There are many parasites of the Business World and they range from Lawyers to Professors to the Bureaucratic Scum of over-regulation. If we could eliminate many of these folks via some new type of high-heat, high-energy Laser Weapon then the business community would be a better place you see?

Some of the Business Professors are so arrogant and assign their students projects in different industries and those student bother businesses for information to do meaningless, crappy and BS papers. Oh the kids think they are all brilliant and a bunch of smarty pants, but they give themselves away by asking the dumbest questions in the World.

The only thing worse than academia is the BS regulators wasting the time of business owners pretending to be industry professionals and buyers, they should all be deported with the illegal aliens to Zimbabwe as farmers, screw em. It is amazing their BS entrapment techniques, playing games and they have never done anything in their lives, never made a payroll or created a single job. Scum of the Earth really, except for lawyers, although sometimes they are both. Death is not an option, but put them to work in Africa as farmers so they can produce something. Make em’ work. HA.

If you are a student then well, good luck on your class project, and re-read this several times, it is probably worth more than your entire MBA class. If you are the Professor assigning such crap, get a life and stop wasting businesses time. If you are regulator go shoot yourself and help humanity. If you are a Lawyer, well you have already been told where to go. 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:work, ethics, article, workplace, social

The camera follows three teens as they enter the convenience store. Cut to the inside of the store as they approach the counter. We see the store clerk, with a bemused expression, point to a “We Card” sign on the counter.

A woman’s voice, assuming a serious tone, earnestly describes how Philip Morris cares about young people and has distributed over 900,000 “We Card” kits to retail stores. Various scenes follow of happy, equally earnest store employees responsibly taking steps to prevent young, average looking kids from getting their hands on Philip Morris’ flagship product.

Hmmm. Sniff.

I visited the company’s web site at philipmorrisusa.com. A text box dominates their home page reading:

“Our goal is to be the most responsible, effective and respected developer, manufacturer and marketer of consumer products, especially products intended for adults.”

What is that smell? Sniff.

I click on the first link under this text box, “About Us: Mission & Values”. I click through to find their statement of values. The very first value in their list reads as follows.

“We believe in operating with integrity, trust and respect, both as individuals and as a company.”

It goes on to say:

“We believe in sharing with others, unleashing the tremendous resources of our people as a force for good into the communities in which we live and work.”

Sniff.

Companies that go for the gold by claiming their “social responsibility”, touting their corporate citizen credentials in order to demonstrate they are worthy of our consumer dollars, take on a significant danger. They hold themselves up to well-deserved scrutiny, a considerable risk, since we can spot a hypocrite a mile away.

While serving a greater good can reap rewards for a company, a key ingredient for successfully pulling it off is integrity. And, I don’t mean the kind that makes it onto the company’s web site. I’m talking about the kind that passes the “smell test”.

Philip Morris wants us to believe they care about ethics and care about communities. I’m just a little bit stunned by the temerity. The tobacco industry has for decades pimped tobacco to adults and, worse, kids, knowing it was dangerous and addictive. The settlement with tobacco companies called on them to establish foundations and give big money to anti-tobacco campaigns. Now, they are using those donations as a slick PR gimmick to convince us of their responsibility. Oh, and they get a nice tax deduction, too.

Ah. It’s the stench of hypocrisy.

As a parent, if Philip Morris insists on remaining in business and providing consumers with nicotine delivery devices, I suggest they drop the PR schtick and stop pretending to care about the community. But, before they do, I suggest they send the employee volunteers they are so proud of to spend a day or two at a hospice or cancer ward to care for some of their soon-to-be-former customers.

Social responsibility isn’t an ad campaign. It is a way of doing business, one that accepts that a company can do great business by operating ethically and in the best interests of customers and society. But, as companies become more sophisticated in their community involvement practices and publicly claim this higher ground, it will be more and more difficult for the average person to know the difference between a truly responsible business and a fraud.

The power of socially responsible business practices comes not from public displays of empty gestures aimed at grabbing our attention and our wallets. It emerges from concerted action, aligned with authentic concern, aimed at serving people’s needs in a responsible way–safe in the knowledge that doing what is right is the surest path to consumer trust and profits.

It’s about integrity. If not, you run the risk of fouling the air and souring people’s taste for your fare.

Just ask Philip Morris.

Copyright © 2006 Steven E. Schad.

Steve Schad helps companies and individuals tap into service as a strategy for improved performance. Jaded by the junk “teambuilding” games that flood the market, he created a one-of-a-kind team development model called Team Serve. His approach uses volunteer projects as a catalyst for creating the service ethic in a group and teaching critical teaming skills. He also helps executives and managers learn how get more from employees by leading according to a service ethic. He couples an in-depth assessment and development process with powerful volunteer experiences to provide a learning laboratory for core leadership competencies. For more information, visit the Vector Group, LLC website. Visit Steve’s blog at here.

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Many of the problems facing today’s world aren’t news to us. The environment is in dire need of help, hunger is widespread throughout the world, and workers in third world countries are continuously being exploited. Yet many people still feel they can’t possibly make a difference to such widespread problems.

However, the truth is that they can. If individuals across the globe band together for a cause, their collective efforts could make all the difference in the world – whether it’s with regard to the environment, world hunger or even the exploitation of workers.

For instance, one person recycling a can or a bottle doesn’t seem like much. But if every household in a given city were to recycle and conserve energy, that city could make a huge positive impact on environmental damage. Similarly, there are countless ways to help fight world hunger – whether it’s to donate money to a dedicated worldwide charity, donate canned goods to your local charity, or even make lifestyle changes like going vegetarian. World hunger is a massive problem – but it doesn’t mean individuals themselves can’t make a difference.

Worker exploitation is another huge problem. All across the world – particularly in third world countries – workers are forced to labor long hours, with close to no pay. Yet these workers continue to show up to such a way of life, because they have no other options. They could work hard for little money, or they might not have a job to come to at all.

Similarly, third world operations as a whole often get taken advantage of by richer countries. For instance, some buyers give an unfair price for a third-world farmer’s goods, simply because the goods cost little in the country of origin. Moreover, if the farmer doesn’t agree to a low price, it’s very likely that the buyer will go to another farmer in a third world country who will agree to that price. Thus, farmers in third world countries must submit to selling their goods for unfair prices, because to them, that’s better than selling nothing.

So, how can people like us help combat such a big problem? Many don’t know very much about worker exploitation to begin with; and even if they did, it’s such a widespread problem – could they possibly make a difference? The good news is, everyone can make a difference – and it doesn’t take much. Simply raising awareness of the products you buy in stores – from apparel to food – is a massive start.

For example, if you see two similar products side by side in a food shop, but one of them is labeled “fair trade”, you’ll know immediately that the workers who labored to produce that product were given a fair price for their goods. And true, fair trade products might cost a little bit more – but in the end, the difference is not very much and it goes towards ethical trade.

When it comes to apparel and retail buying, however, it might not be as easy to make the ethical choice – simply because companies don’t often advertise whether the factories that made the items are ‘ethical’. Instead, you might be required to do a bit of research on the stores you tend to shop in, finding out where their goods come from and whether the operations are ethical.

Choosing to give your cash to ethical businesses around the world is a significant start to helping combat worker exploitation – and it’s just one way that you, as an individual, can make a difference to such a widespread problem.

Victoria Cochrane writes for a digital marketing agency. This article has been commissioned by a client of said agency. This article is not designed to promote, but should be considered professional content.

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Tags: ethics, question, social, thing, result

More and more companies are implementing environmental management systems and showing corporate social responsibility, but is it enough to counter act the environmental consequences that have already been created? Corporate social responsibility in the form of an environmental management system is being seen across more and more companies now but with the hit and reduced budget spends will these systems still be maintained when consumers are forced to buy the cheaper versions of products?

Environmental management systems have been used for a little while starting back in the 1980′s. These range from a company monitoring and trying to limit CO2 emissions to a full blown cost accounting system dealing with every part of the environment that the company has an affect on. The main truth that will be revealed out of this recession is, what proportion of these companies were doing it for market share, competitive edge and financial gain.

Not that this is a negative point as money does drive change but if that is the only factor driving the change then now the money has slowed the rate of change will also. The only thing that can keep companies heading in the right direction is shareholder, governmental and public pressure.

With a slow down of the implementation and rate of change it is going to take a longer time to reduce the damage that has already been done and the damage that is constantly being done.

At the end of the day the consumers have the power whether they realise it or not, so put a little more thought into your 15pence/cents saving on your supermarket purchase as that saved money could have been funding a small percentage of the positive progression we need corporations to be taking.

Article By P.Mitchell from 3rdeyeview who also writes for the Business Definitions site with definitions for commonly used and new business definitions taking user suggestions but moderated by humans for example the credit definition search the site to see all the human edited definitions.

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Tags: corporate, social, person, ethics, global

Up until approximately 6 months ago, I was of the impression that being conscious of the environment was strictly for the benefit of the environment itself, and that I would derive nothing from it; the ultimate beneficiary of any recycling/waste reduction would be future generations, and the greater effect of my efforts would occur long after I was gone.

Thanks to Dr. Anthony Watanabe and my work as the web developer for the Toronto Regional Green Building Festival website, I have come to the realization that there are reasons beyond the ecological benefits mentioned above.

In speaking with Anthony, I noticed that he uses the word “sustainability” and the phrase “sustainable growth” quite frequently when describing his business. He even went so far as to conceive the Sustainable Business Resource Centre (SBRC), a network of for-profit and not-for-profit businesses whose collective mission is to grow while maintaining a sense of social responsibility and ensuring that they use the minimal amount of environmental resources

It was in speaking to the owners of the other members at the SBRC launch party that I discovered the direct financial benefits of sustainable growth:

* Lower energy/utility bills. By using energy-efficient appliances and renewable sources of energy (e.g. solar), consumption of energy resources decreases and, in turn, utility costs decrease.
* Increased productivity. A cleaner office environment will keep employees happier and consequentially more productive.
* Government rebates and incentives. Depending on where you live, there may be municipal, provincial/state-wide, or federal incentives designed to reward environmental responsibility.
* For example, Natural Resources Canada offers an ongoing series of rebates and incentives for both homeowners and businesses. Another site worth checking out if you’re interested in rebates and incentives is http://incentivesandrebates.ca. Lower costs on goods, both in the short and long term. Reduced use of goods and recycling provide an increased supply of goods as well as a decreased demand for said goods. Simple economic theory teaches us that this increased supply and/or decreased demand leads to lower costs for goods.

Ways To Go Green and Save Money

Some of these ways may seem obvious, but bear repeating in order to ensure that as many of us as possible are contributing to our own sustainable growth:

* Purchase energy-efficient products for use in the office. Look for consumption ratings on products that make use of hydro and gas. Another positive sign that a product is energy efficient is the Energy Star logo.
* Don’t print/photocopy unless absolutely necessary. I’ve seen many people print non-necessary documents, web pages, and even personal pictures on the office printer and distribute them to friends and colleagues.
* A good rule of thumb when it pertains to paperwork is, “if you don’t need a permanent record of it, don’t print it.” Turn off all electrical devices and adjust the thermostat to match the outside conditions when no one is in the office. If you don’t want to adjust your thermostat manually, consider investing in an electronic programmable thermostat. These thermostats can be programmed within 10-15 minutes of installation and very rarely need to be adjusted.
* Choose environmentally responsible companies for your commercial needs. Companies such as Diamond + Schmitt Architects Inc. that show a commitment toward sustainable growth will help ensure that your needs are met while making minimal use of natural resources.
* Transmit mass-consumption documents electronically where and when possible. Besides being far less expensive to do so than to mail out said documents, paper use is also minimized.
* Consider features for your fax line such as Call Screen and Privacy Guard. Companies such as Primus offer features for any phone line that will allow the owner of the line to filter out and eliminate needless and unnecessary calls. In the case of a fax line, activating filtering features will allow you to block known mass fax senders from tying up your fax line, shortening the lifespan of your fax, and wasting ink and paper an on unsolicited commercial faxing. These features are typically minimal in cost (usually no more than $5.00 per feature per month) and can be considered a wise investment on the basis of avoiding unsolicited commercial materials alone.

These are just a few examples. If you examine your own business environment, you will likely find many other ways to contribute in a positive manner to both the environment and your company’s bottom line.

Adam Senour is the owner of ADAM Web Design, a leading web design and development company in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

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Tags: responsibility, social, corporate, responsibilities, ethic

I know, it’s the 21st century and yet a lingerie catalog was considered reason to fire a manager of a restaurant. It’s true, a manager that was just about to be promoted, did not have any other discrepancy reported, was known as a good performer, and yet a lingerie catalog cost him his job. Not only that, Ryan’s also denied him the ability to collect his unemployment check.

Here is how it happened; The company auditors came in to review the books and procedures of an Augusta Georgia store. While they were in the office, they started nosing around all the paper work and clutter, (hey, that is their job), under a bunch of stuff, on a shelf, they find the lingerie catalog. They approach the manager about it, not thinking that this was a big deal, the manager told them it belonged to him. A day and half later, they terminated him due to “inappropriate behavior becoming a manager”.

No one had complained about the catalog. The catalog was not in plane view. But, because an auditor felt that it was too risque, that a team member might see it and file a law suite against the company. During their investigation, they did, in fact, discover a few of the team members had seen some lingerie catalogs. Not one of them thought anything about it. Not one complained, not one thought the catalogs were inappropriate.

Now I grant you, in today’s world, law suites run wild, and they are to be fearful of. They can cost a company huge amounts of money, diminish the profits, and can even cause companies to go under. But, there wasn’t any complaints, this manager was known as a good performer, why terminate him at this stage? He removed the catalogs as soon as they brought it to his attention. I think a warning might have been a good idea. At most a suspension, a write-up, something other than termination.

Has corporate paranoia gotten to the point where they are willing to sacrifice good managers over the smallest infractions? Zero tolerance policies are taking there toll on american society. Restaurant mangers are hard to find, they have to work a very demanding job. Personal sacrifices, long hours, in a challenging position. Surely, it is a bad idea to toss them aside.
Ryan’s has let other managers go for the silliest of infractions, one male manager was reported as being terminated due to giving a female team member a ride home. Zero tolerance. They area supervisor even stated that this particular manager was the best he had at working the dining room.

I see that Ryan’s has started advertising for managers in the Augusta area. Three months have gone bye and they have been unable to replace this manager they elected to fire over a lingerie catalog buried under a bunch of stuff stuck up on a shelf. Maybe zero tolerance is not such a good idea, maybe, one day, corporate america will grow a back bone and start seeing the benefit in standing up and saying enough is enough. We live in a world where a disgruntled employee can have a manager’s career ruined just by making a claim of sexual harassment or racial discrimination, no real proof is even needed. Makes managing a very unattractive carrier choice.

I think it is time to start suing over zero tolerance policies. We need to take these policies to court in order for corporate america to wake up and see the cost of following such ridiculous policies. If unjust termination was a law suite infraction, then we could put a stop to this ridiculous practice.

Zero tolerance policies have worked their way into our schools, or jobs, our government, and our lives. Good students, and good workers a being sacrificed in paranoia. We need to take a stand. The Government, who also has zero tolerance policies, needs to start the movement against these kinds of policies. And then mayb

e, an honest manager that says “Yeah, thats my catalog, I thought I had taken that home.” won’t pay the price of paranoia.

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Tags: ethics, articles, hosmer, management, social

Anyone that has been with me during the fall season at anytime in the past 40 years knows that I am a huge Philadelphia Eagles fan. Sundays start early on TV with the Donovan McNabb show, the Andy Reid show, ESPN pre-game, network pregame, the game itself and then postgame live on Comcast for a few hours. Like… don’t call me on Sunday when the Eagles are playing. One of my biggest thrills as a kid was suiting up with the Springfield Boys Club and sitting in the endzone at old Franklin Field as the Eagles played the Cowboys before our postgame scrimmage on a cold day in 1966. Joe Scarpati won that game by stealing the ball right out of the hands of Cowboys receiver, and the world’s fastest human, Bob Hayes late in the fourth quarter. I remember it like it was yesterday.

This is the backdrop of my interest as I witnessed the latest off-season whining from Terrell Owens, the Eagles receiver who is unhappy with his 7 year, $49 million contract that he signed just last year. However, I have a different perspective on TO’s “unhappiness” and it has little to do with money, respect, security or any of the other crap he has been saying in the press.

In his book The Four Agreements, author don Miguel Ruiz lists four agreements we must make with ourselves and work towards to be truly happy. These are:

Be impeccable with your word

Don’t take anything personally

Don’t make any assumptions

Always do your best

With this in mind, it is not hard to see why Terrell is really unhappy. Be impeccable with your word? This means to be honest, to say what you mean and mean what you say. Do not get involved in gossip. Be precise with what you say. Did Terrell do this when he said that McNabb was a hypocrite and then later retracted saying he said things he shouldn’t have in the heat of the moment? Don’t take anything personally? Despite signing a secure long term deal for top dollar, and despite the Eagles going to bat last year and getting him out of a messy situation with San Fran and the Ravens, Terrell thinks that because he isn’t getting the renegotiation he wants that the Eagles are disrespecting him. Disrespect? All I’ve ever heard the coach and front office is say is positive things about TO and how much he is wanted and needed in Philadelphia. Although I do think that TO’s work ethic and results on the field do prove that he does always do his best, I think he certainly has violated agreement #3 and makes all kinds of assumptions about what he is worth and what people think of him and what people mean when they say certain things. So, again, it doesn’t surprise me that TO is unhappy.

How does this relate to you the small business owner? Well, as stated before, the closer you can assimilate these agreements in your everyday life, the happier you will be. Are you precise with your speech? Do you take things personally or make assumptions? Nothing anyone says or does is because of you. And you should always have the courage to ask follow up questions if you are unclear as to what someone means. And as your mom probably told when you were a kid, “always do the best you can do and be the best you can be”.

Mike Shannon is the owner of Shamrock Business Coaching, a coaching practice that helps small business owners increase profits. You can visit Shamrock Business Coaching on the web at this site.

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Tags: ethics, values, shaw, development, social

In modern corporations responsibility for actions become easily diffused so that “the individual often becomes disconnected from the consequences of his or her actions and doesn’t feel personally responsible for them” (Trevino and Nelson, 2005, p. 181). There are many reasons why responsibility is easily diffused in modern organizations including the fact that management may tell individuals it is not their responsibility and that they will take care of it, because it is often “shared with others in decision-making groups, obscured by the organizational hierarchy, or diluted by psychological distance to potential victims” who will suffer the consequences of the actions (p. 181).

Many organizations have faced downsizing in recent years. Many of these examples can be used as an example of how responsibility for negative actions can be dispersed within an organization. For many years, I was a manager of an international training team for a large pharmaceutical company. Because of budget constraints it was decided that my team would have to be downsized. While our team was based in Europe and the Middle East, the world wide headquarters of the organization was based in New York City. It was determined that the decision of who would be cut from the team would be made with input from myself, the senior leaders of the training group, HR and senior managers of the region. I was the only individual who knew these individuals on a personal basis. All the others only knew them from a distance as they were each based in New York City.

As their immediate manager and because I lived in Europe and worked with them on a daily basis, I was asked to provide my recommendations of who should be let go based on performance and capabilities. I gave this decision a lot of thought knowing that I would have to justify the decision. I sent my recommendation to my manager in New York, based past performance reviews, feedback from the business partners who worked daily with the individuals, and the level of commitment and performance they had demonstrated. To my surprise, the final decision came back to let two of the individuals go that I had recommended to keep. In the end, the group making the decision also included information such as salary level, expense of keeping individuals in certain countries etc…

The recommendations I made went ignored. In addition, the team decided that each individual would be notified by email. In addition, the top performer of my team, a Turkish citizen living in Brussels would be repatriated to Turkey for several months and then let go. I soon discovered that because Turkey had no law that required a severance payment to be made, unlike the European Union, which required a large severance to be paid to each individual. When I protested about the decision criteria, each individual on the team claimed they made the decision as a team using guidance from other groups within the company. No one would take responsibility for the decision because the responsibility had been diffused to other team members and procedures made by other departments higher in the company. In addition, all the other decision makers where both physically and emotionally detached from the individuals affected by their decision, so they felt no emotional connection to them.

The only explanation that I was given was that this decision was made based on which what would be best for the largest amount of people. They were using consequentialist thinking to make their decision, claiming that the team could run more economically with the people who were to stay irregardless of the fact that two of the best people would be let go and the Turkish citizen would not be allowed a severance package like the European team members would receive. Because this decision was seen as unjust and severely damaging to the most capable of team members, me and several other team members soon left the company. Training suffered and they were unable to recruit other training professionals from within the company. While no one individual took ultimate responsibility the consequence to the department was devastating and long lasting References:

Trevino, L., and Nelson, K., (2005). Corporate social responsibility and managerial ethics. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley and Sons, Inc.

Since founding Magnify Leadership and Development, James has developed, facilitated and coached programs including; Change Leadership, Coaching, Communication Skills, Sustaining Learning, Interviewing Skills, Leadership, Territory Management for dozens of leading global organizations; including, Advantis Research and Consulting, IMS, CMOE, Pfizer, Sinclair, Disetronic Medical Systems, StratX, ASTD, Coventry Health Care, Wilson Learning, and many others. James is bilingual and can facilitate and coach in both English and Spanish.

Prior to founding Magnify Leadership and Development, James headed Pfizer’s Learning and Development for all of Europe, Canada, Africa and the Middle East where he was instrumental in the development of a global management curriculum and other training initiatives to enhance organizational effectiveness for over 30,00 employees.

Visit James website to learn how we can you with your leadership and communication development needs.

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Tags: Ethics, Responsibility, legal issues, social , business

10. Have a ridiculously comfortable desk chair: The nicer your chair is, the longer you can stand to sit in it before your desk without having to get up because you’re antsy. And of course if you’re antsy and walking around the office with a general aimlessness, you’re not working.

9. Make a To-Do List: Lists are great because the simple act of making the list gives you something to do in those moments of lost energy when you don’t actually want to be working. By making a list you’ll find yourself doing something remotely work related, and you may simply motivate yourself by looking at the sheer length of a list of things you have to get accomplished! (The Tasks feature in Microsoft Outlook works great for this.)

8. Be Better Than Someone: You don’t have a lot of control over this, so pick your target wisely. Nothing makes people feel better about themselves than feeling like they’re better than someone else. Choose your target- it could be a parent, sibling, friend, or even a lackluster coworker. The smug sense of satisfaction you get from besting this person will be enough to keep you driven every day to never lose your edge.

7. Set up Google Reader or Technorati: You can tell yourself that you’re just taking time out of your busy day to keep up to date with the latest industry news, but what you’re really doing is reading a few industry blogs intertwined with Popsugar or Best Week Ever. If having your own personal interest blogs mixed in with the industry ones make it easier to remember to read blogs, do it. You may not be enriching your working knowledge as much as you’d like to think, but the industry stuff will stick and you’ll be able to bust out interesting relevant factoids in meetings and the latest celebrity gossip at the water cooler.

6. Piss off your Friends and Family: This is a surefire way to free up your time for more work at the office. If everyone you know outside of work is mad at you, that removes the temptation (or option?) to go out after work for drinks or spend your weekends poolside with the family. Who needs weekends anyway? Just lost opportunities for more work!

5. Supplies: Make sure you have the supplies you need to do your job. If you’re running out of staples, get some. If a certain program would increase your productivity 10%, ask for it and make your case. It’s much easier to do the job when you have everything necessary. Once you get into the niche where there’s not much else for you to ask for you’ll be able to apply all these tools to hone your skills and do a better job. You have to prove to the company that you’re worth investing in.

4. Money: Of course, that’s what we’re all in this game for, right? Get the jobs that get you the khakis that get you the chicks. I believe it’s probably a fact that your work ethic and dedication to the company goes up exponentially as your salary goes up. Don’t be afraid to ask for a raise every year if you’ve seriously been rockin’ at work. Be sure to do something that makes the bigwigs take note and want to give you more money and you’ll find it’s much easier to get out of bed in the morning!

3. Befriend your Coworkers: If you have a vested interest in the people around you, inherently that comes with a vested interest in how work goes for them. A job well done on your friendly coworkers’ part will often help make your job easier, and vice versa. As long as you have a mutual respect for what your coworkers are trying to accomplish and how that fits in with your goal, you will be more willing to go the extra mile on your end. Eventually your coworkers will reciprocate by making something easier for you and it will become a productive cycle.

2. OCD: OCD, or Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, really helps in those tedious projects that just need doing. Spend hours late into the night working at something as boring as updating a database for formatting for the simple reason that everything HAS to be right. Not only with this give you a false motivation to get a project done, but your supervisors will gladly take advantage of this affliction of yours and praise the results!

1. Care: It’s as simple, really, as caring about doing a good job. Have some pride in what it is you produce or how it is you help the company overall to succeed. If you genuinely care about doing your job well, that’s really all you’ll need to motivate yourself and have a great work ethic.

Like this article? Read more here

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Tags: work, ethics, article, workplace, social

“Have you heard the phrase fake it until you make it? It’s something which is increasingly common among business owners, especially on the internet or in direct mail. The basic idea is someone sells you a program or course teaching you how they made millions- only they haven’t yet made the millions, they hope to do so by selling thousands of copies of the course they sold you. They were lying about being rich to begin with, but if all goes to plan they’ll get rich in the end. Odd huh? These tactics are on the rise, so we’re going to try and explode some of the myths in this area.

What’s The Point?

What is the point of this kind of business? After all would you take flying lessons from someone who couldn’t fly a plane? In one word, the point is laziness! The “fake it until you make it” guys are typically internet or direct marketers who are possibly new to the whole thing, or just the more experienced kind that are plain lazy. They find a web page or direct mail ad that is very convincing, promising millions of dollars just by following these few simple steps, working just a few hours each day from home. Is there anyone that wouldn’t want that lifestyle?

So they part with their money, and are sent a course explaining how to set up a very similar website, selling an almost identical product. They will make money if they can make some sales from this site, the end result hopefully being that they make enough money to take care of the “make it” part. And then the cycle repeats and repeats, until there are thousands of people selling products, making a few hundred dollars, but claiming to make millions from it on their web pages. A truly strange phenomena, but somewhat of a self fulfilling prophecy.

The Legal Standpoint

Is it legal for advertisers to work on a “fake it until you make it” basis? I don’t know what the FTA would make of it, but I would guess it’s some kind of grey area, as it’s very difficult to prove how much anyone is or isn’t earning from their website. Most often they will provide screenshots of proof of earnings etc on the sites that they sell their courses from. They can look pretty convincing, but these days it’s pretty easy to swipe such images from another site, or just create them yourself with Photoshop or some similar program.

Do Any Of Them Make it?

Very few if any. You can make millions from the internet and other direct marketing methods, but it takes consistent effort and skills that are built up over time. If the “fake it until you make it” guys are too lazy to find their own manner of working and too dishonest to be bothered about telling lies, the chances are most of them are not going to apply the consistent efforts required to learn the ropes or make any money at all. Those new to internet marketing are pretty susceptible to these schemes, and many people do start there before getting their own (better) ideas and becoming successful doing something else.

Is It On The Increase?

Yes, unfortunately so. Modern web technology makes it possible for complete amateurs to create or acquire tremendously impressive websites, sites which can really snare and captivate a viewer. The casual web browser has no way of knowing how old the site is or if the proof of incomes are real or fake or even just stolen from another site. The only remedy is to be extra vigilant.

How To Tell?

It’s very tough to tell if any person is being honest about the claims of their product. Thankfully there are a few tricks we can keep up our sleeve.
Visit whois.net – This site will give you details of any website, the name of the owner, when it was first registered etc etc. Very useful, as it’s unlikely that a website registered 6 weeks ago is making millions for its owner!
Visit Alexa.com – This site keeps traffic stats for virtually every page on the web. A profitable webpage will usually have hundreds or thousands of daily visitors, especially if the site is making the owner millions. It’s very easy to see if this is true by using the graphs here.
Google the site owner’s name. You can find out many useful things with a simple Google search, and if there are bad reports or reports of the site being a scam, you can usually find them with some smart searching.

Look for a guarantee – Many online payment processors, Clickbank.com for example, will have a guarantee, so that if you aren’t happy with your purchase you can get an instant refund.

Hopefully you’ve found this useful – Remember-If you avoid “faking it” you’ll have a better chance of “making it!”"

Dave Origano runs seven successful business, all doing at least 6 figures per year. Learn from this successful serial-entrepreneur how he does it, what marketing secrets he has and what strategies he uses at his website.

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Tags: personal, ethics, code, professional, social

If you look at Big Business as a consumer you will find some startling changes in common sense business ethics. Banks are defending themselves from class action lawsuits due to unethical practices in charging absurd fees for everything from withdrawing your money to closing your accounts. Banks are percieved as being highly ethical due to the fudiciary nature of the business, yet here they are being sued for precisely the opposite. Cell phone service providers, cable providers and a host of other huge national brand companies have slowly changed the face of business by hiding behind huge complex contracts that the consumer signs in order to obtain a simple service. In the contracts are fees that are never discussed and are simply hidden in the legalese of the contract. If a price is quoted as $40/month the end user is usually surprised to find in the bill an additional $20 to $40 in additional fees.

Over the past 20 years this creep of hidden fees has become accepted by most of the end users as the price of doing business. Only because of the lack of competition due to mergers and buyouts have these companies been able to retain their customers. There has been a remarkable lack of backlash agianst these companies and their neferious ways of doing business until only recently. Companies have increased their return on investment (ROI) because of trickery rather than true business growth. While applying fee’s is an acceptable way to increase revenue for a company the manner in which they do so is circumspect to say the least. A fee that is never discussed or clearly written is hardly good business.

If you own or plan to own a business, do the right thing and gain customer loyalty and trust by making additional charges clear and open in all discussions and contracts. If you are hiding behind large contracts to hide fees and charges as a way of doing business you may be legally in the right, but you will also be doing your customers wrong. In fact, as the banks can current attest, you may not even be legally in the right and end up in litigation for years that could possibly end your business.

Matt Fox is a successful investor in the stock market, real estate market and in private deals with individuals and businesses. See his blog

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Tags: ethical, responsibilities, ethics, social, business

It seems like a harmless fabrication. It allows you to avoid that undesirable conversation. It helps you to seize control of your schedule. The end justifies the means. Right? But, is it really so harmless? Is this efficient management or the start of a Pinocchio Effect? Let’s examine this closer.

* Aren’t you really asking your assistant to lie for you? Has this become an unwritten part of the assistant’s job description?

* Have you forced the assistant to compromise his/her values and beliefs to support for your procrastination? How does this values compromise affect your assistant’s attitude and performance?

* How long before that attitude becomes contagious in the organization?

* Can you legitimately expect complete candor and loyalty in return?

* How does it establish conduct for future transactions in your department or company?

* When you begin by blowing off vendor calls, how long before you’re saying: “The check is in the mail?” …when it’s not true?

* What will happen when you need that something extra from the vendor?

* How long before your people start blowing off customers… “That order’s going right out” … when it’s not true?

* What happens when your customers sense your organization’s lack of integrity?

Global manufacturers establish a rigorous process of documenting procedures and certifying their compliance for ISO Certification. The ISO process is designed to establish trust among international strangers. Simply stated, ISO compliance certifies that you “Say what you do. And, do what you say.”

What really happens to your business when any of your stakeholders question your ability to say what you do or do what you say?

“Just tell him, I’ve gone to lunch.”

Is the Pinocchio effect threatening your prosperity?

Tom Lemanski is the President and founder of Vista Development, a boutique strategic development firm serving metro Chicago, IL Tom has served as business catalyst and executive coach in over thirty different product and service industries. Tom can be reached through this site.

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Tags: ethics, corporate, responsibility, social, professional

Here are a few recent examples in the news for inspiration. One company gave away 10,000 tire pressure gauges to help people save gas without having to wait for the election to be over. A well-known paint company released “news” on what paint colors they predict each candidate would choose for the interior walls of the White House based on the color preferences of their clothes, homes and regional backgrounds. And a food manufacturer offered up their own candidate in the form of a potato in a suit and glasses. Silly, yes. Effective, often.

There are several tips that will help you best position your pitch to reporter. Whether a solo-preneur or an office of many, one of the keys to success is taking action to brainstorm creative ways to tie into the political coverage. Will your message be humorous or serious? Will you tie-in to the topic of the debates, the election or the inauguration? Another tip is to watch the news and read magazines. Start to pay attention to what kinds of stories get covered and how the media chooses to cover them. But get going; the media is looking forward to hearing news from your campaign headquarters.

Stacey Johnes – EzineArticles Expert Author.

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Tags: pr, social, group, society, community

Public Relations as a personal training marketing strategy can take the form of writing articles or columns for local newspapers, magazines, websites, offering an advice column, being a content expert for the media; television, radio or newspaper interviews, writing a press release, or having stories published about your clients and how you helped them.

Public Relations can be great for building credibility and prospect awareness, but generally does not result in an immediate surge of sales. The major benefit of PR is that it positions you a recognized fitness expert and creates awareness of you and your services.

Getting press coverage for your personal training business just for the sake of seeing your name in print is a complete waste of time. Public relations should be an integrated part of your overall marketing strategy.

As a personal trainer, the easiest way to get media coverage is to start locally with your neighborhood or regional newspaper. It’s easier to get your message heard by them then the national press also they are always looking for good stories about local business owners. Getting local coverage can lead to larger coverage. Also, don’t forget local newsletters and similar publications. They are generally much easier to get into and can help set you apart as a recognized fitness expert.

When you pitch a story have an angle. Ask yourself, why is my story newsworthy? What’s different about my service or my business that goes against the norm? Don’t try to use the reporter as your sales person. They hate a slick sales pitch. If you simply want to sell your personal training services – buy an ad.

A great way to go about this is to piggyback current events or to make your pitch about one of your clients and how you have helped them. Make your client the subject of the story. This approach has the added benefit of giving you a client for life. Like I said – whenever possible, try to tie it into a national event or trend.

When you get press coverage for your personal training be sure to leverage it.

Here are 6 ways you can leverage the press you get for maximum effect:

1. Send out a press release when your fitness article or interview comes out.

2. Create a press kit that includes your bio, company overview, services offered, and all the interviews or fitness articles you have done.

3. Put your press kit on your website by making it electronic.

4. Get reprints of your fitness article and send it to your prospects as part of their direct mail package.

5. Send your press coverage to your local chamber of commerce if you belong. They are always looking for good stories about their members to print up in their newsletters.

6. Use your coverage to land speaking engagements. Send a reprint of your fitness article to pertinent meeting planners and associations you want to speak at then follow up with a phone call to pitch your presentation.

To learn even more about making money with your newsletter as well as dozens of other marketing strategies guaranteed to bring you clients and profits, check out our Free Fitness Marketing Profit Package by visiting this site.

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Tags: pr, network, contact, protocol, social

Many publicity do-it-yourselfers believe that a great press release is the key to getting media coverage. They make the mistake of sending their press release to a handful of non-specific emails or fax machines and think that magically their story will appear on the front page of the morning paper.

Nothing could be further from the truth!

No matter how compelling your press releases; no matter how well you come across on air thanks to good media training; no matter how thorough your media list, your PR efforts will not be effective in the long run if you do not have good media relationships!

What’s the benefit of building relationships with journalists, producers, bookers and on-air talent? Well, there are many. As you develop a reputation for promoting compelling, fresh, thought-provoking, controversial or entertaining news ideas, reporters and producers will look forward to receiving your press releases and willingly take your pitch calls. If your track record is good, they’ll even add you to their rolodex.

You want the media to see you as a partner who understands news and knows how to help them fill their news cycle. By doing this, you not only gain media access, you also gain their respect.
This is not something that happens overnight but it can be done in a fairly reasonable amount of time by doing a few simple things:

:: Only send press releases on stories that are truly newsworthy. Ask yourself: “how does my event, press conference or story idea impact the broader community?” What problem does my announcement help solve for all? What overall need does my announcement fulfill?

:: Think in pictures and video. How visually appealing is your story? If a camera crew came out to cover it, would they be able to get great photos and footage?

:: When appropriate, offer a reporter exclusivity on major stories, breaking news, special interviews or other opportunities. He or she will appreciate that they are the only ones covering the story, especially if it’s a really big one.

:: Even when you’re not pitching stories or distributing press releases, send reporters who do exceptional work personal notes to sincerely compliment them. Remember, media professionals (though they may seem intimidating at times) are human and naturally, they are more likely to recall the nice note you sent about the story they worked so hard on if you go to them later to pitch a story.

Likewise, if you see something you take exception to, write a letter to the editor and use it as an opportunity to offer a different perspective. Often times these letters wind up on the editorial pages of newspapers-thus another publicity opportunity!

:: Always Remember:
If you do get publicity for your event or cause, always follow up with a written thank you. Your card or letter might also recommend other topics, guests or story ideas to that reporter. I always made a mental note of those who sent notes of thanks after I featured them on my show. This showed me that they really appreciated the experience and I always looked for opportunities to invite them back.

These are just a few suggestions on building rapport with the media. Begin applying these strategies immediately and in no time, you’ll see significant results in all your PR efforts.

Monique Caradine is a Chicago-based broadcast media professional and President of Momentum Media Group, Inc. A former radio host and currently the host of “Perspective,” a community affairs TV program, her specialties include program development, media training and publicity consulting. Monique also writes a blog and hosts a podcast on how to get publicity. Her e-book entitled “Successful Media Relations Strategies” is a must have for beginner publicity seekers. Download two free chapters of the book instantly when you sign up at this site

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Tags: media, publicity, social, internet, marketing

We don’t find out about news and events automatically. We need to hear it from someone, read it somewhere, or learn about the important matter in some way shape or form. After all, news spreads and commerce is possible as a result of word of mouth or other methods of informing people about something important. A traditional method of getting the word out there is called a Press Release.

What exactly is a press release, do you ask? A press release is a kind of news story for example, written in third person form. The intent or goal of a press release is not to directly inform the public of some news story, it is first and foremost intended to grab the attention of a reporter or another person who is responsible for writing articles or making announcements that will inform the public. Examples of where press releases are necessary include radio, television, newspapers, magazines, other articles, and last but not least internet websites that give news. As you can imagine, countless millions of people are going to learn about something via all of these outlets combined with each other.

Therefore, press releases are key tools in passing around information related to your important news story. A well written press release means a better chance of getting a reporter’s attention and quite obviously that means better exposure in the general public. A press release accompanied by a pitch letter, that is, a letter explaining what the press release is about will also certainly help your efforts.

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Tags: media, public, affairs, center, social

Talk radio is thriving. In the United States, talk radio is by and large; made up of conservative political commentators; according to A.C. Nielsen Inc. Things are changing as liberal networks become the fastest rising genre in recent years.

There are now well over 1000 radio stations in the United States programming talk shows full time. If you count individual talk shows, the number zooms up to 3000. With the advancement in satellite radio and Internet radio, you have an enormous media outlet to explore

Pew researchers found in 2004 that 17% of the public regularly listens to talk radio. This audience is mostly male, middle-aged and conservative. Among those who regularly listen to talk radio, 41% are Republican and 28% are Democrats.

This is a tremendous opportunity for small business people. The promotional boost that talk radio gives you can be immense; and, best of all, it is free.

You can take this project in baby steps. Do not expect to be on “Good Morning America” just yet.

All of those 3000 shows need guests. Radio talk show hosts everywhere know that you NEED A GUEST to make the show interesting. The life’s blood of many talk shows is the guest. Those guests are authors, consultants, experts and politicians.

You can gain extraordinary publicity from a radio appearance. A talk show guest gets to put on display–in front of thousands of ears–their expertise and business. You do not have to be fabulous speaker because the host will be asking you the questions. You do not have to make a prepared speech.

The best way to get entrance to the talk shows is with a book. I have talked about the power of publishing a book for promotional purposes. There can be no better ticket to the media; short of a major newsworthy incident to get you a spot on a radio show.

This is very important; develop your local credentials before launching a general promotional campaign. You will want to get a lot of local experience to build up your credibility. If you are promoting a book, be patient. If your ultimate goal is to get your business recognized locally, that should be sufficient.

Once you are able to get to talk about your subject in relation to solving a news related issue, you can be one of the experts the show will call when they need information on the associated topic.

If your product or service is not sexy or newsworthy, do not worry. If you have answers to the public’s problems, you will be well received. Do not advertise your product or service; just let the host handle that for you.

The vast majority of talk show hosts are very courteous to their guests. They will help you get through the process of the interview. Just be yourself and engage the audience with a lively voice and short concise answers. Project a sense of confidence and expertise in your topic and practice, practice, practice.

The best strategy I have found is to get a series of articles and press releases out on the Internet. You need to be “Google-able.” If a program director cannot find your profile on Google in three page clicks, you are not very newsworthy.

Have a professional press kit and a website established. Set up a regular submission schedule for online promotions. After you are able to get your Internet credits established, begin contacting program managers. Once you find the right person, express your interest in being a guest, Let them know that you are available either in the studio or over the phone.

Continue to send press releases and update your website with newsworthy information. Provide your press kit and let the program managers know that you can provide lively, useful and informative information to their listeners. Do not sell them anything but your expertise and ability to inform and entertain their audience. Do not play up the fact that you want to promote your book or business.

Send your sample interview questions with your press kit. This will allow any host who has not read your book or are not familiar with your subject a chance to feel knowledgeable enough to hold a lively conversation.

The day before your scheduled appearance on the talk show, call the show host or producer and confirm your date. If it is a telephone interview, send them the printed material again. For a live interview, bring several copies of your material to pass around to those on the show.

Give the radio stations a chance to review the materials and log your submissions. You want to monitor the dates of submission in order to respond and resend materials when you need to.

If you do not speak at functions or seminars often, get a good book on public speaking and practice with a recorder. You will find your voice and get a rhythm that feels comfortable.

Once you get an interview offer. Clear some time to practice and do yourself a favor and get some rest before your interview. Once the interview is completed, be sure to drop a thank you letter to the station manager and host. Not many people do this, and radio folks really value it. Do not be surprised to get a call to return for future interviews from the program manager.

Now that you have gotten on talk radio in your own community, go regional or national! Every time you appear on a talk show, send out a new press release to keep your brand in the news cycle.

You can set up and do talk show guest shots on radio stations across the US and Canada without ever leaving your house. Go online and research the information on regional and national stations. You might end up on “Good Morning America”.

Dennis Morales Francis is a consultant and coach for business professionals and wellness practitioners. His website, offers its members online coaching on building Internet income and automating their marketing on and off the web. Dennis is the author of “Double My Revenues In 12 Months or Less”.

Go to and visit this site to learn how to put $120,000 a year in your pocket by pressing a button on your PC. You don’t want to miss this E-Tutorial.

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Tags: digital, pr, firms, media, social

You Know Your stuff

TV hosts and producers don’t want to give you too much information about the questions. Why? Because they don’t want you to sound stilted and rehearsed when you give answers. You are generally there because you are the expert (or say you are) on that particular subject and because you do know your subject better than anyone else you will be able to answer questions spontaneously.

But you should think about some possible questions they may ask and prepare answers beforehand. Ask your partner or a friend to ask you a few questions and have a rehearsal ‘ practice. You can find out what angle are they taking? What are they expecting from you ‘ what are the question areas?

Research

Watch the program beforehand to get a feel for the type of show it is if you can. At least look up the website and perhaps view a video clip or listen to a podcast. Find out as much as you can about the program on which you’re being asked to appear ‘ is it live or pre-recorded? Is the audience completely general, or is it targeted at housewives or business people? Think about the points you could make which are most interesting, useful and relevant to that particular audience.

Arrive early so you can meet and chat with other guests, hosts, producers to feel a bit more comfortable and familiarise yourself with the surroundings.

Get to the Point

Do try and get to the main point of your answer quickly without wafting on. A short, sharp, interesting point works best in the media especially for television and will be easier for viewers to remember. If you don’t give enough information the interviewer will simply ask a follow-up question.

If you have something to promote (such as a book) keep it in mind and look for an opportunity to get your point across. All well and good being great media “talent” but you could use the opportunity to at least promote your business name. Try and be in control and use every opportunity to get your message across.

Have Something to Say

Be aware of the latest news, gossip or current affairs stories particularly that relate to your topic. Read the papers, listen to radio and be as informed as you can because you never know what might come up during the interview. If there are controversial issues in your area of expertise, work out where you stand, and what you should say. It is better to respond rather than say “no comment”. Don’t be afraid to put your point of view across. If you don’t know the answer, say so.

Make It Interesting and Descriptive

Make your answers more memorable by using real stories and descriptive words. Cut through the clutter with words that paint a picture in the mind of the listener. As an example in a radio interview I did, I told a story about a young journalist interviewing a well know media personality and used the word “hyper-bowl”, the media identity kindly corrected her and said the word is pronounced “hyper-bo-lee”. We made it a fun, interesting reference to the issue being discussed.

Friendly and Attentive

Remember that what you’re really doing is having a conversation. Listen to the interviewer’s questions. The host will appreciate your attentiveness. Use the interviewer’s name to make it more personable when answering questions.

If you’re doing an interview face-to-face use eye contact and try and interest the interviewer in what you’re talking about rather than thinking ‘ do I sound OK ‘ do I look alright on TV. If your eyes flicker around during a TV interview, you look uncomfortable, and possibly a bit shifty. If you keep your eye-line focused on the interviewer, you will come over as being in command of your subject. Just try and relax and take your time. And remember to smile, you will look and sound a lot friendlier.

Animation and Gestures

Be bright and buoyant in your answers. You need to be slightly more animated and larger than life. Pep up your delivery so that it is energetic and enthusiastic, rather than dull and low-key. Television is entertainment after all and broadcasting is a performance! The more engaging you appear the more interested and involved the audience will feel. It’s perfectly okay to move, rather than sitting stiffly and looking unnatural. Just be aware of exaggerated movements or unconscious movements such as flicking your hair or tapping your fingers. If you always ‘talk’ with your hands, like I do, that’s okay; just don’t over do it. Also be aware of knocking your microphone, movement or other sounds that may interfere. Look & Sound Good

Always take time to warm up your voice. You will come across as more articulate and authoritative. It will help prevent a “frog in the throat” during the interview. Sip room temperature water before and during the interview. Never drink anything too hot or cold and nothing with milk in it otherwise you’ll be constantly clearing your throat.

Dress well and look your best.

Take your cue from the presenters on the show you’re appearing on. Perhaps it’s business casual for a morning show or more business corporate for a news show. Wear make-up. Ok guys maybe just a touch of powder to eliminate shine.

If you stumble, or slip-up, or use the wrong persons name like I did during my interview, just forget about it and move on. Even top TV presenters make mistakes.

Did I manage all of the above in my interview? Probably not. But the key is to relax and enjoy the interview as much as possible ‘ after all it is your opportunity to promote your business, product or service and hopefully raise your profile and profits.

Sue Currie, the director of Shine Communications Consultancy and author of Apprentice to Business Ace ‘ your inside-out guide to personal branding, is a business educator and speaker on personal branding through image and media. To learn more about how you can achieve recognition, enhance your image and shine, sign up for free monthly tips at this site

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Tags: digital, pr, firms, media, social

Most everyone is nervous about doing media interviews, but how can you turn that nervous energy to your advantage and ensure a successful media interview virtually every time? The key is to look at interviews in a completely different way.

Most interviewees assume they’re there to answer the interviewer’s questions. But what if we turn that around and say: the goal of being interviewed is to give your answers, not to answer their questions? Think about that for a moment. When you sit down with an interviewer, your job is not simply to answer whatever questions they throw at you, your job is also to make the points you want the audience to hear.

It sounds so simple, yet it’s a very powerful shift in thinking, because it changes your focus and puts you in the driver’s seat. Too many people go into media interviews feeling a bit like a victim, like they’re being interrogated. Why? Because you’re often out of your element (in a studio, for example), you’re on someone else’s show or the subject of their article, and you’re the guest and they’re the host – you see them as holding the balance of power. If you approach the interview as a kind of victim, it can only heighten the nervous tension we all get when we’re expected to be “on” or to perform.

Now imagine how this change in perspective can alleviate some of our most common fears about media interviews:

* What if I forget what to say? When we’re distracted by focusing on the interviewer’s questions, it’s easy to forget the points we want to make. But if making those points is our sole purpose in the interview, they stay top of mind more easily.
* What if I don’t know the answer to a question? If answering the questions asked is your goal, this can be a frightening prospect. But with a goal-oriented approach, you can easily move on from saying you don’t know the answer to the particular question, to relating the question to an answer you do want to give.
* I feel self-conscious on camera or in front of a mic If it’s all about your message, then it’s not all about you, and the kind of navel-gazing that can create self-consciousness is reduced or eliminated. People who keep their eyes on a task aren’t aware of who’s around them or what others are thinking.

Of course there’s much more to giving a successful interview, but without focusing on delivering your message, the other elements become more difficult or you’re less effective in applying them. So remember: you’re not there to answer their questions, you’re there to give your answers and get your message across.

George Plumley is the owner of BraveNewNiche Media Coaching. A former broadcaster and voice-over trainer, he specializes in one on one coaching by phone or on location. His graduate degrees in philosophy have helped George to assist clients in determining the essence of their message, and communicating it clearly and effectively. You can learn more about his approach and his services at this site

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Tags: media, public, relations, jobs, social

There is no disputing the power of a well-written, newsworthy press release. In fact, it is one of the single best things you can do for your business.

Newspapers, magazines, radio and television news programs are filled with stories about businesses and organizations every day. What you may not realize is that those stories are often the result of a press release. There is a bit of skill involved in crafting a truly newsworthy release; the rewards can help stretch your promotional dollar significantly. Those who fail to master this skill are destined to wind up as the latest addition to the local landfill.

What Makes a Well-Written Release?

For starters, you need to know the difference between advertising and publicity. Many business owners use them interchangeably, when in reality, they are completely different. Advertising is what you use to promote your business and your brand. Publicity is what you utilize to have media outlets promote your business and brand, by way of a newsworthy “hook.” Considering the sheer volume of information that media outlets receive each day, the hook in your headline may be the only thing a journalist will ever see. That said, you should approach it with that in mind, and make sure you’ve got a winner.

Why Bother?

If you have unlimited resources for advertising and promotion, you may not see the value in supplemental promotion via press releases. But consider this – a story covered in the media will automatically carry more weight in the public’s eye, simply because we trust the media to be unbiased and impartial. Press releases offer an affordable alternative for those operating on a fixed or minimal budget. If you are able to write your own release, your only costs will be for the distribution of your release.

The downside? You don’t have any control over what is published. If the editor slants the article in a manner that places your business or market in a negative light, there is little or nothing that can be done about it. In addition, you have no control over the timing of your release. While you may be looking for an immediate release, a reporter may file your release away and wait for it to fit an appropriate project that they are working on.

Follow the Format

Editors and reporters are inundated with press releases every day. Make yours stand out from the crowd with a compelling headline, and make sure that it is formatted correctly. Remember to answer the five W’s: who, what, when, where and why. Below we’ve noted the basic elements of a great release, in the correct order.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – this should appear at the top of your release. If you are submitting in advance of an anticipated release date, note that instead.

HEADER – Upper left corner, and it should contain all of your pertinent contact data. This is the first place a reporter will refer to when they have a question. Make sure you are using a professional email address, and refrain from using anything that will compromise the professionalism of your release. Let common sense be your guide.

HEADLINE – You get one shot, so make it count. Keep it short, with 10-12 words maximum — and avoid hype at all costs. Avoid sales language or confusing jargon as well.

LOCATION & DATE LINE – Name your city, (or closest large city if you prefer), and the date the release was written.

BODY – The meat and potatoes of the release. Use your first sentence to support the headline. Build from there, keeping in mind that you need to approach it from the third person, as an objective observer. Employ a few quotations in the second or third paragraphs if possible. Tie up your loose ends with the final two paragraphs, and note your web address or contact phone number for readers seeking more information. Your release should be kept to one page if possible. End your release with the “###” characters, centered at the bottom of the page. This notes the end of the release.

Skip the Hype

Nothing will land you in the circular file quicker than a press release that reads like a Stephen King novel, or one that is filled with sensational sales language that liken you to nothing more than a used car salesman.

Do Your Homework

Avoid sending out press releases blindly. Take the time to research the editor or reporter that is covering your subject matter, and address your release to them personally. Make sure you follow up your release with a phone call or email a few days later to confirm receipt, and answer any questions.

Know Their Timeframe

Make sure you refer to the Editorial Calendar of any magazines you may be sending to, and make sure you target your release accordingly. If they are a long lead publication, make sure you send your materials far enough in advances. For monthly magazines, a good rule of thumb is to pitch two to three months in advance. For newspapers, allow 3-4 weeks if possible. For radio, allow a few days if possible – although radio stations are well known for airing releases on the same day they are received.

Make it Newsworthy

Some great examples would include: announcing a partnership or joint venture with another business, the launch of a new product or product line, the kick off a special contest promotion, arrival of a special celebrity for an on-location promotion, recent studies or research that directly tie-in to your product or service, announcing milestones, awards, or promotions.

Don’t be afraid to get creative. Do you offer products to the wedding market? Consider hosting an “Ugliest Bridesmaid Dress” contest. Do you sell to pet owners? Consider sponsoring a “Paws for Photos” photo shoot of proud pet owners and their best friends. The opportunities are only limited by your imagination – and, the more creative the idea, the better your chances are of being picked up by the media.

Distribution to the Masses

You’ve crafted a killer press release, and you are ready for your media blitz. What to do? There are many free press release services out there, make sure that you take the time to familiarize yourself with them to determine which one can best serve your needs. If your budget permits, you may wish to think about using the services of a distribution firm. Why? There are many reasons — but the best ones are to take advantage of their existing database of contacts, reputation with the media outlets, and the time factor. If you have more time than money, then submitting the release yourself is the alternative.

Be Prepared for Results

Make sure that you have made ample preparations to receive calls, emails, and interview requests. Make sure that your voice mail is professional sounding, and that you check it often. If you provided your fax number, load that fax machine with paper. Be prompt when responding to email enquiries, and make sure you provide all of the information requested from you. Many publications will be on a very tight schedule, and any delay may render you out of the game.

You’ve Sent It… Now What?

One word, my friends – archive. If you don’t have a Press Room on your website, add one. Archive your press releases in PDF format, and keep them there. Add high quality digital copies of your company logo, photos of principals, company overview, sales sheets, relevant brochures, etc. Give the media as much information as you are able. They appreciate the ease with which they can access these materials without having to wait for a reply from you.

Remember – Press Begets Press

If there is one thing that we continually tell clients, it is that press begets press. If you land yourself in the pages of Vogue, by all means, flaunt it! Not only does it give you valuable bragging rights for use in marketing promotions, but it also serves to beef up that media room. One simple truth about the media is that they hate being “scooped.” Nobody wants to be left out in the cold — they will want to make sure that they give you coverage as well.

Traci Hayner Vanover, aka The Promo Diva®, is the owner of TheCreativeConcept, – a freelance firm specializing in the unique writing, publicity, and marketing needs of small businesses. She is also the publisher of Create the Dream! Magazine, a bi-monthly digital magazine for small businesses. To request a free sample issue and two other promotional gifts, visit this website

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Tags: public, relation, functions, social, business

As business persons or entertainers, one of the keys to success is getting recognized by the media. As a radio talk show host, I’m constantly contacted by individuals and PR representatives desiring air time for either themselves or those whom they represent. I want, in this article, to share some of the things that I look for before even considering an on-air interview. Remember…every talk show host has his/her criteria and/or pet peeves…these are just some of mine.

1. Listen to the show before requesting an interview. This is probably the most important. This tells me three things. First of all that you think my show has the quality that you feel will present your business/project in a professional light. Secondly it tells me that you did not just send out mass requests to email addresses that you found somewhere on the web. Finally, you will need to know if the show matches your target audience. If your product is “the best beef in town”, then it will not to any good to come on a show dealing with the vegetarian lifestyle. Again…do your research.

2. Can you communicate effectively? The last thing that a talk show host wants is dead air. Effective communication involves not only being able to structure a conversation effectively, but having a discussion that is of interest to the listeners. Remember, your appearance will also have an effect on the listener-ship of future shows. Good communicators get invited back.

3. Be Human. Don’t be afraid to show some personality. You are not perfect…no one is. Speak as though you’re talking to your best friend. Remember the audience wants to find a reason to connect with you and your product. People are turned off by stuffy or confrontational attitudes. Remember….the host has an important weapon…the magic button. The interview can be cut short at their discretion.

For more information click here…

Louie Jones, host of The Louie Jones Show, is a radio talk show host broadcasting in the Chicago area on WCFJ AM 1470. He has a national following and a strong international presence in over 40 countries. His message is one of self determination and positive motivation. He firmly believes that everyone can accomplish their goals, only if they have a firm belief and a strong self image.

His website is dedicated to personal development, business ownership and motivation. Additionally, his are archived there for visitor listening.

He can be found at this site

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Tags: media, public, relations, social, jobs

Everyday there are examples of how businesses and organization are ill-prepared if someone from the media called or showed up at the office or home and started asking you questions related to their business and some event that has great potential to bring positive or negative publicity to the business, the owners of the business, management and even employees. Many people will admit that they do not know how to respond to media when they come with their inquiries. And being unprepared or ill-prepared to media inquiries can have serious consequences to an organization and its reputation. All businesses and organizations with more than one employee should have a well-written media policy that clearly defines who within the organization may respond to media inquiries, what kinds of information can or should be released to the media, and what information must be kept confidential.

Furthermore, a proactive approach is always prescribed for dealing with the media. It is important to commit to establishing good relationships with members of the media because it can help to establish an accurate public perception of who you are and what you do. Another important thing to remember is that you do not need to feel intimidated when being approached by the media to ask you questions. It is good to remember that members of the media do need you as a source of news and background information as much as you need them to give you publicity and clarify your point of view. The development of a clearly written and well thought out media policy is an essential part of doing business today. Here are eighteen (18) prescribed elements for inclusion in your media policy for responding to media inquiries.

1. Designate a company spokesperson to respond to media inquiries and ensure that all employees know the name and contact information for the person so they know where they should direct media inquiries.

2. Research and become familiar with the print and electronic broadcast media outlets and the reporters and editors that you are likely to encounter.

3. Clearly define in your media relation’s policy what kinds of data and information must remain confidential.

4. Always be honest. Never knowingly tell an untruth or exaggerate. Trust is a critical ingredient in developing positive and enduring media relations and if you violate that trust it will have very negative results.

5. NEVER EVER say those fateful words, “No Comment.” This immediately makes you look like you are hiding something. Instead you might say something like: “I’m sorry but this matter is the subject of an ongoing investigation or lawsuit and I am unable to respond to that question at this time.”

6. Never speculate. Stick to what you know and your area of expertise. If you do not know the answer to a reporter’s question say you don’t know. Do not try to “fake it” because that will come back to haunt you. Instead, try to help the reporter reach a source who is able to answer the question. Members of the media remember who provides reliable resources and by helping them you will enhance your credibility and they will likely come back to you in the future.

7. Always speak clearly in plain English that average readers and listeners can understand. Avoid the use of any jargon or bureaucratic language.

8. Treat reporters, editors, and program directors courteously. Their impression of you and your firm will affect their impression of the entire organization, and that may possibly influence how they decide to write and broadcast stories about you and your company.

9. Always return calls from the media in a timely manner that is sensitive to their deadlines, if possible. Reporters are typically on tight deadlines and will appreciate your promptness. If they leave a message for someone who is not available or can’t be reached, have someone else return the call. This is very important since you will not create a favorable and positive impression if you hear on the evening newscast or read in the newspaper that your company or organization “could not be reached for comment.”

10. If you do not have the information you need to answer a question and you need time to research or think about how to answer a question, the you should tell the reporter that you need some time. You should also inquire what his or her deadline is, and then promise them you’ll call back with an answer before that time.

11. Never argue with the reporter. Be persuasive, but never be confrontational.

12. Do not hesitate to ask the reporter questions about the story they are doing. You might ask about the theme, the point of view, and who else is being interviewed?

13. Do not hesitate to share information that is already a matter of public record. Remember that if you withhold such information, the reporter to develop other sources and get the information anyway.

14. A great guide to help you frame the answers to questions from the media is always remember that whenever you speak to a reporter, you are really speaking
to the public.

15. It is best to assume that everything you say to a reporter is “on the record” and can be reported or broadcast. Your best advice is to remember that if you don’t want to see it in print or hear it on the air, then don’t say it.

16. Never try to do the media’s job and never assume that the media is there to do the story “your way” or with the “news angle” you want.

17. Never ask the reporter if you can review the story before it’s published. This will let the reporter know that he or she is dealing with an uninformed or ill informed and non-media savvy person. However, it is okay for you to ask the reporter during the interview to read back your quotes to confirm accuracy.

18. Always be very selective in any challenges to the reporter’s end product. A basic guideline to consider is that if the published story contains minor factual errors or omissions, do not make a big deal of it. On the other hand, if the story seriously misrepresents your position or misstates an important fact, then you can call it to the reporter’s attention in a polite communication, requesting a correction. This is an extremely sensitive area in media relations and the best advice is that unless the timeliness of the correction is critical, do not call to complain. And avoid the most serious of transgressions in media relations by never going over the reporter’s head to complain to his or her editor or news executive unless the reporter’s response is wholly unsatisfactory. Again, be careful in this area since you never want to alienate reporters.

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,

Tags: media, social, research, verbatim, compatibility

During the twenty-three years I spent in management, there were many occasions when I participated in social events with my employees. Likewise, I attended parties where my supervisors were present.

By participating in hundreds of receptions, dinners, celebrations, award ceremonies, fund raising campaign kickoffs and other out of the office happenings, I have learned which communication behaviors work and which ones backfire.

You will agree that, handled wisely, social time with employees can boost morale. Employees welcome chances to get to know the boss as a person, not just a manager. During the frenetic work week, they encounter the boss as the source of discipline, assignments, occasional reprimands and, typically, very little personal chit chat. So it’s refreshing to be around the supervisor when she showcases her humor, asks about your family and hobbies, and gives an unrestrained laugh.

However, both employees and bosses should be aware that the social scene does not erase the workplace lines of authority. Example: Because the boss likes your personality at a party does not mean you will get the next promotion, which depends instead on your professional skills.

Here are seven guidelines that every employer and employee should keep in mind for after-hours mingling:

ONE: Avoid off color humor. The jokes you would tell your golf buddies could jeopardize your professional reputation if you share them with workplace colleagues, no matter how informal the setting. True, they might laugh out of courtesy, or maybe from discomfort. Yet you risk losing their respect. Play safe.
Don’t tell any joke that you wouldn’t tell at an office staff meeting.

TWO: Refrain from touching, other than a handshake greeting, unless you happen to go dancing with the group. Draping an arm around a colleague might prompt an eventual lawsuit, especially when you don’t give that person an expected raise. And the employee who caresses the boss can create an image of
fakery and pandering.

THREE: Drink moderately. Every year, holiday parties, company picnics and similar outings become career graveyards for bosses and employees who want to become “the life of the party.”

Sometimes we assume that two more drinks will help us talk more easily. That’s a mistake. Two more drinks will encourage you to talk more–period. The impaired speaking and unsteady walk that follow those extra cocktails could brand you: “lush,” “a drunk,” “undisciplined,” or something similar.

Along those lines, never mention that drinking is important to you. Stay away from “Nothing like a stiff
drink at the end of the day to help a guy unwind.” Whimsically, we slip into comments like that, such
as “Thought that bartender would never bring our order.” Although you are trying to inject a bit of levity
into the conversation, the quips could backfire, categorizing you as a problem drinker.

FOUR: Make sure you circulate among everyone present, not just the managerial group you feel most comfortable with. The person who talks with his or her clique and avoids everyone else nullifies the inclusive good will the event is intended to foster. Spend time with line employees as well as “the suits.”

FIVE: Avoid shop talk. Demonstrate that you have an interesting, meaningful life away from the corporation. Nobody wants to hear your opinions about a five year plan, a drop in sales or the
employee you had to fire. As an old song advises, “talk happy talk, things that people like to hear.”

Stay well informed about major sporting events, releases of new movies, great places to vacation, new restaurants your friends have recommended, bestselling books and national events. Definitely, party goers want to talk about them, not corporate problems and plans.

SIX: Listen attentively. Good listeners become our favorite people. We move away from motormouths who dominate conversations. Encourage others to talk, with comments like “very interesting,” “tell me more,” and “What happened next?” When Stephen Covey wrote 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, he titled chapter five, “Seek first to understand, and then to be understood.” Follow that
advice, and you’ll become the hit of the company’s social outing.

SEVEN: Mind your manners. If the occasion includes a meal, pay special attention to your table etiquette. You want to look like you belong at top-tier banquets. Illustrate that you have acquired polish and grace.

Bill Lampton, Ph.D., helps organizations “Finish in First Place” by strengthening their communication, motivation, sales, and customer service. His speeches, seminars, and communication coaching have benefited numerous clients, including the Ritz-Carlton Cancun, Gillette, Duracell, Procter & Gamble, Missouri Bar, and the Environmental Protection Agency. Visit his Web site to sign up for his complimentary monthly E-mail newsletter: here

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Tags: public relations, employee, bos, society, social

Stowe Boyd, an authority on collaborative technologies, offers his definition of social media.

PR practitioners and marketers need to know about and understand how to leverage social media, or be left behind. So, how does one take advantage of social media sites? You start with media relations and work your way out.

SHIFT Communications has reinvented the news release to take advantage of social media trends. You can download it here.

However, even with this template you must have a news release distribution platform that supports it or your release is simply an electronic document. For my money, PRWEB is that platform.

My wife’s first mystery novel, Double Dead, will debut January 2007. So, I distributed a news release recently via PRWEB about her signing with Gale/Five Star Publishing. PRWEB offers Technorati and several other bookmarking tools – like del.icio.us – on the site that you can use to tag your release. I used the tools to post the story on Digg and del.icio.us. Each Digg story is user nominated and voted upon by the community. The more votes, the more people get to see it because it moves up the list. Follow this link if you want to see what del.icio.us is all about.

Here’s a quick list of some other social media platforms to check out if you want to see what it’s all about:

* Newsvine
* Tagworld
* Brightcove
* YouTube

Harry Hoover is a partner in My Creative Team. He has 30 years of experience in crafting and delivering bottom line messages that ensure success for serious businesses like Bank of Commerce, The Bray Law Firm, Brent Dees Financial Planning, CruisingTheICW.com, Duke Energy, Focus Four, Levolor, North Carolina Tourism, TeamHeidi, Ty Boyd Executive Learning Systems, VELUX, and Verbatim.

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Tags: online, media relations, social, media, sites

In the past few years, the anti-corporate movement (including those opposed to globalization) has gained a bit of steam.

What many people in the movement promote now is called Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), the idea that corporations should be responsible to all of society and the environment, as well as to shareholders.

It’s a shame they’ve gained momentum. After all, without modern corporations we would all be poorer, and in particular, few of us could expect to retire comfortably. More than anything else, modern corporations exist to provide pension income.

Sure, corporations used to be owned by a few, extremely rich people. But, with the widespread adoption of pension funds and mutual funds, corporations now belong mostly to working people.

While it’s true the average working person has far, far less wealth than the average billionaire, there are many, many times more working people. That means company and government pension plans can invest vast sums of money into capital stock, making working class people the largest shareholders of many corporations.

From a communication perspective, I’m interested in knowing why Corporate Social Responsibility gets such good media coverage and so much attention. I’m also interested in knowing what we, as communicators, can learn from them.

For starters, the anti-corporate movement has a simple message: “Corporations have too much money and power; working people don’t have enough,” or some variation on that theme. On the other hand, my defence of corporations above is anything but simple, even though I’m pretty good at capturing ideas in words. Did your eyes glaze over as you read my description?

The ‘anti’ movement also enjoys the luxury of making a good (poor working people) versus bad (rich corporations) argument. That’s a moral argument, one that adds spice to any news story. On the other hand, the ‘pro’ side works largely with rational discourse and the ideas of economists.

Third, the protestors bring passion to the anti-corporate message. After all, this is a battle of good against evil, isn’t it? Again, the defenders of modern corporations and globalization have to rely on the prosaic science of economists.

Fourth, the label ‘Corporate Social Responsibility’ also helps the anti-corporate movement. Not only does the name act as a unifying point for its advocates, but it also implies that CSR is a good thing. After all, who could be against ‘social’ and ‘responsibility’?

Now, despite their high media profile and ubiquitous presence, the advocates of CSR have a problem. They may be able to win the attention of reporters and editors, but they haven’t had much clout with the real decision makers, the people who run companies, pension plans, and mutual funds.

And, the decision makers aren’t likely to be swayed. They understand the role of corporations, and they know where their responsibilities lie. Even widespread public sympathy for CSR isn’t likely to have much effect, since they report to shareholders, not to society as a whole.

So, perhaps the final lesson we’ll take from the anti-corporate movement today is that, sometimes, great communication can only take you so far by itself.

Robert F. Abbott offers three free chapters from his book, A Manager’s Guide to Newsletters: Communicating for Results at http://www.managersguide.com/free-sample.html . He also offers free subscriptions to Abbott’s Communication Letter, a free newsletter that helps you enhance your career through improved business communication, Sourcehttp://www.abbottletter.com.

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Tags: societal, functions, public relations, communication, social