A business strategy gains power, when it flows with the tide of nature. It can grant you the pivotal wisdom to plan and execute your significant approaches in business. You need to be aware that your strategies are actually not decided by you. Each moment of your life, nature manages them, without your conscious awareness. It assembles the required data and focuses your system for action. Powerful intelligences within your mind formulate those responses and control your every action. Many such entities operate in the background even now, as you read these words. One among them recognizes the black and white pixels on this page, identifies them as words, fetches their meanings, evaluates the grammar and conveys their final purport to you. Such massive data processing occurs within the few milliseconds in which your eyes pass over these lines. So too, the strategies of your business are decided by the same deep wisdom within your nerve cells. To grasp that concept, it is useful to know the neural mechanisms, which have evolved over millions of years to formulate your strategies in life.

Before the development of the neocortical brain of humans, a string of more primitive brains assisted animals to survive. The earliest nosebrains used smells as a basis for approaching, attacking, or retreating from a situation. Later, the mammalian brains developed emotions for more sophisticated controls. The emotions of anger, fear, jealousy, love and laughter manipulated the nervous system to employ highly focused strategies. Anger followed an aggressive strategy. Fear managed a defensive approach. Jealousy sought to put down the competition and love sought to cherish and protect. A relaxation of the tensions of conflict was achieved through laughter. These emotions activated physical systems for fight, flight, or relaxation. Even more important, they provided contextual information to the mind to assist each strategy.

Each emotion recorded and recalled contextual data. The background of every hostile response faced by a person is recorded into memory in the context of his anger. Later, an angry person can only recall past irritating incidents, which intensify his anger. The system inhibits memories of favorable actions carried out by the antagonist. When influenced by anger, the person fails to recall past acts of friendship. On the other hand, fear focuses on the results of failure and removes memories of previous successes. Negative emotions suppress useful data. Anger removes memories of the benefits of a cooperative effort and fear, the valuable recollections of past successes. When you are controlled by hatred or dread, your brain works without access to critical knowledge. While negative emotions limit your wisdom, positive emotions expand the data available to your mind. It is in this context that you need to see the remarkably powerful impact of the emotion of love.

While fear may compel you to be frozen into inactivity, love opens vast databases of strategic options for your mind. Centuries ago, the bible had recorded the impact of the emotion of love on behavior. Love was patient and kind. Love suppressed the emotions of anger, irritability, jealousy and rudeness. The deepest needs of the person were subdued to give way to an intense awareness of the needs of the loved one. Past wrongs were forgotten and forgiven. Love persisted in spite of problems, keeping faith in the loved one. Love did not gloat over injustice and was happy with the victory of truth. Nature’s pattern recognition processes had crafted an incredibly high standard of behavior through a single emotion, to impel the best in mankind. The impact of the emotion of love has been acknowledged by generations of people across thousands of years.

In business, love is a radical option. The conventional advice is to be guided by paranoia for survival in the harsh commercial world. There, deceit and treachery appear to be the standard. A colleague may lack even the basic norms of decency in interactions. He proceeds to act with utter selfishness, without any concern for the anguish inflicted on years of friendship. A trusted employee plots against you behind your back, even while you have persistently supported his advancement in every forum. Such situations are common in business. Anger and vengeance appear to be the natural reactions after such episodes. In this milieu, love is not exactly a natural option.

But, emotions can be simulated. It is possible to simulate lifelike fear, dread, or love. Great actors achieve this every day. For ordinary people, it is true that, emotions are the automatic responses to situations. But, even they can consciously cultivate emotions. Those emotions will, in turn, control their minds. Even anger can be simulated. Say “Stop it!” with an angry look. When your eyeballs thrust forward a couple of millimeters, your words will suddenly have an aggressive tenor. When you glare, your system adopts a belligerent mode of speech. The Buddhists have been known to practice the development of compassion as an approach to life. They try to imagine the pain of a bird, or the anguish of an enemy. Though it appears quite unconventional, it is possible to simulate a loving viewpoint towards even your worst enemy.

A loving viewpoint effects a remarkable transformation. When you look at your opponent from a kind perspective, his most vicious actions will suddenly appear to be pitiable weaknesses. Short sighted selfishness is often an inherent defect. Such failings are usually permanent liabilities for the affected people, transporting them inevitably into lonely and friendless situations with the passage of years. The view, which exposes such behavior as weaknesses, will also see the strengths and agreeable parts of such a person. It fetches memories of the benefits, which accrued to you over time from that relationship. While anger would have terminated the association, a kinder view enables you to cautiously continue interactions. In the end, you will draw on the benefits of that relationship, which you would have otherwise terminated. Love prevents the constriction of your world into a small acceptable circle for cooperation. It enables you to broaden your relationships, while keeping you fully aware of the serious pitfalls.

The cultivation of a loving viewpoint maximizes your strategic potential. It is the massive wisdom of the evolutionary process, which created the emotion of love. The simulation and application of love can give you a powerful strategic vision for your business. It swiftly presents helpful data and empowers you to make decisions, which will, in the end, benefit all life. Love has a bearing on the larger realms of your business. A kinder view perceives that the efforts of your competitor does also expand the potential of your business. Jointly, you may find solutions to the problems in your industry. When you care for your customer and the environment, you will make adjustments, which will ultimately enhance the reputation of your business. Incredibly, the whole strategic plan can be set in motion with a simple decision to view the world with kindness.

In a website Abraham Thomas suggests that , since the human mind is a pattern recognition entity, your rational prefrontal regions can effectively control your mind by inhibiting your lower emotional levels of consciousness. Visit the site

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Tags: good, ethics, business, common, work

With all of the political campaigning, a report released this fall by the Josephson Institute received very little attention and unfortunately should have been both front page news and the lead story for every major media outlet. This annual report of over 36,000 students revealed poor work ethics where 60% of American high school students in order to improve their performance cheated on a test with 28% said that they stole from a store.

What is even more incredible is the disconnect between these students’ behaviors and their personal beliefs. Ninety-two percent of these students believed that their personal characters were satisfactory with a whopping 74% agreeing to the statement: “”When it comes to doing what is right, I am better than most people I know.”" From the sound of these findings, no wonder we have politicians who believe that their misleading to false ads are O.K. and that they did nothing wrong.

The results of this survey confirmed earlier surveys. In 2005, Donald McCabe at Rutgers University published a survey where more than 70% of students admitted to cheating at least once on a test. Cheating is not just reserved for highs school students. McCabe also surveyed graduate students and discovered cheating attitudes for:

The ramifications from this research are far reaching. For example, business ethics has been the talk of many with the Enron executives and various other business executives being indicted. With over 1 out of 2 believing that cheating is OK, can this be part of the reason? Capitalism does not make people unethical. People are unethical before they enter the business marketplace.

In education, more and more is written about how parents are responsible for the conduct of their children. Yet, when almost 1 out of every 2 teachers cheated at some time indicates that the issue of work ethics or what I call attitudes of performance is just as much about teachers as the parents.

And in our society where many of the laws are written by lawyers who have been elected to office, is it a wonder that there is an attitude of going around the law when almost 1 out of 2 have an acceptable attitude about cheating?

Ethics is critical to any society not only surviving, but thriving. These surveys indicate that the U.S. business, education and future are at risk. When young people to adult U.S. citizens can hear and see their leadership including:

Should we be surprised when 2 out of 3 young people feel that their behavior is better than everyone else’s even though almost 2 out of 3 young people have cheated on a test?

One quick question,if you could secure one new client or breakthrough that one roadbloack holding you back from success, what would that mean to you? Then, take a risk and give Leanne Hoagland-Smith a call at 219.759.5601 to experience incredible results.

Visit this site and explore everything from free articles to connecting with Leanne.

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Tags: work, ethics, article, work, good, business

In case you haven’t caught up to the latest of the environmental catch-phrases, “Green Supply Chain” is a relatively important concept that everyone will eventually discover. We live in the early side of the environmental project, and it is common to find businesses ramping up to offer “Green Products” and “Green Services.” Green is, after all, a marketing concept as well as a environmental issue. So, we find a bevy of businesses selling Green believing that they are environmentally conscious as well as reaching out to a growing market of buyers.

What is under developed in these newly-christianed, Green businesses is the follow through that asks whether they are committed to buying and hiring Green in their business dealings. This often creates an unseen and embarrassing realization that their Green commitment is superficial. The Green Supply Chain concept is really part of the greater sustainable issue. Sustainability seeks to create a deeper and more complete cycle of Green actions. The Supply and Demand principles require that every seller needs buyers, and every buyer needs sellers. Consumerism is the yang of the vendor’s ying.

Green Supply Chain, therefore, asks for the commitment to include more than representing your business or product as Green, but that your business also prioritizes Green purchasing when possible. It won’t happen in a single decision, but it will happen in a progressive series of Green decisions. The Green Business League is a national association of Green businesses who have the fundamental commitment to “Buy Green, Hire Green.” This mentality will drive the businesses who wish to sell Green because the buying piece is being promoted.

The Green Business League also certifies Green Businesses through a point-earning system that requires more than paying for a membership in a name-sake-only listing. To Green the Green Business certification, a business must earn points through Green improvements to their business and by purchasing from other Green Businesses. This is certainly a step in the right direction. This program also allows a kind of Green networking to occur where it is easier to find a certified Green Business by providing a league of Green businesses that are ready to sell and buy with other Green businesses.

Beware of the Green hype, also known as Greenwashing, as many businesses try to add a Green branding of their own creation to their marketing efforts. The word “Green” is an unregulated word that can be appropriated by any eager marketing-minded person. The validity of their claims and hype may not be honest, and many consumers will one day have a bad taste in their mouth having been fooled by this practice. The Green Business League acts as an independent third party to encourage fair play and fair business among Green businesses. Ask the businesses that you do business with if they are Green Business Certified, and if not, ask them to start the certification process because your company intends to follow the sustainable practices of the “Green Supply Chain” program.

Learn more about Green Business Certified at Green Business League, find a Green Consultant at Green Consultant Directory

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Tags: ethics, decision, making, ethical, good

Most reasonable people will a still that if a franchisor is selling franchised outlets to the public then they have a viable business concept that is profitable. However, this may not always be the case and to assume this is risky if you are a franchise buyer. I would agree that if you are a franchisor and you have perfected your business model then absolutely you have the right to sell it to others to help them achieve their American dream of owning their own company or franchised outlet.

Although as a retired Franchisor and now consultants I have in the past had new franchisor entrants want me to consult them and I ask them how long they have been in business and they have maybe 3-years total including the day they got their business license before opening? You think to yourself what? How can anybody and thickly with two sell franchises when they have not perfected their own business or prototype model?

But then comes the real kicker and one, which just makes me cringe as a franchisor consultant; then these would be Franchisors tell me when I ask how much capital they have they say that they have approximately $35,000 available.

This is a scary thought indeed; why you ask, well it takes a million really to franchise a concept and you burn thru it fairly quickly unless you do not mind eating Top Ramen, putting in lots of hours and treating the money like you earned it washing dishes at $5.15 per hour. If you are thinking about franchising your current business please consider all this in 2006.

“Lance Winslow” – Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; WorldThinkTank. Lance is an online writer in retirement.

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Tags:ethnics, training, class, good, programs

We all want to make a difference. To most, that means sharing some combination of their time, talent and financial resources. During the global economic crisis of 2008, a lot of people didn’t have the financial resources to continue to give to their families, friends, and the worthy foundations and causes they valued. So choices had to be made.

People still wanted to give – they just had to find creative ways to do it. In lieu of candles or coffee, Alison, a marketing director in Pittsburgh, opted to make a donation to a local pet shelter in honor of her sister. In Chicago, the adult members of the Bergh family drew names for their annual Christmas exchange. Only instead of physical gifts this year, they each made donations to non-profit organizations near and dear to the heart of the person’s name they drew. Gail, a development director in Yakima, Wash., adds money to the Salvation Army bell ring buckets and adds meal coupons for the Union Gospel Mission to her grocery bill when she checks out.

All of these people make a difference in their own way. But none of them stop there. They also look to spend their consumer dollars at companies dedicated to corporate social responsibility. Understanding this, today, multinational corporations — while still in business for profit — are adopting new corporate social responsibility [CSR] initiatives that are changing the way organizations of all sizes do business. CSR is not a widely-used term yet. Give it time.

The premise of CSR is that when an organization makes money in a community, they reinvest a portion of profits in that community and/or other global regions in need. That investment can come as a combination of money, employee volunteer time or products, such as pharmaceutical giant Merck which donates a drug to cure river-blindness, a dreadful disease which affects tens of millions of the world’s poorest people.

Even in a down economy — or perhaps enhanced by an economy in turmoil — consumers and businesses alike are prioritizing CSR. So much so, in fact, that CSR is emerging as a new trend in job security with companies adding entire departments dedicated to designing and implementing CSR initiatives.

Many Fortune 500 companies have committed their resources to CSR, in many cases budgeting for entire departments dedicated to setting and implementing their CSR strategy. It’s a job industry that will grow tremendously in the next decade as Internet retail gives consumers worldwide a greater choice of where to buy the products they need and want.

London-based Acre is a staffing organization dedicated exclusively to CSR/SRI [social responsibility investment] positions. At ethicalperformace.com visitors can search global listings of CSR and SRI professional services organizations, as well as learn more about events and training associated with this emerging trend.

Just because the media isn’t talking about this every day doesn’t mean it’s not already on the minds of world business leaders. A handful of public companies already entrenched in CSR/SRI initiatives include: Wal-Mart, Target, Levi Strauss, Gap, Timberland, General Electric, Whole Foods, Manpower, Inc., Dupont, Alcoa, IBM, and Hewlett Packard. Few CEOs are as globally generous as Microsoft founder, Bill Gates and his wife Melinda or his good friend Berkshire Hathaway founder Warren Buffett. Ted Turner and New York City Mayor, Michael Bloomberg, also make that list. Generosity is “in” and the biggest names in the world are stepping up to make a difference and in many cases, to let their customers know about the difference they’re making through corresponding media campaigns.

Debra Yergen is a U.S.-based freelance writer with extensive experience in technology. She has held senior writing positions in the financial industry at firms including SunGard and Washington Mutual Bank. Debra is the author of Real Life 101, Creating Job Security: The 2009 All-In-One Workbook, published by The Graduate Group in West Hartford, Conn, and Creating Job Security Resource Guide. She holds a BA in Broadcast Journalism from Washington State University’s Edward R. Murrow School of Communications.

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Tags: ethics, needs, good, corporate, training

The internet presents an enormous diversity of people. There are so many different people from different backgrounds, countries, religions, etc. it’s astounding. All in one place called the World Wide Web.

With those differences comes something else that we will never escape. Since the fall of Adam in Eden, man has struggled with the forces of good and evil. And with that comes the difficulty to define the line that separates the two.

Where do we draw the line when it comes to ethical uses of technology, programming and marketing… Where do we draw the line when making a decision if manipulating something or using a resource to bend the rules is wrong.

To pin point it directly: People are selfish creatures. Many of us think of our selves before anyone else… some of us take into consideration others… some of us don’t at all.

You want money and will do anything to get it.

Pursuing online opportunities can sometimes seem like a solitaire journey with not many people being effected by your efforts. I think that is very much opposite of the truth. The truth is the World Wide Web is spun tight and one flick of a thread can shake the whole web and cause effects… like a ripple in a pond.

Let’s expand this thought of the internet as a web. A place where everybody is an example for each other. We learn from each other – the amount of inspiration across the internet is enormous. You are responsible for your actions and ways of doing things, and if your website is at all exposed I bet your ideas and ways of doing things will be duplicated – for good or bad.

All in all the internet is a culture building phenomenon – a society beyond societies, countries, ethnic groups, time and place. The cultures of the individuals give impression to the internet cultures and the cultures that build up in the internet give impression to the cultures we are living.

Many people just think of themselves. And that I guess is understandable. The internet draws people that are looking to make a fortune, to make a quick buck, to do whatever it takes to bring in the dough. These people have vision I’m sure, but it is directed in a very narrow path with blinders and does not take into consideration the ripple it is causing…

I’m a believer that one needs to have this sort of vision to a degree. That’s how we reach our goals. To have a burning desire and to focus all our energy to attain it… BUT we cannot lose site of the entire web…

When you run into something that seems like it might be a little spammy or just doesn’t sound ethical or right, you should ask yourself some questions:

1) Can I live with myself… or don’t I care because I just want the money? What about my integrity?

2) How does this effect my neighbors online? (everyone is your neighbor; one click away).

3) Is this something that promotes the good of the internet and will create an environment that promotes a better web? Does this have a negative impact?

4) Do I understand what the internet is and where my place in it is? You may not… figure it out. It is a web. It is a place to hold & find information, to buy products and services, to communicate – to imitate and build up culture. Will I disrupt that purpose?

5) Will this short term gain be worth the long term price? Am I building for today or for my future? Will doing what I’m doing now actually destroy opportunities to make money elsewhere down the road?

You see… let’s take search engines for instance. You have to admit they play a vital role online… What if we do something that makes that piece of the puzzle problematic? Do you not think that will have an impact…

I always try and think of myself as the surfer (and that’s not to hard, because I am one… what would I want?)
Let us be part of the solution… Let’s not work against the system and instead help it… Let’s make decisions that are good for the public & business online…

…Won’t it provide you MORE opportunity?

Ethics will be ignored because the internet is populated by humans. And there will always be humans that will want to do things the hard way, manipulate and cheat the system…

At the same time, maybe if enough of us cared… We could make the internet a better place for us all and in the long run create better technology and more opportunity!

Imagine what the Search Engines could do if they took all the energy they use fighting unethical webmasters to create a better engine and experience for us!

I want to make money too. But I also have sight. I see the potential if we all work together for the common good.

Will I walk that fine line myself. To my very best knowledge… And I will ask myself those questions…I am not alone in the internet. I am responsible to myself, to my fellow surfers and siteowners and to God in Heaven.

Please give it a thought….

Lars Krogholt is an online entrepreneur from Denmark. Visit her here.

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Tags: ethics, internet, morality, global, good

All of your possibilities from this moment, are located in your own personal expectations. All of your expectations are located in the very personal relationship you have with yourself. The relationship you have with yourself is the relationship you will have with others.

What matters most is how you see yourself! Take very good care of the relationship you have with yourself at all times.

I was a member of Toastmaster International and in 1984 Caroline Sander RN introduced me to the National Speakers Association. I went to all the local chapter meeting and to the National Conventions. The first meeting I attended, I felt a little uneasy about being in this new setting. Billy Arcement came up to me and introduces himself from Donaldsonville Louisiana. Billy knew that I was uneasy about being at this meeting. He said, “If you have a dream in your heart long enough, you have what takes to realize that dream.
I never forgot those words.

Ginger Bondi was the president of our local chapter. Ginger was tough love. I listened and took notes of everything other speakers in the chapter said that I must do to convince people to hire my topics. I practice all of these ideas.

I called Ginger Bondi and ask if I could come and speak with her. I told her that I did not want to do anything to hurt the speaking profession. That I wanted to abide by the code of etitics of the National Speakers Association.

I shared with Ginger how I just signed a contract for a speaking engagement in Tampa Florida. This was my first really serious paying engagement. I told her I was nervous that they would find out that I was just a Bicycle Shop Owner. This audience was to executives of the steel industry. Ginger said, “Knock it Off, Mike Marino; I want you to go to Tampa and just be yourself! If you go there thinking they are better, you will not do well. If you go there thinking you are better than they are, you will definitely not do well.

You must go to Tampa and be who you are and allow them to be who they are, and you will do just fine.” I embraced Ginger’s advice. I did well and was privilege to speak with many of the other chapters in the steel industry after that.

The next best advice that I received was from Michael Lebouf PhD. I was attending a local chapter meeting of NSA and everyone was sharing what it took to be a full time professional speaker. When it was Dr. Lebouf’’s turn to share he said, “Just be good!”
If you are good, people will say she is good! He is good!”

Rick Phillips sales & staff trainer gave me this advice. “Never beat a dead horse!” All good things come to an end and then something better begins. Get on a new horse to take you the rest of the way. Forward ever, backwards never!

All of this advice applies to any profession. Keep your dream in your heart. Be yourself, and be good at what you do. Never beat a dead horse. It’s over! What are you going to do about it?

The room for improvement is still the greatest room in the world. You can improve on your dreams. You can improve on your relationship with yourself and others. You can improve on your proformance in your profession. You can get a new horse. It does not cost anything to think big. It pays to be good.

All advice translates into the same thing. Take care of yourself. If you want to do twice as much for yourself, your family, your profession, community, take care of yourself twice as much.

Mike Marino, Jr. aka “In Person,” is the co-author of two books and a Distinguished Toastmaster who helps people fall in love with learning. He speaks and writes on the love of Knowledge is the root of all good!. To book Mike for your next association meeting, conference or corporate event, contact Mike Marino, Jr. Proud member of the New Orleans Metropolitan Convention and Visitors Bureau. All presentations are available in PowerPoint or Keynote.

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Tags: good, ethics, business, professional, work

The best professional advice!

All of your possibilities from this moment, are located in your own personal expectations. All of your expectations are located in the very personal relationship you have with yourself. The relationship you have with yourself is the relationship you will have with others.

What matters most is how you see yourself! Take very good care of the relationship you have with yourself at all times.

I was a member of Toastmaster International and in 1984 Caroline Sander RN introduced me to the National Speakers Association. I went to all the local chapter meeting and to the National Conventions. The first meeting I attended, I felt a little uneasy about being in this new setting. Billy Arcement came up to me and introduces himself from Donaldsonville Louisiana. Billy knew that I was uneasy about being at this meeting. He said, “If you have a dream in your heart long enough, you have what takes to realize that dream.
I never forgot those words.

Ginger Bondi was the president of our local chapter. Ginger was tough love. I listened and took notes of everything other speakers in the chapter said that I must do to convince people to hire my topics. I practice all of these ideas.

I called Ginger Bondi and ask if I could come and speak with her. I told her that I did not want to do anything to hurt the speaking profession. That I wanted to abide by the code of etitics of the National Speakers Association.

I shared with Ginger how I just signed a contract for a speaking engagement in Tampa Florida. This was my first really serious paying engagement. I told her I was nervous that they would find out that I was just a Bicycle Shop Owner. This audience was to executives of the steel industry. Ginger said, “Knock it Off, Mike Marino; I want you to go to Tampa and just be yourself! If you go there thinking they are better, you will not do well. If you go there thinking you are better than they are, you will definitely not do well.

You must go to Tampa and be who you are and allow them to be who they are, and you will do just fine.” I embraced Ginger’s advice. I did well and was privilege to speak with many of the other chapters in the steel industry after that.

The next best advice that I received was from Michael Lebouf PhD. I was attending a local chapter meeting of NSA and everyone was sharing what it took to be a full time professional speaker. When it was Dr. Lebouf’’s turn to share he said, “Just be good!”
If you are good, people will say she is good! He is good!”

Rick Phillips sales & staff trainer gave me this advice. “Never beat a dead horse!” All good things come to an end and then something better begins. Get on a new horse to take you the rest of the way. Forward ever, backwards never!

All of this advice applies to any profession. Keep your dream in your heart. Be yourself, and be good at what you do. Never beat a dead horse. It’s over! What are you going to do about it?

The room for improvement is still the greatest room in the world. You can improve on your dreams. You can improve on your relationship with yourself and others. You can improve on your proformance in your profession. You can get a new horse. It does not cost anything to think big. It pays to be good.

All advice translates into the same thing. Take care of yourself. If you want to do twice as much for yourself, your family, your profession, community, take care of yourself twice as much.

Mike Marino, Jr. aka “In Person,” is the co-author of two books and a Distinguished Toastmaster who helps people fall in love with learning. He speaks and writes on the love of Knowledge is the root of all good!. To book Mike for your next association meeting, conference or corporate event, contact Mike Marino, Jr. Proud member of the New Orleans Metropolitan Convention and Visitors Bureau. All presentations are available in PowerPoint or Keynote.

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Tags: good, ethics, business, professional, work

A crass and imbalanced response to a kind-hearted soul trying to make a difference, you might say; a callous dismissal of the efforts of a good, honest individual to make a difference to the cruel world we live in? Not so, say I! Let us take a moment to examine the economics of this new, self-made industry sector and see if there might actually be some mileage in this young man’s claim.

Some years ago, whilst I was still at university supplementing my student by loan working in a bar up to five nights a week and living in a shared house, one of my then housemates came home announcing that she had found ‘an amazing job’ which allowed her to work just one day a week and bring home more money than my five bar shifts used to earn. Intrigued, I asked for more details of this wonder job and sat back as my housemate launched into a breathless account of how she and her fearless new colleagues were out to save the world. “Firstly, she gasped, in a froth of self-congratulatory altruism, “the best thing about the job is that it’s working for charity!” So far, so good I thought; charity is good. “Basically, you go out with a team of people and you talk to people in the street and you ask them to sign up to donate money for your charity.” “Which charity is this?” I asked. “Oh, it could be a different charity every week, we work through an agency” she replied. At this point, alarm bells began to ring.

To cut a long story short, it transpired that my housemate was being paid around £9.50 per hour to stand in the street, harassing the general public into surrendering their direct debit details and donate to charity making, over a ten hour shift a daily total of £95, which was a pretty damn good take home for a days work for a 20 year old student. Add to that the fact that employment agencies of any sort levy a charge on top of this daily wage to the employer, in this case the charity, which can easily be equal to or even in excess of the actual wages paid to the employee. Lets be generous in this case and assume that the agency in question charges 30% on top of wage charges. That leaves a daily cost to the charity in question of £123.50. After a rushed mental calculation, I exclaimed to my housemate “wow, you must have to work really hard to pay for yourself; how many are you expected to sign up in a day?” “One” she replied, “at least while we’re new to the job, later on you’re expected to be better at it, the really good ones get four or five in a day!”. Four and five in a day sounds like a pretty low rate considering the cost; “how much are these four or five people donating?”; “about £3.50 a month on average”.

I was gobsmacked! I couldn’t help it, the calculator came out.

“I hate to piss on your parade,” I said, five minutes later “but at one signee per day for £3.50 a month, you’d need to work for 35 days straight, or seven full working weeks to bring in enough revenue from initial payments to pay your wages for a single day. To put it another way, the one person that you sign up today has to maintain this direct debit for just shy of three years before what you did today becomes profitable for the charity that hired you. I fail to see how this is a good thing you are doing.”

Two days later, my housemate returns from a second shift ‘chugging’, “we are raising awareness” she says, “increasing the public brand visibility of the charities we work for”. Sure you are, you’re raising my awareness of the fact that people in nylon tunics are to be avoided; you’re raising my awareness of the depths to which unscrupulous agencies and cash strapped students will stoop; you’re raising my awareness of exactly how much voluntarily donated cash intended for charity use gets siphoned off into the pockets of middlemen and smooth talkers. I fail to see how this is a good thing!

If you really want to donate to a charity, do it via their website.

Croydon J Hounslow works for an online dating agency

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The media is normally quick to back acquisitions of wrong doing. O. J. Simpson, Robert Blake, Jim and Tammy Bakker, Tom DeLay, and others were quickly vilified by the press as soon as they fell under suspicion. Not so with Karr. Almost immediately following his confession, media giants began to deny that he could actually be the killer. Their behavior shows a shortcoming inherent in political and business leaders.

Soon after the lifeless six-year-old body was found in the Ramsey basement in Boulder, Colorado, the press honed in on her mother and father. The Ramseys were convicted in the court of public opinion despite their claims of innocence. Now that someone has actually confessed, particularly somebody that the press had not previously considered as a potential suspect, it seems that the media feels a necessity to overcome their earlier Ramsey conviction by proving Karr could not possibly have been the killer.

Politicians and business leaders are often in this position. They take a stand or form an opinion. After expounding prolifically about their opinion more information surfaces. Rather than acknowledging the new facts as having a potentially changing impact on their original position, they work hard to deny that the new facts are viable or feasible. They become more entrenched in their original position even though that original position begins to lose credibility. In many cases this will later cause them to embarrassingly have to admit that they were wrong. Of course admitting one’s wrong is difficult so if a way can be found to avoid the submission, it becomes a favored path of omission.

No leader can journey down this path without losing the honor, respect, and admiration of followers. All but the most stringent of Bill Clinton’s followers will admit that their viewpoint of his integrity was lessened by his failure to fully recognize his sexual indiscretions in the Oval Office, particularly after the truth was revealed. Richard Nixon will be remembered by many as the President that covered up Watergate rather than the President who restored relations with China.

All leaders must reach the point that they can confidently be completely open and honest with those whom they want to follow them. If the media were to do so in the Ramsey case, the coverage would change from an emphasis of why he could not be the killer to an open an objective reporting of both sides of his potential guilt or innocence.

Rick Weaver is an accomplished business executive with a wealth of experience in retail, market analysis, supply chain enhancement, project management, team building, and process improvement.

Rick career began in retailing as a stockclerk, eventually becoming the Director of Vendor Development at Kmart Corporation during it’s heyday. In this position he worked with hundreds of Kmart’s suppliers to improve mutual processes, procedures, and profits.

As a consultant, Rick has worked with companies in various industries to develop leadership and business strategies.

As an entrepreneur, Rick has founded or co-founded six successful organizations, including non-profit and for profit.

Now in his role as president of MaxImpact, Rick uses his vast experience helping individuals connect to their dreams and teams connect to a common vision.

Rick’s presentation style of blending humor, real life examples, and easy to implement ideas has made him a popular speaker at seminars, workshops, and conferences in in 43 states, Canada, and Puerto Rico.

(c) Max Impact Corporation

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Work ethics is a hot topic in today’s business and educational worlds. Yet, how do we define this hybrid phrase with the word work meaning more than a specific outcome and the word ethics being more than the values that enhance that outcome?

When we say we are going to work, work becomes the place of employment. When we say we are working, the implication is that we are engaged in a work-related activity and should be performing one or more specific tasks. However, the word work in today’s global economy does not easily denote specific outcomes much less measurable ones.

Years ago when our economy was agrarian based, farmers said they were going to work the fields. Their work or more specifically the outcomes of their work could be viewed from the plowed fields to the stacked bales of hay. In today’s technology and service driven economy, workers outcomes are not as nearly recognizable, but what is noticed is their behavior.

Now, ethics is a difficult word to define, as it is more than the enhancement of outcomes. This is aptly demonstrated by the variety of expectations such as being to work or school on time, performing quality work, being self-directed, having self-initiative, or being positive to both fellow contributors and customers. Ethics, from these expectations, encompass the internal behaviors of the contributors or what I really believe are attitudes.

Let’s step out of the box and construct a new and more accurate term that meets the expectations of both the business and educational worlds. First, let’s ask ourselves are we more concerned with the behavior or the attitudes? If we recognize that it is the attitudes that drive the behaviors that generate the outcomes, it would suggest that the contributors’ attitudes have the greater impact on the outcomes.

Next, since behavior has numerous meanings, possibly we can substitute performance for behavior. Performance can be measured provided the organization has accurate and complete expectations, valid assessments that do not penalize the contributors along with a well-communicated strategic plan. Through clearly articulated goals with consistent leadership and management, contributors have the opportunity to improve their performance thereby achieving measurable results.

Attitudes of performance appear then to better describe the desired outcomes and expectations that we have as employers, educators or even parents. As we all are contributors, by focusing on attitudes early in our performance experiences, we have the means to improve ourselves, our businesses and more importantly our communities.

Want to learn how to increase sales? Sign up to receive notification of Leanne’s forthcoming sales coaching book to help you become the Red Jacket in the Sea of Gray Suits.

Leadership of any business is responsible for demonstrating the ethics and beliefs. How do you fair as a leader? Take this leadership audit at this site

You probably do not want to be uncomfortable. Who does? Yet, you want to increase sales and to stop all those sleepless nights right before sales figures are due. Now is the time to give Leanne a call at 219.759.5601 to schedule a free business coaching training or sales coaching strategy session. Experience how being uncomfortable can help you increase sales.

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Good Public Relations is not optional anymore.

If you want potential employees, clients and the community to have a positive perception of your organization, you’ll likely need to manage your company image.

A poor corporate image can be detrimental to attracting and retaining quality employees, not to mention retaining current employees. The reasons are obvious: People want to work for companies that are successful, as well as foster a positive corporate culture and contribute to their community.

Working to improve two key relationships, employee and community, can help you manage the impression people have of your organization. Effectively managing your company’s image is beneficial because successful, well-respected organizations attract and retain top quality employees.

Are you an employer of choice?

Your employees play an important role in your corporate image. Not only do they represent your company’s image, they also know what it’s like to work for your organization. Since employee referrals are one of the best ways to attract new applicants, ensuring that your employees are happy is beneficial for this reason, and many others. Word of Mouth is the best form of advertising.

Become an employer of choice by shaping your company into an organization that supports employees not just on the job, but outside the organization as well. Today’s trend is to help employees balance work with their personal lives. The most sought after employers offer flexible work arrangements and benefits programs that go beyond health care coverage to include such perks as tuition reimbursement, an employee assistance program and health and wellness resources.

Your organization’s culture also factors in the company’s image. Employees want to feel that they play an important role and that their contributions matter. Organizations that foster open communication, recognize employee accomplishments and continually seek ways to improve employee satisfaction are more likely to have a positive corporate culture, and a positive image both inside and outside of your office.

Community relations

Developing a charitable giving and volunteer program at your organization can help you create awareness about your company in the community while supporting worthwhile causes. This is a great public relations effort. Awareness creates interest – and interested community members may consider your organization as an appealing place to do business.

People look favorably on employers who support the community through charitable giving and volunteerism. The Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) reports that 83 percent of Americans have a more positive image of companies that support a cause they care about.

Not only do corporate volunteer programs attract new job applicants, they give current employees a sense of pride in their organization. Employees can say, “I’m part of a company that really cares about the community.” These programs can help create more company loyalty and reduce turnover.

For the most effective results, create a charitable giving and volunteer program at your organization that encompasses your company’s values, culture and community needs. Because different people will be interested in different community service initiatives, it’s important to support a wide variety of charities. Many organizations offer employees the flexibility to select the causes that are important to them. Companies often offer donation matches and paid time off from work to perform volunteer work.

Nurture your employees with rewards and recognition and support charitable community events and causes and you’ll see a return on these important investments.

Extensis is the largest New Jersey based professional employer organization. We have years of experience in providing the tools and guidance required to make our clients the Employer of Choice in their industries. Let us help your business break out from the pack and create the winning combination of Employee Satisfaction and positive Community Relations.

For more information, go to this website.

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Tags: pr, companies, media, marketing, good

One of the media opportunities that you will seek is to appear on TV as a guest of a show or to be interviewed. This article will focus on the times you are a guest on a specific show. First, it is important to note that the television news media are literally inundated with pitches for media appearances every day. So when your chance arrives you want to be prepared. So what are the strategic actions you can take to be a top TV guest? The PR Doctor offers the following prescription of strategic actions to help you achieve that goal.

#1: Prepare. Prepare. Prepare. Prepare for the interview with your message and key points you want to make during your appearance.

#2: Select some of your favorite “tips” to share on the show. “Tips” are a great way to communicate your message. Television producers always strive to provide their viewers with useful content presented in a manner that is easy to understand. You should select about five “tips” to share on the topic of the show.

#3: Be sensitive to the amount of statistics you use during your interview. Be careful to use numbers wisely and to be aware of some of the emotions certain statistics could trigger.

#4: Be prepared to answer personal questions. In professional quality television shows a producer will do research for the host about you and your topic, in preparation of your interview. So be aware that if some simple web research unearths some potentially negative or embarrassing information, be prepared to respond in a proactive and positive manner. Sometimes, your best response is a real and even comical answer that will “play” to the audience and deflect the antagonistic tone of an interviewer.

#5: Find an “angle” for your “pitch” and especially look for a “local angle.” Local television stations with network affiliates are extremely valuable and you will want to entice their interest with a local connection. Your appearance and interview will be much more effective and memorable with the host and the viewers when you can incorporate the “local touch.”

#6: Check and confirm the information for your TV appearance. Make sure you know exactly where and when you are to arrive. Confirm this the day before your appearance.

#7: Make sure to have your contact information ready so you can share it when asked during your interview. You should be sure to give your website, an email address, your telephone number, and your location, if applicable. And make sure the contact information is accurate and up-to-date before you announce it on the air.

#8: Commit to looking and feeling your best for your TV appearance. Get a good night’s sleep the night before the appearance. A healthy breakfast would also help. It is important to remember that a good night’s sleep and good nutrition are very important to our daily mental and physical well-being. When we are rested and relaxed, we look better, feel good and think clearly. This is even more important for a TV interview because you may be subject o some stress of an important media interview. Don’t overdose on caffeine.

#9: Be very conscious of your voice and your tonality in your TV appearance. Avoid speaking in a monotone. A monotone will “kill” an interview’s effectiveness very rapidly. It is very important to alter your pitch and tone to keep your audience interested. Be animated also. Your body language is a very effective conveyor of your message. And remember, it is not only what you say, but also how you say it that counts!

#10: Always employ impeccable manners and be gracious on and off the air. Always thank the host for the interview while you’re still on-air. An added thank you to the producer will also be in order. I always recommend sending a brief thank you note to the host and the producer. It is good manners and will enhance your image as a well-mannered professional. And because these thank you notes are not always sent by others, the note you send will increase your chances of being remembered in the future, when they need to interview an expert on your topic.

#11: Review and critique your appearance. Have someone record your interviews. Watch your interview numerous times and ask yourself questions like: How well did I answer the questions? How did the host respond to my answers? Did my clothes portray me as a professional? What did my body language say about me? Did I appear natural or did I appear too rehearsed? Did I remember all of my key points and turn them into sound bytes?

The PR Doctor recommends that you commit to follow this prescription so you can gain much more positive results from your pitches to the media.

Glenn Ebersole, Jr. is a multi-faceted professional, who is recognized as a visionary, guide and facilitator in the fields of business coaching, marketing, public relations, management, strategic planning and engineering. Glenn is the Founder and Chief Executive of two Lancaster, PA based consulting practices: The Renaissance Group, a creative marketing, public relations, strategic planning and business development consulting firm and J. G. Ebersole Associates, an independent professional engineering, marketing, and management consulting firm. He is a Certified Facilitator and serves as a business coach and a strategic planning facilitator and consultant to a diverse list of clients. Glenn is also the author of a monthly newsletter, “Glenn’s Guiding Lines – Thoughts From Your Strategic Thinking Business Coach” and has published more than 345 articles on business.

To find out more about the benefits & rewards of effectively working with a strategic thinking business coach, please contact Glenn Ebersole through his web site at this site.

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Tags: pr, relations, media, community, good

Public Relations (or ‘media relations’) can be a central part of the marketing mix, but it is a different aspect to marketing itself, which usually focuses on market share and consumer relations. PR can include building consumer awareness and guiding consumer opinion, but primarily it involves building good relations with the press and sourcing free positive editorials to disseminate the brand message.

There are two main types of PR; product and corporate. Product focuses on raising awareness of a particular product or service, whereas corporate tries to positively portray a whole company or brand. With the growing need for social responsibility, corporate PR is more important than ever. For maximum effect, both types of PR should be integrated with other advertising and marketing schemes; this way ideas are disseminated and opportunities can be shared to enhance the impact of all three.

A basic rule of PR is that you should develop credibility before raising the visibility of a product or company. Although visibility is all-important in winning custom, if people don’t think your brand is particularly good or you have a bad reputation, you won’t get any custom either way. Credibility is fundamental in winning trust, referrals and repeat sales. Advertising, although it may build awareness of your brand, does not do much for credibility. Consumers know that advertising is paid-for (and therefore untrustworthy). PR on the other hand is free, winning column inches because of its worth, and a positive editorial is far more believable than the same amount of advertising.

Editorial coverage in the press is one of PR’s strongest weapons. The main benefit, as already mentioned, is the credibility that comes from having a story covered by an industry expert. Someone perceived as ‘in the know’ or with a loyal readership can sway public opinion with what they say. Another benefit is the cost involved; whereas advertisements have to be paid for, editorials are completely free. The only cost involved is that of researching, writing and distributing the press releases themselves.

The downside of editorials is that the PR company has absolutely no control over what’s said or the opinion given. No matter how well-written or well-targeted your press release, you might find that it gets negative attention from some places. Planning for both positive and negative outcomes is essential to a well-managed PR campaign.

Once a PR campaign has been set in motion, it’s incredibly important to maintain good relations with the press. Follow-up reports, handling enquiries and prompt responses can all ensure that reporters have a good opinion of a company. Most PR experts, like those at this Leeds PR company, started their careers in journalism, so they know the sort of deadlines journalists have to work to. Providing all the help a reporter needs means that they’re more likely to run stories about you in future; companies that give poor or late responses get bad reputations in media circles.

When PR works it can give a positive image of a product or company, increasing awareness of the brand in the relevant market sectors. When it goes wrong it can ruin reputations and put people out of business. PR companies have the intangible job of swaying opinion, and whilst it may seem an art rather than a science, the results can unmistakably make or break a business.

Sylvia Kittens lives in Harrogate, England

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Tags: good, relations, pr, examples, move

Love her or hate her, you have to give props to Sarah Jessica Parker.

Maxim has named Parker the “Unsexiest Woman on the Planet,” according to this morning’s featured headlines at CNN. While I must admit I have never been a huge fan, I did think that this moniker was rude and harsh.

On the whole planet? C’mon! There are so many other names that spring to mind…Leona Helmsley, Maxine from Hallmark® cards, my old boss…?

That said, I had to read the rest of the story.

It isn’t surprising that stories like these dominate the headlines — but when they do, I often watch with interest to see how the affected parties react. While it may only prove who has the best “crisis publicist,” it also provides reinforcement for the old adage, “any press is good press.”

Parker seems to have weathered this recent blow with grace and savvy. She makes no apologies for not being a silicone-filled, Botox-treated beauty; and readily admits that she may not be the ideal woman for Maxim readers. In so doing, the entertainment shows are all abuzz that she represents the “every woman,” and are applauding her for her stance on defining beauty by her own standards. It’s hard to believe that this is the same woman that many in the well-heeled crowd were lauding as a fashion icon in Manolo’s just a few short years ago.

So, here’s the bottom line. Not exactly a banner day for Sarah Jessica on the sex-appeal front; however, she is still managing to be the talk of the entertainment shows, and in a very positive way.

She may still wind up as a punchline on Leno this evening, but this too shall pass. In the meantime, she just got some face time on the networks, courtesy of Maxim.

Take the headlines where you can get them – and while it isn’t fun having to suck on a lemon headline, rest easy knowing you can turn it into lemonade with a bit of savvy. Besides, that pucker is still cheaper than Botox.

Traci Hayner Vanover, The Promo Diva(R), is the publisher of Create the Dream magazine, visit this site and the president of Market Outside the Box Trade Association, visit this site. She also works with private clients as a publicist, copywriter and consultant.

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Tags: marketing, good, media, relations, consultant

One of the most important aspects of a business is its PR strategy. A good PR strategy always helps you to get more publicity for your business and makes your business become more recognized. The ultimate goal of all PR strategies is to create a buzz for your organization, business or company, so that it will help your business to become more popular. A good PR strategy usually revolves around one single tactic that is to publish the name of your business in any kind of media, such as the newspaper, radio, magazines or the news. So, if you don’t have a proper PR strategy for your business then you may be in big trouble. To get a proper PR strategy it is always advisable to higher a Good PR firm that would help you in your PR needs. However, if you are a small business owner and cannot afford a PR firm then this article will help you to organize and develop you own personal PR strategy.

Time for planning

The perfect time for you to sit down and plan your PR strategy would be at the start of a new year or a financial new year. The start of the New Year is the perfect time for you to set objectives and to formulate a good PR plan for the whole year that will help your business to achieve optimum results in the media.

Flexibility and length of consideration

Flexibility and uncertainty reins the world of PR strategies. You may never know when something might happen that will require changing your PR strategy. This is why it is always advisable to consider the whole year while you are planning out your PR activities. You can start by planning for the first 6 months and then according to the situations you can revise you plan for the next three months. Often there a lot of factors when taken in to consideration at an earlier time will help your business immensely and by following this method you can easily reap success in your business.

Planning

Before planning out your PR strategy for the current year, your first and foremost task should be to review and revise your PR activities of the past year. You should take into consideration and review any situation where your business had received media attention. While doing this you should also review the resulting media coverage and what advantages you had gotten out of it. Try to determine all the angles and pits through which you had received the media coverage. Do not forget to take the journalist in to consideration too. You should take note of which journalist wrote in your favor and which wrote against you.

After reviewing your past year’s PR activities, you should take in to consideration the overall business objectives. By taking these objectives into consideration you will be able to develop and plan out your key media messages. Do not forget to state clearly in these messages what you are trying to achieve fro your company. These messages will help to form the backbone of your PR communication activities.

Now all is left to do is develop a good plan of attack for your PR strategy. Try to look at your business through the eyes of a journalist, also try to figure out what would interest your customers the most in your business. Try to create more buzz fro your company by creating potential media opportunities like product launches, or by organizing major news conferences.

Subscribe to a Media Measurement Service

By subscribing to a media measurement service you can easily go through the results of your company and see what type of coverage you received. You can also use this result to compare your progress with other companies.

Now that you have a proper strategy on hand, all you have to do is plan out some activities that will help you to achieve you goals.

Activities

” Make a News Release Calendar: you can make a news release calendar where you can easily plan out all the news releases that will take place throughout the year. This will help you to focus on your objectives and goals.

” Create a Media Database: one of the main essences of PR strategy is to get journalist and newspapers to publish articles about your company in their newspapers. However, before you organize any news conferences or launches, you should carefully research and create your own database of key journalists. In this database you should keep the contact numbers of leading publications and leading journalists that deal with your industry. You should also try to organize the database according to how valuable each contact is to you. Now that you have created your database you can safely hold news conferences where you can invite journalists and talk to them about your company.

” Publications and Self or By lined Articles: one of the important things that you can do to promote the PR for company is to contribute and article or even suggest a feature on your company to a leading publication. You can also suggest ideas and topics related to your business objectives or which is in sync with your line of work to leading journalists and newspapers.

” Use of Communication Tools: communication tools such as Blogs and social media have become immensely popular today as they provide a platform where you can discuss about a wide range of topics. So, by simply researching the different blogs that are related to your industry, you can get to know about the styles of the authors and you can also pick up a few pointers from these blogs.

” Crisis Planning: one of the most important aspects of a business and PR strategy is Crisis planning. You should always include crisis planning in your PR strategies. While planning you should make it a point to see that the entire negative and the positive aspects are taken in to consideration. You should also inform all your employees and clients about your crisis management plans. Do not forget to take time and test run your procedures to iron out any inconsistencies in the plan.

Swati Banerjee is the owner of Writing Ink, a web content management firm based out of India, that services clients from across the globe. Please take a minute to visit this site to experience how the bright young minds here make magic with words!

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Tags: good, public, relations, pr, examples

You have some news about your product or company that you want the world to know. How do you issue a press release that will get noticed and more important, get printed? Is this your first time issuing a release and you aren’t sure what to put? Have you issued press releases before, but without the results you wanted?

Your press release does not depend so much on the content, or the area of business you are in. Remember that there are hundreds of editors out there combing through hundreds of thousands of press releases looking for a story. Content is what gets printed, but how you present that content is what will get your press release selected. Here are some Do’s and Do Not’s to consider that can make your release stand out.

1. Your Importance

Let’s face facts. Most likely, your company or your product is not known to most of your target market. What does that mean? It means, unless your company is a major “mover and shaker”, — i.e. Fortune 500, traded publicly, etc. — not many people are going to care that you’ve relocated, or hired a new CFO. If it’s a new product, or new changes to a product that is the focus of your press release, again not many people will care. Realize and accept these two facts and act accordingly.

2. It’s All About the News

A press release is for the press. The press prints news. Make your press release NEWS! You need to find the news slant for your press release. What is it about your company or product that you want the world to know? Unofficially, I’m sure you just want the word out so that people will buy your products. Officially, you need to find the news content and push that, not your product.

Here’s an example:

BAD: “Product Y, Made by company X, was used to do operation A. The doctors were pleased with Product Y’s performance.”

GOOD: “At hospital B, a common procedure was performed in a different way by doctors F, H, and I. Instead of… Then they… At one point, Product Y was used to do… Because of this… instead of…”

The main difference between the “GOOD” and “BAD” is one release was about the product and company and the other was about the news.

3. The Title Says it All

Your title is extremely important. A lot of the time, editors only look at a list of press release titles to save time. They reject thousands of potential articles because the titles of non-news articles have non-news titles. Remember, the editors want news, so let them know your press release can deliver with a good title.

Example:

BAD: Revolutionary Product Y, Made By Company X, Performs Above Expectations

GOOD: A Common Procedure Performed Uncommonly

The “GOOD” title makes them think there is actual news in there.

4. Solid Structure in the First Paragraph

Your sentence structure sometimes stands out more than content. The very common, standard press release format that is skimmed and rejected by editors goes something like this:

“Company X, a leader in innovative W production, is proud to announce the introduction of the new and improved Product Y, the best solution for G in the industry with its M feature and L tolerances.”

Avoid that sentence structure like the plague!

Begin your press release with the news. Tell the editors WHY they — and eventually their readers – should care about what you have to say. What happened? What was unique? What is the news?

5. No Buzz Words!

Even if your product is “revolutionary”, or you are an “industry leader,” don’t say it. Those kinds of words are trite and overused in the business world. Editors don’t appreciate buzz words, and neither will their readers, even if your article is newsworthy.

Just so you know, if your press release is chosen, editors will still remove all the buzz words from the entire article. The reason? They are not going to research in depth the validity of your claims that you’re “a leading innovator”, etc. Most often those claims are untrue, or only applicable in a very narrow, unimpressive way that is not mentioned.

If your product is truly revolutionary, then anyone who reads the news part of your article will say, “wow, that’s a revolutionary product!”

6. No Low Self-esteem for Your Company

What this means is you don’t have to remind the readers that Product Y is made by Company X (“The leader in M type products!”) Don’t mention your company in the title, or in the first paragraph, or the first time you mention Product Y. This article isn’t about the company — and is not supposed to be obviously about the product – it’s about the news.

A paragraph telling the history of how Product Y was developed and made by Company X is all you need. Resist the temptation to put in those buzz word sentences, (“Leader in this or that”) even at the bottom. Now, if your press release is unofficially about your company, then simply substitute “Company X” for “Product Y” in the advice above.

You would be surprised how few potential news articles there are among all the press releases. Editors appreciate news and good writing. They will notice if they keep getting quality news from a particular source and will keep an eye out for more material. Make your press release shine and give them what they want.

Always remember: a press release is about the news!

Amy Linley gives practical and usable advice regarding communication and meetings at AccuConference.

Find out more about our conference call, web conferencing and video conferencing services from AccuConference.

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Tags: communications, strategies, business, good, effective

Freelance writers are often asked to write press releases. Press release writing is a key skill which allows writers to publicize their own services or promote someone else’s. Here’s what writers need to know about writing press releases.

What is a press release?

A press release is essentially a news story written to interest a specific publication or audience. It consists of three main parts: the headline, the introduction and the body. There may also be a note to editors at the end of the story which contains extra information for those not familiar with your organisation or product.

As with a news story, the lead is crucial. It should answer the who, what, where, when and why questions, right from the start. The press release should sound like a news story, with short sentences and paragraphs. Your story needs a clear angle, and no loose ends.

How do I decide what to put in a press release?

News is essentially about people, so writers should stress the people aspect of the story.

Four other techniques writers can use are:

* controversy – examples could include attacking a government decision, making a prediction about the future or suggesting a new policy
* conflict – examples include price cuts, fighting for an elected office or a battle for market share
* novelty value – describe a coincidence, a chance event or a surprising statistic.
* empathy – show how your product can help the reader, a survey on issues that concern people, provide tips to handling a common problem.

A successful press release should be:

* relevant to the people it is sent to
* focused: that is, correctly targeted
* timely: fitting in with the publication deadlines of the organization you’re sending it to
* readable: if it bores the person who does the initial read, the chances of getting it published are slim
* presented in the right format.

Most of all a press release should be news.

Sharon Hurley Hall gives writers advice on how to get paid to write. Sharon is a freelance writer, ghostwriter and editor who writes on freelance writing skills and writer promotion for InspiredAuthor.com. For more information or to contact Sharon, visit doublehdesign.com.

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Tags: good, pr, publicity, news, public relations