Letter from Pam Lontos

1. Pam Lontos Column: Having a Great 2008!

Dear readers,

As many of you may know, I recently had a minor sinus surgery, which took me out of the office for a few days – in fact, more time than I had intended to spend away, especially with the holidays coming up. It made me think of how quickly time passes, in spite of how much we set off to achieve. It also made me reflect on what I want to accomplish, as we head into 2008.

The New Year is always an exciting time, but it’s easy to fall into the same patterns of negative self-talk, de-motivating actions, and bad habits that sabotage our goals. While I may not be an expert in all fields, I do have some practical advice for New Year’s resolutions that will help you pump up your business and turn yourself into a star in 2008!

1. Get out there!

No matter what area of business you are in, or what you want to accomplish with your career, set your goals for the year and then take actionable steps to get there. It doesn’t have to be great leaps; in fact, taking smaller, baby steps may help you realize that you CAN make it to your goal. Write a press release. Network with people in your industry. Create relationships with the reporters at your local newspaper. Watch the news so you can jump into current stories as an expert source. These are just a few small steps that can lead to big results!

2. Budget your time and money wisely.

Many people want to accomplish BIG things like writing a book, or boosting their speaking engagements. The problem is, they want these things to happen overnight! It often takes a lot of planning and hard work, so budget your time and resources accordingly. You don’t want to make it just halfway to your goal – you want to reach the summit! For example, if you want to boost speaking engagements, make sure you spend time researching the associations you would like to speak to. Or if your goal is to get your book published, you need to set aside some resources to find an agent, get the book edited, find a way to publish it, and publicize your efforts.

3. Don’t take “no” for an answer.

As a former salesperson and trainer, not taking “no” for an answer comes naturally to me, but for some people, it’s harder to take that kind of rejection. As Winston Churchill once said: “Success is going from failure to failure, without a loss of enthusiasm.” Remember that every “no” will lead to a “yes” – it just takes a little time, effort and enthusiasm. Stay positive about those “no’s” and learn from each experience.

Your business and career goals are only a few small steps away. Make the most of your efforts in 2008 and your business increase incrementally!

Pam Lontos is the president of PR/PR, a public relations firm that specializes in professional speakers, authors and experts. An author, speaker and former VP of Disney’s Shamrock Broadcasting, Pam knows the ropes of getting you good publicity and how to use it to boost your bookings or book sales. Call for a free consultation: 407-299-6128 or visit: www.prpr.net.

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2. Inspirational Quote for the Month:

Pick up any national magazine, flip through the pages, and count the number of short articles you see. They can include those little 3-inch fillers, short quizzes, 400-word “how-to” articles or resource boxes. Editors love them. And you can generate some fabulous publicity for yourself by writing them.

1. Because they are so short, editors often rely on them to “fill a hole” on the page.
2. Briefs help portray you as an expert in your field.
3. They appeal to readers with short attention spans and can be skimmed quickly.

4.  They’re easy to write. And you don’t need to submit a query letter to editors.

Simply snail-mail, fax or e-mail the copy.

5.  Unlike a story idea pitch, or a longer article you are submitting, you can usually submit briefs to editors at a variety of non-competing publications at the same time. Editors don’t expect exclusivity on these items and usually don’t care if they appear in other publications.

6.  You can promote yourself, or your product, service, cause or issue.

7.  Briefs are an excellent way to promote a new book, particularly if you are willing to give away free advice in the brief that ties into the book. You can include a web site URL or contact information where readers can buy from you.

4. Have a Need for Publicity?

PR/PR can help you with all of your publicity needs, from magazines and newspapers to television, radio and online media. If you want to sell more books, get more speaking engagements and be hired for more consulting jobs, you need publicity.

To receive a free consultation, please contact Pam Lontos, President of PR/PR:

407-299-6128 or email: pam@prpr.net.

Pam Lontos is the president of PR/PR, a public relations firm that specializes in professional speakers, authors and experts. An author, speaker and former VP of Disney’s Shamrock Broadcasting, Pam knows the ropes of getting you good publicity and how to use it to boost your bookings or book sales. Call for a free consultation: 407-299-6128 or visit: www.prpr.net.

Permission to reprint: You may reprint any items from “PR/PR Pulse” in your own print or electronic newsletter, but please include the following:

“Reprinted from ‘PR/PR Pulse,’ a free e-zine featuring tips and techniques for gaining publicity. To receive this e-zine, please send an email to newsletter@prpr.net with ‘Add Me’ in the subject line.”

If you like any of the advice from this e-zine, please pass this on to your friends, clients and colleagues.

We would love to hear from you! Please email your suggestions and/or questions about publicity to: newsletter@prpr.net.

PR/PR

President: Pam Lontos

775 S. Kirkman Road, Suite 104

Orlando, FL 32811

www.prpr.net

Phone: 407-299-6128

Fax: 407-299-2166

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