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Finding Your Ideal Client

November 7, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Nearly every client I have says  their perfect client is “everyone” because “I can help everyone” or “My book can help everyone.”

That might be wonderful but it is bad business. You can’t afford to market to “everyone.” And “everyone” doesn’t want you. They want to work with someone who specializes in “them,” not in everyone.

That’s why I was delighted when I signed a new coaching client who works with lawyers who are in a certain transition point in their careers and must make career and life choices. How cool is that!

If you are still struggling to find the perfect client – and we all suffer from this because we really do want to help as many people as possible – I suggest you use three guidelines which I created and hereby trademark as “Dan Janal’s Rules For Finding the Ideal Client.”

  1. Pay you. Yes, you could help the world, but executive women have more money to spend on coaches than women who are at the beginning of their careers – unless that’s the market you want to help.
  2. Understand each other. You work with them because you’ve been there, done that and proven it. They know that you know. And you know what they need to know.
  3. Get excited about working with them. All clients’ problems being equal, wouldn’t you want to work with someone you click with, someone who you really like and who really likes you? Shouldn’t business – and coaching – be fun? You can probably tell me horror stories about bad outcomes when you hated going to work or working with certain people. Didn’t we start our businesses so we  could avoid that?

If you ask yourself those three questions, you might just find your ideal client.

Then you’ll know what to write about in articles, press releases, blogs and tweets. You’ll know how to position your website and your marketing material. Your audience will find you. At least that’s what happened when I realized I needed to focus on my ideal client.

If you think I could help coach you to find your ideal client, send me an email or go to http://www.PublicityLeadstoProfits.com . I’m available for one-time coaching as well as longer-term coaching that is personalized to meet your needs.

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: coach, commentary, thought leadership

Publicity Expert Dan Janal to Speak about SEO and Press Releases at Conference

April 1, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Publicity consultant Dan Janal will share his latest research findings on how to optimize media releases so they appear higher on search engines at the Friday Wrap Conference in Las Vegas on May 9, 2011.

The conference is sponsored by Alan Weiss, president of Summit Consulting Group and is open only to members of the Friday Wrap community. For information, go to http://www.summitconsulting.com/

“I’m going to share my latest research on how to rise to the top of the search engines by writing news releases. I’m going to show, in depth, how to do keyword analysis with Google AdWords so press releases, articles and blogs have a better chance of appearing on the front page of Google,” said Janal, president and founder of PR LEADS Guaranteed Press Releases at http://www.PressReleaseSender.com

The results are stunningly surprising. For example, no one searches for “professional speaker.” The most searches are for “motivational business speaker” and “inspirational business speaker.” Lots of other cool things like “media releases” are searched for more than “press releases.” Those kinds of word choice decisions happen all the time. I’ll demo this with 1 or 2 hot seat audience members. It will cause many “aha” moments.”

Dan’s company offers guaranteed distribution in more than 40 top business publication web sites so you get the visibility and credibility you need to sell your services and attract new clients. Through his advice and guidance, his clients have been featured in nearly every major newspaper and magazine including the New York Times, Forbes, Fox Business and the Wall Street Journal.

About Dan Janal

Dan Janal is president and founder of PR LEADS PLUS, a public relations agency that helps small businesses, authors and coaches get the publicity they need to make more sales.

USA Today called Dan “a true cyberspace pioneer” because he wrote one of the first three books ever written about Internet marketing way back in 1994.

The Los Angeles Times called Dan “an internet marketing expert” because he consulted with companies like IBM, American Express and the Reader’s Digest.

Dan has been an in-demand speaker who has lectured everywhere from Beijing to Budapest, as well as across the U.S., Canada, Mexico and Brazil. He’s even taught at Berkeley and Stanford.

Dan has written six books for John Wiley & Sons and those books have been translated into six languages. He’s working on a new book about how to use the Internet for referrals so you can get new business. Dan believes that publicity and marketing should be about getting results.

Dan brings more than 25 years of public relations experience and expertise to you today. He was on the PR team that launched AOL. He was also involved in the launch of the CD-ROM player, GPS technology and the beginnings of the personal computer revolution.

Dan is one of the most respected teachers in public relations today and is one of the key thought leaders in this field because he was also an award-winning newspaper reporter and editor who interviewed President Gerald Ford and First Lady Barbara Bush.

Filed Under: coach, conference, publicity

Marketing Helps Defeat the Recession

April 26, 2010 By Leave a Comment

This month, we had a large number of alumni clients re-start their PR LEADS subscriptions. While we’ve always gotten new clients during this recession, and we  always had a few alumni resume, this month clearly showed a great trend.

Why? Many reasons, internal and external, with lessons that will help you grow your businesses:

1. This newsletter. I started this a few weeks ago after no having any consistent communication with my clients. Why did I stop writing the newsletter several years ago? Maybe I got lazy. Maybe I got complacent. Both are not good attributes. Perhaps just putting my name in front of people reminded people that they should get back on board. Maybe you should do some kind of communication with your clients.
2. The economy is improving. Stock market is up. Consumer confidence is up. GM is repaying loans faster than anyone thought possible. Home buying is up. Sure there are rough spots out there and the new economy has changed some business models, but things are definitely looking up.
3. Market consistently. There’s always a new gimmick and people grab at it. But 100 years of research has shown that doing the right things consistently always works if you keep on doing them, day after day, month after month. So do your PR, write articles, do webinars, teleseminars and speeches; and stay in touch with your  clients, prospects and alums, and get referrals. It all works.
4. Competition. Sure, we’ve all had competitors enter our space in the past two years. Looks like people have tried the rest and are coming back to the best. Remember that quality always wins in the end. Continue to offer great service to your clients and they’ll stick with you.
5. Marketing. I’ve started writing more articles, appearing on more teleseminars, webinars and Internet radio shows as well as offering helpful advice on Linked In, Facebook and Twitter. The result is that many people who sign up for PR LEADS put “web” or “Google” or “Internet” as the referral source. Online marketing actually works. Try it.
6. Listening to great advice from Alan Weiss, Mark LeBlanc and Christian Mickelsen. When you pay for great coaching, you are investing in yourself.
7. Law of Attraction. ‘Nuff said.

I’m sure the answer lies in all these factors and probably a few more that I’m too blind to see. So hang in there. Good times are coming!

Filed Under: article marketing, book marketing, book publicity, coach, free publicity, internet marketing, Marketing, press releases

It’s time to do a competitive audit to see how your marketing stands up

March 22, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Chances are you don’t have a clue as to how your site compares to your competitors. Now would be a good time to find out.

Here’s how to do a competitive marketing audit:

Go to  compete.com to find out how many people are visiting your site, month by month. It’s free!

2. Type in the URLs of your competitors and see how you stack up against them. You’ll see numbers and graphs that show the comparison for several competitors that you designate.

3. Look at the keywords used to reach your site and their sites. You might want to put those keywords onto your site so you can get more visitors. See what works and copy it.

Go beyond compete.com to find great keywords to attract more visitors. Use a keyword tracking tool to find out what keywords people search for when they look to find someone like you. Google Ad Words has one. So does Keywordtracker.com Google is free and you’ll need to set up an account which is easy to do. Keywordtracker.com  has a time-limited version for free.

Go back to compete.com to see what the top sites  are doing–and what you aren’t doing– to rank high. Then edit your site to match what works.

6. Work with a marketing coach to help you get more visibility.  I have openings for three new clients. Email me if you are interested and we’ll set up a no-risk phone appointment to see if this would be a good fit.

Dan Janal
Your Fearless PR LEADER
www.prleadsplus.com
dan@prleads.com
9 52-380-1554

Filed Under: branding, coach, Marketing

Branding Like Lady Gaga

March 15, 2010 By Leave a Comment

The music world is going goo goo over Lady Gaga. She’s the hottest act out there and there are branding lessons you need to know from her, even if you don’t follow her music.

Lady Gaga

Lady Gaga

She came from nowhere to become a headline act, top album on the charts, performance on American Idol and a meeting with the Queen of England. “I”m a fan,” she told the Queen. If you came from nowhere, you won’t end up nowhere, if you follow some of her blueprints.

How can you get so far, so fast? Here are three lessons learned.

1. Create a great name. She wasn’t born Lady Gaga. She created a name and an image. You can’t change your name, but I’ve seen many people start to use their first names only (if it is unique) or create a nickname or monicker, like “America’s Success Coach.” Be bold, not trite.

2. She has a gimmick. She never wears pants. No, she’s not naked, but she captures your imagination with “what will she wear next?” She pushes the envelope. In some ways, this is exactly what Liberace did with his sequined suits and what Elton John did with is costumes and eyeglasses. She picked up a gimmick that other performers used but added her own unique twist. You don’t need 50 different outfits. But find what makes you unique and show the world.

3. She’s not afraid to toot her own horn. Many professional service providers are afraid to do this. Sometimes its because of professional ethics, sometimes its because they are shy. Do what you can — like send out press releases and court the media – and you’ll probably eclipse everyone else in your field.

Follow these tips and maybe one day you’ll meet the Queen, or at least get a few new clients.

Do you need help with your branding? Give me a call or send me an email (dan @ prleads.com) or check out the great tools at PREADSPLUS.COM and let’s see if we can work together.

Filed Under: branding, coach, commentary, entrepreneurs, free publicity, General Advice, Marketing

How to fire your business coach or life coach

March 2, 2010 By 3 Comments

All good things must come to an end. And so all coaching relationships will eventually end. This article will show you the right way to end the relationship so everyone feels good.

I am a business coach and I’ve hired business and life coaches to work with me, so I’ve seen the story from both sides.

Let’s look at why you’d want to fire a coach.

1.    The project has ended. For example, you wanted to learn how to acquire new sales skills. You learned them. You are happy. The coach is happy. The project is over. There shouldn’t be any surprises there.

2.    The defined period of time is over. Let’s say you sign up for a year-long program and the year is over. The coach will probably ask if you want to continue. You can decide if you want to. If not, let the coach know that you won’t be continuing. That’s just polite. You don’t want to receive a series of emails asking you to renew and he doesn’t want to see the emails unanswered. End on a positive note.

3.    In an open-ended coaching relationship with no defined end, you might decide after three sessions or nine sessions that you’ve gotten all you are going to get from this relationship. Things might have started off well and then plateaued and then you feel like no progress is being made. In this case, you should first tell the coach your thoughts and feelings to see if there is something she can do to add more value to your relationship. If not, then it is time to leave. Chances are, she knew the relationship was running out of steam as well and probably welcomed the fact you brought up the question of leaving. However, don’t throw the baby out with the bath water. You might want to alter the relationship so that you check in with the coach every three months, or so for a tune up. After all, you had a good thing going for a good period of time. That added value can help you in future when you get stuck or reach your own plateau. Just like piano that gets tuned every season, you might need to get tuned again. It’s better to do it with a coach that you have a history with than to explain your story to someone new.

4.    Bad fit. While the first three items on this list dealt with the time of the relationship, this one deals with the “feel” of the relationship. You might find quickly that your personality doesn’t mesh with the coach’s. This isn’t anyone’s fault. That’s okay. We’re all individuals and we have our likes and dislikes. We are entitled to our preferences. In this case, let the coach know that you don’t think this relationship will work out and part your ways. It’s okay to use email if you think you’d wimp out in a phone meeting. Chances are the coach knows it as well.

Just like in any relationship, it is nice to end a coaching relationship on a positive note. I’d suggest you take these steps.

1.    Let the coach know well in advance of the meeting that you want to end the relationship. Don’t call or email the day of the event and say you have a flat tire. Be an adult. Don’t make up fake excuses. The coach needs to resell that time block and she can’t do it if you give 30 minutes notice. You wouldn’t want your clients to do this to you, so don’t do it to your vendors.
2.    If you feel comfortable, tell the coach why you are leaving. Some things can be repaired. Some things can’t. See if the coach can suggest a repair. For example, you might be low on money. The coach might be willing to charge less, meet with you less often, or enroll you in a group program that is less expensive. If you feel you’ve plateaued, the coach might suggest a different set of tactics to help get unstuck. If you need to learn a new set of skills, you might be pleasantly surprised to find the coach you like actually can help you in that area, or could recommend a trusted colleague for you.
3.    If it is all right with you, end the relationship with positive comments, like “I learned a lot,” or “You helped me get over this hurdle.” Making a person feel good with sincere compliments is always a good tactic. If you didn’t get anything from the sessions, then don’t lie and say you did. The coach will ask for a testimonial since she thinks you are happy.
4.    If there is a negative reason to stop, i.e. you don’t like their personality, their punctuality, their working style, their accent, or anything else that can’t be changed, you are better off not bringing it up. If it’s a bad fit, it’s a bad fit. Move on.

If you follow these tips, you might lose a coach but gain a friend.

Publicity thought leader Dan Janal coaches entrepreneurs and small business on how to turn their publicity into profits with individual and group coaching sessions. For information go to www.PRLEADSPLUS.com

Filed Under: authors, Business Success Tips, coach, General Advice

Inspirational tips for entrepreneurs from the Olympics

March 1, 2010 By 1 Comment

1.    It doesn’t matter how you start. It matters how you finish. The games started with a death and glitch with the torch. They ended on a high note. Life and business are long-term propositions. Brian Tracy says that everyone who is at the top of their profession was once a newcomer who knew nothing. But they read to get smarter, worked with coaches to get better and, eventually, they triumphed.
2.    Don’t get discouraged by initial setbacks. Canada wanted to be the all-time winner of medals. In the first few days, they looked in danger of falling way short. At the end, they had more gold medals than anyone else. Have you invested a lot of time and energy but see disappointing results? Don’t give up. Success is just around the corner.  Keep your eyes on the prize and don’t be dejected by momentary setbacks.

3.    Sacrifice. Every Olympian seems to have endured a lack of time, lack of resources or lack of money. In other words, they are doing exactly the same things that you have done to build your business. To me, you are my Gold-medal hero.

Interested in having me coach you? Check out www.PRLEADStoPROFITS.com for details.

Filed Under: coach, commentary, entrepreneurs, Uncategorized

Publicity Coach Dan Janal Featured in 69th Book with Extensive Interview on Publicity Thought Leadership

January 19, 2010 By 1 Comment

Minneapolis – January 19, 2010 – Publicity coach Dan Janal was quoted extensively in “Celebrity Leverage” a new book published today by Jordan McAuley . This is the 69th book that has featured Dan Janal, who is widely regarded as one of the most highly regarded thought leaders in publicity and the Internet.

“I’ve used Dan Janal’s PR LEADS to generate tons of publicity for myself and my services in Entrepreneur Magazine, Investor’s Business Daily, and more. I love the ability to select the categories I want to receive reporter’s inquiries from — although I usually scan them all because there are so many publicity opportunities I don’t want to miss. I highly recommend Dan Janal’s PR LEADS when you want to get publicity in major media,” said McAuley. The book’s website is: http://www.celebrityleverage.com

The citations range from testimonials, short quotes, lengthy interviews, screen shots of his websites, as well as acknowledgements and thank you’s.

“As a thought leader who has shaped several generations of publicity professionals, marketers and other people who are changing the world with their books, it is a true honor to be quoted in those books,” said Janal. “I’ve also helped several clients outline books, or even get contracts from major publishers, so it is nice to be remembered in the acknowledgements. It is also an honor to be asked to write a testimonial for worthwhile books.”

Janal continues to help authors and thought leaders get publicity by combining coaching, consulting and mentoring into a uniquely helpful one-on-one consultation program.

Paul King, CEO of Hercules Networks said of Dan’s coaching: “You opened doors which I did not know existed, and turned the strange and complicated world of PR into a simple, effective plan. As most brilliant people do, you made a complex process simple. Thank you.”

Dan’s coaching helps people get an outside perspective from an acknowledged expert in the industry. He has helped clients outline chapters for books, think of story angles that reporters will write about, and get clear on their marketing goals.

Janal also operates the PRLEADS.com service that helps authors and small businesses get quoted in top daily newspapers, magazines and leading online websites.

About Dan Janal

With more than 30 years of experience in publicity, Dan Janal is Founder and President of PRLEADS.com which has helped more than 4,000 small businesses and entrepreneurs get publicity in major media to boost their sales and profits. USA TODAY called Dan “a true Internet marketing pioneer.”

Based in suburban Minneapolis, Dan understands publicity as only a former newspaper reporter can. As an award-winning daily newspaper reporter and business news editor, he interviewed President Gerald Ford and First Lady Barbara Bush.  Dan Janal is one of the most respected teachers, visionaries and entrepreneurs in the publicity community. He has written six books about Internet Marketing for John Wiley & Sons, and has been an in-demand, international speaker for nearly 20 years.

Dan was on the PR team that launched AOL and wrote one of the first books about Internet Marketing in 1994. He taught the first Internet Marketing class at Berkeley and also taught Internet Branding classes at Stanford. Corporate clients include IBM, The Reader’s Digest and American Express. He has spoken at conferences for the National Football League, Credit Union Executive Society and many others.

He has created innovative ways for people to get publicity, including the Cool Book of the Day site to help authors get publicity for books; and the Free Publicity Tools.com site to help entrepreneurs find resources to help promote their businesses.

For information about hiring Dan to speak at conferences, go to www.janal.com

For information on coaching and consulting services, go to www.PublicityLeadstoProfits.com

About  Celebrity Leverage

Celebrity Leverage (Jordan McAuley, Mega Niche Media; January 11, 2010; Paperback Original; $19.95) reveals how to get free and low-cost celebrity endorsements, product placement, celebrity buzz, and more.

Each chapter includes Insider Interviews with today’s top marketing and publicity experts like Joe Vitale of The Secret, Dan Kennedy of The No B.S. Guide to Marketing to the Affluent, Jake Halpern of Fame Junkies, Donna Cutting of The Celebrity Experience, Rick Frishman of Author 101, Yanik Silver of Maverick Business Adventures, Robyn Spizman of The Giftionary and others.

Jordan McAuley’s record spans more than a decade in publicity, marketing, entrepreneurship and events.

Known as the “King of Celebrity Contacts,” his Contact Any Celebrity service is one of the most respected publicity resources in the world, with a blue-chip roster of marketers, publicists, nonprofits and media clients who rely on it to get endorsements, donations, interviews, and more.

Filed Under: book marketing, book publicity, coach, thought leadership

Publicity Coach Dan Janal Named One of “30 PR Experts to Follow on Twitter”

January 15, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Minneapolis – January 15, 2010 – Publicity coach Dan Janal has been named one of the top “30 PR Experts You Should Follow on Twitter” by eReleases.com.
“Dan Janal is a recognized publicity expert who understands the media. His PR LEADS service offers a unique way for users to reach targeted journalists under deadline,” said Mickie Kennedy, eReleases Founder and CEO.

Dan Janal

To follow Dan Janal on Twitter use @prleads or http://www.twitter.com/prleads He writes about new tactics and strategies to get publicity, as well as pointing to research and trends from other research organizations. While tweets are short, his blog posts go into more detail to help people get more publicity.

“My mission is to help small businesses and entrepreneurs get the publicity they deserve,” said Janal who combines coaching, consulting and mentoring into a uniquely helpful one-on-one consultation program. “By offering insights and tips on Twitter and my blog, I’m able to show people how to get things done quickly and easily. Publicity is not rocket science. Anyone can get publicity if they have a good coach.”

Paul King, CEO of Hercules Networks said of Dan’s coaching: “You opened doors which I did not know existed, and turned the strange and complicated world of PR into a simple, effective plan. As most brilliant people do, you made a complex process simple. Thank you.”

Dan’s coaching helps people get an outside perspective from an acknowledged expert in the industry. He has helped clients outline chapters for books, think of story angles that reporters will write about, and get clear on their marketing goals.

About Dan Janal

With more than 30 years of experience in publicity, Dan Janal is Founder and President of PRLEADS.com which has helped more than 4,000 small businesses and entrepreneurs get publicity in major media to boost their sales and profits. USA TODAY called Dan “a true Internet marketing pioneer.”

Based in suburban Minneapolis, Dan understands publicity as only a former newspaper reporter can. As an award-winning daily newspaper reporter and business news editor, he interviewed President Gerald Ford and First Lady Barbara Bush.  Dan Janal is one of the most respected teachers, visionaries and entrepreneurs in the publicity community. He has written six books about Internet Marketing for John Wiley & Sons, and has been an in-demand, international speaker for nearly 20 years.

Dan was on the PR team that launched AOL and wrote one of the first books about Internet Marketing in 1994. He taught the first Internet Marketing class at Berkeley and also taught Internet Branding classes at Stanford. Corporate clients include IBM, The Reader’s Digest and American Express. He has spoken at conferences for the National Football League, Credit Union Executive Society and many others.

He has created innovative ways for people to get publicity, including the Cool Book of the Day site to help authors get publicity for books; and the Free Publicity Tools.com site to help entrepreneurs find resources to help promote their businesses.

For information about hiring Dan to speak at conferences, go to www.janal.com

For information on coaching and consulting services, go to www.PublicityLeadstoProfits.com
About eReleases(R)

In its 11th year of business, eReleases (http://www.ereleases.com) is the low-cost leader in press release distribution and writing services. The company was founded on the principle that professional press release writing and targeted press release distribution should not be out of reach for small and medium-sized businesses. The company earlier this year launched CauseWire(TM) (http://www.ereleases.com/causewire/), a press release service for nonprofit organizations, and GreenRelease(TM), a press release submission program designed to offset global warming. Through its PR Fuel blog and newsletter, eReleases.com features press release tips and resources for visitors who want to learn more about press releases.

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Filed Under: book publicity, Business Success Tips, coach, public relations, Uncategorized

Teleseminar: Are you sabotaging your publicity program?

December 16, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Are you sabotaging your publicity program?

Many people shoot themselves in their feet when it comes to creating and executing their publicity programs.

After 9 years of running PR LEADS and dealing with more than 4,000 people, I’ve seen it happen time and time again for many different reasons.

Join me in the 45-minute teleseminar to learn how to overcome the 12 self-sabotaging shortcomings that speakers, authors, entrepreneurs and small business people do day after day.

By attending this session, you’ll be able to conquer the inner fears that have been holding you back from getting publicity. You’ll also develop essential skills in getting the publicity you deserve to sell more products and services.

Here’s the info:

Date: Thursday, December 17, 2009

Time: 1 p.m. Central Time

2 p.m. Eastern

Noon Mountain

11 a.m. Pacific

Length: 45-60 minutes

Investment: $10 fee will go to the Humane Society of America or other “No-Kill” Animal Shelters.

If you can’t attend, we will send you an MP3 file with the complete recording.

Click here to register:

http://www.prleads.com/stopsabotage/register

About your instructor:

The Los Angeles Times called Dan Janal an “internet marketing expert.” He’s written six books on publicity and marketing for John Wiley. An in-demand keynote speaker, Dan Janal has spoken everywhere from Beijing to Budapest. He has taught at Stanford and Berkeley. He is an award-winning daily newspaper reporter and business editor and was on the PR team that launched AOL. Other clients include the National Football League, IBM and The Reader’s Digest. He provides coaching and consulting services to a select number of qualified clients.

Filed Under: book publicity, coach, entrepreneurs, free publicity, General Advice, internet marketing, publicity