You’re a mom entrepreneur, so I know you’re doing amazing things. Inventing killer products. Offering unique services. Running a busy store. Making life easier and better for your customers.
So, are you ready for your close up? You know, the moment when you get to tell the world all the amazing things that you do?
Here are 6 steps that will prepare you for any PR moment–TV, newspaper, magazine or radio — and help you shine like the star you are.
1. Be proactive: Don’t wait for press opportunities to come to you. LOOK for them. Subscribe to HARO and PitchRate. Look on Oprah, Rachael Ray, Ellen and Dr. Phil. Always have your eyes and ears open for media opps.
2. Skeleton pitch: Write a basic pitch so when you find a great PR lead, you can respond quickly and be pitch perfect. A pitch should include the following:
- A brief introduction – who you are & what your company is/does. No more than one paragraph, preferably 2-4 sentences.
- Your angle–a sentence or two about why your company would be perfect for the query. Use bulleted lists (no more than 5 bullets) to quickly highlight your “pitch points”.
- How they can reach you for more information – you can include this in your signature or write something like, “Please email me at this address if you have questions or would like additional information about ABC Company.”
I helped Michelle Hamman of Mother Tongues write this skeleton pitch during our coaching session. Feel free to “switch my pitch” and make it your own.
3. Media Kit: Always have your media kit ready – it makes you sooo “media friendly”. I just covered this topic last week, but here’s a brief recap of what should be in your media kit:
- Bio (Liz Goodgold says you should have this in PDF form so you can easily send it to media folks who request it. You can create PDF documents using Google Docs!)
- Past press coverage/releases
- Endorsements/testimonials
- High & low res photos
- Contact information
4. Get Radio Ready With 7 Second Sound Bytes: Radio interviews are very different from magazines and TV–there are no visual aids. You want listeners to remember you and your company. You should have a “7 second sound byte” ready for when you introduce yourself on air. Liz Goodgold shares tips on this here. She says to introduce yourself like this: “I’m Heather Allard and I help babies sleep–I invented Swaddleaze” or “My name is Ashley Jones and I hold up banks and gyms–I’m a structural engineer”. Make it clever, make it quick, make it stick.
Bonus points: Write your own 7 second sound byte and share it in the comments.
5. Practice Makes Perfect: Have an upcoming TV appearance? Angela Jia Kim from Savor The Success shares some wonderful tips on how to get “camera ready” and be a great TV guest here.
Before your TV appearance, try videotaping yourself so you can see and hear yourself on camera. Do you flap your arms, cross & uncross your legs, rub your nose, lick your lips or say “Um” repeatedly? Better to do it now than on live TV. Once you know your “nervous flubs”, you can practice a few times at home on your own video camera until you feel comfortable in front of the TV camera.
A few tips from Angela’s media trainer, Jennifer Flaa:
- Focus on what you are passionate about – nothing makes nervousness disappear faster.
- Lean in and connect with the host — say her name, touch her arm — things you would do in a normal conversation.
- Enjoy the moment
6. Get Your TV Outfit, Girl: As Liz Goodgold mentioned in this post, you need to have a TV outfit “at the ready” for when you get that phone call from a TV producer. She says, “It must be a complete outfit with hose and jewelry that fits today – not when you’ve lost 10 lbs, not when you have time to go shopping, but now. Trust me, you do not want to get your magic call and be unprepared.”
So there you have it…6 steps to PR readiness so you never miss your moment to shine. Did I miss anything? Let me know in the comments.
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{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
Excellent tips! I’m particularly curious about the skeleton pitch and how it would work for freelance writers. I do a lot of blogging now but when I do pitch for writing or blogging, my brand or company is mostly me and my words. There are no “products” so I’m curious how that works for writers.
Again, excellent post and tips! I’ll be working on these and NEVER considered a TV outfit though I see more bloggers being interviewed in TV spots it’s definitely good to have one ready!
.-= Nichole´s last blog ..Halloween 2009 =-.
[Reply]
Heather Allard Reply:
November 1st, 2009 at 10:27 pm
Hi Nichole!
Here’s one of my recent HARO query replies–so you can see how a writer/blogger pitches. Hope this helps!
———————————————-
Hi There C,
In 2004, I founded my own company called 2 Virtues Inc. after designing Swaddleaze & Blankeaze, two wearable blankets for infants that helped me solve my daughter Grace’s sleep “challenges”. I brought both products to market and achieved great success with them. Blankeaze is a top-seller in the One Step Ahead catalog, with over 200 5-star reviews! Then, after the birth of my third child in 2006, I sold my company to Summer Infant, so I could focus on my newborn son’s health issues.
I now write The Mogul Mom, a blog for mom entrepreneurs that provides free coaching and resources from someone who has “been there, done that”—me. I have over 1000 subscribers, more than 3000 unique monthly visitors, over 25,000 monthly page views and 5900+ followers on Twitter. I’m having a ball helping other mom entrepreneurs take their ideas from concept to consumer while juggling the demands of motherhood.
I have been an at-home business woman for 5 years and would love to help you with your article for the Examiner.
Thank you very much. I look forward to hearing from you.
Heather
[Reply]
Thanks Heather! You always have such great information.
Here’s my 7 second sound byte: Hi, I’m Laura Hamrick and I help make shopping with young children more enjoyable! I created the handy product OnTray.
[Reply]
Heather Allard Reply:
November 1st, 2009 at 11:44 pm
Laura,
Pretty darn good…tweak it just a bit…
“I’m Laura Hamrick and I make shopping with young kids more enjoyable with On Tray.”
Heather
[Reply]
Great Points. I wanted to add a comment about the TV outfit. Avoid small patterns like Herringbone or small flowers which can “dance” on screen.
7 second sound byte: “I’m Tracy Young with A Little Indulgence and we made party dresses for toddlers to tweens.”
.-= Tracy Young´s last blog ..Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire =-.
[Reply]
Heather Allard Reply:
November 2nd, 2009 at 2:35 pm
Great tip, Tracy!! Thank you!
Heather
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Great tips Heather. I have been working in PR for ten years and am now in the process of trying to bring a business idea to life and these steps were some good reminders for even me.
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This is where I fall short, so any PR/marketing tips is like discovering an educational- treasure for me. Thank you for this post.
Question: Recently heard a sales coach teach that it’s best to say your name in the middle or at the end of your pitch (email, introductions at network functions, etc.) because people really don’t care who you are and probably won’t remember your name anyway (unless of course, you have a killer pitch). Your thoughts?
BTW, I normally check the button below to notify me on f/up comments, but don’t get any. Would love to follow the conversation. Thanks!
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Great article! My 7 second sound byte: “I’m Tara McCausland with Joy Quest Coaching – I help people create a joyful, better than good life.”
[Reply]
Heather Allard Reply:
November 2nd, 2009 at 8:35 pm
Awesome, Tara!! Perfect.
Heather
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What if you’re a service? I’m a freelance writer and my blog is free education activities? It seems like I don’t have much to pitch or sell like other entrepreneurs.
Thanks,
Melissa
.-= Melissa Taylor´s last blog ..Imagination Time Veterinarian =-.
[Reply]
Heather Allard Reply:
November 7th, 2009 at 1:07 pm
Melissa,
You just have to find reporters looking for your “story”. You might pitch education reporters at newspapers or parenting magazines about why you started the blog.
You ALWAYS have something to pitch — doesn’t matter if you offer a service, sell a product or just exist.
A B C — always be crafting (a pitch).
Heather
[Reply]
Thanks for the shout out Heather! We’ve got lots more tips for your peeps at facebook.com/vettannatogo.
All the best,
Jenn
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This a awesome! I am going to print and keep this close!
I would also say get your print outfit ready too! I was interviewed by a local newspaper reporter profiling people “on the job” when we spoke I was under the assumption she would interview me on the phone..until we set up our interview time and she said OK, so I will be there with my photographer at x o’clock on Tuesday, whats your address? Well I almost died! Running around and ripping up my closet trying to find something that would photograph well!! And hair and make up and omg! It was a mess! And I was 38 lbs heavier then and very uncomfortable with myself so I only had “flowy” things. I was so glad the photographer was intuitive and set me up in a position where I was photographed behind some of my work so the focus was my work then me from the chest up. In spite of the behind the scenes drama, the interview went well and I received some good exposure from that feature. Then I went out and got a “go to outfit” my hair stylist helped me with some photo friendly emergency hairstyles I can do myself if I can’t get to her and my makeup artist friend put together and showed me how to use what she calls my “emergency close up kit!” so now when the next reporter says I’ll be over with my photographer… I’ll be ready for my closeup! ;o)
[Reply]
Heather Allard Reply:
December 27th, 2009 at 2:17 pm
Christine! This is such an awesome idea – a “print” outfit and hair and makeup you can do yourself. Wow – I might have to write another post about that!
Thanks so much for sharing that with us…so appreciate that!!
Once again…happy New Year – I hope this is your year!!
Heather
[Reply]
Hey Heather!!
Thanks! Glad I could share my adventure!
I look forward to that post! ;o)
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