This blog of late has not been firing out the usual daily Fluffy Links and other semi-regualr afternoon posts. I’ve just been mad busy. So much for a downturn. Life for me and Mulley Communications is good. On a daily basis I’m getting people ringing me asking me to do training or consulting. Sometimes I’ll send them to someone else, I just don’t have the time. 2009 is when companies are thinking differently and some are taking skills back inhouse. They’re doing their own PR and Marketing or they are embracing the online medium for the first time.
This post isn’t bragging but to point out a very interesting fact: I have never sought work from anyone. No coldcalling, no emailing offering services. All the work is coming to me from people recommending my services. People, some of whom I don’t know, I have never met but they were a talk of mine or read this blog. Thank you!
Photo owned by a little tune (cc)
The other interesting fact is that Google brings me nothing. Despite ranking well on this blog and on the Mulley Communications for various terms, people don’t contact me after finding me via Google. This is fascinating isn’t it? Twitter brings me work, people who read this blog, people who have seen me talk at events. All places where I am more human and where I have hundreds of interactions with hundreds of other people. Despite the huge effort put into SEO, it’s word of mouth that gets me business.
I did a post a while back about working with the media to get coverage. Is all about people and knowing them and it’s also for me about people knowing me. Just like the advice to never turn down a press interview, if asked to talk at an event, never decline if you are free and can make it. If there are 300 people, 30 or even 3 at the event, go there and one person at a time if needs be, show your ability and authority to them. Volume doesn’t matter in a world where everyone is one step or two away from millions of people. If one person recommends me to one other after an event then I’m sorted.
I also suggest to people that are doing press to act as a router for the media. If someone from RTE rings you up and it is’t your area, don’t leave it at that. Find someone that does cover that area and give those details to the media. Help them to do their work. The same goes when people ringing me ask me to build them a site or do traditional PR or do tech support. I’ll find people for them.
Photo owned by ? Sleeping Sun ? (cc)
Always add value to a connection
Connections to me are:
- Email
- Phone
- Conferences
- Talks
If you get an email from someone, give them something of value back. Same with phone. Twitter. You get the idea. Go to Barcamps and contribute. Do this either by adding to a discussion or sitting on a panel or giving a talk. Give talks at colleges or companies if asked. Paid and unpaid. If you can send people home with new knowledge then they’ll associate it with you. It’s amazing the way people have sent me business over the past 12 months soley because they saw me talk at an event. One thing to note though is this is the long game, not the short game. Momentum to get word of mouth recommendations takes time to build but so far in my experience it hasn’t slowed down. Fuck the recession, give out value to get it back.
