Luck is the result of being ready for an opportunity when the opportunity presents itself. Luck often strikes when we are unprepared, thus giving truth to the statement Opportunity Knocks Once. If you’re not ready to respond to that blow, you miss it and the opportunity comes to someone else’s door.
One of my secrets to the success of my clients is my media book. Most entrepreneurs have a strong creative spirit and feel that they have too many areas of expertise and lack focus. This is actually not true. Focus is critical, don’t get me wrong and what you need is the right focus at the right time.
For example, I have a number of clients who have 2 different worlds in which they excel. Lynnette Thredgold is a master violinist. She is also a former wrestler aka The Phantom and a former world class bodybuilder. She is passionate about both worlds, although it is not natural for both of them to exist together when looking for musical concerts or personal appearances. How do we resolve this separation of church and state? By creating two separate and distinct biographies in my media book with appropriate images.
When I get a lead for a body sculpting item, I use the Phantom’s biography and pictures. If an article with an emphasis on music follows, I’m good to go. So what is my media book? A Word document containing images and biographies for each area of expertise of my clients. I can copy and paste into Outlook and the reporter or journalist can see my client and her background without going anywhere else.
Journalists are very busy people and often have a bad reputation for being difficult to contact. It’s your job to make sure they have the information they need to make a quick decision. Putting yourself in his shoes, you might want to check out his bio and see if he passes a journalist’s test:
1. Does this person have the answers to my questions?
2. Does this person have the experience I need for my story?
3. Do they have the credentials and experience to keep you from looking like a fool?
My media book contains a biography that highlights my clients’ specific experience in each field of interest, some recognizable media experience and credentials. Then I add a sentence or two indicating how they have the answers that match the story being written. When a lead lands in my email, I can copy and paste a response, a picture, and a backup of my clients’ credentials within the first few minutes of the lead leaving. This ensures that my proposal will be one of the first received and since journalists generally work with a deadline, timing is everything.
It’s easy to create your own biography list. Create your document in Word, insert your photo in a very short biography. State your name, what you’ve done (think credentials here), not a long to-do list, and a short statement of what you’re doing today that shows you know your field. Continue to create a separate bio for each area of expertise you have.
Here is my short biography that I am adapting for media requests:
Maureen O’Crean, MBA, is an international business strategist and CEO of Maureen O’Crean Consulting. An award-winning Internet consultant, her work has been featured on Good Morning America, Entrepreneur Magazine, Cosmopolitan, Grace Magazine, radio, and newspapers. She is a Harvard graduate who is the co-author of I Am Diva, Every Woman’s Guide to Outrageous Living (Warner Books), and the editor of http://www.distinctivelydiva.com, an international online community of over 18,000 women. Maureen works with people to make dreams come true by focusing on her results with her exclusive media program, www.mymediamatch.com My Media Match. Her clients include #1 New York Times bestselling author of Simple Abundance, Sarah Ban Breathnach (12-time Oprah guest), Colgate-Palmolive. Her media clients reach millions of readers through placements in Entrepreneur Magazine, Star 98.7, The London Observer, Hooters Magazine, EDGE publications, radio, newspapers, trade magazines and more.
As you can see, in 133 words, I can present my success story. For women’s editions and magazines, I include my book and my online community. For general business articles, I add a statement about my clients’ successes and measurable results. Try it, you can too. When opportunity knocks, and it will if you keep pursuing your passions, you’ll answer the door with a smile.