Bob Burg’s Endless Referrals Live Program is Coming to Bellevue June 10

My good friend Zita Gustin is connected to some pretty amazing people, and Best Selling Author Bob Burg is one of them. Burg wrote the book “Endless Referrals” which arms business owners with a system to gently and persuasively develop and cultivate relationships that result in a network of endless prospects and referrals.

Combining humor with hard-hitting bullet points of information, Burg’s programs offer event guests access to information to help them develop and cultivate win-win business relationships, master the art of positive persuasion, and dramatically increase their bottom lines. You can read all about and register for this 4-hour workshop taking place at Lincoln Square Cinemas on June 10 by clicking here. Enjoy savings when you sign up before June 3.

And, while you have your planning calendar at hand, decide now to join me for breakfast on June 6 at the North Seattle Community College. I’ll be talking about how to create a fabulous local publicity basket by picking the low hanging media fruit. You’ll leave with names and numbers of media people who will be thrilled to receive and report on your news. You won’t want to miss this. Register at this link.

And, to Zita Gustin, happy birthday to you. I am very glad you were born.

Two Publici-Tea Guests Get Quoted in Smart Money Small Business Feature

People often call me their “Publicity Fairy Godmother” because it often happens that within days or weeks of chatting with me, they earn a place in the media spotlight. I love that because once people have a taste of seeing their names in print, they can hardly hold back their enthusiasm to keep the momentum flowing.

Regina Glenn and Debbie Whitlock were guests at the April 14 Publici-Tea™. Today, they are quoted in Smart Money Small Business about how they make professional development a priority while managing their growing businesses as a result of a gentle I suggestion I made to each to reply to an active media lead.

Every day, I learn of active media queries seeking experts to add value to stories in the works right now. When I have a client that is a perfect fit, I jump at the opportunity to help them earn the ink. In this case, Regina and Debbie were quick to reply prior to the posted deadline.  They enlisted the interest of the reporter with their brief, compelling, and specific comments.  Now their comments and references to their respected businesses are reflected in this story that has reach far beyond their Seattle backyard.

My business is all about helping people get seen, heard, and celebrated in their own backyards and beyond through the power of free publicity. New successes are unfolding every day to bring that mission to life. Are you ready to get into the game so you can enjoy the benefits that can flow to your growing business as a result of your enhanced visibility in the right media venues?

If so, why not sign up for the June 13 Publici-Tea™ at the Village Bellevue? Here is the link to make it easy to learn more and register. These events consistently earn rave reviews, and you owe it to yourself and your growing business to acquire new tools to help you enjoy more success with greater ease.  Spaces are going fast, so don’t delay in securing your place. Hope to meet you soon!

America, We Have a New American Idol - David Cook

Yes, I watched the show tonight. And I loved every minute. Watching Ben Stiller, Jack Black, and Robert Downey Junior perform as Pips to Gladys Knight’s vocal performance made me laugh out loud. What a guilty pleasure. Congratulations to David Cook, a self-described “word nerd” who is a winner in every way. Rock on and enjoy the ride.

Check Out GoogleFight.com — Just for Fun

Do you ever wonder how your Google rankings stack up against your closest competitor or colleague? Here’s an easy and fun way to find out. Visit this link. Then, type in your name and the name of your competitor. See who wins the Google fight and how many references come up. Then, fight again with the same competitor in three months after having gotten into action to build your link popularity through social networking and other means. You build your influence one blog post at a time, one article submission at a time, and one media placement at a time. And, remember that media momentum is a powerful thing, and inertia is quite the opposite.

Curious about Twittering? Not Even Sure What It Is? Here is a Great Resource to Learn More

I think the world of Publicity Hound Joan Stewart, and her ezine today offers some very useful tips about Twittering, which is a form of social networking that is gathering great speed. Here is an excerpt from her Publicity Hound of the Week ezine that arrived in my inbox today. If you don’t yet subscribe, I encourage you to opt-in at this link.

Dell, H&R Block, Jet Blue, Comcast, Southwest Airlines and other mega-companies have made time to join the Twittosphere. You should, too. I’ve been twittering for several months at http://Twitter.com/PublicityHound and have found it’s not only a fabulous publicity tool, it’s fun. The free microblogging service lets you create a page at Twitter.com, and then check in throughout the day and report on what you’re doing. Each message, or tweet, is limited to 140 characters. Twitter started primarily as a social networking service for personal use. Daily, scores of business people are becoming addicted to it. Twitter, it seems, is the new online crack. Because tweets are so short, twittering takes far less time than what you have to invest in many other social networking tools. Even better, it can produce incredibly powerful, instant results. Businesses and nonprofits large and small continue experimenting with dozens of ways to use Twitter. Here are just a few of them:

–As a crisis communications tool. The American Red Cross uses Twitter to announce disaster news. During this year’s tornadoes, tweets listed emergency shelters in several states, led followers to Flickr photos that showed tornado damage, and invited tornado survivors to report in as being “safe and well.”
–To announce new products and services.
–To promote articles and blog posts.
–To follow journalists who Twitter and learn what they think is important.
–To respond to media coverage, good or bad.
–To monitor what others are saying about you and your brand.
–To share with your followers interesting tips, helpful suggestions, great articles or humorous blog posts.
–To monitor customer service problems and respond within minutes. If used correctly, Twitter can be more powerful than those annoying and expensive customer service call centers.

So how about shaving just 15 minutes a day off the non- productive, energy-sucking, time-wasting task of reading and responding to your email? Use those 15 minutes, instead, spaced throughout the day, to Twitter.

Reprinted from “The Publicity Hound’s Tips of the Week,” an ezine featuring tips, tricks and tools for generating free publicity. Subscribe at this link and receive by email the handy list “89 Reasons to Send a News Release.”

Joan has a special report she offers for to tell you everything you need to know about Twitter. It is called “Special Report 52: How to Use Twitter for Business to Network, Promote, Sell, Recruit & Profit.” It includes 10 pages of examples, tips and resources. Learn how to enhance your Twitter experience and make it dovetail with other social networking tools like Facebook. Check it out.

My Cup Runneth Over — Compliments about Publici-Tea are Brewing Big Time

Today is my son’s 1th birthday, and I am so grateful for his life and proud of the great little person he is becoming. His birth gave me the reason to start my business, and I am grateful for that, too.

I’ve been having the time of my life hosting these Publici-Tea™ events since last November, and these events are a joy for me to share with others. Receiving amazing testimonials from my guests reinforces that I am on the right track in my service to business owners. Check out this post and this one and this one too that earned places on influential blogs this morning.

One of the things I teach my Publici-Tea™ guests is to have the courage to ask for what they want because when you ask for what you want, you often get what you ask for. That being said, allow me to be bold in making a request of my own.

I want to enlist support and advocacy to support others’ success powerfully with at least two Publici-Tea™ events each month that exceed expectations, build buzz, and empower others to help themselves. If the testimonials I reference above resonate with you and others you know, thank you in advance for thinking about how the Publici-Tea events, training, and Media-Savvy-to-Go publicity products can serve. Then, invite me to be of service in these ways. It would be my pleasure.

Claim Your Space at the June 13 Publici-Tea™ So Your Business Can Sizzle This Summer! - Only 9 Spaces Left

Last Friday’s Publici-Tea™ Half Day Workshop at The Village Bellevue was very rewarding for my guests and very satisfying for me. Here is one of the glowing testimonials I received by email from one of my appreciative event guests:

“Nancy’s Publici-Tea™ was an invaluable experience for me in learning how I can promote my clients’ businesses and my business using free publicity. It was a sneek preview to the world of PR and a practical step-by-step method that businesses can use to promote their ‘expert’ status and value proposition of their products and services to their target markets. Don’t miss this class if you are a professional or business owner who is ready to use some powerful tools to take your career or business to the next level.”

– Mahdu Sarkar

Friday’s event was the first time I took the event out of my dining room and into real office space, and I can’t wait to do it again on June 13. The facility is well appointed, bright and cheerful. The parking is free. And the staff at The Village Bellevue make hosting an event there an absolute pleasure. If you have been doing business from a home office for some length of time (for me, it has been over seven years!) and are ready to break out of the home office, do yourself a favor and visit The Village Bellevue. You’ll be amazed how affordable the membership is, and gaining access to professional space such as what The Village Bellevue offers will make it easier for you to enjoy more success with greater ease.

If you want to acquire the nitty-gritty information and resources to fuel your do-it-yourself publicity effort and gain appreciation for the big picture business results that can flow your way when you get into action using traditional, online, and social media, you won’t want to miss the next Publici-Tea™ at the Village Bellevue. Only nine spaces are left, so register at this convenient link to assure your place.

And, if you live in the Puget Sound region and are reading this post today (Sunday), be sure to get out and enjoy this amazing weather. We sure earn our good weather around here, and today is the day to sign off from the computer and enjoy it.

Free Publicity Saves the Day — and the Life of Daisy Mae

I am a sucker for a good dog story, and I was moved to tears when I heard the story of Daisy Mae. This pup was born with a spinal problem that made it tough for her to use her hind legs. She was abandoned and later taken in by Rescue Pup, a relief agency. A few days ago, I received a desperate email from Rescue Pup that Daily Mae needed a new home or donations to sustain her special care. The letter asked for people to alert the local media to bring Daisy Mae’s plight to greater attention.

When you ask, you get. KOMO TV 4 did a news feature about Daisy Mae that aired the other night. Today, I received a letter with much better news.

“Hi everyone. I wanted to say thank you to all of you for writing in to the TV stations with our plea. It worked! Daisy was on Channel 4 as most of you know, and we had an amazing response. Daisy met a wonderful family today…..has two families meeting her tomorrow….and two more on Sat. Then we move on to the next 15 who would LOVE to adopt her! I just knew if we could just get her on TV the public would respond…..and they did. I am so thrilled for her. Daisy will finally get the loving family she so deserves. She is such a “people” dog that she so needs that one on one attention. A sanctuary (though they are a great resource) just wasn’t a good fit for her. In her new family, her spirit will thrive. I will update everyone when her new family is chosen. What a great problem to have — so many families who would adore to adopt her. When I went over to be with her tonight, I told her all about what’s in store for her soon. Every night when I tucked her in bed it broke my heart. It was a long and exhausting five months while she was being boarded, but I would do it again in a heart beat. She was a champ and hung in there. So with a sad heart that we will so miss her. My heart is full that Daisy will finally have that family who will spoil her and give her all she so deserves. Thanks to all of you and all your support.”

Now, I am reaching for the Kleenex for happy tears. A good dog story with a happy ending will do that for me every time. And free publicity is the hero in this case, along with the many generous, loving families who have stepped up to the plate to invite Daisy Mae into their homes.  Love that.

Save June 12 to Learn Why Making Your Products and Services Easy to Buy, Own, and Refer is Essential

Business owners and managers seeking to build a powerful army of advocates for their products and services are invited to make plans now to attend the Thursday, June 12 lunch meeting of Marketplace Ministries in Auburn to hear from 31-year, award-winning entrepreneur and multi-unit hot tub, spa, and home sauna retailer Alice Cunningham. Cunningham is co-owner of Olympic Hot Tub Company (www.olympichottub.com). This is the oldest spa and hot tub company in the Northwest. Cunningham is responsible for sales and marketing for the company, which has annual gross sales of nearly $11 million. An accomplished public speaker, Cunningham was named one of the Puget Sound Business Journal’s Women of Influence in 2006. Event guests will learn proven tips to:

• Help their own customers become strong advocates for their products and services;
• Spend less on advertising and reinvest the funds back into their companies;
• Ensure that customers continue to do business with them and recommend them to others.

Date Thursday, June, 12, 2008

Time: 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Location: Copper Falls Restaurant on the Auburn Golf Course

29630 Green River Road SE

Auburn, WA 98092

(253) 876-1957

http://www.auburnwa.gov/golf/

Cost: $20

Register:  Online registrations are preferred - visit this link — or call (253) 859-0832, extension 309.

Questions: Ask Marketplace Ministries Contact Bonita Cooper or send email to marketplace@riveroflifefellowship.org, or visit the website.

Gotta Love Award Competitions for Shining a Light on Your Winning Ways

The five finalists for the Nellie Cashman Woman Business Owner of the Year Awards for the Women Business Owners were named this week, and I am delighted that one of the finalists is my client — Jean Thompson, CEO and owner of Seattle Chocolate Company. The other worthy finalists include Kristen Betty, KBA Inc.; Lee Rhodes, Glassbaby; Karen Say, Saybr Contractors, Inc.; and Tamara Wilson, Tamara Wilson PR. Congratulations to all the finalists.

Being named a finalist is a big deal because it opens the doors to wonderful local publicity opportunities to showcase each candidate’s winning ways. Prior Nellie finalists and winners have been highlighted on the cover of Seattle Woman magazine and featured prominently within the pages of other top local business journals and magazines. The recognition that flows from the power of publicity brings into focus each candidate’s business achievements and contributions to community — not to mention her idea, products, and services.

If you would like to be seen, heard, and celebrated for your winning ways in business, consider the local business award opportunities that exist in your backyard. Then, apply to earn consideration. When you win, your accomplishments can be seen, heard, and celebrated far beyond your hometown and serve to invite even more opportunities your way.

And, if you’d like to read an article that offers useful tips to make your application a winner, check out this link so you every step you take in this regard will get you closer to the winner’s circle.

Speaking of which, who do you think will be eliminated on American Idol tonight? I am guessing Syesha is on her way home, but time will tell. Share your thoughts about awards, American Idol, or whatever do-it-yourself publicity topic that is on your mind! I’d be thrilled to hear from you and celebrate your comments on this blog.