Media Tactics

Frank Furness

Have you ever worked on a project that seems to take forever? At the beginning of this year I recorded a triple CD with on Media tactics with Michael Dodd and have only now released the final product. I guess part of it was my travelling and Michaels schedule, he lectures all over the world on media as well as at Westminster University and has a regular slot on Sky TV. Although Michael lives in London, he is from Australia and sadly he had to report on the Ashes Cricket tour that England won.
The first time I had a TV appearance, I had no idea what to expect, was terrified and decided immediately that I needed media training. I joined Michael’s programme and was amazed at how the media can either glorify or crucify you. I also realised the importance of media knowledge in business and how this can enhance your company, brand and increase profits (I love that phrase).
Here are some tips that I learned from Michael:
For Print Interviews:
• Find out what the angle is that the journalist is pursuing.
Ensure that the reporter understands your points
Provide good ‘quotes’, this is what reporters look for
Remember, nothing is ‘off the record’
TV and Radio
Have a key message prepared
Have 3 key points to discuss
Have a headline to sum up your most important point
Sound confident and in control, especially in the first 10 seconds
Use stories as examples
Mix emotions and fact
Be warm and human, you are the star of the show
Never use one word answers
Finally
Be as honest as you can with the interviewer
Speak authentically
Relax and have a good time
No one-word answers – ever
Think detail, think colour, think story
Take a listen to a cut from our Triple CD Resource ‘Media Tactics’

Frank Furness CSP CFP is a professional speaker and trainer specialising in sales and sales management. He has educated, entertained and inspired audiences in 42 countries. His publications and sales CDs have been sold globally. For more information or to sign up for the free ‘Sales Tips & Ideas’ newsletter, email frank@frankfurness.com or telephone+ 44 (0) 870 240 6505. www.frankfurness.comNOTE: You're welcome to "reprint" this article online as long as it remains complete and unaltered (including the "about the author" info at the end), and you send a copy of your reprint to frank@frankfurness.com Take a look at other articles, free software and e-Books at http://www.frankfurness.com/Download 39 Power Sales Closing Scripts at http://www.frankfurness.com/closingscripts.cfm

Technology - Get your website indexed in 24 hours

Frank Furness

So, how do you get your website indexed within 24 hours?
Go to Google and enter the broadest keyword you can think of that's related to your website. Once you've done this, you'll see a list of Google results.
Browse through each website and pay particular attention to the Google Page Rank of the website.
Note: Google Page Rank is measured by the number of websites and the "importance" of those websites that link to your website. In general, the more websites that link to your website, the higher your Page Rank will be.
Note: Here's a quick definition of Page Rank. Page Rank is Google's way of giving a specific value to how popular your website is. It is based on the number of "votes" other websites cast for your website. A "vote" is simply when another website places a link on their website that is pointing to your website. Generally, the more "votes" or links you have pointing to your website, the higher your Page Rank (PR) will be. Page Rank is 1 of the many factors that Google takes into account when ranking websites.
In order to see your own Google Page Rank, as well as others, you must have the Google Toolbar installed on your computer.
• As you're looking at these top ranked websites, you should try to find websites with a Page Rank of 6 or higher.
• Once you've found several websites like this, you should check and see whether or not they have links pages. Usually you'll see links from their index page that says (resources, links, related sites, etc.) Now, you need to search their website for their contact information
• Once you find their contact information you should send them an email asking if they will link to your website in return for you linking back to their website. If you do this correctly and professionally, they will respond and will place a link on their website to yours.
If you can manage to get 1 PR6 website to link to your website, you will be indexed by Google in under 3 days. If you can get 1 PR7 website to link to you, then you will be in Google's index in under 24 hours!
This month I have an incredible give away, the 90 page Ebook 'Search Engine Optimisation Made Easy' by Brad Callenn'. It doesn't matter what business you're in, this is a 'must read'.
Free Ebook 'Search Engine Optimisation Made Easy

Frank Furness CSP CFP is a professional speaker and trainer specialising in sales and sales management. He has educated, entertained and inspired audiences in 42 countries. His publications and sales CDs have been sold globally. For more information or to sign up for the free ‘Sales Tips & Ideas’ newsletter, email frank@frankfurness.com or telephone+ 44 (0) 870 240 6505. www.frankfurness.comNOTE: You're welcome to "reprint" this article online as long as it remains complete and unaltered (including the "about the author" info at the end), and you send a copy of your reprint to frank@frankfurness.com Take a look at other articles, free software and e-Books at http://www.frankfurness.com/Download 39 Power Sales Closing Scripts at http://www.frankfurness.com/closingscripts.cfm

Inspired Leadership

Frank Furness

Recently I was fortunate enough to be invited to speak at a conference for Cobra Beer. This is the third time I have spoken for them and it is one that I look forward to each year as they are one of the greatest teams I have worked with. (Another reason is that when I arrive home my trunk is filled with beers and wine).
I love seeing great leadership in action and certainly one of the finest leaders I have ever seen is Karan Bilimoria, CEO of Cobra Beer. Last year he was the UK Businessman of the year and presently he is in line for Entrepreneur of the year. He ‘addressed the troops’ and had them and me mesmerised with his talk. His philosophy with Cobra is to be different, better and open to new markets.
Just think about that with your business, looking at your competitors: how can you be different, better and open new markets. Karan also told a story of how his father told him that if he was ever asked to do something, to do it with enthusiasm, passion and then do a little more. Do something extra, something that was not asked of him. He has also has the motto ‘never give up, never ever give up’. I left there totally inspired as was everyone else in the company. If you are running any type of organisation, always be inspiring your people and making them believe in themselves.
The way you treat your staff is the way they will treat your customers. In the photograph you can see one of Cobra’s new beers, ‘King Cobra’. It is the smoothest beer I have tasted and comes in a gorgeous champagne sized bottle.
Take a listen to an interview with Karan which is also available on my goal setting resource package ‘It’s all about you’.
Listen to an interview on Leadership with Karan Bilimoria

Frank Furness CSP CFP is a professional speaker and trainer specialising in sales and sales management. He has educated, entertained and inspired audiences in 42 countries. His publications and sales CDs have been sold globally. For more information or to sign up for the free ‘Sales Tips & Ideas’ newsletter, email frank@frankfurness.com or telephone+ 44 (0) 870 240 6505. www.frankfurness.comNOTE: You're welcome to "reprint" this article online as long as it remains complete and unaltered (including the "about the author" info at the end), and you send a copy of your reprint to frank@frankfurness.com Take a look at other articles, free software and e-Books at http://www.frankfurness.com/
Download 39 Power Sales Closing Scripts at http://www.frankfurness.com/closingscripts.cfm

Prospecting for new business

Frank Furness

Wherever I speak in the World, one of the areas that sparks most interest is where and how to find new clients and prospect for new business. In the next few issues I will be addressing many ideas and techniques on how to find new business. Whether you are in sales, speaking, training, coaching and have a large or small business, you need to analyse where your new business is being found and how much activity and effort is being channeled into this area. If you are not constantly marketing, prospecting and introducing new clients, your business will be going backwards.
There are so many areas of finding new business: cold and warm calling, referrals, social and business networking, the internet, exhibitions, speaking engagements (most of my conference speaking engagements now come from speaking to decision makers groups), periodicals and magazines, centres of influence, observation and marketing yourself. Right now, take a pen and paper and make a list of where you can prospect more.
Let’s start with warm and cold calling. To me cold calling on the telephone is still as daunting now as it was 25 years ago, but it is the price I have to pay for not doing all the other activities and having a diary with gaps. The only difference now is that if the occasion ever now arises for me to make those cold calls, I do so with passion because I know they will result in engagements or sales. Most of the time these are as a result of obtaining referrals and this makes calling so much easier. On my sales programmes I tell people to phone when their energy levels are highest, but the truth is that I will phone anytime of the day now because I have the confidence and attitude that the call will have a positive result.
If you face a phoning session with a bad attitude and body language, you are throwing away potential new clients. All great sports people warm up before they start; we need to do the same in phoning. Make your first couple of calls to existing clients who you have a great relationship with. This will do three things: keep you in touch, put you in a positive frame of mind and warm up your voice. Have an objective for every call: is it to sell an appointment, or to follow up with a prospect. If you try to start selling your product or service over the phone, you will meet with many objections. If this is totally a cold call, they don’t know you, might not trust you and may dislike a pushy person on the other side of the phone. You need to develop rapport, trust and credibility and I find that this can be done far more easily when I am face to face with a prospective client. All I try to do on the phone is sell the appointment.
I was fortunate enough early in my career to hear possibly the best speaker on telephone technique in the world. Many of you may now own his books as Alan and Barbara Pease are best selling authors. After hearing Alan speaking 20 years ago, I bought his telephone programme and my ratios and sales increased dramatically. Alan has analysed the exact words and the psychology of the call and this resulted in him making 954 appointments out of 1,000 cold calls, pretty impressive!! His script for overcoming objections helped me to use only this technique and even now I use it to overcome any objection. Over the years I met Alan and got to know him and Barbara and have asked him a big favour for all my subscribers.
Click here to order 'How to make appointments by telephone

Customer Service and sales - the vital connection

Frank Furness

I'm always on the lookout for good and bad service wherever I speak in the world. For me the best service is experienced in Asia, the Middle East and the USA. With great service, your sales increase and your clients become your biggest source of advertising.
I speak in Dubai at least twice a year and the service and hotels are always superb. Last year I decided to take Candice for a two week vacation in Dubai and we stayed at the 'Le Royal Meridien Beach Resort and Spa.' We had booked on a bed and breakfast basis and were planning to spend around $100 at different restaurants in Dubai each evening.
When we checked in we were told that all our evening meals were included (underpromising and overdelivering) and we could eat at any of the 8 restaurants, one of which had just won an award for being the best steakhouse in Dubai. The restaurants were so good that we ate all our dinners in the hotel and spent our $100 budget on great wines, cocktails and liqueurs each night. Where do you think the hotel makes the most profit, of course, alcohol.
All the staff knew our names within hours and it was a memorable experience where we were pampered and treated to outstanding customer service. I met with the manager who had turned this into one of the best hotels in the group and she shared her plan of action. All the points covered are just as relevant in your business. See how many would apply to your business
The action plan:
Treat everyone as an individual
Remember names
Customer first, tasks second
Fun focus on everyday things
Commitment to excellence scheme
Teambuilding for staff
I have shared this story with thousands of people around the world in my talks and I know it has generated many bookings for the hotel. You see, having had a brilliant experience, I am now a walking, talking advert for the hotel. Are your clients doing the same for you?
Le Royal Meridien Beach Resort and Spa