How to Write a News Release

Don’t be afraid to call it a ‘news release’. You could also call it a ‘news bulletin’ or ‘announcement’, but avoid the term ‘press release’ – it sounds like propaganda.

For perspective, always lead off with the city and date of release. Then add the statement ‘For Immediate Use’. This implies urgency. It also allows the media some choice on when to run it. If the news is date-sensitive, indicate whether it is ‘For use before___’ or ‘For use after___’.

One glance at your release should reveal who sent it; that is, your company name or your organization. If you have a logo, use it.

Should you fax or mail your news release? If it’s urgent, use the fax. But to get noticed, mail it. The media receives a lot of ‘junk’ faxes, and they all look alike. If you mail your message you have a better chance of attracting attention with the color and feel of the paper you choose. Use high-quality paper. You might use your letterhead if it works with the design of the message you’re sending. Attach post-it notes addressed to the person you want to reach. Handwrite the address on the envelope.

Secrets of Power Marketing
Read more ……

George Torok, co-author
Secrets of Power Marketing

Professional Associations

RELATIONSHIPS WITH GROUPS

If you join the association for the field you are in, it’s easy to stay in touch with the latest developments and maintain contact with your competition and potential partners.
Associations are always looking for board volunteers. Being on the board is a great way to gain the respect of your peers.

As a board member it is easier to meet the members. And you start relationships with a certain built-in level of respect. President is the most prestigious position on any board, but I recommend you be in charge of public relations.

Why? Because as official spokesperson for the association you can develop a relationship with the media. The media and the public will see your name on announcements from the association and assume you are an expert in your field.

Secrets of Power Marketing
Read more ……

George Torok, co-author
Secrets of Power Marketing

Jack Canfield on Secrets of Power Marketing

"If every entrepreneur had to read this (Secrets of Power Marketing) book before they started their business, they would enjoy a more profitable and rewarding life."
-Jack Canfield, co-auther of Chicken Soup for the Soul®

Buy the book ……

George Torok, co-author
Secrets of Power Marketing

The Power of Compromise

A client in the photography business wanted me to speak at their annual sales meeting. They could not afford my rate and suggested that I lower my price. I asked about their program and sounded interested in what they were doing. I was building value by showing my interest in them. I suggested that if there was some way they could make up the difference between their budget and my price we might make a deal. They did by throwing in some camera equipment. They were happy. They stayed within budget and got a first-class speaker they could not normally afford.

Secrets of Power Marketing, Page 51
Read more ……

George Torok, co-author
Secrets of Power Marketing

HANDWRITING

Many people are embarrassed or ashamed of their handwriting and are loath to write thank-you cards because of it. As a certified graphologist and graphoanalyst, I assure you that your writing probably has wonderful personality characteristics within it. It is likely that the "messier" your writing appears to be, the more well-adjusted you are. Picture-perfect writing - the kind you were taught in school - shows your conventionality. Why not be unique? Those with neat, perfect writing usually have more hang-ups than do those with more original script.

-Elaine Charal, Handwriting Specialist
Secrets of Power Marketing, page 86.

Read more ……

George Torok, co-author
Secrets of Power Marketing

Dottie Walters on Power Marketing

My Mind Friend Ben Franklin said, "Keep your business, and your business will keep you."
Ben would love this remarkable book, which shows how to Power Market by nurturing our business in small ways every day, every hour, every second. And you'll love it too.
-Dottie Walters, Author of Speak and Grow Rich
President, Walters International Speakers Bureau

George Torok, co-author
Secrets of Power Marketing

PERSONAL COMMUNICATION

The two secrets of life are flowers and thank you’s.
-Tom Peters

Advertising to the masses does not build relationships. Don’t get me wrong – advertising does work. But it is expensive and impersonal. To build strong relationships you must get personal. A mass-produced, glitzy flyer may look good but it does not show personal involvement from you. It would have been written, designed, and printed by people you hired.

It’s like receiving a birthday card from a new friend. The card was nice but it was addressed to Mary – and your name is Maria.

A small handwritten note to your clients is very personal. It shows you took the time to personally get involved. It’s the small things that make an impact. Even a mass mailing can be personalized by attaching a personal note in your handwriting.

Read more ……
George Torok, co-author
Secrets of Power Marketing

WRITE

One of the best ways to become known as the expert is to write. You could write to – or for- newsletters (association, corporate, community), newspapers (community, business, trade, weekly, daily), or magazines (general, trade, association, business).

WRITE A LETTER TO THE EDITOR

This is the easiest way to be published. Watch for an issue that you feel strongly about or that touches your business. The issue doesn’t have to relate to your business. This is just a chance for people to know you. Take a stand. If you can make your communication funny, that is even better. Write it well. The editors will correct grammar and edit for length. Sign the letter with your name and a moniker that you like, or your business name. If you find nothing gets your juices flowing enough to write a letter of opinion, write to the editor to say what you like about the publication. They always print those letters.

Read more ……

George Torok, co-author
Secrets of Power Marketing

PRICING

Decide where you want to position yourself in the price market. Do you want to be the lowest priced, middle of the pack, or most expensive? Once you pick your position you will be stuck with it. Sure, you can raise your prices as you get better, but you are stuck with an image and position. Wal-Mart and Tiffany & Co. are positioned differently. Neither would ever compete in the other’s market.

How much are you worth?
When you work for yourself you have the joy and anguish of deciding what you are worth, then telling your clients.

You can take some lessons from the traditional job market. If you worked for the same employer for many years, you may have received incremental increases – but never huge increases. The reason is they always remembered.......

Read more ……

George Torok, co-author
Secrets of Power Marketing

Toastmasters International on Secrets of Power Marketing

"It is an outstanding publication. I hope all your endeavors are as successful as your book will be."


Terry McCann
Executive Director
Toastmasters International

George Torok, Co-author
Secrets of Power Marketing

POWER MARKETING IMAGE

In business, perception is reality.

Like many people, you might associate the word ‘image’ with something that is phony or contrived. Instead, realize that ‘image’ is the root for ‘imagine’ – a powerful word. Imagine how you want to be, how you want to be seen, respected, and remembered.


The Power of Presentation

The president of an oil company remembers going shopping with his dad for a new car when he was a young boy. His father’s business had done well and they were going to buy a brand new Cadillac. They entered the showroom, both of them proud and excited. They smiled as the salesman approached them. Then a strange thing happened.

As the expectant salesman got closer, the smile on the father’s face disappeared, and he reached down, grabbed his son’s hand, turned around, and marched out. The boy was almost in tears. “What happened, Dad? Why did we leave?” His father barked, “I’ll not buy an expensive car from a man with a soiled shirt.”

It seems the negligent salesman had worn his shirt two days in a row.

Read more ……

George Torok, co-author
Secrets of Power Marketing

MEDIA - Advertising

Try to avoid paid advertising. Everyone recognizes ads and discounts them as less credible than other types of exposure. If you must pay for an ad, design it so that it doesn't look like one. Make it an advertorial or a print tool that presents information in an article format. The publication that carries your advertorial will probably label it with the words advertorial or paid advertising to make it clear that it is separate from their own editorial content. Negotiate to have them use the word advertorial; it is much more effective than paid advertising. Some publications may disguise this type of advertisement by calling it a corporate profile or business spotlight. If you must advertise, disguise it as news.

When negotiating the purchase of advertising, think like a tough customer. You might have to talk to their competition to get a better deal.

If you advertise in one of your customers’ trade publications, make sure you're listed as a sponsor instead of as an advertiser. A sponsor seems friendlier than an advertiser. The perception is that we believe a sponsor is supporting us, while an advertiser just wants to sell us something.

Sponsor events, publications, and awards for the associations that your customers belong to.


Read more ……

George Torok, co-author
Secrets of Power Marketing

LEVERAGE – Strategy Four - with Secrets of Power Marketing

If I had a lever long enough I could move the world.
-Archimedes

If I said, “I bet you $20 that I can lift a car with my own strength”, you might take one look at me (I’m no Arnold Schwarzenegger) and take that bet. Then I would take your money as I set up the jack and lifted the car.

“Wait a minute,” you’d stammer, “You said you’d lift it with your own strength – that’s no fair.” And I’d point out, “The jack is not lifting the car. It is the tool that I use to lever my strength. The jack does not make me stronger but it helps me focus my limited strength to do the job. With the lever I am lifting the car using my strength in a smarter way.”

In your business you have limited resources, but if you focus those resources you can leverage your strength to compete with big business. Power Marketing is like the jack - it helps you create amazing feats of marketing.

In this chapter we will examine the resources you have at your disposal and the three key principles you can use to leverage those resources into something greater. You’ll also learn about several Power Marketing tools you can use to make your work easier.

….read more on Page 159

George Torok, Co-author
Secrets of Power Marketing

Great book for small firm starting up

....or regenerating
Reviewer: John C. Dunbar (Sugar Land, TX United States) , July 6, 2001

This is a gem of a book. It covers a lot of material (maybe too much) and yet it is a relatively small book. I liked the book for its comprehensive coverage and links to entrepreneurship as a personal mission... as well as marketing.

The authors are Canadian and I'd like to say that their nationality interfered with the topics or slant of the book... but it didn't. In fact, I was pleasantly surprised that this Swiss-banking immigrant (Bender) and this successful radio broadcaster (Torok) in Canada really had their feet on the ground. They offered lots of practical marketing and strategic advice.

I would suggest that there are two major parts to this book. The first 1/6 of the book describes their concept of delivering value, tying your products/services to personal values, and your vision/mission statements, etc. I thought this was truly great and apparently some of it flows from Peter Urs Bender's other book: Leadership from Within. I see that it is favorably reviewed here at Amazon and I will order it right away (forthwith in Canadian?).

The remaining 5/6's of the book is an encyclopedic account of marketing techniques that you can (and should) apply for your business. The target market for this book is a firm of 1 to 30 employees... a small firm. This book would also do well for an individual working for a big company, as it tells you how to market yourself to become more valuable.

There's a ton of good ideas here. You won't go wanting of things to implement. There are new ideas that you won't see elsewhere.

For example, they speak about the need to write articles to establish your expertise. They then go on to list many different kinds of articles you can write. Under this section, one sub-topic was Tips Sheets. There they listed about 10 different kinds of tip sheets you could write. I knew about writing articles and tip sheets, but they provided excellent lead ideas to get me going. There were many other such new things in their book that greatly extended the topics I was already familiar with.

Because it was encyclopedic in coverage, I was worried that it would repeat a lot of what I already knew. But, instead I learned a lot of new ideas that I can implement. Overall, I highly recommend this book for any small business owner, or marketing chief... or any individual who wants to shine and promote himself within a corporation.

Now if we could just figure out some way to get these good business thinkers out of the cold socialist northern territories! I found the book in a Vancouver bookstore and have never seen it in the U.S.
-John Dunbar

George Torok, Co-author
Secrets of Power Marketing

The Power of Volunteerism

I met with the president of The Body Shop Canada, Margot Franssen. My first question was, ‘What business are you in?’ Without pause she answered, ‘We are in the communication business. We communicate through our actions, products, and words in order to effect social change. It’s what we do well. We use our shops to communicate with the public.’

I reminded her that they sell body-care products. Franssen replied, ‘It’s not what you sell, it’s how you manufacture it and what you do with the money you make.’

The Body Shop is very effective in advancing the causes they support. They are also profitable.

Read more…….

George Torok, Co-author
Secrets of Power Marketing

NETWORKING - Secrets of Power Marketing

Dig your well before you’re thirsty.
-HARVEY MACKAY

Networking: Five Myths and Realities

Networking has a bad name. Ever visit one of those networking meetings? You’re told, ‘Arrive with a pocketful of business cards and don’t leave until they’re all gone.’ I get so desperate to escape that I stuff the free gift box with a fistful of my cards and take off!

MYTH #1: YOU MUST GIVE YOUR CARD TO EVERYONE IN THE ROOM
If people aren’t interested they won’t keep your card, let alone call you.
Reality: It is more important to get business cards than to hand them out.
After you identify a prospect, ask for their card. Mark which ones are important. When you have their card, you control the contact. Add them to your database and follow up.

MYTH #2: NETWORKING IS SELLING
The term network marketing confuses people. It is meant to. Network marketing, also known as MLM, or Multi-Level Marketing, generates sales through a vast, layered network of product representatives, each of whom is given incentive to recruit still more committed reps. MLM sales pitches can come across as vague and evasive.
Reality: Networking is marketing.
When you network you are building a network – hence the term – of people who know about you and your product. They may buy from you or help you. Networking is a long-term strategy, not a quick-sell scheme.

For more….read on Page 81
George Torok, Co-author
Secrets of Power Marketing

RELATIONSHIPS

The only things worth counting on are people you can count on.
-Dwight D. Eisenhower

Okay. In case you haven’t heard, marketing is about people, people, people. People make decisions – buying decisions – and anyone marketing a product should realize that. In recent years, business has changed from mass production and mass merchandising to customization to personalization, as leaders become aware that everyone wants to be treated as unique.

The faster technology moves, the more it automates our lives, and the less human contact is required. Technology gives us more choices. Too many choose to become impersonal. But the need for human contact does not diminish just because technology is changing. Therein lies the opportunity for you. Neither technology nor corporations have relationships – people do.

How can you nurture positive relationships?

• Be honest
• Be friendly
• Make others feel special
• Be consistent
• Build trust

And many more….read on Page 81

George Torok, Co-author

Secrets of Power Marketing

CREDIBILITY

I am only an average man,
but I work harder at it than the average man.
-Theodore Roosevelt

To establish and maintain your credibility you must answer the following questions for your clients and prospects (even though they may not ask the questions out loud).

Your client will ask:

Are you serious about your business?
Are you a contender?
Will I actually like doing business with you?
Can you really do the work?
Will you do the work to my satisfaction and on time?
Are you going to be around next month or next year when I need help?
Do I even believe you at all?
Will I regret doing business with you?

Your actions will answer those questions.

George Torok, Co-author
Secrets of Power Marketing

Harry Rosen on Power Marketing

My advice to the rising executive or budding entreprenuer is to look good, feel good and follow the Secrets of Power Marketing to market yourself in today's competitive marketplace.

Harry Rosen
Executive Chairman
Harry Rosen Inc.

Read the rest of Harry Rosen's letter

George Torok, Co-author
Secrets of Power Marketing

PERCEPTIONS

A language is not a medium for messages but an organ of perception; collective, corporate perception. The discovery that languages are not channels like the telegraph, but basically forms of perception and association by perception, has been a tremendous revolution.
-Marshall McLuhan

Marketing means communicating your message. A communication is not what you say, but what is heard - and remembered. You influence the perception of a message by determining how it is expressed.
Remember when you experienced the frustration of talking to a friend or family member, only to discover later that they had completely misunderstood you? You knew what you said to them, but you didn't know what they heard, believed, assumed, or remembered. Then when you discovered the misunderstanding you had to spend even more time sorting out the mess. That little miscommunication may have cost you an opportunity, money, and time - not to mention some bad feelings.

-When a message is sent, and the receiver does not understand, who needs to change?-
The sender!

If you have communication problems with family and friends who know you and care about you, imagine the misunderstandings you will have with strangers. This chapter will give you many ideas and techniques for sending messages to the marketplace - but always from the point of view of how they are received and deciphered. Remember that. You must feel good about what you do. But it is more important that your clients and prospects feel good about what you do.

George Torok, Co-author
Secrets of Power Marketing

Christine Magee on Power Marketing

To all entrepreneurs I urge you to follow your dreams, challenge convention and keep a copy of Secrets of Power Marketing in easy reach.
Christine Magee
President
Sleep Country Canada

Read the rest of Christine Magee's letter

Marketing comprises everything that expresses what it is that you do

You market by the products or services you sell - by their quality and style, effectiveness, or usefulness. You market by your service. Do you really serve the needs of your customers and clients? And of course, you market by your communications to others: The quality and content of your advertising or direct mail. The attitude of the people who do your cold calling. The usefulness and quality of your promotional items (like pens, calendars, and T-shirts).

Marketing is how you treat others: your staff, your customers and clients, your shareholders, your community, and the environment. It's the relationships you build. The value or caring you invest. It is even the attitude that lies behind what you do and how you communicate it. Do your employees like what you produce, or do they think it's rotten? Would you personally use it? Are you honest or deceptive in the way you advertise and market your product?

All of these factors express to the world what you think of your product or service, your customers, and yourself. And all of them get noticed. The old advertising slogan, "You tell two friends, and they'll tell two friends, and so on, and so on," truly applies for every business. It can be a slow process; but it does happen.

To some, the idea that others are talking about them or their product may sound scary. But it really is an opportunity. Think about how many ways you can market without spending any more money! The better you treat all your stakeholders - including yourself - the better your "marketing" will be. (And others will be doing it for you.)

George Torok, Co-author
Secrets of Power Marketing

Frank C. Buckley on Power Marketing

I am so pleased to see that you have captured so much practical advice in Secrets of Power Marketing. You understand and illustrate the importance of being focused, of feeling proud about your product, and connecting with people. It does not take expensive advertising campaigns. It is more important to be unique, be real and be human.

Frank C. Buckley
President
WK Buckley Limited
manufacturer of Buckley's Cough Mixture
"It tastes awful and it works"

Read the rest of Frank Buckley's letter

Secrets of Power Marketing - Introduction

If a man can . . . make a better mouse-trap than his neighbor, the world will make a beaten path to his door.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Once, this statement of Emerson's may have been true. In fact, millions of us were raised on the "theory of the better mousetrap”. Entrepreneurs believe that if they create a great new product or service, someone will invest. PhD’s believe that if they get the best education, they'll get the best jobs. Investors believe that if they find the right company with the best management or product line, they will make a fortune.

In Emerson’s time, that may have worked. Today, experience shows that the world will no longer beat a path to your door just because you are talented. You may be the most highly educated person. The best inventor. The most intelligent thinker. The most artistic painter. But the results speak for themselves. Many people with truly excellent skills are either hurting for business - or driving cabs.

The one common denominator I have found among high achievers in many fields - and I've studied and talked to a great number of them - was not that they were the best at what they do. The key to their success was their ability to market - or be marketed.
"Preposterous," you may say. "Excellence always wins out.” But think about it for a few moments.

Is the best wine the one that sells the most? Do consumers buy the best product or service, or the one that is most cleverly marketed? How many products are successful in the marketplace simply because they were marketed effectively?
Now, I am not suggesting that you sell low-quality products. I want you to do good work. I also want you to do good marketing.


George Torok
co-author, Secrets of Power Marketing

George Cohon on Power Marketing

Next to a lifetime of experience this is one of the most practical marketing books I have seen. I know you wrote this book for small business - but big business could learn a lot from it too.

George Cohon
Senior Chairman of McDonalds Canada and McDonalds Russia
Author of To Russia with Fries

Read the rest of George Cohon's letter

Media Book Reviews

What do the major Canadian Media Say about Secrets of Power Marketing?


.. aimed at entrepreneurs, essentially a 245 page list of practical tips on how to accomplish that visibility and presence. It's hard not to pick up lots of usable advice from the book.
Globe & Mail


It does offer a concise and well-organized presentation of various types of marketing tactics that business people can use creatively to manage client relationships and raise their personal profiles in the marketplace.
National Post


The Tao of Marketing - the self help book teaches company leaders how to succeed with simple steps such as forming relationships with influential people and finding ways to be known as an expert by the media.
Marketing Magazine


Revealing the Secrets of Power Marketing.. an entertaining, idea-packed inspirational guide that makes it easy to turn your current marketing efforts into personal power marketing strategies that are guaranteed to multiply your results
The Business Executive


Tip sheet. Marketing is part of everything you do - whether you like it or not. To make the most out of your opportunities, learn The Secrets of Power Marketing from the guys who wrote the book. Guide you through leveraging relationships, developing and image and getting the most out of media attention
Profit: The Magazine for Canadian Entrepreneurs


What did 27 of the Major Canadian Media say about Secrets of Power Marketing in the first six months?


George Torok
co-author Secrets of Power Marketing

Secrets of Power Marketing Explained

What is Power Marketing?

Power is the ability to do work.

Marketing is about sending messages.

Therefore Power Marketing is about making your messages work for you.

Secrets of Power Marketing is about understanding and shaping the messages you send to make them work harder for you.

The Bottom Line
Send the messages you want.
Send them stronger.
Send them with less expense to you.

George Torok
Secrets of Power Marketing

Vision, Mission & Purpose

How many books to you know of that have a clearly stated vision, mission and purpose?

Secrets of Power Marketing has all three and it is clearly stated in the front of the book.

Why? Because we the co-authors spent considerable time thinking about, "Why another marketing book? What makes this different? Why would this book appeal to readers?"

Vision
Success is an individual choice and responsibility.

Mission
To help give individuals more control over the success of their careers or business.

Purpose of This Book
To show you, the individual, how to put the personal in your personal marketing plan.

To help you, the entreprenuer, compete with strenght and confidence in the marketplace against bigger competition.

To provide you with strategies, techniques, and tips to get more from your marketing than you ever thought possible.

PeterUrs Bender.com

Torok.com

PowerMarketing.ca

Secrets of Power Marketing - conception

Peter Urs Bender mentored me in the business of professional speaking. He taught me, encouraged me and connected me.

During one of our discussions he repeated the need for me to write a book. In frustration, I answered him with, "I know I need to write a book. I just don't know on what topic and where to start."

His reply, "We could write a book together on marketing." The instant he said that I knew it was the perfect collaboration and perfect topic. We agreed on the plan and responsibilities.

I guess all I needed was a good push and some guidance.

Two years later we happily launched our baby, Secrets of Power Marketing. Our original plan called for six months. It took longer.

This blog features lessons from the experience and excerpts from the book.

George Torok
co-author Secrets of Power Marketing

PS: Secrets of Power Marketing reached bestseller status in Canada within six months
PPS: Secrets of Power Marketing is published in at least seven countries