Being nice, the bedrock of marketing

I recently had a minor fender bender and got a whiplash that the other driver’s insurance was supposed to handle.   

Even though I was seeing a doctor, the well-known insurance company—rated in the Top 5 by Insurance Journal at the end of 2013—rejected the claim because my car had no damage.    

While it was pretty shocking to hear this, the way I was treated put me over the edge.

Both the adjuster and the supervisor were as cold and hard-nose as could be.

Neither said they were sorry or were sympathetic.  

All they did was repeat that there couldn’t be any damage to me. 

Given the pain I was in, my hackles went sky high.  

Maybe it pays to be nasty in the insurance industry--especially to less sophisticated people who don’t have access to lawyers and other professionals.  

But, even in egregious circumstances, patients don’t sue as often if they like their doctor.  

I will take on any bully if I have to, but I certainly wouldn’t have started thinking about bedside manner as marketing if I had been treated decently.  

For more information on marketing and image, contact Dell Richards Publicity at (916) 455-4790 or visit our website at www.dellrichards.com.

Tips on giving exclusives

As a PR firm, we give exclusives to the media when we have to.  

But we recently got a client who had arranged an article that went hand-in-hand with advertising they didn’t tell us about. 

Just before our placed article was going to be published, the client’s own article came out from a competing publication.   

As a result, our reporter held her article so it wouldn’t look like she had just reworked a rival’s story.   

While exclusives can be pretty casual, it doesn’t hurt to lay out guidelines with everyone involved.   

Always explain the use of exclusives and the planned strategy carefully to the client to make sure they understand they can’t approach the media on their own.  

Even if you already asked, double-check what advertising and articles they've done on their own once you explain the strategy of using exclusives.  

Always work with journalists to get a publication date that includes other reporters being given access afterwards. 

Working that way, you can set up a series of media hits for maximum publicity on the client in the time you want.  

For more information, call Dell Richards Publicity, (916) 455-4790 or visit our website at www,dellrichards.com.

Pump up your speech with a personal story

I recently heard a client, Rachel Iskow, speak about the desperate need for apartment rentals that people who earn minimum wage can afford.

Iskow opened by giving her credentials, the years she’s worked for Mutual Housing California as the CEO and how challenging it can be.

But, she also said that whenever she spoke with a former resident whose children were now in college or working as lawyers, doctors and other professionals, she knows that the solid footing Mutual Housing communities give the parents makes the frustration worth it for her.

She also talked about her best friend in childhood, the daughter of a mother trying to make it on her own. 

After two years of friendship, the little girl disappeared from school one day.

No one knew what had happened to her until her mother found out that the family had been evicted from their apartment.

With no forwarding address and no way to contact—or to help—her, Iskow was distraught. But the incident planted an early seed that led her to her current career.

Talking about real-life, emotional experiences did two things for Iskow’s speech. One addressed why she became involved and the other gave an “ah-ha” moment that helps her when the obstacles feel overwhelming.

In talking about her own life, she touched issues everyone could relate to and made what could be a very dry subject resonate. 

For more information on marketing and public relations, call (916) 455-4790 or visit our website at www.dellrichards.com.   

How to create credibility

Studies show that men and women gain credibility differently.

People think men are good at what they do, but aren't trustworthy.

Since sexism is still alive and well, people think that women are trustworthy, but they don’t necessarily know what they’re doing.  

What that means for a speech and other situations where people are new is that men need to mention their wife and children.

Doing so, makes them seem human.

To be credible, women should never mention their husband or children.

If they do, they lose all credibility, immediately becoming “the little wife” or “the mother” in everyone’s mind.  

If at all possible, women should have someone else introduce them and give their credentials. 

One sentence such as "Dell Richards is the CEO of Dell Richards Publicity, which helps companies nationwide tell their stories through the media," will make a huge difference.
 
For more information on creating credibility, contact Dell Richards Publicity at www.dellrichards.com.