Marketing buzz 1/03: getting interviewed on the radio; selling based on the love

Entrepreneur, Jan, 2003 by Nichole L. Torres, Karen Axelton

Stay Tuned

Being interviewed on one of the more than 10,000 radio stations in the United States can be your chance to get your message out to thousands of consumers. The key is to tell radio producers something they don't already know, says Betty Hoeffner, president of Hoeffner PR Group Ltd. in Chicago, who specializes in media training and has gotten clients on radio programs nationwide. "You won't get airtime talking about your great auto repair shop. Instead, try pitching '10 easy ways to keep your car from overheating in the summer.' "

To find specific radio producers, try Bacon's (www.bacons.com), Burrelle's (www.burrelles.com) or eNewsRelease.com. When pitching, don't send full press kits; grab producers in the first two sentences of a brief, compelling cover letter.

Once you land the interview, practice, practice, practice. Listen to other radio interviews to get the Q&A format down. Always answer the interviewer's questions and don't say your company name 20 times. You may even be invited back.

Visit the SBA Women's Business Center) for more details on how to prepare for a radio interview. Also, try How to Handle Media Interviews (Mercury Books) by Andrew Boyd.

Show Me Love

Stop listening. Don't trust research. And never mind what clients say they want--instead, ask "What would people love?" That's a taste of the advice Harry Beckwith offers in What Clients Love (Warner Books).

The author of Selling the Invisible argues that consumers are bombarded with so much advertising that they tune it out. Instead, they make purchasing decisions based on a few criteria: Is your company competent? Trustworthy? Most important, lovable?

What Clients Love is packed with ideas on how to earn that love. Beckwith offers a provocative take on topics such as branding and customer service. You'll find out why prospects who say yes are really saying no; why it doesn't matter if 96 percent of potential clients hate your product; and what the movie Pretty Woman can teach you about wooing clients.

Written in short sections, the book is ideal for even the busiest business owners to dip into at any free moment. Read one section a day as a daily "marketing inspiration." The only problem: What Clients Love is so interesting, you won't be able to put it down.

Contact Source

* Hoeffner PR Group Ltd. hoeffnerprgroup@aol.com