Lessons

Lesson Info

Cultivating Press, Fans and Clients

So I want to talk a little bit about the elements of a press release because how you approach the press is similar to how you approach prospects, you know it's again it's a numbers game. This is also in your action plan. So if you have acquired the course it's number thirty four. So these are the elements of a press release. But every every press release really needs to be tailored to the media outlet. You don't just have one piece of news that goes out to everyone, because obviously the people who read fortune magazine are different from the people who read people magazine, right? So it has to be in context again the rule it's not about you it's about them make it about them, and then it will be about you. So you have to think well, what's in it for this media outlet. How are they? How is this story going to benefit them? Well, their readership take keen interest in it or their viewers will they be interested in it? And it's? Not a fit for everyone. I'll give you a little story about ...

because we like stories here I'll give you a little story about fortune magazine, so one of my collectors in chicago is an attorney. She she referred me to a writer at fortune magazine and the the writer loved my story thought it was really wonderful thought it was a great fit for the peace that she was assigned to write and then what happened was she said, oh, I forgot to ask you I have to ask you this one question and so what's that and she said, well, you have to be fifty or older in order for me to write this did on you and I like her oh damn, I should have lied and I didn't well, I'm not but you should do the piece anyway and the reason why she said that she couldn't do it was because it's in a section and fortune magazine called life after work so most people become artist after a career you know, a long career and so she just I think she may be she just assumed that I had cashed out my four oh one k and that's why I was painting like no, I wasnt gonna know I'm not waiting waiting so she said, oh, I'm so sorry it's an ironclad rule and I said, well, you know what? I think you should do it anyway and she said, well, my editor said told me it's a rule and I said, well, I think you should I'm gonna send you the press release and I think you should go talk to your editor and um, you know, I still think it's a good fit for this segment because you don't have to wait till after work to do what you love that's what I think so I was like, you know, we'll see if that works ten minutes later she emailed me back and she said you're in way change the rule so is persistent that meant more what's the moral of the story you know, I knew it was a good fit, but I still had to be persistent and I wasn't you know, I was polite, but I was very clear I want to be in fortune magazine on what that and then they did it it was a good fit, it was newsworthy to that particular segment so not just the media, right? But it had to fit within that segment, right? They have different I wasn't obviously I'm not on the cover of fortune yet, but you know, it was a fit for that segment. I've heard this this wisdom and I think it may be good it may not because really a lot of the lot of the press or opportunities I've had have just come from this referral like we're just us talking face to face but if you have to send a press release, this is a good time to send it tuesday through wednesday before ten quotes put some quotes in there I have wayne tebow is quote about me, I use it shamelessly over and over again. Andreas fabulous and here's why wayne tebow set at or or whatever could be another person's quote, the appropriate no appropriate quote and headline is obviously very important what's in the subject of the e mails very important, but again, you could get an opportunity to get some press just because someone introduced you, you typically that's what happens and it's really tempting to want to sell and to sort of describe your unique value proposition and you can't it's not a commercial, you actually have to have interesting story to tell it's going to be of interest to their readership. So avoid that temptation. I I had to train my had to hold myself back when I would write press releases, and I wrote my own press releases that couldn't afford a publicist or a pr agent. They're very expensive. Um, I heard someone actually it david nick turns a class where I think he was a musician and he basically created a second persona who was his assistant? I'm sorry, but and can't take your call right now. Hey, do what you have to dio I think it's a really cool idea because you could actually create this whole persona. I've been out not recently but I have been asked to record phone messages for friends to pretend I'm like their butler theo a couple times I wouldn't do it now but they like to proceed because they specifically wanted to create this image of themselves for a business reason I wouldn't do it just for the hell of it and I have done it yeah it's not a bad idea it sounds really silly no it's actually what's really interesting about that is when I first started my business my friend michelle she is british and she used to do voiceover she's from manchester though and she took all these elocution courses to rid herself of the northern accent so she could sound like you and then she because you'd all these mercedes benz voiceover commercials and she actually I did my first answering machine that answering message because I wanted to sound posh I used to love rachel hunter wasn't used to do the landmark theatres but she couldn't decide if she was american or british so she always a landmark theater yeah thank you away it does it definitely gives it away does anyone had any press here they're poking around for press fernan that's impressed what was that what was the recent press uh a couple years ago I had a blogger right up for a show that I put on s o but he he did a pretty thorough right up of the shows that was cool but that was through a gallery that was helping me put on the show that's the best advertising I mean that's why it's key why pay for advertising right wei have powerful stories to tell we have interesting stories to tell that's what they're interested in so just think of this think of that you know you have you have something to offer to them you have something of value to them toe offer them they're always looking for stories you just have to hit a lot of it's just timing and who you know really but um okay so because you have a little bit you can I mean this could die if we could do to day workshop on this it's just the awareness that this is one of the ways that you can get the word out to your tribe is through press um the other way is to cultivate a in studio event acquire, you know, face time with people client cultivation events he's a really powerful because it gives you even mohr immediate access to your fans you can perform ceremony I mean vernon ceremony is that gospel sing along that's really? His ceremony that he prefer performs at his tribal meetings right cheryl, your ceremony is the trunk show and that's the ceremony that you perform at your tribal meetings right? Does that make sense so let's throw it out there? I'm you know, do you have do give it? Did you have client cultivation events or anything like that? Studio events? Well, actually, I'm in the process of building a new studio. We will see that's one of my goals for I mean it's being built right now as I know you're okay? So huge studio and yeah, so that's why? My goal is to have a place where people can come my collector's past collectors, current collectors, potential collectors, friends so you're you're actually building a teepee, then building a team that you build it, they will come. And what do you plan it? Okay, so let's, explore this a bit further. What are you gonna do? We got him got gathered around. What? You gonna dio what ceremonies were going to perform? Well, I'm an independent artist, so I don't rely on galleries to market a represent my work and congratulations. Thank you on so my goal hater to the gallery scene I'm just telling you it's a take strength yeah, and it's a great way to have the freedom rights were talking about earlier. Yeah, and so my intention is to have a space where I can show my work I don't have to rely right now I shall make my work around the cities and different opportunities to show my work all accept but I need a place that if somebody wanted to come next week I want them to be able to come see my collection altogether demonstrate my process I plan on doing some video blog's about my process about even just time all the inspiration behind my work and while I'm creating this like cheryl did with yeah doing some interviews of my collectors why did you how did you find me what attracted you to my work involving them in the process because sometimes for first time collectors or for people who aren't seasoned collectors it can be an intimidating process right? And I think that'll allow other people to relate to them and therefore unique about them right about them not you very good you're definitely getting it so yeah yeah so and you're gathering your tribe you know people like to hang out with people I mean, why don't we go to a movie you could sit next to someone who's chewing with your mouth open you know, like you have risk this or someone who might be talking about we want to go see the movie in the theater because we get to do it together. So if it's a funny movie, we're gonna laugh mohr than if you're watching at home in your living room or if it's you know if it's a sad movie you get all cry together you know there's just something about that we're we're social animals, and we don't forget that we tend to forget that because as artists, we spend a lot of time in isolation, we forget that this is a very connected the opportunity to when you make art and inspire people so that's brilliant. I think you're building your own teepee sounds like you've got a t p of hyah, magnitude and being under kind of constructions that's fantastic, and I think you'll also just recognize the value of having people together is one of my programs is called art, wine and appreciation, and what I do is I actually my corporate sponsors do this, and I sotheby's was the last one we did were trying to sell a house really what we were doing, but the way they're going to sell houses if they celebrate their relationships. So my hosts are given this agenda, their intimate groups there like a like a tradition of the salon, so they're small groups the host actually goes around the room and thanks or acknowledges each person who's in attendance appreciates them publicly. So now that creates an atmosphere of gratitude. So I've kicked off the whole art and wine appreciation and atmosphere of gratitude because everyone's been publicly recognized and thanked, and we don't get thanked enough. Whose name you can't thank someone enough, especially if you do it in a heartfelt and specific way. So that was my strategy I want to start with I'm gonna start this with a good vibe and then what happens is we pair one wine with one painting you sip the wine, learn a little bit about the wine and then I deconstruct a painting for you and teach you how that painting came to be. Now here's my stealth strategy you have one glass of wine you looked at one painting, then you get another glass of wine, you gotta look at another one of my painting. So, um, you know, it's interesting how what happens really it's about them know it's about helping sponsors who like like my first republic bank or wells fargo? They sort of bankers are not necessarily all that creative in general, they're looking for a meaningful ways to connect with their clients, they're looking for things that are a bit out of the box, and this provides that for them same with the four season. So it's just they're always looking for content or for program. So if you could do something it's engaging and really actually, um, help people connect it's another way in to get in front of collectors that I've used so publix, you know, public speaking or just just you know, I mean around the idea that you know, just go forever and it's free you don't really have to do much and I mean I get paid to do it so get paid to make people look at my painting a little bit because gene's been asking can you just expand aboutthe how the four seasons is a win win for you you know what? What is your role in what are you getting? Is it about publicity it's about yeah yeah they have ah met they have their own magazine and they have their own tv channel and I'll be in both so it's basically a giant commercial for me on the video was that something you asked for? Something they made? I already had a video produced with a filmmaker actually filmmaker who I coached did my videos on my website and so I asked them to use my promotional materials that you made that like a requirement of your dilemma is asking about that is I made it a requirement yeah, they would use my promotional material yeah and they have to actually if you go to the four seasons lobby in silicon valley, you'll see a tv monitor that's actually playing my videos it was one of the stupid woman yeah ok, yeah, we'll check that out yeah so um because it had to be a win win I wasn't going to decorate their lobby right, right. I don't think so. All right. So who is this? Does this give you some ideas of different ways to cultivate clients who has some ideas what's what's popped up in your head what could you d'oh what could you do it or um I could speak at an adoption conference okay? And you could show your images in the background of course you're not just gonna speak you're gonna have them on display, right? Right and tell a story I mean, if you just if you just got up and told a story of one person's journey while you showed the images too actually, um illustrate that journey either be even more compelling speaking presentation a compelling keynote speech, right? And what do you doing underneath that you're selling your services they're getting to witness and feel your services. So one of the reasons I came up with that blue ocean strategy for you was I was in a class with you and I saw that you took picture notes right on that. What was that? What was that you were using and your ipad? Oh, penultimate penultimate. So you know it's like how you kind of take note life really I mean, that's what I saw of you and I think just even those sketches could be really interesting so you mean the reason I came up with this idea that everyone knows about ancestry dot com well, interest it's, you know, very, very popular and for good reason we want to know where we come from, who we are, where we come from, who are people and it's really it's really? Um, it's really important remember I shared with you that I want to go visit my cousin in oxford and I was walking down the street and what I grew up in outside of cleveland, ohio and I really wanted to be an italian catholic girl with black curly hair and a tan a good tan but it wasn't and remember this memory of being in oxford and looking around at the people and I thought I look like them that's this is my tribe and I really had a moment there thes air the people who drink a lot of tea and their food's not that good, it has improved, it has improved. Yes. So it is really in eight and yeah, that could be an amazing event could you could you could see you speaking all over the place about this, about your journey and inspiring people and you get paid to do it. You get paid to speak about it from dawn me and dawn is saying I'm assuming this is an issue for her what what if you are a really shy introvert? Do you have a different uh suggestion for how to approach this I think that if you focus on connecting most introverts are ok connecting with people one on one they're just fine I want to be an instructor at creative life um and that's ok really? The connection one on one is the most powerful connection and you know so yeah she's not going to be doing what vernon does it's in singing in front of people that's fine that's not it that's okay yes and I just want to say that I would classify myself as an extremely shy introvert and I think that those air skills that can be learned and you have to put yourself out of your comfort zone even doing this speaking right now is frightening, frightening walking into a networking event full of two hundred high net worth business people where I don't know anybody but being a kn artist in that crowd is one of my biggest fears but it's something that I had to do and I've done now a few times and it's getting easier it's getting easier so there's hope there's hope for everybody well, you know I use the analogy of you know that well, so someone got the medal of courage right? Someone get the medal of courage jane got the medal of courage because it takes a lot of courage not just to be an artist but also to be an entrepreneur takes a lot of courage so that's what? My words just fine you know fear feel the fear and do it anyway those are my words of advice I mean there's nothing to fear except fear itself exactly yeah fear is largely andalucian trust me way are going to take our first fifteen minute break now but when we talk about when we get back more about selling more about elements perhaps I'm talking more about selling we're going to do some role playing we're gonna pretend it sell each other were actually just going to have conversations with one another but I'm gonna give you a structure to do it looking forward to that it's just about some really powerful comments thank you as always for sharing your thoughts with us came here saying the homework that and gave us last night pulled so many of my heartstrings it was like an was talking right to me thank you, kimmy and katy k saying I realized my greatest joy came from my greatest pain it is so refreshing to see how it all integrates tau together thank you katie petition oregon this has only happened to me once before watching creative life but I suddenly don't feel so isolated I found my people my tribe honest speaking, my language and it's so welcome well that's very welcome from you, patricia thank you very much