By Dan Moshe
Minneapolis IT support company Tech Guru invited the Twin Cities’ most knowledgeable publicity expert to present the November Lunch and Learn. Creatively helping speakers and authors build their buzz with RockPaperStar for the last 8 years, company founder Cathy Paper spent the lunch hour sharing some of her best suggestions for those seeking to raise their profile, expand their brand, and spread their message.
On a chilly afternoon in the Grain Belt Brewery building, author and speaker development consultant Cathy Paper stood before leaders in real estate, fitness, business, marketing, and more. The founder of RockPaperStar and the group discussed some famous faces and what makes them memorable. Bill Gates? “Microsoft… Philanthropy.” Lindsay Lohan? “Actress battling addiction.” Beyonce? “Singer married to Jayzee.”
“To be memorable is to be authentic.” –Cathy Paper
Cathy asked attendees to think about what makes them memorable, and what they want to be remembered for. Is there a consistent theme in your LinkedIn reviews? Are you networked, strategic, or do you go the extra mile? If you’re not sure about your standout qualities, talk to people who know you well, and ask them what they think makes you unique.
“When you think about your buzz, and yourself personally, you wonder how bold you should be,” said Cathy. “You can get self-conscious about being too showy. But with 40,000 new books published every year, you need some swagger to cut through the clutter.” Cathy shared the four steps she takes clients through to clearly focus their message and intentions.
#1 THE BIG PICTURE
“What do you want to create or accomplish, and by what date?”
Identify a goal that would energize or scare you, and give its completion a calendar date.
#2 FOCUS YOUR GOALS
“What does success look like?”
What will it take for you to get what you want?
#3 THE TRACTION PLAN
“What will you do to reach your goal?”
Establish a successful routine. Connect with people who can help you accomplish your goals.
#4 HARNESS YOUR POWER
“Evaluate your thoughts, feelings, and actions. Self-awareness speeds up results!”
How will you reflect and celebrate when you accomplish your goal?
POTENTIAL GOALS:
- “I want to rebuild my LinkedIn page to gain referrals.”
- I want to write a book or speak, because I want to monetize my expertise or help a big group of people.”
- Cathy’s goals are usually to sell 2,000 copies of a client’s book to make sure it is noticed by everyone else.
TIPS FOR SPEAKERS:
- Attend a meeting of Toastmasters. You get a wide variety of people, some whom are afraid to talk and get out of their shells, while some are more showy and want to hone their skills.
- Have something to give away that points right back to you or provides a story for people to tell. Swim With the Sharks author Harvey Mackay gives away his signature tie with a shark on it, autographed, and the recipient probably tells 20 people about it after the event.
- Set a launch date as you’re writing the book, and make a vision board to think about why you’re doing the book – whom you’re hoping to reach.
- Be sure to finish the book with a great editor.
- Make your 90-day book launch plan.
- Make a website, build an Amazon author page. Grow your email list with giving a chapter away. Get testimonials from people in the industry.
- Write a press release. With 40,000 books published every year, be sure what you’re saying to the press has all the right elements to get their attention. “Here’s why it’s going to change someone’s life.”
- Get friends to write reviews of your book.
WHAT YOU CAN DO TODAY:
GOOGLE – Google yourself and see what comes up. Are you associated with the people and topics you want to be associated with? How can you change that?
IDENTIFY YOUR LIST – Write down at least 10 people in your network who know what you do and want to accomplish. They’re the ones who are going to find you your first speech, get you in their newsletter, or talk about you to their association. If you don’t see them a lot, see them more.
LINKEDIN – Get a LinkedIn profile or make yours more robust. Supposedly 70% of people with accounts are on LinkedIn every day. Adjust your settings so you show up in searches. Join a group and participate or start a new discussion. Say something meaningful.
ABOUT HARNESSING YOUR POWER:
Reflect on your success. What do people like about your work? Is it consistent? Part if building your buzz is getting better at it. In Cathy’s life, she is often called a publicist, promoter, or marketing consultant. By reflecting on others’ view of her work, she was able to get more specific about what she does. Now she says, “I’m good at helping people monetize their message.”
HIRE CATHY PAPER
Want to work with RockPaperStar to promote your book, amplify your speaking, or otherwise build your buzz? Contact Cathy at RockPaperStar or 612-349-2744. You can also download her “Book Marketing Bests” for strategy, tactics, and to-do’s to market your book to success.
Dan Moshe helps business owners in the Minneapolis area with all things tech, and is the CEO of the Caring IT company Tech Guru. He cares about your business as much as you do!