Your E-Zine and Newsletter Sucks: Make It More Remarkable
David’s Blog: The Rise To The Top Entrepreneur Blog
Entrepreneur Resources. Entrepreneur Education. Everything Entrepreneurship.

So you have this big fancy business and you want to make sure to keep clients, customers, potential clients and customers, fans, enemies, etc informed. If you aren’t consistently (but not annoyingly) communicating with your trusted followers, you have no business. Offering an E-Zine or Newsletter is a logical idea; however, like many logical ideas, it is very easy to do. Because it is easy to do, many people do a crappy job at it.

First off, I want to officially ban the use of the word newsletter…starting right now. Newsletters (errr..starting right NOW) are something sent around in middle school or written with crayons. I used to have a newsletter (ok, really starting now) and it sucked. E-Zine sounds a lot sexier and you can come up with your own sexy name if that doesn’t float your boat.

A crappy E-Zine or Newsletter (oops) leads to a few things:
1. You get tons of unsubscribers. This will hurt your feelings…no one likes rejection. Sob, sob, tear, tear.
2. You lose credibility. If your newsletter or E-Zine is boring, people will assume your company is as well.
3. Bad news travels faster than good news: “Hey, don’t subsribe to this really crappy E-Zine! It makes me want throw my Mac out the window and cry myself to sleep!”

A GREAT E-Zine or Newsletter also leads to a few (much better) things:
1. It will get forwarded on. Good news travels as well. As in “Hey, Martha you have to read this _____ (insert: Funny, Remarkable, Sad, Awesome, Amazing) article in this E-Zine”
2. You will draw subscribers to your website also known as your portal of awesome to check out your latest content, product, or services.
3. Word of mouth leads to increased subscriptions, credibility, and drum roll please…you may even be able to monetize your E-Zine (more about that later).

OK, lets just admit it. You may be guilty of at one point putting something together that was perfectly in line with the crappy rules. I will gladly raise my hand…I’ve done it. Bottom line is everything you do including your E-Zine better represent your unbelievable, unique brand (your brand is unbelievable and unique, right?)

Here are some tips:

1. Don’t just add people because you have their email.
I USED to be guilty as charged on this one. I assumed if I had their email, that means I had permission to put them on my list. Evil laugh…hahaha. Not so! Unwanted email = people getting pissed off. Have an opt-in section on your website to sign up for your E-Zine (see our BIG one here). Remember you only want people on your list who WANT to be there.

2. Ask people if you can add them to your amazing E-Zine.
When in doubt, send a quick email or note on Facebook. Hey, I thought you would really be interested in my E-Zine which gives the latest tips in entrepreneurship and marketing. Mind if I add you?

3. Have a title.
Don’t just call it “YOUR COMPANY NAME E-ZINE”. That is REALLY boring. Have a cool title. Examples of two I am subscribers of: Sales Caffeine (Jeffrey Gitomer) and Hello, My Name Is E-Zine (Scott Ginsberg). Great names stick in people’s minds. Period.

4. Offer value.
Your E-Zine should NOT be a pitch-fest. Sure, you can mention your products, services, etc (you are allowed to make money after all) but offer something else of value. A quick article or ten tips means your E-Zine combines both a blog (content) with your products. Super!

5. Respect your subscribers.
You should already know this one. Clearly it is unethical and a bad idea to disrespect your subscribers by giving/selling their emails, sending unwanted spam, or any other shenanigans.

6. Call To Action.
This could be the most critical point. Have some kind of Call To Action in your E-Zine. It could be a question posed to the subscribers or a continuation of a really nice article that leads them to your website. Q&A is also great. Why not try a “Ask YOU” (You being…you) and answer questions in each E-Zine.

7. Don’t overdo it.
Long, overdone, overly complicated E-Zines mean the readers will not get through the entire thing. More importantly, next time one of your E-Zines is sent out, they may think twice about opening it. Yikes!

8. Monetize.
Yes, you CAN monetize your E-Zine like we do here at The Rise To The Top. Space can be sold to advertisers (Remember: these advertisers better be in line with your brand!) and you can have guest articles for a price. Email me at David AT DSGAgency.com to find out how we monetize. I know of some E-Zines that make six-figures PLUS!

Recommended Newsletters:

Rise (that is ours) Shameless plug! (You can sign up here at the top of the page): Tips on building your business using super-cool creative methods and everything entrepreneurship.
Sales Caffeine: In-your-face sales tips.
Hello, My Name Is E-Zine: Marketing tips and other goodies.

Live Passionately! – David Siteman Garland – The Creative Opportunities Specialist and Entrepreneurial Chameleon – http://www.therisetothetop.com

Watch Episode #5: Have you checked out National Speakers Association President Sam Silverstein on The Rise To The Top? Sam is all about kicking the crap out of fear!

Photos: Want to see some entrepreneurs gone wild? Check out the photos from our last event.

Gen Y-ify Your Website: How To Make Your Website More Gen Y Friendly
David’s Blog: The Rise To The Top Entrepreneur Blog
Entrepreneur Resources. Entrepreneur Education. Everything Entrepreneurship.

A little over a week ago I was down in Florida speaking at the National Speakers Association’s Winter Conference (fun video coming soon!) about challenges in working with Gen Y and how to capture the 
attention of millenials (note: awkwardly happy Gen Y'ers to the left). One of the common questions was how can to make YOUR website more Gen Y friendly and that my friends, is a fantastic and extremely important question if you are marketing ANYTHING to anyone 21-35.

First off, for you generational nit-pickers out there, Gen Y really doesn’t have a proper definition. There are many definitions of what Gen Y “is” ranging from those born in 1976 to those born all the way in 2003 (!). Some say 1982-2001, others say 1975-1995. Bottom line is the definition, in my opinion, is less based on years but more based on mentality (I’ve met people who are born in 1984 who are far less stereotypical Gen Y than some people born in 1965…it is a mindset more than an age).

Yes, those insolent little brats who think they are entitled to everything (Yes, I’m a Gen Y’er). Members of Gen Y are moving up quick in the work place and are more entrepreneurial than previous generations which is leading to more spending power and influence. It is not a coincidence that Gen Y is referred to by advertisers as the “sweet spot” because of opportunities for long-term brand loyalty and the high-purchasing power of these tech-friendly information over-loaders.

I’ve said this before, but here is my Gen Y mantra: We are a text-messaging, multi-tasking, advertising-wary, Attention Deficit Disorder-loving, trendsetting, blog-reading, information-addicted, social-media experts, tech-embracing, fast-moving, highly-ambitious, quick-talking, well-educated, IPOD-listening kind of crowd (ummm and we also disrespect authority, may have a work ethic problem, and have the rosy confidence of expecting to go from mail room to board room in one day). Gen Y has a lot to give and a lot to learn.

Millenials want to live more passionately, be happy,  kill the the 9-5 PM job and really “want it all” from money to entertainment to charity. Of course 21-35 year olds don’t know it all (I know SHOCKING) and can use the  help from those that have already walked the walked (Yes, my little Gen Y friends, there is MUCH to learn from past generations!)

So, with that being said, I will get off my definition-soapbox-of-fun and here are some great ways to make your website more Gen Y friendly:

1. Love The Comments: Do you allow comments on your website? Or product reviews about your product? Or review of your service? Gen Y is all about participation and the more ways you give us to participate the better (extra points for uncensored participation meaning allowing good AND bad comments).

2. Spread Your Wings: Don’t be a hog and only offer your content on your website. To really connect and reach Gen Y, make sure to reach us WHERE we hang out online: Facebook, Twitter, and whatever-the-hot-web-tool-of-the-day is. Do you have a link to your social media sites on your website?

3. About You Page: Credit where credit is due on this one as this comes from Internet Marketing Guru Adam Kreitman who offers tips and tricks on The Rise To The Top each week. Gen Y wants to know what is in it for them! Why not have a page on your site that beefs up their ego a little bit and defines your customer. Here is a great example from Adam. Brilliant!

4. Your Email. Your REAL Email! Who would you rather contact: A person or a business? Leave your REAL email on your website and millenials will see you as keeping it real (my first super cliche of the article! Hooray!) Example of how to list your email so it won’t be added to useless and annoying spam: David AT DSGagency.com or David  @  DSG Agency . com

5. Be Versatile. Text, photos, video, RSS feeds, audio, etc. Gen Y’ers love their information in a variety of mediums. The more you offer, the better the chance you will hook us.

6. Keep It Short. Bite sized information that is easy-to-read, watch, or listen to will resonate best with the information-overloading ADD Gen Y’ers.

7. Be A Human. Admit to mistakes and don’t be afraid to fess up. Don’t put on the slick snakeoil salesman hat. It won’t work. Our BS meters are super high. Hah!

Gen Y is not shy. If they love you and your product/service/company/brand, it can be your GREATEST asset as we will spread it around all over the place like wildfire and you can’t pay for that type of word of mouth marketing. On the other hand, the opposite is true as well. If you are an asshole, that will spread as well!

Live Passionately! – David Siteman Garland – The Creative Opportunities Specialist and Entrepreneurial Chameleon – http://www.therisetothetop.com

PS: Looking for a great speaker or a live The Rise To The Top at your next event, conference, or lord-knows-what? We have something extremely unique, fun, and educational. Make sure to contact me: David AT DSGagency.com for more information.

PPS: Like this post? Awesome! Please send it to a friend or retweet it out on Twitter (copy and paste RT @therisetothetop http://tinyurl.com/agdhfl)  or send it to your favorite social bookmarking site such as StumbleUpon.

It isn’t About YOU: The Importance Of Building Community (Does Facebook get it now?)
David’s Blog: The Rise To The Top Entrepreneur Blog
Entrepreneur Resources. Entrepreneur Education. Everything Entrepreneurship.

This past week the news was buzzing about Facebook and their Terms of Service which basically said they own you and everything about you (slight exaggeration). Petitions were started, Twitter was buzzing about it, and national news sources got ahold of the story as the Facebook community was in an uproar. And what happened? This morning Facebook retracted their Terms of Service, apologized, and deemed they will be creating a Facebook Bill of Rights and Responsibilities. Wow! Now that is a telltale sign of how business is working in the 21st century and Web 2.0 era. It isn’t about YOU, it is about your community.

Are you a know-it-all-showboat or a community builder? Everywhere you look, especially online, the popular “trend” is building community revolving around your passions, your brand, and your products. Awesome, that sounds like a really good idea…but wait…what the heck does that mean?

Be Honest: Community is all about AUTHENTICITY

Gone are the days where people are expected “spin” bad news. Especially in my generation, Generation Y, there is a need for brutal, blunt honesty. If something goes horribly wrong, be upfront. If something goes right, be upfront as well.

Tip: Never have a ghostwriter (someone that writes your blogs under your name) or have some other person post for you under your name ANYWHERE. Examples: Facebook and Twitter better be you (Hear that Britney Spears we know it is your publicist on Twitter). If you have someone else do it, you will get caught, and it won’t be pretty (sort of like drunk driving).

Give Love To Get Love: Community is all about RECIPROCATION
 
Support your supporters (and get new ones) by visiting their blogs, endorsing their products (of course only if you like them…see honesty), and reaching out to them to help. If they post a question on Facebook or Twitter, help out by answering. Lend a helping hand and more helping hands will help you (that is a lot of “help” in one sentence).

Tip: Pick out 10 blogs related to your field (try Alexa to search) and leave a nice comment on articles you feel interesting. Don’t be an asshole and leave your website or tell them how great you are. Instead, make sure you fill out the comment form correctly. If people like you, they will click on your name and go to your website.

Make It About Them: Community is all about THEM

What is in it for me? Why should I care? These are the first questions people will think to themselves or out-loud if they are crazy people when they encounter you, your business, your product, and your website. How do you make it about THEM?

Tip: Everyone has an “About Me” page, but what about an “About You” page. Heck, everyone wants to know how great THEY are, right? Try adding one to your website like the pioneer of the “About You” page Adam Kreitman.

Live In A Glass House: Community is all about TRANSPARENCY

If you think you can hide from your community, you will have no community. Respond to questions personally (that means EVERY email, comment on your blog, etc.). Do not take a holy “I’m too important/powerful/awesome to respond to the plebeians” attitude.

Tip: Make sure to have your personal email listed somewhere on your website and not just an “info@whateveryourdamnsiteis.com” If you are worried about SPAM, literally type it out like this David AT DSGagency.com so that you won’t be added to random lists.

Kick It Out: Community is all about PARTICIPATION

Have a burning questions or want to come out with a new product or service? Kick it out to your community! Simply ask for help in your own focus group of followers.

Tip: Whenever I have a question or problem (like yesterday I was trying to figure out how to interview someone online and have the quality solid enough for TV) I throw it out on Facebook and Twitter. Within TEN MINUTES I had more than enough answers. Cool!

Here are some excellent community building resources:
1. Gary Vaynerchuk: Wine Library TV. He responds to thousands of emails a day and lives the five principles above which is why he has become a celebrity in the gold rush of personal branding and community building.
2. Adam Kreitman: Words That Click. Have to give credit where credit is do. Adam is the man behind the ole “About You”
3. Seth Godin’s Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us. Awesome book about how to cultivate passionate followers.

Would love to hear what you think! Please leave a comment below and if you REALLY like this article, feel free to send it out on Twitter or to StumbleUpon (or any other social bookmarking site that you LOVE).

Live Passionately! – David Siteman Garland – The Creative Opportunities Specialist and Entrepreneurial Chameleon – http://www.therisetothetop.com

David’s Blog: The Rise To The Top Entrepreneur Blog
Entrepreneur Resources. Entrepreneur Education. Everything Entrepreneurship.
Crappy Day? How To Suck It Up Like A Champion!

Ever have one of those freak out moments where you want to punch everyone and then dive out the window (OK little exaggeration…climb out the window).

The 5:00 AM wake up call from Orlando this morning was too early. I had a fantastic time speaking on the Gen Y Panel for National Speakers Association and after playing around in Disney it was time to come back to good ole St. Louis. Two flights later, my girlfriend dropped me off at 10:59 AM at my doorstep. I raced (up the steps would be a good impact-full phrase to use here…but not true) into the elevator and plopped myself down on my couch, luggage in hand, to check out the new episode of my show to make sure all the technical aspects were in place, yadda yadda.

10:59…11:00…and the show begins…and it is the WRONG EPISODE.

Uh oh. Panic. What do I do? It was supposed to be Episode #6 but instead was a repeat of Episode #5. Ironically, at the NSA conference I talked extensively about the importance of transparency and authenticity in business.

So here is the tale of how I handled the situation, the lessons learned and how you can take a crappy day and flip it upside down (because lord knows they DO happen even for  someone like me who has “Positivity” listed as #1 on StrengthsFinder 2.0: A New and Upgraded Edition of the Online Test from Gallup's Now, Discover Your Strengths
).

Step #1: Doomsday

What it is: Often times this is the first reaction to something going wrong. The world is falling.

Today’s Example: This is the panic time. In my case, I practiced what I preached (just like I talked about in Episode #5) and thought about the worst case scenario. Fans of the show are crying, sponsors are pissed, and I punch myself in the face. Little bit extreme.

What to do: Accept it. You are emotionally involved in your company.

Step #2: Be A Baby

What it is: Time to whine.

Today’s Example: I was EXTREMELY mad at ABC. I was mad at the systems that I stayed up all night perfecting..failing for a day (for those who don’t know a ton about TV there are a lot of little things you have to do to get the show on the air including tape replication, closed captioning, and all kinds of other stuff that is not so fun but necessary). I wanted answers. I called my mom. I was pissed. 

What to do: Go with it. Vent. Call a friend. Don’t keep it inside.

Step #3: Angry Knee Jerking

What it is: Whining turns to anger.

Today’s Example: Who screwed up? Did I screw up? How did this happen? Also, my immediate reaction was to get really, really upset with TV. My knee jerk reaction (seriously) was screw TV. We should go Internet only because we have a massive online audience…and TV is a dying medium. These things don’t happen when all you have to do is upload! Would sponsors care? But TV also gives you credibility ( easy as A..B..C)…hmmmmm… was I overreacting?

What to do: You can think drastically but don’t act drastically. You don’t want to send that awkward angry email. You WILL regret it later. Do something else and get away from work. Working out is a good option.

Step #4: Glimmer Of Hope

What it is: Wait a minute, something positive happens!

Today’s Example: In this case, my friend told me he was at a coffee shop and three people behind him were talking about how they liked the show. Cool!

What to do: Look for positives, not negatives. Be OPEN to positivity in negative times and you will receive that glimmer of hope.

Step #5 Shifting Perspective

What it is: Positivity leads to more positivity.

Today’s Example: Some people in my building got together this morning and watched the show and told me they enjoyed it, awesome. A bunch of positive emails came in and message. All of the sudden I’m feeling like I can solve the problem.

What to do: Continue to look for more positive examples. Your day will change. Even if they don’t come from your business you can increase your positivity by, for example, watching a funny movie,.

Step #6 Solutions

What it is: Now you are ready to solve the problem.

Today’s Example: After the initial anger was at least a bit diffused, now I was ready to come up with solutions. I talked my media buyer to get to the bottom of the error and I will make some more calls tomorrow. I re-wrote our schedule for the rest of the season to adjust everything by one week. I realized the world is not ending.

What to do: Now you are ready to fix the problem. Never act while mad!

Step #7 Damage Control

What it is: Talk to your peeps.

Today’s Example: If you screw up something (major, minor, etc.) own it. I sent out a message about it on Facebook and Twitter and this Blog also explains the situation as well. Take the problem on head on.

What to do: Transparency, transparency, transparency. Tell your clients, customers, etc. about what happened. Tell them how you felt. Make it real. They will appreciate it.

Whew, feel better?

Live Passionately! – David Siteman Garland – The Creative Opportunities Specialist and Entrepreneurial Chameleon - http://www.therisetothetop.com

Pssssssss…if you like this post you may also enjoy checking out Episode #5 Online
If you REALLY love it (or hate it) feel free to send it to some social bookmarking sites like StumbleUpon or Digg…or any other site.

Rise at Nite #2: Dr. Dembo Gone Wild

Dr. Dembo stops into “No Pleated Pants Studios” to talk about Valentine’s Day and well…the world’s worst date. Sigh….watch and find out on our special after hours show where anything (we mean anything goes).

Find out more about Dr. Phil Dembo and his really cool, unique program at 1st Date STL

David’s Blog: The Rise To The Top Entrepreneur Blog
Entrepreneur Resources. Entrepreneur Education. Everything Entrepreneurship.
How To Be Newsworthy: Down and Dirty PR Tips for Entrepreneurs

Sometimes being on TWO sides of a coin is extremely interesting…especially if it is the public relations coin.

Side #1:
I get this question all of the time: “How can I get on the show?!” “Will you feature my company on The Rise To The Top?” “Hey, David you are my hero!” (just kidding on the last one…waiting for THAT email).

On the other side of the coin I get these questions: Side #2

“You always seem to be getting into newspapers and magazines. How do you do that?” “How do I stay at the forefront of media sources?”

Very interesting. As someone who is pitched to and who pitches (I’m a two-way player…wait that sounded bad), I’ve quickly realized the wonderful and wacky world of public relations is often a source of endless frustration for entrepreneurs.

Well, I decided to ask some colleagues at major publications, TV shows, blogs, new and old media about the “pitching process” and I’ve compiled a list based on their answers and my experiences on how to get your lovely face and company some much-needed press time that will send your visibility and sales souring.

1. Set Goals and Keep Count: Before you even start the journey for press, make sure you have goals like in any other aspect of your business. I would recommend having a “Press Goals Sheet” labeled from 1-to-however-many-features-on-your-company-you-want. Mine up on my wall is labeled 1-100 because I’m hoping to make appearances in 100 different media outlets in one year (shoot high). Then when I get some press (good, bad, or ugly), I cross off the number like last week with The Jewish Light.

2. Be Ready: Being interviewed on TV/Radio or being featured in a print publication/popular blog can have a big effect. Are you ready to handle an increase in visibility? Will your website crash if too many visitors flood in? Do you have a new product/service that can be perfectly timed with your media appearance? Watch Scott Ginsberg (Episode #3) to see what I’m talking about. The only thing worse than NOT getting press is getting press and not knowing how to leverage it.

3. Don’t Forget The Little Guy: While most people are out there contacting the big media sources of pleated pants people, don’t forget new media (blogs, podcasts, Web TV). Often times these sources have a VERY passionate following who is extremely targeted. Their audiences choose to view these sites actively because they are interested in the material and that could lead to even more love for you.

4. Not Newsworthy? You’re Boring: Don’t just arbitrarily send out a press release every two weeks (or month, or day or hour) or just email news folks randomly to “keep an eye on you” because bad news, people are too busy. Make sure you have something great to report. For example, someone sent me an email yesterday that they just reached one million in sales in the down economy. I’m waiting until we get 500,000 viewers for our next release to go out about The Rise To The Top (note: we are VERY close!)

5. Be Concise: Ok, so it is pitch time. You have an interesting story to tell the world and here you go. You write a press release, shop it around to media, post it online, and you sit back……pause….and nothing happens. Yikes! First thing I would check is if you are concise. NEVER more than one page will be read. RARELY (in fact 80% of the time) will  more than one paragraph will be read. Keep it short, buzzworthy, and short (did I say that already?). I’ve already gouged my eye out today because of a three-page press release.

6. Get Personal: From experience, receiving a personal email about The Rise To The Top is much better than a randomly mass emailed press release; HOWEVER, interesting press releases that jump off the page DO get read. Search out news sources online as email addresses of editors are listed 9/10 times. Send a personal email.

7. Proofread: Yes, it is cliche. No, it isn’t a blog like this where you can get away with grammar murder. When pitching, proofread. It helps. Trust me.

8. Be Buzzworthy: Tie into hot news stories and you will have a better chance of swimming to the top of the media pile. Is your company beating the recession? Are you “the little guy” taking on “the man”?

9. Stay on it: Have you checked out my article on persistence? Contacting and following up with media can be a little bit excruciating BUT stay on it. If someone says they are going to interview you, awesome; however, people also forget so make sure to follow-up (without being annoying).

10. As Seen On: Make you leverage press that you DO get. Have an “As Seen On/In” page or “In The News/Media” on your website. Link articles and videos. Show the world that you ARE out there. Press leads to more press (chicken, egg, or PR?)

11. Give love to get love: Get out there and support the TV shows, blogs, radio shows, etc. that you hope to form a relationship with. They don’t call it Public RELATIONS for nothing. You are forming relationships with people and businesses. Leave them some love on their blog, Facebook, etc. and good things will happen. Or at least you will be one up in the karma game!

Now get out there and get some press and maybe even try pitching me here on the blog It will be good practice and I promise to respond to EACH pitch personally.

Off to Orlando….

Live Passionately! – David Siteman Garland – The Creative Opportunities Specialist and Entrepreneurial Chameleon – http://www.therisetothetop.com

Two more things:
1.  I’m giving away a minute of The Rise To The Top each month to feature YOU to pitch your entrepreneurial idea or talk about your current company. All you have to do is use one of these methods to be automatically entered:
-Follow The Rise To The Top on Twitter
-Join our Facebook Fan Page
-Leave a comment on TRTTT episode by clicking “Watch Now” and leave a comment.
-Leave a comment on David’s Blog
Remember, for every 500 people one more gets selected so tell your friends to sign up. Hey, if they win, tell them they have to give the minute to you

2. We have all kinds of new Watch Now and Segment features
up on therisetothetop.com.
Make sure to check it out and tell us what you think, how we can improve, or just say hi.

David’s Blog: The Rise To The Top Entrepreneur Blog
Entrepreneur Resources. Entrepreneur Education. Everything Entrepreneurship.
Psssss have you downloaded our free education packets?

Persistence: Following Up Without Being Annoying

In my last blog, I dove into the topics of “Who do you listen to?!” when starting a business and hopefully got you hopping on the correct foot by recommending going to friends and family and asking if they can connect you to proper people to build your business.

If you are still reading, congrats you are not afraid to ask for help. Pat yourself on the back. Group hug. All that jazz.

So, back to the task at hand. One of the most uncomfortable subjects in business is following up with people. To be perfectly blunt, most people suck at following up. Many folks give up after one or two tries of following up or reaching someone. Self doubt often rears its ugly negabot head: “Will this person think I’m annoying?” “Am I calling too much?” “I always get voicemail!” “How often to do I check back in?” “They will never answer!”

Remember persistence is key. I once followed (err..stalked?) NHL great Wayne Gretzky 20 miles in a car with my dad when I was 13 to get an autograph (or five autographs because why not dream big?). It worked. Another time I held up the same sign at a hockey game asking for a hockey stick from a player for twenty games before I got a stick. But guess what, it worked.

I know it sounds a little crazy, but don’t give up if what I tell you doesn’t work the first time, because you may have to go a few more miles at high speed to get what you really want…without being an asshole (asshole = bad).

Here are some tips on being persistent:

1. Create a preferred medium of communication. Example: “Excellent, I would love to meet your super awesome PR contact. Can you send me her information via email?” Some people love email, others hate it. Find the preferred contact method that works.

2. Setting a time table: “Thanks Uncle Cletus for the great PR contact idea. Can I check back at the end of the week if I haven’t heard from you. Us entrepreneurs run at the speed of light!” This could be the one of the top rules. Time tables create accountability.

3. Ignore the sales rules. Give up after three calls? I DON’T THINK SO! The “give up after three calls stupid rule” is about as dated as pleated pants. People are busy. I can’t tell you how many times I reached someone on the 50th call and they said “Oh, you were the NEXT person on my call list to call back. So glad you called!” Annoying for you, YES. Great results, YES.

4. Relevant Emails. Don’t send the classic “just checking in” email. Make it a point as to what you are looking for: advice, sponsorships, contacts, help, a new puppy. Don’t be deceptive.

5. Get out there. Know where the person you hope to contact hangs out (and I’m not talking about showing up at their house…enjoy dodging cops). What events do they attend? What groups do they belong to? You can of course just show up or even send a friendly warning email: “Hi, Fred. I saw you are a member of the Venture Capital Board. I’m attending their event on the 17th and I look forward to meeting you there.”

Now, go get out there and land some meetings, contacts, help, advice, money, sponsorships, whatever!

And one more thing: I’m giving away a minute of The Rise To The Top on ABC each month to feature YOU to pitch your entrepreneurial idea or talk about your current company. All you have to do is use one of these methods to be automatically entered:
-Follow The Rise To The Top on Twitter
-Join our Facebook Fan Page
-Leave a comment on TRTTT episode by clicking “Watch Now” and leave a comment.
-Leave a comment on David’s Blog
Remember, for every 500 people one more gets selected so tell your friends to sign up. Hey, if they win, tell them they have to give the minute to you

Live Passionately! – David Siteman Garland – The Creative Opportunities Specialist and Entrepreneurial Chameleon – http://www.therisetothetop.com

Win A Minute on ABC! New monthly contest

Our next episode of The Rise To The Top on ABC could be featuring…you.

The Rise To The Top is all about building a community of entrepreneurs from those getting their feet wet to the experts at the top of the mountain offering advice.

Each month, we will be selecting fans of the show to be featured for one minute. This will be a feature on you and your business/business idea and will be critiqued by an expert from the billion dollar TRTTT Expert Panel to nudge you in the right direction.

This opportunity will be in front of hundreds of thousands of people watching on ABC in St. Louis and of course worldwide via online video.

The contest is open to everyone (not just those in St. Louis). If you have a business or business idea, this could be a chance of a lifetime.

Make sure to encourage your friends to sign up! For every 500 people we will be selecting a lucky one to be featured on the show!

There are four ways to enter the contest (all painfully simple)
-Follow The Rise To The Top on Twitter
-Join our Facebook Fan Page
-Leave a comment on TRTTT episode by clicking “Watch Now” and leave a comment.
-Leave a comment on David’s Blog

The more people that sign up, the more we will be selecting for the show!
You can help promote the contest by:
-Posting it on your Facebook
-Re-tweeting it on Twitter
-Telling all your best buddies about it
-Linking it up to your blog or website.

Best of luck to everyone.

Live Passionately! – David Siteman Garland – The Creative Opportunities Specialist and Entrepreneurial Chameleon – http://www.therisetothetop.com

David’s Blog: The Rise To The Top Entrepreneur Blog
Entrepreneur Resources. Entrepreneur Education. Everything Entrepreneurship.

Who Do You Listen To? Create Your Own Dream Team: Step #1

Picture this: You have a great idea for a business or just started a business, where do you go to for advice? Who do you listen to? Who do you seek out? Who do you avoid? Answering those important questions can often lead to success or very expensive failure in business.

I recently  had a chance to sit down with serial entrepreneur and speaking legend Sam Silverstein (during a recent taping of The Rise To The Top) who is currently the president of The National Speakers Association. Sam and I hung out about and hour as I kicked every question in the book at him to pick his brain about entrepreneurship. Without spilling too much of the beans, I was captivated by Sam’s response to one of my questions when he talked about seeking experts out in your field as opposed to your parents.

Interesting. Especially for young entrepreneurs, the tendency on seeking advice is to go to the ones you know and more often than not, that would be your parents. That is all well in good, but unless your parents are savvy entrepreneurs or sleek business folk, you may want to include others when looking for advice in a specific industry.

I run many things by my parents and they are unbelievable for support. My dad is 100% supportive no matter what I do and has lots of business experience. My mom is uber-creative and great with ideas and copy-writing. But, to really get great business advice (with no sugar-coating) I had to network my way into finding mentors who have already walked the walk. I beat down doors, made phone calls, and did anything possible to form an advisory board of those who could save me from making expensive, business-killing mistakes.

Once I had meetings setup and a sliver of attention, I asked if you think my idea sucks, let me know; however, if you think it has promise, please point me in the right direction. The nudges I received landed unbelievable contacts, sponsors, advice, and ABC television. All by just listening to the right people…and most importantly trusting instincts.

Over the next few posts, I’m going to outline the steps I’ve learned to create YOUR own dream mentorship team.

Step #1: Ask For Help
Tell everyone you know you are starting/started a business. Send emails, make phone calls, and of course in person. But don’t just tell these trusted folks that you just started a business and are looking for a high-five. Instead, mention the fields you need help with and ask for contacts.

Example:   Jamie: “Hi Mike, I just started a business last week of renting out rodeo clowns.”

Mike: “Wow that sounds exciting!”

Jamie: “Thank you. I’m very excited and it is going to be quite the adventure. If you wouldn’t mind, I’d like to ask you for one bit of a help. As you probably have guessed, started a business is a massive venture. I’m looking for help in the field of public relations (or rodeo clown makeup, or legal help, or sales help). I was hoping you would perhaps know of someone I could talk to you about it.”

Mike: “Hmmmmmmm….great question. I think my brother’s friend’s dog’s mother’s sister’s friend is in PR.”

Jamie: “Great! Would you mind sending over her email/phone number so I can pick her brain for a couple of minutes?”

Mike: “Sure, no problem. Just remember us when you rise to the top!”

Boom. Your six degrees of separation were just reduced to two. You would be surprised who knows who. Tap into your network!

In the next post: How to land a meeting with anyone you want (seriously).

Live Passionately! – David Siteman Garland – The Creative Opportunities Specialist and Entrepreneurial Chameleon – http://www.therisetothetop.com