Talk It Up!

How to become a PR laughingstock

When Ocean Marketing's Paul Christoforo went off on a PS3 customer via email, he probably thought no one else would ever read his boastful, bullying and highly misspelled rant. As a lesson to customer service and PR pros everywhere, he was wrong.

In a PR debacle that must be heightening schadenfreude everywhere, undoubtedly PR pros and customer service aficionados are saying, "Our service may not be that great, but at least we're not Christoforo at Ocean Marketing." If there were a PR blooper reel entitled How to Frak Up Your PR Career, this guy would be all over it.

The kerfuffle began blandly enough, with a customer Dave emailing Paul Christoforo at Ocean Marketing to determine if his pre-ordered and fully pre-paid PS3 controllers would be shipped in early December as promised. However, at Christoforo's first cryptic response of "december 17" and following messages, it became clear that not only would Dave not be receiving his pre-paid order by Christmas, but Ocean Marketing would not be handling the query with aplomb. Christoforo tore into Dave in response to his questions:

so put on your big boy hat and wait it out like everyone else. The benefit is a token of our appreaciation for everyone no one is special including you or any first time buyer . Feel free to cancel we need the units were back ordered 11,000 units so your 2 will be gone fast. Maybe I’ll put them on eBay for 150.00 myself. Have a good day Dan.

The email dialogue escalated, with Christoforo telling Dave off:

You just got told bitch … welcome to the real internet check kotaku in 2 weeks when they are reviewing free PS3 Avengers we send them as well as G4 and all the other majors hell yeah , don’t forget to check Amazon, gamestop.com, play n trade , Myers , Frys and a ton of other local stores coming your way you think you speak for billions son your just a kid you speak for yourself no one cares what you think that’s why were growing and moving 20-50 thousand controllers a month. We do value our customers but sometimes we get children like you we just have to put you in the corner with your im stupid hat on. See you at CES , E3 , Pax East ….? Oh wait you have to ask mom and pa dukes your not an industry professional and you have no money on snap you just got told.

At this point, Dave had already forwarded the email conversation to Mike Krahulik of Penny Arcade, who got involved, saying "Dave, if this guy has a booth at Pax east we will cancel it." Christoforo's response to Krahulik (also the producer of PAX) was, predictably and yet incredibly, still more posturing and bullying threats:

Were in 6 countries and you’re not going to take my money for a booth that’s a crock I can guarantee I’ll get a booth if I want one money buys a lot and connections go even further.  He’s a native Bostonian from Little Italy . Who are you again ? [Note: he's writing the organizer of the PAX conference]

I’ll see space where ever I want , with who I want when I want and where I want so many ways around you and so many connections in this industry its silly. Anyway , I have no issue with you Sean Buckley Engadget, Scott Lowe IGN and the list goes on and on. Little kids unhappy with a PRE ORDER starting trouble and you email that to us , he’s a customer unless you’re his boyfriend then you should side with the company not the customer. Be Careful

Christoforo would have done well to take his own advice. Every name he dropped (including Kotaku and IGN) has disavowed him, and David Kotkin, the inventor of the controller that Dave originally ordered, has publicly fired Christoforo and Ocean Marketing: “We apologize for our poor representation from Ocean Marketing. We wanted to give Paul a chance. He was rough around the edges, but he had drive and enthusiasm. However his behavior was unprovoked, unnecessary, and unforgivable. We are no longer represented by Ocean Marketing.”

Not surprisingly, Christoforo did not show wisdom or restraint in response to IGN's public disavowal:

The Examiner has an excellent timeline of the kerfuffle, which is still unfolding. In spite of half-hearted apologies Christoforo ended up making to both Dave and Krahulik, he continues to spew braggadocio from his public Twitter account (since changed to @OceanStratagy), rising to the bait that his detractors throw at him. Christoforo's take all along seems to be that he is important and well-connected and therefore under no obligation to treat end users with any level of respect. He is out making these big deals, so anyone who disagrees with him is a nobody. Um... except every name he's dropped has dropped him. The Examiner concludes:

Regardless of how savvy or connected one thinks they may be, the internet has a way of leveraging enough fury to shatter even the most foolproof business plan - even if that plan seems centered on defrauding customers of their pre-purchased products and then being a complete asshat about it when failing to deliver.

I don't know about you, but I'm wondering if there is any defense for Christoforo's actions. The initial email exchange could be written off as having a bad day and presumably a lack of education regarding grammar, punctuation and basic communication skills. But to stick to one's guns, even after the entire Internet, gaming blogs, gaming conference organizers, and his own cited sales connections have gone against one is a little crazy. What could he be thinking? He told Gamerfront that his job "isn’t really to deal with individual customers like Dave, but rather to strike deals with companies like GameStop and BestBuy. Those companies are buying his wares, so he 'doesn’t care about anyone else.' Why? Because as long as his products are on store shelves, people will buy them." 

That may be true, but they won't buy you. Your reputation is all you have, because no one is buying the bluster any more.

Even after insincere apologies to Krahulik at Penny Arcade/PAX, Christoforo just doesn't seem to get that he did anything wrong. After begging Krahulik to "make it [the Internet] stop," Christoforo pulls out his wife and newborn as a reason for his actions--a dirty and unconvincing tactic. I have to agree with Krahulik's assessment of the situation:

I think there is a big difference between being sorry and being sorry you got caught. I have a real problem with bullies. I spent my childhood moving from school to school and I got made fun of everyplace I landed. I feel like Paul is a bully and maybe that’s why I have no sympathy here. Someday every bully meets and even bigger bully and maybe that’s me in this case.

It's not just you; it's public opinion in general. Sometimes, putting a bully's idiotic actions in the spotlight is exactly what needs to be done.

Update 12:20 PM 12-28-11: There is now a meme based on Christoforo

Update 12:26 PM 12-28-11: In response to a query from Joel Johnson, editorial director of Kotaku, Brandon Leidel, director of marketing at Avenger Controller, wrote:

Hi Joel,

I have been following this story since this morning when someone notified me about what was going on. I did not write that response to you.

Yes, in the past I received email at [email protected] but even then we were an outsourced marketing agency for N-Control. I no longer receive email at that address because we fired N-Control as a client about 8 months ago due to constant shipping delays (which we had to deal with) and their association with Paul Cristoforo who is a street thug masquerading as a self proclaimed "Marketing Professional". This guy is a complete fool and somehow strong armed his way into working with the company so we walked away. I am not surprised in the slightest bit by what's going on right now. In fact, we told the owners of the company on many occasions that this would eventually happen.

I wasn't going to chime in but since he is replying as me, I can't resist. I personally can't stand him.

Brandon

_____________________________________________________________________

Brandon Leidel - CEO, Director of Operations
The HAND Media, Inc.

Update 1:35 PM 12-28-11: Geico riffs on the kerfuffle, turning the PR laughingstock to their own PR advantage (via Twitter, of course). Now this is how to have a sense of humor via social media. PR folks, take note.

Update 1:41 PM 12-28-11: Now Cheezburger has its own dedicated Paul the PR Guy site. Seriously.

Update 4:37 PM 12-29-11: I wrote a follow up to this post at Spoken Communications from the customer service point of view with suggestions as to how to chose a marketing/customer service rep to avoid big fails like this one.

Update 9:51 AM 1-2-12: Christoforo is still at it and still doesn't seem to understand that no, NOT all publicity is good publicity. He's taken to holding N-Control's social media and internet sites hostage, trying to extort a settlement from the company's new (and far more ethical) PR rep, Moisés Chiullan.

SMB Seattle Podcast Ep. 9: Creating Amazing WOM

Tweet

What is the intersection of offline and online when it comes to word of mouth? Where do the two connect?

This week, before Saul Colt's formal Social Media Breakfast presentation (plug: Tuesday, January 25th 7:30 a.m. at the Microsoft Store in Bellevue Square Mall Shandwick; register here), I sat down with Colt for a fun and informational chat on his take on word of mouth in the digital age.

SMB Podcast #9: How to Create Amazing WOM

Show Notes

1:20 What the "Head of Magic" and Idea Integration does

7:05 Real-world applications of integration online and offline WOM; reference Beck Carroll's Customers Rock blog; the best reason not to do things the way everyone else does things is that most people aren't successful

16:20 What is missing from most campaigns is fun

19:20 How to generate word of mouth using mustard

22:50 Social media predictions for trends in 2011--this is the year customer service will rule

Find Saul Colt on Twitter, his blog or the Freshbooks blog. For more free Social Media Breakfast Seattle podcasts, visit the SMB Seattle LibSyn page.

Managing your brand: how to set up a Google Alert

The number one question after today's wonderful social media panel at the Women in Nuclear conference was this: how do I set up a Google Alert?

The first step in any social media effort is listening. And if you're creating a social media presence online, whether that be for yourself (your personal brand) or for your entity or organization, your first move is to be aware of the conversations that are already happening around that topic.

So let's start with the easiest and most obvious monitoring: what are people saying about you as a person?

I believe firmly that absolutely everyone, from the CEO down to the receptionist, should be aware of her image online. And monitoring is the key to awareness. As personal branding guru Dan Schwabel Twittered recently, "Your first impression isn't a handshake anymore. It's your online presence." How many of you have researched someone you have a first meeting with by Googling him? It's a best practice for both personal and professional connection. And more than half of employers Google potential employees. Even if you're not looking for a job, it's smart to know what your connections will find when they Google you.

How to set up a Google Alert in five easy steps:

1. Go to www.google.com/blogsearch and enter your name surrounded by quotation marks into the search box and hit Search Blogs.



2. In the left hand side bar, under Subscribe, click Blogs Alerts.



3. Under Type, choose Everything. This will return not only blog mentions but Web results and mentions on social networking sites as well.


4. Under How Often, choose Once a Day (unless you want to receive several emails a day).
5. Under Deliver To, enter your email address. Click Create Alert.



For a preview of today's mentions, Google now offers a handy-dandy Preview Results box, so you can see the top five results for today.



And that's it! Now you're monitoring your online presence. Check your email inbox and scan daily to see mentions. And while you're at it, you might want to choose a few topics you'd like to track. For example, for Spoken Communications, I have Google Alerts set up for "contact center," "call center," "IVR," "customer experience," "customer service" and a few others. They provide a wealth of content useful for researching and creating blog posts and informative tidbits to post to our Twitter stream.

Questions?

Shameless self-promotion: Rules for the Repeat Tweet

 How often should you repeat Tweet your own content?

Twitter has exploded with spam and shameful self-promoters, all hawking their goods and deals with nary a word of conversation exchanged. How much value is really to be gained with Tweets offering widgets on sale until 4:00 today? Or by offering new followers a chance to win a free iPad?

Self-promotion doesn't have to be shameful. It can be shameless, in the sense that marketers can use social media in a way that doesn't make them feel dirty and selfish at the end of the day. Self-promotion has always begun with listening and giving first, and social media channels such as Twitter are no different.

General rules for repeat Twittering one's own content:

1. Always listen first. Find people and brands you find interesting and compelling and track their conversations. See how brands connect with fans and followers and note what types of posts spawn the most compelling engagement.
2. Twitter other people's content at least eight times as often as your own. I know I read this on Chris Brogan's site a while back, and, damn his prolific content creation, I haven't been able to find it since. But you don't need to read the post to know Chris practices what he preaches: even with the zillion things he does every day, the ration of Chris' self-promotion to the promotion he generously gives to other people and brands is far in excess of eight to one.
3. Schedule repeat self-promotional Tweets three times over 48 hours. I got this idea from Guy Kawasaki, who admitted to scheduling a Tweet three times over a few days. Despite some debate on the topic, I agree with the practice for a few reasons. First, I know it's shocking, but not everyone is glued to your Twitter stream 24 hours a day. Some people only check in the morning; some check in the evening; some at lunch. Second, it gives you a good chance to revise and split test the wording of the Tweet and see which wording gets the best response, which will in turn help you craft more compelling and succinct Tweets in the future.
4. Tweet the good stuff. It should go without saying--and yet, it doesn't. Make sure your content is your best, most engaging, most passion-driven stuff. Don't post a link to a YouTube video you thought was funny and Tweet it three times. Make sure that what you're promoting shamelessly is worthy of your Twitter following. Is it something they need to know? Will it make them think? Will it inspire them? Will it make them laugh? Will it outrage them? Make it good.
5. Don't mention everyone involved for every repeat Tweet. If you are, say, repeat Twittering a link to a video in which four of your Twitter friends appear, don't mention their names within each repeat Tweet. Once is enough. Otherwise, you risk clogging up their @ stream and a wrathful unfollow.

That being said, what is your take on repeat Tweeting your own content?

DSSP #112: How to be a Trust Agent

Show Notes for Diary of a Shameless Self-Promoter #112: How to be a Trust Agent

Coming up on this week's show: a chat with Julien Smith, co-author of Trust Agents, on how to participate and reach out in the social age.

Direct download is here.

00:00 Introduction

Welcome to DSSP! Send comments to OUR COMMENT EMAIL: [email protected], call 206-209-0806 and be sure to check the Talk It Up! blog. Sounders are graciously provided by BuzzCutzAudio.com. If you're interested in podcasting, check out all the free resources at www.podcastingprincess.com.

Interview: Julien Smith of Trust Agents

• one of us: become part of a group
• find the Agent Zero
• evergreen philosophies, not tactics
•  trust agents, tipping points, long tails
• make your own game
• lead the pack

Listener questions:

 
A: Differentiate yourself by doing something no one else does. (e.g. quotes)

Kenji_Onozawa: Q: What was the aha! moment for the book?

A: Met Sashi from Network Solutions at SOBCon 2008 and were impressed by his just showing up and not trying to sell; what do people like him do to succeed. And at the bar, "trust agent" was born.

A: Poutine.

Kenji_Onozawa: Q: Any negative/surprising feedback?

A: Universally positive so far.

Wrap-up

Why not recommend Diary to a friend? Send the link via email and spread the word! Visit us at Blubrry.com; email Heidi at [email protected] and don't forget to visit the show blog, Talk It Up! during the week, for articles and updates. Thanks for listening!

No, no, no, no, NO

The other night, a young, attractive woman handed me a beautifully-designed business card in bold shades of red and black, promoting her new website. She had a charming smile as she handed her card to everyone in the group, saying, "we're trying to grow our audience."

No, no, no, no, NO.

After a few seconds of her explaining how she and her partner were trying to "grow their audience," I asked what the site was about--what the content might be of the videos she was promoting.

"We're showcasing our work."

Uh-huh. And I would be interested in that work because... ?

She went on to explain how they wanted to encourage the audience to create their own responses, get involved as fans--it all sounded great--but fans of what? And WHY?

"Content is king" isn't just a cheesy saying, folks; it's the rule to live by in our current age of social media. We can get great content almost anywhere for free--so what is compelling about yours? Why would I want to go to your site instead of the thousands out there that provide the same or better content in an easy format? You have to give me a reason not to throw your business card in the trash can on my way out the door. Give me something, some motivation to check in out later. Tell me what's in it for me.

And keep in mind that only your very dearest friends really care about helping you grow your audience. The rest of us want to know what's in it for us--why should we spend time on your site? What would we say when we Twitter it, blog it or mention it on a podcast? When we Digg or StumbleUpon it, what descriptors would we use in our recommendation? In short, why is your content different and compelling?

Don't tell me what you want; you seem nice, but I don't really know you enough to care about what you want. Instead, tell me what benefit your site has for me and my friends. What can it do for me? Entertain me in a way that only you can? Engage me in a story I won't want to leave? Provide me with a service that will save me time and money? I can't help you unless you tell me how to become first a raving fan and then a brand ambassador for you.

When people ask what I do, I say, "I help people build passionate communities online." (Thank you, Erich Viege, for the push to use that benefit statement more broadly!) If they ask for more informaiton, I'll continue with, "I show companies and not-for-profits how to use blogs, podcasts, Twitter, wikis, Facebook, Seesmic and other social media tools to engage both customers and critics in an interactive, online community." If they don't seem interested, I skip that statement and get curious about what they do and how I might be able to help them with an introduction, a connection or advice. Frankly, at most events, I end up hearing others' benefit statements far more often than I give mine. And that's as it should be--I believe strongly in going into things with the attitude of "what can I do for you?" rather than "how many business cards/leads can I get?"

Ick. No, no, no, no, NO.

If you're going to ask for traffic to your site outright, at least make it the beginning of an engaged conversation. How about, "Hey, well, my partner and I have this new site, and we're not sure how to promote it. We think it's cool; it's all about X, Y and Z. If you have time, I'd love it if you could take a look and tell me if you have any advice on how we could improve it."

Asking for advice is cool. Asking for hits isn't.

Thoughts?

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.