We have all seen the news stories involving something happening at a local small business. Every news bulletin needs a “fluffy animal” story at the end and they all look hard to find one. Most small businesses can create an event that will capture the attention of news outlets to some degree. And let me stress here that local papers are the easiest to get on board and the most effective for local small businesses.

I remember in the 70′s there was a medium size business in Sydney called Dick Smith Electronics. Dick started as a small operation fixing radios and small electrical goods. He grew to a shop or two or three or more and was doing quite nicely as a medium sized business. In 1979 Evel Knievel had visited Australia to jump buses on his motor cycle. Dick Smith thought it might be fun to see how many motor cycles he could jump with a double Decker bus!

The story goes that he hired the Sydney Cricket ground for a day, lined up fifteen motorcycles, got an old Double Decker bus and lined up Hans Tholstrup, an adventurer of the day to drive it. At the last minute Dick decided to jump on board as conductor. In subsequent interviews some years later Dick has said the whole event cost around $1500 which even in 1980 wasn’t a huge amount. Needless to say it made every 6pm news service and became a part of the Dick Smith story.

He pulled a couple of other practical joke type stunts like floating an fake ice berg into Sydney Harbour and while everyone was enjoying his antics on the news and in the papers his business was growing and he sold it to Woolworths for a reported $20 million.

It’s no secret that generating publicity via online news release sites is good for business.

Continually educating the public and media about what’s happening with your businesses is, well, just good business.

My challenge to clients I work with is to not only submit news or press releases to both paid and free online sites, but to also follow up with any businesses or people who are also involved in your release.

Let me explain. When you craft an effective news release, it’s important to include relevant and timely topics about your business that tie in with other news. This means incorporating relevant information about businesses and organizations that are already well known or newsworthy.

Here is a very specific example. In November of 2006 I invested in a new program via Glazer – Kennedy Inner Circle. Bill Glazer created a certification program for copywriters called Creating Copy that Sells.

After speedy completion of the program and receipt of certification, I verified that I was the first professional copywriter in Idaho to complete the certification. Then, I drafted my news release. I submitted it online and I also let Glazer- Kennedy know what I was up to keeping in close contact and providing them with a copy of the release just in case they might need it for something in the future.

This communication with Glazer-Kennedy paid off. In July, they contacted me to confirm that it was okay to include my press release in a sales letter for the program that was mailed to the entire Glazer-Kennedy list.

Of course it was OK. In fact, it was better than OK! My name, business name and contact information was included and I have received several referrals from that. It truly is a win win situation for Glazer – Kennedy and me. They received free publicity for their program and in turn were able to include my information in sales material as an example of how to leverage certification.

My point is, don’t view your news releases as a one shot deal. Figure out ways to expand their shelf life and follow up. What are you waiting for? Press on with your news to help increase referral flow.

Oh, and it you want to read the original release and listen to a pod interview, click here.

Last night after a good meal and some pleasant family time I found myself with a spare and very rare hour to myself. As I debated between taking a nice aromatic bath or reading my backlog of industry newsletters, my thirst for knowledge won out.

For someone who has spent more than twenty years in marketing and client services, I never turn away the chance to find out more about direct marketing. It never ceases to amaze me how companies and advertisers are able to find new and unique marketing methods to directly market to both businesses and consumers. That is why spending time reading industry news is part of my daily job.

Industry articles, newsletters and whitepapers are wonderful tools. Anyone in business can benefit from reading them. Remaining stagnant with your industry knowledge only serves to allow your clients to look elsewhere for the help they need. And you would have only yourself to blame. You expect your doctor to constantly keep abreast of new and cutting edge procedures and medicines. Why not do the same yourself?

Recently I was reading a paper by Robert Bly entitled “Secrets of Successful Business to Business Direct Marketing”. He makes some interesting and thought provoking testaments thanks to his many years in marketing. In one section he expounds:

“The business buyer is an information seeker, constantly on the lookout for information and advice that can help the buyer do the job better, increase profits, or advance his career.”

I cannot disagree with that. Direct marketing business to business is very different from direct marketing business to consumer. Drip marketing is very effective when marketing to a business as most will purchase a product or service after a long period of research. Consumers however are impulse buyers and one offer is all they need to see before whipping out the credit card. Where we disagree however is when he states:

“Don’t be afraid to write long copy in mailers, ads, and fulfillment brochures. Prospects will read your message – if it is interesting, important, and relevant to their needs.”

Sorry Robert, but most purchasing agents and company owners that I have dealt with over the years are consumers at heart. They purchase needed materials and services the same way a consumer would: what gives me the best value for my money. Directly marketing to them with an overload of information will have them tossing that mailer in the trash or deleting your email with the click of a button.

Whether a company uses direct marketing to attract another business or a consumer, always make sure your advertising makes the recipient want to know more. Show them where they can find out by directing them to a website, opting in through an email or responding with a return reply card. THEN send your brochure or booklet full of information.

When using direct marketing to a business, always be professional, knowledgeable and concise. Grab the buyer’s attention and lure them into finding out more. Your bottom line will thank you for it.

There are many more pieces of information in Robert’s report that have me thinking. Direct marketing experts like him are a wealth of knowledge. I have many more articles yet to read too. Who knows what I might still learn. If I do I will be sure to share.

It doesn’t happen often but it seems that the worrying thought that a rogue postal worker hoarding all our parcels for themselves has made more UK parcel senders opt for the security and comfort of using a reliable parcel courier instead.

The most recent news story is that of a postal worker in Keighley, Yorkshire who was found to have stashed over 10,000 envelopes and parcels in his home, garage and even garden shed. The news is likely to make some people very concerned about parcels they have sent in the past as well as knocking their confidence for sending parcels in the future.

As well as parcels going missing the occasional postal workers strike can severely disrupt the flow and smooth running of the Royal Mail too, with the effect of just a few days of strike action being felt for up to a month or more afterward. These situations have made sending a parcel through the general mail service a bit risky and people sending items of high value are thinking again

It is no surprise then that familiar parcel delivery companies have made sure that their prices are now much more accessible to the individual as well as business customers as well as having a wide range of reassuring service features that make using a courier the safest as well as the most efficient choice.

All couriers tend to have their own mailing networks, these are not cluttered by the many millions of letters, parcels and junk mail that the regular mail service has to contend with and so your parcel can be delivered much quicker and less likely to go missing in the post. These courier networks often have their own airlines too; these jumbo jets can be used to send parcels around the world in incredibly short time frames.

In order to make sure your parcel gets to its destination you can be doubly sure with couriers as you will be given a unique tracking code that when entered on to the courier’s website you can get up to the minute updates on where your parcel is. This is because at every key point during your parcel’s journey it is scanned to ensure that it is always traceable.

So for your next parcel delivery, especially expensive or personal items, make sure you make the smart choice and send your parcel via a reputable courier company to ensure it arrives quickly and safely.

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In a time such as today’s when the world economies are still struggling to recover from the biggest economic recession in recent times, when stocks plummet without even a notice, no warning whatsoever, what to do? The hard times are here and when there seems no way out, just smarten up and take the road that’s tried and tested before, the road to personal financial investing. It is time to grow your money by leaps and bounds with trading currencies. Not that challenges will be lesser on this road, the major challenge will be the absence of an established business track record but not let that stop you. Utilize your past business financial information to start up with some capital loan. No bank or lending institution would lend you money if you lack personal financial information. While you begin with personal finance investing as a new venture, you would definitely not have cash flows or dividends information, or any financial statements enough to support you secure a loan.

And if you do not have any past personal finance news and information then do not panic as where there is a problem there are ample solutions too. In today’s digital age where everything is centralized around the vast Internet web, small business owners or beginners can enjoy endless advantages through the technology solution tools. You can trade online without even bothering to arrange loans for beginning with personal financial investing. Through the internet you can fill your kitty with all the necessary knowledge about the financial calculators and conduct your way through to the automated trading bot, impressive software that is exclusively designed to trade on your behalf leaving you to attend to various other things needed. And yes, you do not miss a single trading opportunity through the trading bot; but be careful not to make it a habit of relying on automated software for your activities as at the end it’s you who is responsible for any rise or fall in the business. So be determined and cautious, and the ‘win’ is yours.

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Delivering bad news, whether communicating up, down, or across the organization, is a difficult task. Two questions often come to mind on this dilemma:

(1) How to structure the bad news message and

(2) How to communicate the bad news.

How to Structure the Bad News Message

Answer the tough questions up front. The best way to structure a bad news message is to answer the tough questions up front. For example, if a manager must announce layoffs, he should answer his employees’ specific questions first rather than beat around the bush. The employees’ questions will likely be: How does this affect me? What is my severance package? When will this take place?

Be direct. Be honest, but be sensitive. Avoid language that attempts to evade responsibility or obscure the issue. In addition, speak in the active voice to show that you accept accountability. For example: “I have reviewed your request for a marketing assistant, but unfortunately I can’t squeeze any more out of the budget this year.”

Use clear language. Too often, unclear statements result in misunderstandings and misinterpretations. Rehearse what you need to say beforehand to prevent making any misleading or vague statements. Use straightforward sentences and language to convey the bad news.

Focus on what can be done. In the midst of a crisis, we often react negatively to the things we cannot control. Or we express what cannot be done. In a bad-news message, focus on the positive, on what can be done. For example, if talking with a customer about a delayed shipment, replace the negative language, “We cannot possibly fill your order by June 19,” with positive language, “We will be able to fill your order by June 30.”

How to Deliver the Bad News Message

Avoid e-mail. If you’ve ever opened an e-mail containing bad news, you may have sensed a lack of respect and empathy, if not blatant passive-aggression. No doubt, e-mail is a highly impersonal method of communicating bad news. Most people can better interpret and accept the bad news message when it is delivered in person.

Use one-to-one dialogue. Face-to-face communication allows for gestures and body language to help in conveying the tone and genuine expression of regret and concern. It also allows for interaction and feedback, and possibly greater acceptance of the bad news. If face-to-face interaction is not available, use the phone. Since the person you are talking to cannot read your body language or see your facial expressions, it is critical that you keep your voice energetic and your tone positive.

Listen. The recipients of the bad news will likely have questions and concerns. Show them that you understand their feelings by focusing on what they’re saying. Take notes, ask clarifying questions, and paraphrase their concerns. For example, say, “I hear you. I know this isn’t easy to accept.”

Be calm and composed. Pay close attention to your behavior and attitude when under stress. It is easy to become consumed with the reactions of others and resort to defensive behaviors. Maintain control and self-monitor your feelings, words, tone of voice, and body language.