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35 Powerful Image-Building Techniques
By Forrest Wallace Cato

What do people consider, when they evaluate whether or not to use your services?

First you have to make them notice you!

Until they notice you, they cannot consider anything about you. You must get their attention, before they will think about what you can do for them.

Media exposures in your marketing area are all that people have to go on before meeting you. Without positive media exposures, they have no awareness of you. Thus they have no reason to consider how you can help them, or why they should meet with you, or how you can help solve their problems, or believe you can help them, etc.

Define Your Desired Prospects. Where do they live and work? What do they read, see or listen to? What are their educational, social and occupational characteristics? This will help you decide which your best media sources are!

Influence Your Desired Prospects. Your media exposures are the only clues about what is unique or special about you. The professional they decide to seek out, or even talk with, will be the recognized (in their local media) professional who has a track record of successful exposure.

Establish Yourself As the Expert. Daily you compete with professionals who have been more skilled at marketing their service - those who have the media working for them! If you are doing little to create, establish, and maintain your desired image within your target markets, then you can expect to not be the most sought after for new business relationships.

Knowing prospects will all gravitate to the perceived winner and leader. Even "unknowing" prospects prefer the better known professional. The only sources of information for these people, other than personal referrals, are your media exposures. Media exposures are proven to stimulate personal referrals from your existing clients.

Proven Tools to Gain Media Exposure

The following list is meant to stimulate your thinking from the point-of-view of a media advocate who is promoting your service. As you consider which items are appropriate (practical and affordable) for your marketing efforts, you are actually formulating your media advocacy plans.

1.       Press Kit (Fact File Folder)

2.       Speeches You've Delivered

3.       Power Point Presentations

4.       Presentation Reprints

5.       Articles You've Written

6.       Print Mention Montages

7.       Posters (from prior events)

8.       Displays

9.       Exhibits

10.  Information Brochures

11.  Manuals

12.  Annual Reports

13.  Newsletters

14.  House Organ publications

15.  News Conferences

16.  Press Releases

17.  Meeting Agendas and Brochures

18.  Benefits Events

19.  Direct Mail Pieces

20.  Premiums

21.  Conventions, Meetings, Gatherings

22.  Community Programs

23.  Public Service Projects

24.  Contents of Educational Programs

25.  Awards You've Received

26.  Proclamations Featuring You

27.  Personal Appearances

28.  Hand Out Pieces You've Used

29.  "Leave Behind" Information Sheets

30.  Telethon Participation (PBS, etc.)

31.  Parade Floats

32.  Bulletin Board Notices

33.  Sales Letters

34.  Telephone Calls

35.  Personal Media Visits

You Have to Get Started. You may not know which of these tools can help create the most impact and make more money for you. But if you don't start assembling some of them, you know that positive results will be achieved only by your competitors.

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