovery.
With over twenty years experience in spine, sports and orthopedic injuries, Chase is uniquely qualified to provide her expertise to clients from around the country. Furthermore, each therapist at the facility utilizes advance assessment and therapeutic strategies including integrating manual therapy, cutting edge modalities, taping intervention, education and individual corrective exercise prescription.
Chase received her post-graduate certification in advanced orthopedic manual therapy in 1995. An internationally recognized physical therapist, she is also an adjunct professor at Michigan State University for the College of Osteopathic Medicine since 1998. She has conducted numerous interviews and appeared on the TV show Prescription for Health. She also speaks at international conferences and is also a published author in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. She’s written several books on aquatic therapy and rehabilitation.
For more information, visit www.back2normalpt.com or email back2normal@me.com.
Member Testimonials
“Thank you so much Biltmore Who’s Who for having me as a Lifetime Honored Member for 2009 and helping promote the publishing of my first book. Your press releases and support give me a broader opportunity towards my success for my present and future endeavors.”
Betty Darby-Jackson
Journalist/Author
Moncks Corner, South Carolina
“I just received my Executive of the Year plaque. I must say how impressed I am. It is so beautiful! I have it sitting on my desk at work so everyone can see it as they walk by. Thank you for the opportunity for allowing me to be a member of Biltmore Who’s Who and to be an Executive of the Year.”
Carolyn Bradley
Director, Dietary Department
Peterson, West Virginia
New Diamond VIP Membership
Biltmore Who’s Who would like to take this opportunity to introduce our newest members to our Diamond VIP Membership:
• Rita LaCaze
• Hope Walker
• Suzanne Y. Ammann
• Joyce Ralston
• Carin Meyer
• Deborah J. Beckworth
• Bruce A. Skolnic, MD
• Julie Ann Butterfield
• Robert H. Williams
• Margaret M. Taylor
Ask the Experts
Q: I left my former position as a public relations executive because my husbands job required us to relocate. At the same time, the economy tanked and I was fortunate enough to find some clients and become self-employed. This was not my preferred career path and I have been sending out my resume every day in response to job postings for which I am qualified. Despite having nearly 15 years of experience in my profession, I rarely get a call or email to request an interview.
Recently I had an interview with a fabulous company…at the end of the interview, the CEO said he had not determined if he wanted to hire someone with my experience, and the salary that would go with it, or if he would hire one or two people with very little experience and thus, lower salaries. He added that they had received more than 500 applications for the position and had scheduled interviews with 40 people! I understand that the unemployment rate means that there are a lot of people looking for work, but as a seasoned professional, how can I compete with someone who is going to get the job simply because he or she is less experienced and less expensive?
A: It’s true, a lot of companies that have begun adding to their staff recently are opting for interns and recent college graduates. The mindset is to keep costs down but to (hopefully) replace former staff members that they let go during the worst of the economic crunch.
In your case, the “fabulous” company might not be quite as fabulous as you thought. For a CEO to be so uncertain of what hes looking for in a candidate that he has to interview 40 people suggests that he might not be a strong and decisive leader. Furthermore, he seems to have a lot of time on his hands, and have no reluctance to waste the time of at least 39 people who are eager to be employed. In fairness to the CEO in question, he was evidently making an effort to determine what level of experience would best suit the company; however, it would make more sense to pare the initial interviewees to a reasonable number.
Aside from recognizing that this company might not be for you, the biggest hurdle is how to cope with stiff competition in a job market that is favoring the less experienced and less expensive employees.
Tips:
1. Make a list of your strengths and the skills you offer that a less experienced person could not bring to the position. Use this information to make specific points in your cover letter and interviews.
In your case, you found your own clients and built a business. Your entrepreneurial spirit and ability to obtain clients would be very attractive to any potential employer.
2. Include a cover letter with every job application and craft it according to the specific job description.
For example, if the company is looking for a person with business to consumer marketing experience, describe your activities and success in that regard. Also make sure to mention the name of the company for which you are applying so that your interest seems genuine.
3. Follow the application instructions to a T and use spell check.
HR managers and recruiters cite spelling errors and lack of following their instructions as their biggest turn-offs when looking at job applications.
4. Some employment experts are suggesting that people who are out of work should take jobs that are beneath their prior positions or income.
If you are willing and financially able to take a pay cut, you have to make it clear to the potential employer. Use your cover letter to explain your reasons for interest in the company and position as well as your desire to take a lower pay in order to be a part of their team.
In the meantime, continue to court new clients for your own business, as one of those clients could be a potential full-time employer for you in the future.
Contact Biltmore Who’s Who
Send your questions to: newsletter@biltmorewhoswho.com. In every newsletter we will feature a question and expert answer that we believe is a common concern that is addressed with practical yet innovative advice.
We look forward to hearing from you!
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July 2010 Newsletter: Issue Number 3
Posted by Biltmore Who's Who on Wednesday, July 21, 2010