Are You the Ultimate Oprah Show Viewer?

Call me crazy, but I just might have the juice to qualify for this contest.  Do you?  Here is the link to share your story.  Here is mine:

Oprah’s been with me through every major life transition of my life — big or small — over 25 years as I’ve worked to find my voice, be heard, and make a difference in my life and in the lives of others. When Oprah said to toss out all those artificial flowers and wreaths in favor of  “live” plants, I did it.  When she alerted the world that women everywhere were wearing the wrong sized bras, got a fitting and gave the sisters a lift.

When Oprah declared Miraval to be the world’s finest spa, I experienced a life changing week of self-care after a scare with breast cancer gave me a wake-up call. The lessons I learned from Wyatt Web about fear and self doubt still guide me eight years after the fact. I even ran a half-marathon in 2002, which was a big, darn deal for a gal who prior had scarcely run 3-miles at a time before or since.

From “remembering my spirit” to fighting “the mommy wars” to figuring out how to design and live my best life and career to figuring out what I know for sure, Oprah has been my favorite guide. I have even saved every O magazine ever published and consider the magazine set a treasured collection.

I’ve been listening to the whispers and making an ongoing contribution as I guide others to get seen, heard, and celebrated.  You can see what I have brewing at my blog at http://www.mainstreetmediasavvy.com/about.

Nothing would make me happier than to be in Chicago to celebrate the last 25 years among Oprah’s ultimate show viewers.  I, like so many others, have embraced the Live Your Best Life vision to my advantage and to the benefit of the clients, causes, and important milestones in my own life.  I’d be honored to join in the celebration.  I’ve done Oprah proud.  And bigger dreams are brewing.  It’s a beautiful thing.

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Vote for Whitney Keyes so She Can Empower You on OWN TV

My good friend, colleague, and amazing and aspiring TV host Whitney Keyes is campaigning for her moment in the spotlight with none other than the Oprah Winfrey Network, also known as OWN TV.  I think she did a great job sharing her pitch and qualifications.

- She makes her show pitch for the Empower You show relevant for the audience of Oprah’s show.
- She proves with data why the topic is timely, relevant, interesting and worth talking about right now.
- She shows prior interviews with interesting business people to show that she is engaging on TV and conveys quality information that can empower others along their quest for business success.
-  She offers her qualifications so the show producers know right away they are evaluating a professional who is media ready, media savvy, and ready to add value for the viewers right now.

Why not take a look at her video and vote for her if you agree?  Here is the link to make that easy.

By the way, the audition submission deadline to share your show idea is June 26. All the other submission rules are posted here.  Good luck.

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Do You Ask for Testimonials Systematically? Let Me Make It Easy for You!

I’ve always made a practice of asking for testimonials.  Within the last few months, I set up a special page on my blog that makes it systematic for me to ask and easier than ever for clients to reply.   I learned this from Info Products Guy James Roche, and it has been working beautifully.

Here is a link that I send to happy clients as soon as our appointments are complete, at the precise time they are feeling especially fabulous about our work together.   Most clients are only too happy to reply by sending in their photos and their favorable testimonials.  Why not put something similar in place for your business by adjusting the language on this page to be a perfect fit for what you offer?

My good friend and colleague and a happy client Alice Cunningham, co-owner of Olympic Hot Tub Company, always says, “You have to make it easy to buy, easy to own, and easy to refer.”   An ongoing flow of glowing testimonials certainly can make it a whole lot easier for your ideal clients to “get to yes” faster.  And, when they do, you are fast on your way to do more of the work you love.

By the way, I can’t say enough good things about James Roche. Here is a testimonial I sent to him yesterday to thank him for the impact he has made on my business:

“Tired of going it alone and believing that great impact could be made in my business with the support of a proven and capable coach, I engaged James Roche to serve as my information products marketing coach in January of 2010. After just six content-rich telephone coaching sessions that catered to my very specific business needs and goals, I have acted on all of James’ suggestions and already welcomed at least $10,000 in new revenues to my business.  What is better is that the marketing funnel and strategy James helped me refine and the systems he helped me put in place stand ready to deliver even greater balance sheet impact over time as I stay consistent in my efforts to execute the winning strategy he coaxed out of me in record time.  What I appreciate most about James is that he shares both the big picture strategies and the nitty-gritty execution details I need to know to be systematically successful.   My confidence grows with every coaching call as my business results continue to escalate.  Thanks to lessons James modeled for me in running his own successful business, I now have greater control over my time and my life as I think bigger and serve more quality clients. Words can’t express the gratitude I feel for this benefit alone.  Thank you James.”

With gratitude,

Nancy Juetten

Late last year, I followed a tip from Alice Cunningham to share a testimonial about good results I experienced with paid advertising with the vendor.   That testimonial I provided to Help a Reporter Out Founder Peter Shankman ended up on the pages of Inc. Start-Up Toolkit Blog!  The lesson here?  One good thing most always leads to another.

All this is to say that as wonderful as it is to receive testimonials, it is also fabulous to give quality testimonials. especically when the impact of someone’s work on your behalf is so meaningful.

Main Street Media Savvy Tip of the Day: Take a moment to send a quality testimonial to someone in your business network who is making a significant impact on your success.   Then, tell me what happens next!  No doubt, good things will unfold in ways too priceless to count.

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Clean Up Your Ezine List to Get Ready to Serve More of the Right People

Do you ever wonder if your ezine list is really working for you and what to do to make it work better for both your business and your followers?

I am happy to share an excellent blog post by Viva Visibility Founder Nancy Marmolejo.  Her post entitled, “I survived a list purge (You can, too)” gets to the heart of this matter, and plenty of folks are commenting.

It’s one thing to have a huge list.  It’s another entirely to have a powerful, responsive list of true and loyal fans.   Given the choice, my bias is to build a responsive list of true and loyal fans by being of fabulous service.  To that end, what DIY publicity questions do you have, and how can I help?   Let me hear from you!

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“Skittles. It’s What’s for Dinner” – That’s a Sound Bite!

I’ve decided to celebrate memorable sound bites I read in the media as a way to draw a distinction between “boilerplate” comments and “really great” comments.

For example,  this one  — ”Skittles.  It’s What’s for Dinner” –  is one that captured my attention in an article about the proposed new candy tax.  Being a huge fan of premium chocolate, this article certainly earned my interest.

There is a “boilerplate” way to make a point, and there is a “really great” and memorable way to make a point.  A sassy sound bite is a “really great” way to get the job done.  “Skittles.  It’s What’s for Dinner” is a memorable way one side of this argument for the candy tax made his point.

Seattle Chocolate Company CEO Jean Thomspon, on the other hand, said the candy tax is bad for her business. Plus, chocolate is actually healthy and has more anti-oxidants than blueberries, she said.  “It actually is a food,” Thompson said, “And it’s an important part of people’s mental health when there are not a lot of luxuries available to them.”

Am I in favor of the candy tax?  Absolutely not.    But sassy sound bites like these sure are bound to get a lot of people talking.  And that is a big part of using the power of publicity to share your message far and wide.

Main Street Media Savvy Question of the Day: Where do YOU stand on the proposed candy tax?  Premium chocolate lovers such as myself would love to know.   Let me hear from you!

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With Testimonials Like This, I am Feeling Great about 2010. “Nancy, You’re the Awesome Rock Star of PR.”

A big “Thank You” to Alyssa Magnotti and Peter Chee of ThinkSpace for inviting me to speak to their members and guests at yesterday’s brown bag lunch talk that offered tips to get known as an expert in your field.   Here are just a few of the wonderful comments guests shared after enjoying the session:

“You’re the awesome rock star of PR.  Elated to attend yet another tip and fact-filled workshop talk with Nancy at the helm.  She truly is the rock star of PR.”  — Amy Woidtke, EcoKind Design.com

“The ThinkSpace seminar I attended gave me at least five solid action items that I can do today to boost my business and establish myself as the expert in my field.” — Sukie Baxter, SukieBaxter.com

“Nancy’s approach and information transends the generation boundaries — it is practical and relevant.”
– Carla Conrad, DesignWorksNW.com

“Nancy’s presentation was informative and entertaining — a great way to spend a lunch hour!”
– Stacy McClure, Stacie S. McClure CPA, PLLC, StacieCPA.com

If you would like to be in the audience the next time I speak, here are two events coming up quickly.  Just visit the links for all the relevant details.

Wed. Jan. 20 - Small Business Success Telesummit at noon PST

Friday, Feb. 5 – I’ll be the lunch keynote speaker at the Olympia Business Summit.

And, if you missed my latest radio interview about writing a rock star bio, you can source and listen  to the Jan. 5 interview — the first one of 2010 for Dresser After Dark and for me — at this link.    If you love listening to audio files, check out all the great topics newly posted at my DIY Publicity Store from the best of my 2009 interviews and podcasts with experts so you can listen in anytime and anywhere and benefit.

By the way, I’d love to invite dozens and dozens of speaking engagements and radio interviews to empower buzz seeking business owners and experts with the tips, tools and resources they need to earn expert status, create fabulous bios, and more.  If you have interest, check out my speaker page, and get in touch so we can set a date for me to make a contribution.

Main Street Media Savvy Question of the Day:  If you are an aspiring or thriving speaker, is your speaker page up and running to make it easy for meeting planners and others to see, hear and celebrate the message you share with your audiences?  Do you have credible audience testimonials posted so you can relieve any doubt on the decision maker’s part that you are absolutely the perfect speaker to add to their programming plans?  If not, take the opportunity to upgrade your speaker page or create one so you can welcome all the speaking engagements you seek in 2010 and beyond.

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New, Free Media Query Service Called “Reporter Connection” Debuts and Invites New Subscribers

I’ve written extensively about HARO, PitchRate, PR Leads, and ProfNet as quality media query services that can help you get known as experts through the power of free publicity.  On December 22, a new FREE service debuted from the good folks at Radio TV Interview Report.  It is so new that I don’t have success stories yet to report, but I am most definitely taking this service out for a spin.   You can opt-in for free to receive the media queries and test this new service right along with me.  Here is the link to sign up and learn more.  You have nothing to lose, and you just might earn the quality media placements you seek to get known as the expert you are.  Please share your success stories as they unfold.  Happy pitching, one and all.

Main Street Media Savvy Question of the Day: What is the single biggest media placement YOU earned from any of the quality services you use to stay in the know and in the news?   Are you game to share your specific pitch and the results that flowed your way as a result of the stunning media coverage?  I can’t wait to showcase your success so others can learn at the feet of your action and experience.

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Cancer Diagnosis is a Wake-Up Call for This Author – Don’t Miss the Precious Moments

Randy Broad, a resident of Kirkland, WA, was diagnosed with lung cancer and is in the fight for his life.  With two kids, ages 14 and 15, he has a lot to say and do.  He told me today that this Christmas may be his last.

Undaunted, he is fast at work, writing what he’s learned about life in a book he can leave behind when the time comes.  He told a story about missing the opportunity to play in the snow with his kids last Christmas.  His email was calling to him.  By the time he left his keyboard, the rosy cheeked and wet kids were safe and warm, sipping hot cocoa in the kitchen.  He missed a glorious opportunity to play in the snow with his kids, thinking there would be plenty more time for that later.

Now, he knows differently.   He isn’t missing a moment of anything now.  He is writing a blog to chronicle his journey.  Three weeks ago, he started working on a book about his life.  His daughter wants to know all he knows about life and business.  Please, read this blog entry, entitled, “Missing It.”    It brought tears to my eyes.  He writes, “One realization I can say for certain is if I would have had cancer when it snowed that glorious day with the kids running around my feet, I can without question tell you I would have been amongst them the entire time. No questions asked. No emails returned. No excuses given nor expected.”

Please, share Randy’s message with others via your social networks.  Wake up those you love to walk away from their work to enjoy the precious moments that are so fleeting.   You never know what tomorrow may bring.   Today is a gift to treasure.

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Want to Get Paid to Give Speeches and Accelerate Your Learning Curve So You Can Be Successful Faster?

In April of 2006,  I decided I wanted to get paid to give speeches.  Deciding to do it and making it happen have been two different things.   Today, invitations to speak for fees are coming more and more frequently. Invitations to share the DIY publicity message with larger audiences in exchange for the opportunity to make my line of DIY publicity information products available for sale are flowing freely.  And, the workshops I host regularly are growing in audience.  The last Publici-Tea™ Express Workshop on 11-06 attracted 85 amazing guests.    If I could put in a bottle all the powerful lessons I’ve learned along this journey, it would overflow.

What I want for you is to get to success far faster. And I certainly want to learn even more to accelerate my own journey in this regard.    That’s why I want you to join my friend Steve Harrison of Radio-TV Interview Report (RTIR) for a free telephone seminar on Thursday, November 19th on which you’ll hear him interview author/speaker James Malinchak on how to get started giving paid speeches — even if you’re a complete unknown in your field.

Speaking is one of the best ways to dramatically increase your income as an author  — or anybody with expertise . In fact, I know many authors who make 90% or more of their incomes from speaking and less than 10% from book sales.

Whether you’re already a veteran speaker or you’ve never given a paid speech before, you’ll still benefit from James’ strategies. Steve has been speaking for years and has been pleasantly surprised how much he’s learned a lot from him.

Steve’s offering this free teleseminar on Thursday, November 19th at your choice of two times: either 2:00 pm Eastern (11:00 am Pacific) OR 7:00 pm Eastern (4:00 pm Pacific). Go here now to register for Thursday’s call.

Here’s just some of what you’ll discover:

* How to find companies and organizations who already have a budget to pay speakers like you handsomely — even if you’re not famous or well-known in your field.
* Why you should never accept less than $2,500.00 to give a speech — even if you’re a complete unknown with an ‘ordinary topic’ — and what to do to easily get that fee.
* Five critical steps for landing speaking engagements when you don’t have a lot of time to spend marketing yourself.
* Why you don’t need a demo tape or a fancy speakers kit to land speaking gigs, but what you DO need to give them instead.
* How can experienced speakers can raise their fee and get it.
* Proven ways to brand yourself and your message in a way that will prompt a flood of requests for speaking engagements.
* Four actual case histories of speakers who have gone from not knowing anything about the speaking business to making a six-figure income as paid professional speakers.
* How to put on your own ’sold out’ seminars and workshops.
* Five other ways you can make money beyond the speaking fee you receive.
* Three critical things to ask for when negotiating with the meeting planner to make the most of the opportunity.
* Which topics colleges and corporations are most interested in having speakers address.
(AND MUCH MORE!!!)

Again, to register for Thursday’s call go here now.   I’ll be listening in on this call, and I’d love to compare notes and get into action to bring about even more speaking success in 2010.  Are you game?

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Are You Thinking about Writing a Book? Patrick Snow Can Help You Decide

Best-selling author and speaker Patrick Snow is my special guest presenter at the 11-06 Publici-Tea™ Express Workshop.  He’ll guide event guests to consider if publishing a book is the right answer for building the buzz around their expertise.

This is new subject matter to Publici-Tea™ Express, so prior event graduates and new guests will gain value by attending.  Of course, we’ll cover do-it-yourself publicity and social media marketing tips and essentials, while showcasing the stunning, decisive results that are happening every day for those who getting into action, based on the tips we share on event day.

Those who register by 10-30-09 also qualify for a prize drawing that includes $400 in buzz and business building tools and resources from top local and national authors and experts.    While you are thinking about it, register today!

Main Street Media Savvy Question of the Day:

If you have published a book, how did you decide to self-publish or engage with a publisher?  And, are you willing to share what you have learned along your journey so others can benefit?  Please share!

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