|
Lisa Orrell, The Promote U Guru 
|
Archive for the ‘Speaking’ CategoryThe Beauty of Branding: What It Means to Your Business SuccessJuly 07th, 2015The benefit of consciously shaping a Personal or Company Brand is focus. When you know with utmost clarity what you want you, or your company, to be known for, it is easier to develop an effective brand platform…and that will impact everything you do as a small business owner, book author, or professional speaker! So, what is a “brand”? It is a person’s emotional feeling about you and your company and it is a promise for a specific experience with you and/or your business. Your branding touches everything pertaining to your company…everything you say and don’t say, and everything you do and don’t do.  Lisa Orrell was voted one of the “Most Influential Brand Gurus in the World” in 2013 & 2014 by over 22,000 industry professionals. A key concept that I strongly recommend burning into your brain is this: When someone has contact with your brand in-person or virtually, one of two things happens: your brand is reinforced…or it is weakened. This is why it is so important to know what your brand value, brand differentiators, brand positioning, brand promise, and brand personality, are. They need to be reinforced and reflected in everything you say, do, write, and create. However, many small business owners don’t focus on this and then wonder why their business isn’t doing well. Once you “know who you are”, it makes it much easier to express it to potential customers. Plus, it enables you to have consistency across all of your business-building efforts, such as: your website, social media networks, marketing & sales materials, PR efforts, etc. And, for those of you who have (or will have) employees or contractors working for you, they need to be aware of your brand promise and values, too. As the leader, you’re the brand evangelist of you and your company, and that means making sure anyone working for you focuses on also positively reinforcing your brand, not weakening it. Basically, they are not only representing themselves, but they are also representing you. One of the best things you can do to create a positive brand platform is focus on being people-centric. This means to: always be open to listening to feedback; have a top-to-bottom commitment to making your customers, employees and co-workers your #1 priority; and always look at your decisions from their perspective, not just yours. Think about it as a consumer of the brands YOU like. You’re a customer for a wide variety of products and services. Why are YOU loyal to their brand(s)? I bet it’s probably because they promise a specific experience with their product or service and consistently deliver on it. So if you can make a person’s experience with your Personal and/or Company Brand consistently consistent with your brand promise, you are heading down the right path. However, it ALL has start with you getting clarity, and then effectively projecting that in everything you do. And, although you may have a tight budget, please be mindful of how your marketing materials look, especially your website. If you need help, hire a Consultant to help you! That may sound like common sense BUT it’s not common practice…think about how many awful websites you come across! Be aware of these fast facts:
Make sure all of your marketing, business, and sales tools look professional, and that things like colors and fonts are consistent across all of them. Don’t have purple and green the main colors on your website but then use yellow and blue on your business cards, collateral, or even on things like your invoices. You also want to make sure your social media page designs are consistent with your website. Again, branding is not just about how you describe and run your business; it’s also about how your business appears visually. In a nutshell, Personal or Company Branding becomes the “behavior barometer” for you as a small business owner. Once it’s established, you’ll find yourself often asking: “Is this decision going to support or weaken my brand?” And THAT type of mindset will enable you to build positive awareness for your brand, increase your sales, and grow your business!  Beyond a Press Release: Two More Strategies to Get Media InterviewsFebruary 05th, 2012Hi All! By writing and distributing Press Releases for myself, I have been interviewed by well-known media such as The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, U.S. News & World Report, and many others. And when you give them a great interview or sound bite, they come back to you. I have one reporter who has contacted me 3 different times in the past 6 months for 3 different articles she was writing. That is FREE publicity to the world! Press Releases can also prompt the media to ask you to write an article for them. Why? They perceive you as an “expert”! In a short period of time I was asked by BNET.com, WomenEntrepreneur.com, and PersonalBrandingBlog.com to write articles for them – all because they received a Press Release from me and it put me on their radar as a “go to” expert in my niche. But once you’ve crafted a newsworthy Press Release, and deployed it through a distribution service like PRWeb.com, what else can you do as a small business owner on a budget to get media interviews? Here are 2 strategies to consider: Spoon Feeding the Media Segment Ideas In addition to sending out “mass news” Press Releases, there is another strategy for getting publicity. I call it “spoon feeding” the media. The media loves it when you approach them with specific story ideas. This can be along the lines of topics like: “Is Your Career Suffering? 5 Unique Tips for Success”, or “Do You Struggle With Money? 3 Surefire Tips for Finding Financial Bliss”, or “Is Stress Ruining Your Life? 4 Proven Ways to Overcome It”. The key here is you’re doing the “thinking” for the Reporters, Editors, Producers, etc. They are always looking for ideas, and appreciate when they get some! So focus on topics that fit within your niche as a Coach, develop compelling topics that would be great interview topics for print, online, radio or TV, find several media outlets that cover stories related to your expertise and that reach your target audience, and pitch them your idea(s). This strategy has worked very well for me, personally, and my clients! And you can approach the media contacts via phone or email. But, and here’s a key point, whether you send them a Press Release or contact them with a specific topic idea, you need to follow-up. Sending them one email or leaving one voicemail message is typically not enough. Try 3-5 follow up attempts before you give up. Most members of the media are approached with many news stories and topic ideas daily, so being the “squeaky wheel” is often necessary. And even if they don’t jump on the first one you present, continue to the send them new ones. Eventually you will get their attention! Sharing Your News Through Social Media Once you have uploaded and deployed your Press Release through PRWeb.com or another online distribution service, the services create a web page for it with a unique url. So not only post your Press Release on your website but also be sure share the link to it with all of your Social Media channels: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, MySpace, etc. You can also use the Press Release as a post for your blog. And, when you start to get media interviews, be sure to add the links to the articles or appearances on your website. Plus, share links to those, too, with your Social Media communities. Please note, it’s not only totally acceptable to toot your own horn by sharing these things, it is necessary for building your business and brand! OKAY! There is your crash course in how implementing effective PR strategies can benefit your business. Again, this is a key marketing tool for building brand awareness, positioning yourself as an expert (ie: personal branding), generating sales for events and products, attracting new clients, and landing speaking engagements. Being persistent and consistent with your PR efforts can bring you substantial returns…and prospects will be impressed by the media coverage you post on your website. It really will build your credibility as an expert in your field! Cheers & Happy Marketing! Lisa
Startling Stats About Boomers Facing Retirement ChallengesOctober 13th, 2011Hi All! Read these statistics carrefully. They are fightening: According to this 2010 report, The EBRI Retirement Readiness RatingTM: Retirement Income Preparation and Future Prospects, by Jack VanDerhei and Craig Copeland of EBRI.org: 47.2% of older Boomers (56-62) are at risk of outliving their retirement savings. And 43.7% of younger Boomers (46-55) are at risk of not having enough money for basic monthly expenses when they retire. These sobering statistics have millions of Boomers currently wondering, “What can I do to generate income, full-time or part-time, that is flexible, interesting, fun, possible to start on a tight budget, and do way into my golden years?” I wrote my newest book, “Boomers into Business: How Anyone Over 50 Can Turn What They Know into Dough Before and After Retirement”, to answer those questions. I explain how to take what you know, from your career experience or hobbies, to develop a “topic expert” platform that can lead to consulting others, conducting training seminars online and offline, developing many strategies for on-going passive income, and much more. And it doesn’t matter whether you’ve been an employee your whole career or whether you are currently self-employed. Nor do a person’s education level, career background, or business experience matter. The book was written to take a lot of guesswork out of the process. Basically, most everyone knows something, from their career background, life experiences or from a hobby that other people will pay to learn about. Whether you’ve been an HR professional your whole career, or a construction worker, homemaker, lawyer, Life Coach, housepainter, or a lover of growing roses, my book teaches Boomers how to monetize what they know to create a good income, in a wide variety of ways, as a topic expert. And the book not only teaches how to determine a topic focus and how to create a unique brand platform, but it also outlines the tools needed to launch. Plus, I asked 15 other business experts to provide chapters on PR, marketing, and social media strategies, plus many more business-building and revenue generating ideas. The reviews on Amazon have been great so far, and here are 2 examples of how my new book is helping those who read it: “I’m now 50, a single mom with a teenage son, and I’ve worked at Title Insurance companies for over 20 years. I currently don’t have enough money to retire comfortably in my 60’s and have been trying to figure out what I can do make money on-the-side of my day job,” says Kathy F. in San Jose, CA. “ ‘Boomers into Business’ was a godsend! It opened my mind to possibilities I had never thought of before and I’m now developing ideas for an expert platform and consulting business that will provide me with the additional income I need to be more comfortable now and later in my life.” “This book was so helpful, easy to follow and really fun to read! It’s loaded with So, if you can relate to anything you’ve read in the blog post, check out my book on Amazon. It’s available in both Print and Kindle versions, and for a small investment it could bring you a serious return that can help your retirement picture! Cheers & Happy Marketing! Lisa New Book, “Small Message, Big Impact” Worth ReadingJune 03rd, 2011 Teri Sjodin's New Book Now on Amazon! Hi All! When I was offered an advanced reading copy of Teri Sjodin’s, new book, “Small Message, Big Impact: How to Put the Power of the Elevator Speech Effect to Work for You”, I quickly accepted. Why? Because it’s a great topic and one that I see many people struggle with. In a nutshell, I have to say that Teri’s new book rocks! And you can now pick a copy because it became available on all major online book retailers, like Amazon, this week. Here’s the scoop on why I highly recommend reading her book, and why I felt compelled to tell you about it:
Here’s a snapshot of what you’ll learn:
And it’s not just me giving the book great reviews. Business Guru, Harvey Mackay, author of the #1 New York Times bestseller, “Swim with the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive”, as well as Selling Power Magazine and many others, have given it rave reviews, too. Are you curious about Teri and why she is qualified to write a book on this topic? Here’s her brief bio: Terri L. Sjodin is the principal and founder of Sjodin Communications, a public speaking, sales training, and consulting firm. For over twenty years, Terri has served as a speaker and consultant to an impressive list of companies, industry associations, academic conferences, CEOs, and members of the United States Congress. She is also the author of “New Sales Speak: The 9 Biggest Sales Presentation Mistakes and How to Avoid Them” (Wiley). Okay! Go get a copy! And thanks, again, to Kevin Small, an amazing Literary Agent, for offering me an advanced copy…also congrads to Teri on writing a great book! Cheers & Happy Marketing, Lisa Lisa Orrell Voted “Top 30 Brand Gurus in the World”June 01st, 2011Hi All! Okay, so I have some cool news to share, therefore this post is a bit self-serving…but I can occasionally share news about me, and not just helpful tips, on my own blog…right??? Here’s the news I wanted to tell you about…it’s the actual Press Release that was deployed on PRWeb.com: Lisa Orrell, Branding Expert and Marketing Consultant, Recently Voted “Top 30 Most Influential Brand Gurus in the World” Voted on by over 22,000 industry peers and business professionals, Lisa Orrell makes BrandGurus.net’s prestigious Top 30 Brand Gurus List along with other globally known marketing experts, such as: Stephen Denny, Martin Roll, Sally Hogshead and Dan Schawbel. Lisa Orrell, The Promote U Guru, is a well-known 20-year Branding Expert, Marketing Consultant and Certified Success Coach who works with small business owners, entrepreneurs, entertainers, professional and aspiring speakers, and book authors. And, based on her track record, she was recently included on BrandGurus.net’s “Top 30 Most Influential Brand Gurus in the World” List. According to BrandGurus.net, the winners who made their final Top 30 list were voted on by more than 22,000 industry and business professionals around the globe. “I didn’t even know I had been nominated to be considered for this list. Apparently they had a rather large list of candidates and then put it out to their industry database and social media networks for voting,” explains Lisa Orrell. “I wasn’t notified until the Top 30 List had been selected, so it was a total surprise! And, after looking at the experts who were on there with me, I realized I was in great company. I actually know some of them personally or I have read their popular business and branding books.” Aside from coaching and consulting with clients, Lisa is also the author of 3 business books: “Millennials Incorporated”, “Millennials into Leadership”, and of her highly anticipated new one coming out in August 2011, “Boomers into Business: How Anyone Over 50 Can Turn What They Know into Dough Before and After Retirement”. And, as a professional speaker herself, Lisa conducts popular workshops and seminars on Personal and Business Branding, Marketing, PR, Publicity, Social Media, Book Marketing and Publishing, and launching a Speaker Platform. “I think Lisa totally deserves to be on that list,” says one of Orrell’s clients, Stacey Vulakh, a Time Management Coach, founder of the Timestyle Time Management Approach, aspiring author, and professional speaker. “She has been amazing at helping me create my branding and positioning, launching my coaching and consulting business, building my speaker platform, and helping me develop the concept for my first book. Lisa is so good at what she does…it’s what she’s done her entire professional life!” Because of her vast business experience and notoriety, Orrell has been interviewed by, or written articles for, a wide variety of media, including: ABC, MSNBC, NPR, The Wall Street Journal, NY Times, U.S. News & World Report, Cosmo, China’s Her World Magazine, BNET.com, WomenEntrepreneur.com, and countless others. Plus, aside from being selected for The Top 30 Brand Guru’s List, Lisa is also the recipient of over 75 national and international awards for marketing, creative and strategic excellence. People follow Lisa’s business insights, tips and advice on Twitter @PromoteUGuru, through her Promote U Guru blog, and on her Facebook Fan Page: Facebook.com/PromoteUGuru. For media inquiries, to contact Lisa about her services, or to have her speak at your next Professional Association event, contact her at: Lisa@PromoteUGuru.com, phone: 408-340-8789, website: PromoteUGuru.com OKAY! So that’s the cool news I wanted to share! Cheers & Happy Marketing! Lisa How I’m Celebrating 2011 National Small Business WeekMay 16th, 2011Hi All! This week, May 16-May 20, is National Small Business Week! It’s an annual event, mandated by the President of the United States, and was started in 1963 to pay tribute to all the small businesses across America each year (now totaling 27.2 million in 2011!). Other quick factoids: More than half of Americans either own or work for a small business, and small businesses also create 60-80 percent of new jobs in the country…so we contribute to the economy big time! And, because I coach and consult with small business owners, coaches, consultants, speakers and authors, and I see how much they struggle with their branding, marketing, PR, sales, book marketing, and/or social media strategies (prior to hiring me, of course!), I wanted to celebrate this annual event by providing you with a special offer to help your business succeed. Special Offer Details: – Receive a 15% discount on ANY consulting package that I offer. I provide a wide variety of package options ranging in cost so you are sure to find one that fits your budget! – In addition to the special savings, I will also ADD one “bonus” consulting session to any package you choose! – This is limited to the first 5 people who contact me by the end of this national event (by Friday, May 20th). So if you are struggling with your branding, marketing, PR, social media, sales and/or book marketing efforts, contact me right away. I can also help you develop a “topic expert” personal brand platform to attract paid public speaking opportunities and media interviews…I help most of my clients with that! Again, this is limited to 5 people and you need to contact me by May 20th. Just send me an email or give me a call and I will email you my complete Services & Options Overview Package. Contact info: Lisa@PromoteUGuru.com or call 408-340-8789. Let’s get your brand, business and bottom-line booming in 2011! Cheers & Happy Marketing! Lisa 7 Easy Steps to An Effective Marketing Strategy For 2011January 01st, 2011Hi All! The New Year is here…are you ready with a Marketing Plan and Strategy to enter 2011 organized, poised for revenue growth and career success? If you are, fabulous! However, if you’re like many of the new clients who hire me, you’re probably “hoping” 2011 will be better but don’t really have a plan to make it happen. You may even know your previous marketing efforts have been ineffective, but have no clue what to do to fix and improve them. Oftentimes, I find that small business owners, speakers, authors, coaches, consultants, etc. are good at what they do in their profession, but aren’t that great at marketing themselves, their businesses, and/or their products. They run in circles in a “reactive” mode (versus create a strategic plan) and then wonder why they are struggling to land new clients, sell books, secure speaking opportunities, or generate more income for their businesses through other avenues. If any of this resonates with you, keep reading! Here are 7 steps to help you create an effective Marketing Plan and Strategy for the New Year:
Sure, this 7 step process is a simplistic approach (there are some Marketing Plans that are much more detailed and complex), but you don’t need to make it complicated; that’s what can scare you from even trying to create a basic plan! I’ve helped clients outline an effective Marketing Plan in an hour, so trust me when I say this doesn’t have to be a drawn-out process. I don’t care whether your plan ends up being one-page or 50…just make sure you have some sort of strategic plan so you enter 2011 feeling more organized and in control of your new year! And here’s a link to a Marketing Plan software solution that can help you: Marketing Plan Pro. Cheers to a Prosperous New Year and Happy Marketing! Lisa 8 Proven Strategies to Deliver A Successful PresentationOctober 11th, 2010Hi All! As a professional speaker, I do a lot of in-person presentations. And they range from workshops to seminars to keynote speeches. Also, because I owned my ad agency for 20 years, I’ve done hundreds of sales presentations pitching propects. But whether you do presentations as a “speaker”, or as a salesperson to land new clients for your business, you will benefit from these 8 tips…so let’s get started! Here are my 8 strategies: 1. Prepare…a lot! This may sound like common sense, but unfortunately it’s not common practice. I’m typically booked anywhere from 1-3 months in advance (sometimes more) for the speaking engagements I do. And I use that lead-time wisely! The more prepared I am, the more confident I am, and the more confident I am the better I “perform”. Lack-of-preparation is the kiss of death for being able to deliver a killer presentation. I have some consulting clients who prepare the night before and then wonder why their presentation was a flop. Just because you know your info/topic, doesn’t mean you can just wing it (successfully). Map out your entire presentation and take time to add in interesting things into the PowerPoint (video clips, cartoons, pics, etc.). And know your flow and timing! 2. Don’t Read. I always present with a notes outline, but I don’t “read” it. I use it to refer to and I have my main “content” in my head. I had a client who actually put a majority of her content on her slides and then proceeded to pretty much read them for a one-hour seminar. Problems: Her back was to the audience a lot as she looked at the screen; the font size on her slides was TINY; and it was boring and distracting for the audience. I had asked her to send me her slide deck BEFORE the presentation and she didn’t. BIG mistake. Needless to say I helped her re-do the whole thing, and provided her with some basic training for her next seminar gig, and that one went MUCH better! 3. Smile. It makes people immediately feel at ease. NOT some toothy, fake smile; a nice, honest, pleasant smile. And smile a lot during your presentation. People will react warmly (most people) and you will build a nice rapport quickly. 4. If you get “I’m bored” signals from your audience, DO SOMETHING! Don’t just break a nervous sweat and continue babbling on. Ask a question! Take a break! Get more animated! Increase your energy level! Speak a little more loudly! Ask a trivia question and give a prize! This is why it is SO IMPORTANT to be “dialed-in” to your audience (even if it’s one person) instead of being “all about you” and your presentation. Every presentation you do is about THEM, not you. 5. Use humor. In Ed McMahon’s book, Superselling, he states (3) facts when it comes to sales:
His overall conclusion? You can be a more effective and successful presenter by using humor in your presentations. Do I mean become a stand-up comic? No. Do what is comfortable for you. But have some funny short stories or one-liners that pertain to the presentation…something! If you are not a naturally “witty, funny” person, this will take some work, but don’t panic! Simply consider hiring someone for a few hours to help you improve your presentation with some “fun” visuals (cartoons or video clips) or verbal communication. This person doesn’t have to be a comedy writer, but perhaps employees, friends, family, etc. A few simple, funny elements or comments can go a long way! The top sales trainers and presentation pros recommend it, so consider it! 6. Always let people know at the beginning of the presentations the steps you’ll be taking them through. Example: “Today we’re going to discuss 3 steps to help you build your brand. Each step will have an exercise that you’ll do as a group, and after each one we’ll have a discussion, followed by a 5-minute break. Then the last 30-minutes of the workshop will be for Q & A.” This is a good tactic to immediately establish “control” of the presentation (which you want) and to set audience expectations. 7. Create a Great Slide Deck: Studies done by major University’s have proven that people who use colorful, impressive visuals (don’t overdue it!) in their presentations are more likely to get favorable results. Don’t know how or don’t have the talent? Hire a graphic designer for a few hours to help you. For a minimal amount, you can have a great looking PPT presentation…that you can keep using! 8. Have all your electronic accessories prepared and tested. That may sound obvious but many people really blow it here. If you present using PowerPoint and will use your own laptop (and projector) make sure your computer is charged and that you have several extension cords of different lengths (for the computer AND projector). There have been many people who couldn’t do their presentations (effectively) because their computer wasn’t charged, or their laptop power cord(s) was too short to reach the outlets, or the cord was too short to run the projector. 5 BASIC Lifesavers:
Sound like a lot of stuff to carry? Well I’d rather show-up with a larger computer case on rollers (like a small travel bag) than a smaller briefcase without emergency resources. If you run into any of the issues mentioned above, your audience, and/or the client who hired you, will be VERY impressed by your preparedness…versus annoyed by your lack thereof. Okay! There are your 8 strategies to deliver a successful presentation…good luck and knock ’em dead! Cheers & Happy Marketing! Lisa 5 Ways to Use Video to Build Your Brand and Create ProductsSeptember 30th, 2010Hi All! I just posted my newest video on my YouTube Channel. In this video I share 5 quick tips on how you can use video, easily, to build awareness for your brand, blog, products, website, etc. I also share a great tip on how you can quickly and inexpensively create video products that you can sell on your blog or website to generate income online. And, in this vid, I also mention Kristi Hines (follow her on Twitter @Kikolani), social media expert an blogger, because some of the tips I share are from a blog post of hers. In that post she focused on “5 Types of Videos for Bloggers“, but I expanded on those with additional info to help you. Whether you’re a small business owner, solopreneur, speaker or author, you’ll find the tips helpful. And you’ll quickly see that creating promotional videos, how to videos, tutorials, or video products is VERY easily (you don’t need to be a video producer to create them!)…and they can be done (nicely) for free! Ok! I’ll keep this blog post short because the info you really need can be found in the video! Cheers & Happy Marketing! Lisa Free e-Book to Improve (or Start) Your Social Media EffortsSeptember 12th, 2010Hi All! Social Media Strategist, Chris Tompkins, CEO & Founder of Go! Media International, has written a very comprehensive “how to” e-book that clearly maps-out the steps and strategies you need to know to improve, or start, your social media marketing efforts. This is ideal for small business owners and solopreneurs! Here is a brief overview of what he covers in this terrific e-book, “Social Jump Start”: 1. How to create a clear picture of what your social media marketing environment will look like 2. What your “voice” and purpose is 3. Creating an organized marketing strategy 4. How to identify your target audience(s) and know what makes them tick 5. Determining your “schedule strategy” for your social media efforts 6. How to ethically interact online 7. And MUCH MORE! Plus, he concludes the e-book with his Top 30 suggestions on how to effectively get started. These quick-hit tips are also loaded with great strategies about effective copywriting, creating easy products to generate traffic and build your list, starting online groups, info about blog tours, and a ton more. Again, this e-book is FREE, so CLICK HERE to check it out. You’re not even required to provide your contact info to download it! The link takes you straight to the PDF. Even if you only learn ONE tip, it may be one that makes a big difference in your branding, sales and business building efforts! Cheers & Happy Marketing! Lisa
|
