Talk It Up!

Not a nurse, but she plays one on TV! (or, YouTube)

Just because people often ask what it's like--what I actually do for a living. Mostly, I take 30 pages of script I received that morning, put on a lab coat and make it sound like I know what I'm talking about. Like this, a brief 30-second clip of a 40-minute video I shot for a client a few months ago:

But more fun was this highly medically techical part. I'm pleased to say I delivered it all with a straight face, every take:

It's almost like I'm a real nurse to whom you're not actually afraid to give your baby, isn't it? Seriously, one of the things I love about my job is everything I learn along the way. I not only learned how to feed, bathe and diaper a baby, but also what a normal temperature is and how to treat episiotomy scars. Crazy! Personally, I wish I had permission to send the entire 40-minute video to every new mother I know!

And the video producer was a star on this shoot. He was so professional that we shot through dozens of pages of script and didn't even go into overtime. Truly, he was a gem to work with.

Business card genius

Thanks to Julia O'Connor for turning me on to a super-creative idea for an interactive business card.

It's for a landscaping company and yes, the card really does grow... in the architecture specified on the card!

Does your card show what you do instead of just telling?

Video--final!

Thanks so much for all your comments! You all helped me tweak my video and make it just that much better! Thanks to you, the final version (edited for the web, with contact info) went up on YouTube this afternoon.

New Demo Video--first draft

Hey! Well, it's been a while. Been running around to a lot of shows and meeting people and clients in meet space, which is just a delight.

And I've been enjoying messing with iMovie. Wow! Where was this the last time I was creating a demo video? This used to take all day in an editing bay and bugging the video guys to finish it for me; now it's a morning on my iMac!

So I'd like your feedback. I've got it the way I think I like it, but I'm too close and could use more eyes looking at it. What do you think? Keep in mind the video is to promote me as a spokesperson. It should show that I'm energetic, warm, professional, intelligent and someone who could easily be seen and trusted as a sales rep for your company.

So, be brutal. How does Heidi Miller come across? What would you change?

Download HeidiMillerVideo.mov

Look at the shiny!

Check out this fun new video toy. After many emails back and forth with tech support to figure out why it wouldn't post to a Typepad blog (must skip the entering your email step), I finally got this fun little widget to work.

Go to Animoto.com, create a free account, choose 15 of your own photos, and click to either email or to post to your blog. I created a collage of some of my favorite clients and sent it to them. What would you use it for? How will you use this to shamelessly promote yourself?

Like my shots?

A lot of people admire my headshots--and I tell them that it's all the photographer who does such a great job of bringing out my personality and making them look like the best ME out there. Truly, if you don't have a photographer who understands bringing out your personality, your photos will indeed be crap!

So if you're considering new photos, my magician just let me know she'll be in Chicago shooting headshots from August 27th through August 31st. 300 images, makeup included, on-line proofs and photo CDs for $395. Contact Maia Rosenfeld at www.letsdoshots.com to book a time, and let her know Heidi Miller sent you! She is mucho talented; I've never seen her do anything other than rock-solid miracles!

Engagement in Twenty Seconds

How did you learn how to condense your work, product or new project into twenty seconds?

Guy Kawasaki wrote a fascinating post on all the things we had to unlearn or learn anew from our academic experiences. He has a point--most of us were taught to write five- to ten-page papers, not three bullet points or a twenty-second elevator speech (or my own favorite Two-Second Teaser Statement).

His post got me to wondering--is the college ten-page paper really responsible for all those bad PowerPoint presentations we've seen, with too much extraneous information crammed into them to make them look more informative than they actually are? Do most presenters write their talks the night before, like a college student, and hope that no one notices that it's really just one core idea that they are expounding on? Are we really taught to favor length over brevity in the academic world and then brevity over substance in the work world?

I'm not sure that I do agree. For one, college is first place many people begin to apply critical thinking skills and are actually encouraged to look at ideas/concepts/issues/questions in depth. I actually believe that many high school students could give a twenty-second statement but would be lost if they had to expound on that idea or (heaven forbid!) write ten pages about it, with proper documentation and information based on sources other than their own heads. I think that the purpose of the five- to ten-page paper is to teach people how to do more extensive research,  explore an idea more thoroughly and compile information in an organized format.

But I'm digressing a bit, because my favorite bit of Guy's post is here, under the "things most of us didn't learn in college" category:

How to explain something in thirty seconds. Unfortunately, many schools don’t have elevators or else students would know how to explain things in a thirty-second elevator pitch. Think mantra (three words), not mission statements (sixty words). Think time, not money, is the most important commodity. Think ahead, not on your feet. At the end of your thirty-second spiel, there should be an obvious answer to the question, “ So what?” If you can’t explain enough in thirty seconds to incite interest, you’re going to have a long, boring career.

Ah, yes! The merits of ten-page papers aside, this is definitely true. There is an art to the twenty-second statement, and it's vitally important that the statement not receive a shrug and a "so what?" after its delivery.

I've said it over and over--your twenty-second statement (following your two-second teaser, of course!) needs to be fun and engaging. The point is not to encapsulate your business; the point is to show who you are and to get the listener engaged and asking questions. When I was an actor, agents always recommended putting something fun at the end of the resume--something that would raise and eyebrow or garner a smile from a client sifting through dozens of photos and resumes. In my case, I added "hula-hoop champion" and "blood-curdling screams" to my CV, both of which I'm quite good at.

And it never fails--if there is ever a client holding my resume in his hand who says with a smile, "Now, I have a question... ," my immediate response is, "Well, yes, I can give your presentation while hula-hooping. But it'll cost you extra." :-)

And--zing!--there we have a connection. Now, what if the client doesn't appreciate your humor, you ask? Well, I don't tend to end up working with those clients. I believe strongly that one can be professional and still be authentic. My personality is ultimately professional but also perky and engaging; that's who I am. And if a prospect thinks that hula-hooping is too unseemly, then I probably am not the best fit to be a spokesperson for their organization, anyway. I don't have, as Guy says, "a long, boring career."

So have fun with your twenty-second. Be yourself. Be authentic. Have fun. Practice on a colleage and see if she starts asking you more questions or shrugs a "so what" back at you.

So... what have you done to craft a more engaging elevator speech?

Ask

While reading in Chris Brogan's blog, I ran across this little gem:

Ask- Are you sick of me telling you this? Ask ask ask. Reach out. Get in touch with people. Learn how to ask BETTER. Learn how to position your needs in such a way that someone else can truly help out. This has been VITAL to what I’m doing. That and understanding how to give people even a little value back for their contributions (even if that’s only in the form of link love).

One of the best things Bob Burg ever taught me was to ask and be able to answer this valuable networking question:

How do I know if someone I'm talking to would be a good lead for you?

Several benefits here. First, when you ASK this question, you'll almost always get a thoughtful pause. You got them thinking! You might also get, "Gee, that's a good question. No one has ever asked me that before!" And at the very least, more experienced networkers will admire your selflessness and devotion to their business. This is along the lines of giving first or Covey's "seek first to understand, then to be understood." To me, networking has always been much easier when I went in wanting to help others rather than, well, shamelessly promote myself. :-) And yet, they always reciprocated. So why not ask how you can help someone else out?

And second, when you ANSWER the question, you get that much closer to creating a passionate user for yourself. This goes with the whole idea of creating an army of brand ambassadors, of people who know what you do, how great you are, and, most importantly, whom you've trained to identify prospects for you. I mean, if you don't know who a good prospect is for you, then how will anyone else? To me, this is like creating your own, live networking keyword search. Keep it simple. Me, l tell networking buddies key words and phrases to listen for (in my case, things like "trade show," "presentation," "demonstration," "big booth") and job titles to notice ("marketing communications director" or "event coordinator"). That's it. That's enough to remember. Chances are they won't remember any more than that, anyway, so keep your keyword search simple.

And, as Chris says, ASK. Learn how to position your needs in such a way that someone else can truly help out. Make the connections as easy to make as, "I'm looking for size 7 purple Mary Jane's with a two-inch heel." Give your networking buddies specifics, and engage in constant conversation over their needs as well as your own.

And enjoy the shoes.

Ten Tips for Getting to the Top of Google

This is for Kris, who asked: Ten Tips for Getting to the Top of Google

(Thanks to Michael Pinto for taking the time to write this up!)

First, remember that there isn't any single easy way to make your website get to the top of a Google search. In fact there is an entire field known as "Search Engine Optimization" (also known as SEO) that is focused on helping people increase their rankings on Google and other search engines. But the thing to keep in mind is that this sort of work can be as much of an art as a science.

1. The first key to rising to the top is having as many other legit websites as possible
   link to your website. So if you can have your website listed in a trade directory or mentioned on a friends website that can help a great deal. And of course if you can get an online publication to write an article about your business and link to you - that helps a great deal as well.
2. Also note that if you have a very common name, it may be hard to get your name to the top of the Google list. So for example, if you're a "John Smith" there may be a dozen or so other folks out there who out rank you. A similar problem can be if a book author, sports figure or anybody famous shares your name.
3. A good away around this is to have a business with a unique name, or perhaps a business with your name in it, like "Heidi Miller Presents."
4. Every time that you speak at a meeting of an organization, ask them to add a link to your website. You can also write articles for websites and make sure that your credit links to your website.
5. If you sponsor some sort of charity event or donate services to a non-profit, ask if they will link to you on their website.
6. If you own multiple websites, link them to each other. So for example, I have my personal website, michaelpinto.com link to my business website, vm.com.
7. It also helps a search if your name or company name is part of the domain name itself. So if you own "johnsmith.com," you may go up a few places if there are dozens of other John Smiths.
8. Sometimes your clients might even be willing to link to you! I do web design, so when I can I always ask for a credit on my client's website. If you're doing a special project for a client, ask if they might mention you in a press release on their website.
9. Avoid creating fake websites to link to your website. Google views this as a fraud (also known as "link spamming"). I'd also cast a skeptical eye at any service that promises to get your website into online directories. The one exception to this is Yahoo!, which will allow you to pay to be listed in their directory. Just know that this will cost you about $300 a year.
10. Last but Not Least: But what if you're John Smith and the name of your company is "John Smith and Sons"? If worst comes to worst, think about buying ad space on Google (known as Google AdWords). For as little as $100 you can get started, and if you pick a term that isn't that well known (like your actual name) it's a good, low-budget way to make sure that someone can find you.
    
    

Eight Tips for Relationship Building

This new client for NPE is unusual in one respect. I didn’t have to sell them on the idea of using a speaker in their booth; they have always used speakers for their live demonstrations. So of course, the question on my mind was, “Why aren’t you using the speaker from you last show?” After all, most clients don’t bother to shop around year after year once they’ve found a face, voice and personality that they feel appropriately reflects their company message; they tend to use the same presenter each time.

Maybe it’s my fabulous marketing materials? My bouncy hair? My scintillating wit and personality? Maybe the other presenter disappointed in some way? Maybe they couldn’t live without a presenter who was also a podcaster?

So at dinner last night, I asked the client, hoping for some marketing insight.

“Oh, we couldn’t find her,” was the reply. The show only occurs every three years, and they’d lost her info. A Google search on her name didn’t turn her up, so they had no way of locating her. So they started a new Google search for “trade show presenter” instead and ended up finding me.

Now, her loss is my gain, but what a lesson learned for us self-promoters!

It constantly amazes me that most people in my line of work don’t bother to keep in touch with their clients  over the months or years, but rather wait to be called. Many don’t even send so much as a thank-you note after a show, a Christmas card, or a catch-up email every six months. NOTHING.

So here are eight simple tips for relationship-building for shameless self-promoters so that your client doesn’t end up calling me (or whomever your competition is) instead of you:

1. Send a handwritten thank-you note after every show/gig/big order. No one does this any more, and you’ll really stand out.
2. Send a thank-you gift to first-time clients to let them know you appreciate their confidence in hiring you. (I always send a personalized gift basket from BasketWorks--try it and tell Lise I sent you)
3. Produce an email newsletter, blog and/or podcast to keep in touch.
4. Call clients every six months just because you’re thinking of them. (Awwww!)
5. Send clients a holiday card (preferably with your photo on it!) or, better yet, a card at a random time of year for a non-traditional holiday, like the Fourth of July or the like.
6. Send your best clients holiday gifts, even if they are just small tokens of your appreciation.
7. If you have the chance, refer business, products or just good people to know to your clients.
8. And for goodness’ sake, call your web designer and make sure your site turns up in the very first page of Google results!

Google rankings

It is a proud, proud day here at Heidi Miller Presentations. I've been waiting for this day for a long time.

And now it's here.

Today, a Google search for "heidi miller" turns up my website as the first result! Yes, that's finally above Heidi Miller, the realtor in Las Vegas, Heidi Miller, the CEO of J.P. Morgan, and even Heidi Miller, the adult film actress.

Not that I'm a Google- or Technorati-rankings junkie, mind you; I've been through rehab for my Obsessive Podcast Stats Disorder at Lee Hopkins' Podcast Institute and feeling much better, thank you very much! But it does go to show that adding a blog to your website and taking some time to write about the subjects that you are most passionate about can make a huge difference in your rankings. No need to hide "Britney Spears" in the white of your site to up your rankings; just start writing about things that you care about, whether that be customer service, podcast marketing, public speaking, or knitting, and let the conversation flow.

The two-second statement

You know what hasn't been mentioned here in a while?

The two-second statement!

Amy Gahran has been working to hone her own "elevator speech" regarding what blogging and conversational media actually is into an easy, engaging conversation-starter for her clients. Read about her process in this entry from her Right Conversation blog. She says,

Before I can explain anything about conversational media, I need to help people put themselves in that picture. I need for them to feel connected to, not removed from, a new concept. That means focusing on the familiar elements.

First, a point of differentiation. An "elevator speech" is more of a 20-second story, so named because 20 seconds is the approximate amount of time between floors during an elevator ride. The two-second  statement, however, is actually a short statement (five to eight words)  of a single benefit for the listener. For example, "I help people create and manage wealth," "I return phone calls," or "I wrangle geeks so you don't have to."

And yes, the idea EXACTLY of the two-second statement (or in her case, the two-second definition) is to engage the listener and get the person to, as she says, "put themselves in the picture." The idea is to draw in the listener somehow--through humor, irony, a clever juxtaposition, a buzzword, or a thought-provoking phrase--and get her to start asking questions about you, your idea and your product or service.

What Networking Isn't

Ah, that genius Bob Burg has done it again.

Diving into the first chapter of the new, improved Endless Referrals: Network Your Everyday Contacts into Sales, I read this:

The term networking is most often thought of as what happens when someone hands his business card to everyone with whom he comes into contact. The often agressive shoving of said business card into said contact's face is many times followed by, "Gimme a call--I'll cut you a deal," or "If you ever need to buy a whichamahoozie, give me a call."

That is not networking. That is hard-selling, which is the antithesis of networking.

And then:

We are not dependent on each other; we are not independent of each other; we are all interdependent with each other.

This is especially true in the blogosphere and the podosphere. While I'm the rare one who actually does feel comfortable gabbing away at real-life networking events, I've been truly amazed at the networking opportunities that blogs and podcasts have opened up.

I've had the chance to read the writings of marketing experts (and some downright techie geeks!) that I would not have been privy to otherwise. I've had "conversations" via comments to blogs and podcasts that gave insights on issues I would never have been aware of otherwise. I've Skyped marketing experts across the world and picked their brains for valuable advice, which led me to write seminars and advance my own business in ways that would not have happened otherwise.

At the moment, the podosphere is still a network of mostly-unpaid, passionate amateurs. Each podcasters or blogger has a drive, a passion, a message and a voice. Perhaps that's why the community is so... well, networked. Bob Burg defines "networking" as "the cultivating of mutually-beneficial, give-and-take, win-win relationships."

This is exactly what bloggers and podcasters seem to be creating--a community where folks help each other with intelligent comments, shoutouts, helpful links and tips, and where anyone who is out of line or who publishes misinformation will be respectfully taken to task. As I explain to clients, podcasting isn't a zero-sum game. If another podcaster has listeners, she doesn't have to lose them in order for you to gain listeners.

In much the same way, I've always believed that relationships should be "mutually beneficial" and "win-win." That is, if a client finds a speaker or spokesperson who would represent his company more appropriately than I could, it is my firm belief that he should hire that person. If the client isn't winning and benefiting from the relationship, then the relationship should definitely change.

So no, networking isn't about shoving business cards around. It's about creating a mutually-beneficial community of people who know, like and trust you and whom you know, like and trust.

Bullets for Buying a Business

A special thanks out to Greg Balanko-Dickson, who got so much out of Mark Mariotti's interview that he created a bullet-point cheat sheet for it here on his own blog. Thanks for condensing Mark's great message into such succint bullets, and Mark, I think you're dead-on with wanting to begin teaching business courses. Heck, you already are!

Websites and Babylon 5

Saturday night, I found myself at dinner at my favorite Thai restaurant with a new couple. The husband was a movie buff in the midst of writing both a screenplay and his thesis on cult films, so the discussion turned to the topic of what makes something a cult classic.

"Hmmm," I pondered, turning his previous words over in my mind, "... so what makes a TV show a cult classic?"

"Like what?" he asked.

"Well, like Babylon 5, an incredibly well-written show which survived in large part due to an overwhelmingly loyal underground fan base."

"Babylon 5 isn't a cult classic; it's just a Star Trek ripoff piece of crap."

Now, in addition to making an enemy for life, he had a very weak point. His argument was that the special effects in the show were low-quality; therefore, the entire show was "crap." My point was that the writing, the character development and the story arc are widely recognized as superior and the main reasons that the show garnered such a fan base.

OK, this entry really isn't about just how geeky I am.Really, I'm getting to the point; I swear!

Consider our views with respect to constructing a website or a blog. What makes a website or blog popular or just blah? What keeps people clicking back to a site or subscribing to the RSS? Is it the graphics, the bells and whistles, the nice colors--the special effects? Or is it the content, the quality and relevance of the writing?

Obviously, if a website or blog looks amateurish, the content would have to be stellar (no pun intended) to bring repeat visits or subscriptions. As I was listening to the great-sounding Aussies on The Marketer's podcast this week, the message came across loud and clear: don't spend a lot of money for fancy graphics and features on your first site. Get the content down and add the bells and whistles later as budget and customer demand permit. If the site has an OK design but well-written, relevant content, it will flourish. In short, as long as the graphics are passable and the site is maneuverable, content is king.

So, my respectful apologies to my dinner companion's opinion, but it looks like when it comes to websites and blogs, Bablyon 5 beats the most recent Star Wars movies.