Dan Janal's PR LEADS Blog

A Sad Story, and a Happy Story

2008-08-18T17:48:00.005-05:00

I'm not one of these people who likes to put his personal life online, like many people, but that's okay. So it is sad for me to say that my mother passed away this weekend.

Fortunately, I was able to be with her for the last few weeks of her life because I had the freedom and flexibility of running an Internet business. I could check email, return a few phone calls and basically run things in a short period of time from the hospital. I am grateful I am in this line of work and have the flexibility to run my life as needed. My wish if that you be so lucky as well.

And fortunately, I have a great staff that kept things running without me.

But most fortunately, my clients came to my rescue. One of the truly great things about PR LEADS is that we have built a community and a family of friends. Somehow, a few people heard about my mother and came to my help.

I'd like to thank Dr. Gail Gazelle, a palliative care specialist, who volunteered to talk to my mother's doctors, doc-to-doc, to find out what was really going on and tell me the real story. She offered invaluable advice and comfort along the way. Her day wasn't done until she checked in with me.

And I'd like to thank Dr. Vicki Rackner who offered a shoulder to cry on and an ear to vent my emotions.

I know that I have close friendships with many other PR LEADS members and they would have done anything they could if I had only asked. But that's not my style. Somehow word is spreading about my mother and people are offering their condolences, so I wanted to let everyone know that I'm okay (maybe a bit spacey right now).

I'm going to lay low for a week. Work is good therapy, but if you don't hear from me, you'll know why

Dan Janal interviewed on BlogTalk Radio with Scott Fox

2008-07-27T11:05:00.004-05:00

You can hear the interview Scott Fox did with me on Blog Talk Radio He's the author of "Internet Riches."

Here's his description of the one-hour program:

Dan Janal of PR Leads joins us to talk about publicity strategies for your e-commerce business. How can you use Public Relations to attract more traffic? Listen and call in with your live questions about online marketing strategies and entertaining information that can help grow your e-commerce business!

If you have a teleseminar or talk radio show and want to interview me, send me an email.

If your browser couldn't read the link to Blog Talk Radio, copy this link to your browser:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/scottfox/2008/07/17/Online-Business-Success-Show-with-Scott-Fox-Author-of-Internet-Riches

PR LEADS' Cool Book of the Day Posts 100th Interview!

2008-07-25T13:14:00.002-05:00

Cool Book of the Day.com posted its 100th interview with a deserving author recently. The site helps promote authors who have written worthwhile books and who need to promote those books online.

The site is the brainchild of Dan Janal, whom USA TODAY called “a true cyberspace pioneer” with more than 25 years of experience promoting technology and authors.

“Many publications ignore experts who have written great books. They do not print book reviews or interviews with authors who have worked hard on their books. These authors deserve recognition and readership,” said Janal. “The mission of Cool Book of the Day is to spread the word about lesser-known authors, who comprise 99 percent of the people who write books.”

The range of books covered includes more than 25 genres, including novels, self-help books, relationship books and financial planning books.

The site features interviews with authors who answer such questions as:

What is the title of the book?
Who is the intended audience?
What is the book about?
Why are you the best person to write this book?
How is this book different from other books on this topic?
Is there anything else we should know about this book?

“People who read Cool Book of the Day will find many interesting works that will make them happier, healthier and smarter,” said Janal. “Authors deserve to be read and we’re happy to offer the best of the breed the chance to get exposure. We consider this a public service to deserving authors and don’t charge for posting interviews.”

Dan Janal is the founder of www.PRLEADS.com a publicity service that helps authors and experts get the publicity they deserve to build credibility to sell more books and consulting services.

Did you get a "nice deal" on your book contract?

2008-07-10T13:59:00.000-05:00

If you write books, you probably wonder about advances.

Your own advance.

And what other people get.

If you're wondering if you got "a good deal," there's a great resource for you called Publishers Lunch. It is an institution in the publishing industry -- everyone reads it.

They have lots of news and gossip about the industry.

Plus they list a few deals each week. Here's their key to understanding the deals:

"nice deal" $1 - $49,000
"very nice deal" $50,000 - $99,000
"good deal" $100,000 - $250,000
"significant deal" $251,000 - $499,000
"major deal" $500,000 and up

PR LEADS alum Michael Port got a "very nice deal" for his new book to be published by John Wiley, according to Publishers Lunch. The book's called " 'The Think Big Manifesto' in the tradition of Napoleon Hill, offering a paradigm of centered collaboration as a new path for business and personal growth that produces dramatic results over the small-thinking ways that plague our everyday experiences in work, relationships and society, again to Matt Holt at Wiley, in a very nice deal."

NSA invites Dan Janal to speak at annual conference

2008-07-09T19:21:00.003-05:00

I'm honored to have been asked to speak at the National Speakers Associations' annual conference in New York on August 2.

I've been a member of NSA for more than 15 years. They are a great association that is characterized by members willingness to help other members. I'm flattered to have been asked to speak on negotiating and negotiations.

If you're going to the conference, let me know! Maybe we can get together for lunch!

PR LEADERS Continue to Get Top Tier Press!

2008-07-07T18:46:00.003-05:00

From time to time I like to let you know of achievements of our PR LEADERS.

On Sunday, July 7, workplace expert BJ Gallagher was quoted in the New York Times Business Section, thanks to ProfNet and PR LEADS.

"PR LEADS is the BEST!!!" writes BJ. Thanks!

Relationship coach Mary Jo Fay was quoted in Cosmo in June and July!

PowerPoint Presentation Tips That Work - Really!

2008-06-06T18:27:00.004-05:00

Dr. John Medina posted a funny and informative slide show on how to present ideas. This presentation is invaluable! Check it out now

You'll never do presentations the same way again!

Making the Most of Linked In

2008-05-21T10:00:00.001-05:00

I have nearly 500 contacts on LinkedIn. Will you be the 500th? Invite me!

Linked In can be an important tool to grow your business and your influence.

When I spoke at the recent National Speakers Association Branding Lab in Boston, I learned about an ebook that Jill Konrath wrote called "Can LinkedIn Increase Your Sales?"

If you're wondering if you should be using LinkedIn - or even how - I think you'll find it helpful. You can download your copy at http://www.sellingtobigcompanies.com/linkedin

Improve productivity by cutting out spam

2008-05-18T11:49:00.000-05:00

I love spamarrest. I couldn't live without it.

At the very best, I see only emails enter my email account that have been approved by me. Then I go to their website and quickly scan the mail it blocked -- 99 percent is junk. The one percent that should have gone through usually is from new clients who haven't clicked on the approval option.

I check the folder in the morning and then 2-3 times a day. It really works.

Here's another tip: I have a lot of domains (publicity for doctors, trainers, consultants, etc.) that I just post a page for, but don't have active emails addresses. The spammers found that sites and send me junk, so we disabled the email option on those sites. That cut down spam a lot. So if you have old sites, pointer sites, or sites that you really don't need mail from, you might want to do this.

I'd heartily recommend spam arrest (and I get an affiliate commission if you click on this link)

http://www.spamarrest.com/affl?4037403

Online press releases attract consumers: Study shows

2008-05-11T11:33:00.005-05:00

Online press releases are an effective tool for attracting leads from consumers and business customers, a new study shows.

As reported in Shel Holtz' blog, Dr. MIhaela Vorvoreanu, with Clemson University’s Department of Communication Studies, presents the results of research conducted into the ROI of online press releases at the recent New Communication Forum in Santa Rosa, California. The study was developed conducted by the Society for New Communication Research for Vocus, which commissioned the research, The research team included Jiyan Wei from Vocus, Shel Holtz, SNCR Executive Director Jen McClure, and Dr. Vorvoreanu. TWI Surveys managed the online survey and produced the data that led to Dr. Vorvoreanu’s presentation on April 23, 2008.

Download the file here (MP3, 11.5Mb, 25:13).

If you'd like to get more leads from press releases, I'd recommend this service: Public Relations Softwar e because Google indexes every press release sent by clients of this service. If you don't know how to write a press release, they will connect you with a writer who charges extremely reasonable rates, or you can find writers on elance.

Newest PR LEADER appears on Oprah's radio show on first day!

2008-05-08T10:52:00.004-05:00

I had a great time speaking at the NSA Marketing Lab in Boston last weekend. It was great to see so many old friends, current clients and new friends!

Many people signed up for PR LEADS as the service is a great help to speakers and authors.

One expert who signed up for PR LEADS had phenomenal success right out of the gate! Russ L'HommeDieu responded to a lead and appeared on Oprah's radio show right away! Here's Russ' story:

"I met Dan at a weekend NSA jam session on branding and promotion. He impressed me enough for me to give his company PR leads a try. I got my first email from him that very Monday and I was on an Oprah and friends radio show by Tuesday afternoon. What is even more amazing Is that, I was not even entered in Dan's system yet. When he saw the lead he immediately thought of me and sent me a personal email. He simply knew it was perfect for me and then personally saw to it that I got it! Incredible service from a guy that I just met. I am thrilled to have Dan working for me. He just became my most valuable consultant!"

Dr. Russ L'HommeDieu, DPT
Author
The Truth Diet
http://www.NewLifeInProgress.com

How to get fame and fortune with white papers

2008-05-07T17:07:00.002-05:00

I interviewed bestselling author Michael Stelzner about his secrets for how we used white papers to gain 60,000 leads for his business.

Watch his first video, How To Generate Mass Interest in Your Business During Tough Times and sign up to watch the second video, Six Deadly Marketing Mistakes and the New Solution.

To listen to the MP3 file click here.

New directory helps you appear on national TV shows!

2008-03-24T16:59:00.002-05:00

My friend Steve Harrison gave me an advance copy of his
new directory that shows all the contact info
anyone needs to appear on top TV shows! It is very, very good,
so I wanted to share the info with you so you can get
your very own copy.

Hhis "Harrison's Guide" directory/database which gives you
927 key contacts at the top 259 top national TV and cable shows
that interview guests.

Steve's directory/database goes far beyond simply providing
the names and numbers of who to contact because it includes
detailed "how to get on" profiles of all the major shows
including Oprah, Montel, Today Show, CNN, Fox News, Larry
King Live, CNBC, Live With Regis & Kelly, Bloomberg TV,
Nightline, Charlie Rose and many, many more -- 259 top shows
in all. You also get monthly updates to keep you current.

=> On Sale Until 6 pm Eastern
this Friday, March 28th

Steve has just released a brand-new, 100% updated edition of
his directory/database. To celebrate, through Friday, March 28th at
6:00 pm EST he's offering the new directory at a big savings.
Go here now to grab your copy:

http://www.appearontoptvshows.com/special/?10064

=> You'll Get Your Private Consult
With Former NBC producer

In addition to big savings, when you respond by this Friday's
deadline you'll also get a private, one-on-one telephone
consultation with a former NBC producer who booked guests
for Dateline NBC and the Today Show. She'll help you craft
your own strategy for getting on national TV shows.

I look forward to seeing you get on national TV very soon!

PS -- Remember, Steve's directory/database will pay for
itself many, many times over the first time you get booked
on a national TV show so go here now before the price goes up:
http://www.appearontoptvshows.com/special/?10064

Dan Janal to Speak at Colorado Independent Publishers Association Conference

2008-03-21T09:59:00.002-05:00

I'm speaking at the Colorado Independent Publishers Association, which holds its CIPA College 2008 convention on March 27-29 in Denver. My topic is "How to become the most famous author in your niche." I'll also host two round table sessions with a "no-holds barred" Q&A format.

For information, go to http://www.cipabooks.com/

Let me know if you'll be there!

Celebrate Your Career, Promote Your Success

2008-03-11T09:41:00.003-05:00

Interior designer, author and PR LEADER Melissa Galt shares great ideas on how to frame and display the articles that feature you in this great video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDkrg4-q8Zk

I've written before about the need to frame your articles so your clients can see your success. Melissa does a great job of putting the words into action! For those of you who are visual and need to see the idea in pictures instead of words, this video is a must see!

How to Get Your Own Column in Your Daily Newspaper

2008-02-08T10:48:00.000-06:00

Getting your own column in your local newspaper might not be as hard as you think!

Here's how one real estate expert got his own column in the largest newspaper in his state. He told me this story when I was a guest on Doug Huggins' teleseminar yesterday.

Harold is a former economics professor. He simply contacted his local newspaper editor and told the editor why he (Harold) was better qualified to write about real estate and economics than the staff reporter, and how he (Harold) could offer a different perspective than the reporter.

The editor agreed and gave Harold his own column, and his own blog on the newspaper's web site! Each column has Harold's phone number and email address so prospects can contact him!

Way to go Harold! You are an inspiration to us all!

My advice: Be like Harold. Get off your butt, pick up the phone and pitch your local business, lifestyle or education editor!

Coaches: Grow your business with advice from 6-figure coaching experts

2008-01-09T12:56:00.000-06:00

Take 7 of my best teleseminars on how to build a 6-figure
coaching business and take your business to new heights!

Wouldn't you like to know how 12 consultants just like you
added coaching to their business models and added
six figures to their bottom lines?

Now you can read and hear how they did it! You'll learn:
- how they learned from mistakes
- what they would do differently
- marketing tactics that worked - and those that didn't
- how they run their businesses day-to-day
- how they balance their work and personal lives

If you've thought about coaching, this series will help you
get started on the right path.

If you coach now, you'll find dozens of tips on how to
take your business to the next level.

And you can have all the MP3 and transcripts for just $97.97
-- a value of $1,200.00! You save more than $1,100.00!

To order, click here:

http://www.prleads.com/coach-special.htm

Get priceless information for only $97.97.

As a special bonus, I'll give you a MP3 of Mark LeBlanc on
"How to Have Your Best Year Ever"
one of my most popular recordings!

I'm so sure you'll benefit from this series that
if you aren't happy for any reason,
I'll refund your money.

Click here to order now:

http://www.prleads.com/coach-special.htm

Article Marketing – Are You Submitting Articles to the Best Websites to Get More Traffic and Leads?

2008-01-07T11:54:00.000-06:00

Article marketing is not all about getting links. It’s about getting your articles published on the top, most trafficked, targeted websites, ezines and article directories that accept article submissions so you can experience more publicity, traffic and profits.

How can you make sure your articles are published on the biggest sites that get the most traffic?

That should be the number one concern of every article writer, whether they are a coach, author, consultant or information marketer.

It is easy to get articles published on sites, but shouldn’t you concentrate on the biggest and best sites?

This might sound like common sense, but the truth is that not many people know which sites are big and which ones are small. So they spend their time submitting to any site they run across. Most people have no idea how many visitors a site gets, or whether the site is the biggest in the field with lots of traffic, or a recent start-up with little traffic.

If you don’t know the difference, then you could be wasting a lot of time and energy!

Are You Using the “Secret Weapon” That the Most Successful Article Marketing Professionals Use to Choose Where They Submit Articles to?

It’s called Alexa.

Many people have never heard of this site. And that’s too bad, because it could save you and your co-workers a lot of time and effort in getting prospects.

So here’s the scoop on Alexa.

Alexa ranks the traffic of each site on the Internet. It is owned by Amazon.com so you know it is a reputable site.

If you go to http://www.alexa.com/site/ds/top_500 you’ll see a listing of the top sites. As of this writing, the sites that get the most traffic are:

Yahoo
Google
Windows Live
You Tube
Microsoft Network
My Space
Facebook
Wikipedia
Hi 5
Orkut

Alexa indexes more than 5 million web sites!

The real power of Alexa comes when you search for a site. You can do this by going to www.alexa.com You’ll see a search bar. Type the URL of your company’s web site. Or your competitor’s site. Or a site that you think is really hot.

Alexa will show you the site’s ranking. It could be 100, 1,000, 10,000, 100,000 or even 10,000,000. There are a lot of sites on the web!

How to Use Alexa to Get Your Articles Published on the Top, Most Trafficked Websites

If you type in the URLs of several sites you are considering submitting articles to, you will see their rankings. Let’s say one site is ranked 250,000 and the other is ranked 435,000.

Now you know which site gets more traffic. So you’d be inclined to submit your article there first. If you had more time, you could submit your article to the second, third, fourth and fifth site that you searched for.

Now you know how to rank the sites that you submit to.

By the way, don’t be put off if a site is ranked 500,000. It might be the highest-ranked site in your vertical market. The way to look at these numbers is the relation of one site to the next. Don’t be blind and just think a site stinks if it is number 200,000. That might be a very good number!

How Alexa Can Help You With Additional Research for Your Article Marketing Efforts

You can search by country or language to find the top sites in a country or language you want prospects from.

Most importantly, you can search by subject!

For example, you can search on business, health, sports or dozens of other topics. When you select one topic, you’ll see a list of sub topics that help you find specific audiences.

For example, if you type “business,” you’ll see subtopics for:

Accounting
Marketing
Small business
And dozens more!

If you click on the subtopic, you’ll drill down deeper and find specific sites.

Now you can check out those sites to see if they reach your audience and if they accept articles. And, most importantly see what their traffic ranking it to see if it is worth your time to even go there in the first place.

Armed with Alexa, “the article marketer’s secret weapon,” you can now find sites that attract the most prospects.

About the Author:

Internationally recognized online publicity expert, author of 6 books, and Founder of PR LEADS Article Marketing Experts, Dan Janal has helped thousands of businesses, authors and experts just like you sell more products and service online using articles. Now you can discover his top article writing and article submission secrets with the PR Leads New A to Z Article System at http://www.BroadcastYourArticles.com

Donald Trump's Celebrity Apprentice Reality TV Show

2008-01-06T10:38:00.000-06:00

Okay, I admit it. I'm addicted to some forms of Reality TV and the Apprentice is one of those!

So the other night after watching celebrities sell hot dogs for big bucks, my REMs must have been in overdrive because I dreamed I was a contestant on the next year's edition, which featured celebrities against smart business people.

All I can remember is that my team shunned me. Yes, actually shunned me. I don't know why, but they were holding meetings and not letting me know where they were meeting!

I figured if this kept up, I'd be toast in the board room.

So I thought, "Well, what can one person do alone? I'm an Internet Marketer? What talents and skills do I have?"

The next thing I knew, I created a website for Celebrity Hot Dogs.com, optimize for Google, and sent press releases to all the news organizations in New York.

In the next scene, our hot dog cart is surrounded by all the news crews and radio talk show jocks.

My "team" sold more than the celebrities!

The Donald was so impressed with my strategy in the face of all these obstacles, he decided to make me the Apprentice and cancel the rest of the challenges.

Of course, he realized that as an entrepreneur, I have no leadership skills and that entrepreneurs don't want to part of a team. So he put me in charge of a project of his in Antarctica!

I turned him down, because my entrepreneurial lifestyle beats the lifestyle of his high-pressure executives any day!

I'd love to tell you the names of the celebrities on Celebrity Apprentice II: Revenge of the Nerds, but I signed a non-disclosure agreement.

Should I Launch a Radio Publicity Campaign over the Holidays?

2007-11-26T09:40:00.000-06:00

Alex Carroll, the guru of Radio Publicity, offered this advice:

Most radio shows don't book interviews any further than 2 weeks
in advance.

Furthermore, most radio shows take vacation starting Dec. 15-
20th and won't get back into the swing of things until Monday,
Jan 7th next year.

That being said, I think your best bet is to send your
postcards out at the beginning of January. Normally you would
want to give them a little more lead time, but with the way the
holiday season schedule falls, I think if you send them out
before that they'll just get lost in the holiday shuffle.

Alex maintains a comprehensive list of producers of radio shows. You can
learn more about this list and Alex's training tools by clicking here.

New York Times Reveals Secrets of its Best-Seller Lists

2007-10-21T10:40:00.000-05:00

The New York Times Best-Seller List, the gold standard for authors, revealed a little bit of how they choose the books that make the list in today's newspaper (October 21, 2007). You'll have to subscribe to the online edition to read the article as the site is membership driven.

Interesting insights include:
- bulk sales are discounted in the sales ranking as they don't want anyone to "game" their system. (Gee, who would do that???)
- long-standing books are sometimes tossed off the list. This rule is rather inconsistent, as "Night" by Elie Weisel was kicked off recently, even though other books that have been on the list for 2-3 years are still on the list, like "The Tipping Point," or "What to Expect When You're Expecting."

Read the article for other interesting points.

One truth the article didn't mention is the value of good publicity in book sales. Current PR LEADS clients Tim Ferriss' "Four Hour Work Week," and Dr. Mark Hyman's "Ultrametabolism" books both made strides on the NY Times Best-Seller List because of their PR and marketing campaigns.

Teleseminar: Speak at Colleges and Grow Your Business

2007-10-15T15:31:00.000-05:00

Would you like to add hundreds of thousands of “EXTRA M0ney” to
your speaking, writing, training, coaching and consulting income?

Did you know that the college market is one of the most
lucrative, yet overlooked markets that you could make BIG money from?

Most don't!

That’s why I asked my friend, James Malinchak, to be on a
special (no cost to you) teleseminar to share all of his secrets for
how you can tap into this unknown market.

James is called 'The King of the College Speaking Market,' and
has taught numerous authors, coaches, consultants, trainers,
and aspiring, beginning, and experienced speakers how to take
their message to the college market and make a 'T0N of M0ney!'

I've asked James to be a guest on a no cost teleseminar to tell
you step-by-step how you can quickly tap into this hidden, but
lucrative, speaking niche!

Click here now for all the details:

http://www.collegespeakingsuccess.com/janal

Don’t wait any longer – it’s time for you to make 'BIG M0ney By
Speaking at Colleges!' There is NO COST to listen in on the call
so I hope you’ll take advantage of it!

This is a one-time-only call. If you can’t attend the live call
October 17th, register anyway, and afterwards we’ll send you a
link to a recorded audio – you’ll be able to listen online or
download it to your mp3 player.
Go Now to:

http://www.collegespeakingsuccess.com/janal

Here is what you’ll discover during this no cost call:
Colleges have large budgets for booking speakers, authors,
trainers, coaches and consultants, but the trick is knowing who
the people are who have the money.

In this call, you will learn...

* Why there's BIG money in the college market.
* Which topics are most in demand and why?
* Which departments have the budgets to book you?
* Who are the people you must contact to get booked as a college
speaker?
* How to create marketing materials that will get you noticed
and booked.
* And, Much More!

*****************
Again, there’s no cost for listening to the call so register now
at
http://www.collegespeakingsuccess.com/janal

*****************

I hope you’ll join me as we discover these and other marketing
secrets. I’ll be looking for you on the call.

Again, This is a one-time-only call. If you can’t attend
the live call, register anyway, and afterwards we’ll send you a
link to a recorded audio – you’ll be able to listen online or
download it to you mp3 player.

Go Now to: http://www.collegespeakingsuccess.com/janal

New Cool Book of the Day Blog helps experts and authors get exposure and drive traffic

2007-10-11T14:10:00.000-05:00

Excelsior, Minnesota – October 11, 2007 – Internet entrepreneur Dan Janal, founder of PR Leads and the author of six books, recently unveiled his new Cool Book of the Day [http://www.coolbookoftheday.com/] blog. The blog features a new book each day accompanied by an author interview.

Janal got the idea for the Cool Book of the Day blog after attending Book Expo this year. “All reporters were writing about Harry Potter and other big name authors,” says Janal. “And, that’s still the case today. Reporters and critics don’t cover the ‘unknown’ authors writing books, which is a shame, because many of these people are experts in their fields who have written really good books filled with practical information.”

The blog gives authors who use Janal’s PR LEADS publicity service a place to publicize their book and in their own words, tell others about it and why they wrote it. An October 5, 2007 post by MSN Money writer and consultant Sally Herigstad, CPA, for example, talks about why she wrote her book, Help! I Can’t Pay My Bills! In her interview she writes,

Most [finance] books still focus on lifetime financial planning and investing. They may not meet the needs of a person who, regardless of age, just needs to get through this month without having the utilities turned off. Readers can find several existing categories of personal finance books. . . . None, however, offer the focused yet comprehensive information that Help! I Can’t Pay My Bills provides people with acute financial needs.

Due to its viral nature, the blog gives authors much greater exposure in the blogosphere. Those authors whose books are featured on the blog can add a clickable graphic to their Website and/or blog showing their book has been listed. Readers can leave comments on the Cool Book of the Day blog, and of course, post about the books in their blogs.

“It’s a win-win for everyone,” says Janal. “The book authors get the exposure they need for their books, bloggers can use the material to fill out blog posts, and readers have a place they can visit every day to learn about new books.”

The postings are having a big impact on traffic for PR LEADS authors whose works are cited.

“Thanks so much for choosing “Zero to Zillionaire” as your "Cool Book of the Day." My Amazon ranking improved a bunch yesterday and now I know why.Thanks for all your help,” wrote Chellie Campbell.

About Dan Janal

Developing online ventures is nothing new for Janal, who founded PR Leads in 2001 and Great Teleseminars in 2002. In addition to running his businesses, Janal is a frequent speaker at industry conferences around the globe. He also offers PR coaching for authors and small businesses.

Daniel Janal is an internationally-recognized speaker, Internet marketer and best-selling author. As president of Janal Communications, he conducts strategic planning seminars and consultations for clients ranging from start-ups to the Fortune 1000. A former public relations executive, Dan Janal was on the PR team that launched America Online, and personally directed the PR launch of Grolier's Electronic Encyclopedia, the first consumer software program ever produced on a CD-ROM.

He is the author of several best-selling books on marketing and the Internet including Dan Janal’s Guide to Marketing on the Internet and 101 Successful Businesses You Can Start on the Internet. The Los Angeles Times called Dan “an online marketing expert.” USA TODAY called Dan “A true Internet marketing pioneer.” He can be reached at 952-380-1554 or via his Website at www.PRLEADS.com.

How to respond to a bad review

2007-09-19T09:44:00.000-05:00

From my mailbag:

We just got reviewed (and it wasn't that great)and I was wondering how much we should stress over this. We are in beta, so that accounts for some of the bugginess, but we have corrected the ones he mentioned.

Dan answers:

First off, congratulations on getting the media's attention. It isn't that easy to do and if you didn't have a worthwhile concept, they wouldn't have reviewed your product. So you are on the right track.

Secondly, every review will have negative points. There's an unwritten rule in reviewers' minds that they can't like something 100 percent. They have to find something to complain about.

The other good news is that you have fixed the bugs. So here's what to do:

1. Contact the reviewer, thank him and let him know that you appreciated his comments and have corrected the problems. He'll feel like an owner now. Offer to let him review the next version.

2. Search the web to see if the review is posted anywhere. If it is, be sure to post a message saying the bugs have been fixed. Consider offering a free review copy to people who read the post.

3. If the review had good points, promote those on your website.

4. People will understand that bugs happen in beta. That's why there's a beta.

5. If appropriate, point out the bugs that you fixed as 'enhancements' and new features.

So, don't sweat the small stuff -- but be vigilant to stamp out any fires this review might have created.

Dan Janal speaks at NSA-Michigan chapter on publicity topics

2007-09-09T14:36:00.000-05:00

I spoke at the NSA-Michigan chapter this weekend on publicity, article marketing, and video promotion for speakers.

The chapter treated me royally with a grand dinner at the Chop House in Ann Arbor and a ticket to the Michigan-Oregon college football game, as well as a book and gift card. They really showed a lot of class at every step of the way! Thanks, NSA-Michigan.

I also had a chance to visit with PR LEADERS April Callis (current NSA-Michigan chapter president) and Shawne Duperon. I also met a lot of great people there and heard a lot of great speakers. It is an excellent chapter!

I've spoken at these NSA chapters: Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, San Diego and New York State. I've also spoken to the Vancouver and Calgary chapters of the Canadian Association of Professional Speakers. If you'd like me to speak to your chapter, please call me at 952-380-1554.

iPhone's Publicity Blunder

2007-09-09T10:09:00.000-05:00

By Dan Janal
Your Fearless PR LEADER

The blogs and the newspapers picked up many comments.

Apple's response was to give a $100 (not $200) discount on products at iPhone stores.

This is a bad reaction for several reasons:
1. A $100 discount on products does not equal a $200 discount in real dollars.
2. Consider that if products are marked up 100 percent, then Apple is buying people off with $50 from its own pocket.
3. What can you buy in an iPhone store that costs $100 or less? Not much! So if you do buy something, chances are you'll buy something that costs more than $100, so Apple wins again by getting more cash.

So, tell me Appple, how does this help consumers?

Michael Vick: There's a time to shut up

2007-08-24T16:45:00.000-05:00

Whoever said "All publicity is good publicity" never met Stephon Marbury, the basketball player (I'll avoid using the term "star") who defended Michael Vick.

Vick, as you might recall, is in all kinds of hot water because he likes to see dogs fight. That kind of obsession can lead to the cancellation of your football career, lucrative endorsement contracts, fines and jail time.

If any time is the time to keep your mouth shut about defending Michael Vick, this would be a good time.

But Stephon saw this as an opportunity to get his name in print -- and did so just as he was promoting his own line of basketball shoes.

I'm sure his sponsor is having his lawyer review the sponsorship contract now.

Lesson learned: Watch what you say, when you say it, and be careful about hitching your wagon to a locomotive going downhill.

Is any publicity good publicity?

2007-08-12T14:30:00.000-05:00

Not if you ask Michael Vick!

That old PR maxim just doesn't hold water when you do something really, totally stupid and undefendable.

I guess OJ would second that opinion!

OTOH, many celebrities and politicians have "rehabilitated" their images, but only after much pain, expense and time.

Better to consider your actions before you say or do something stupid.

The world is a very small place today and if you don't want to become the Michael Vick of your niche!

Are you the next network TV star?

2007-08-11T11:52:00.000-05:00

If you want to see what it is really like to be a network TV star, then you might want to start watching reality shows on the Food Network and HGTV. They both have shows where people compete to get their own TV show.

These shows put the contestants through the real paces of what TV personalities actually have to do in front of the camera.

I gotta tell you: It's not as easy at it looks!

Check out
The Next Food Network Star to watch each episode on the Internet.

HGTV Design Star

How NOT to impress a reporter

2007-07-27T12:05:00.000-05:00

Here's a nice article about how NOT to impress a reporter. Read the article at "Catching Flack" to make sure you don't make these mistakes!

http://blogs.bnet.com/pr/?p=12

Want to Be On National TV?

2007-07-23T14:30:00.000-05:00

If so, register for a free telephone seminar next
Thursday, July 26th on "The Three Big Secrets for
Getting Booked As a Guest on Top National TV Shows"
hosted by Steve Harrison of Radio-TV Interview Report
(RTIR).

In addition to Steve, you'll hear from a former Oprah
guest booker, Fox News Channel producer and some other
surprise guests. To register go here now:

http://www.FreePublicity.com/tvcall/?10064

PR LEADS Adds New Topics for Experts

2007-06-21T09:16:00.000-05:00

PR LEADS added new topics to connect experts with reporters.

These new topic areas will give experts even more access to publicity opportunities with the major media.

In addition to more than 200 topics in 12 major knowledge areas, the new topics include:

Health and Wellness - chiropractic, family planning, learning disabilities, gynecology, plastic surgery, spas, physical disabilities

Management - presentation skills, meeting planning

Living and relationships - adoption, self improvement, funerals and grief, toys, cultures

Banking and personal finance - identity theft

Computers - Web 2.0, social media

To see a complete list of topics, please see http://www.prleads.com/topics.htm

Business Week Quotes Oliva Fox Cabane, PR LEADER

2007-05-13T10:41:00.000-05:00

Business Week quoted PR LEADER Olivia Fox Cabane in its May 8, 2007 story on how to market correctly in My Space and other social networking sites.

Olivia has been quoted in Business Week previously, in an article about how business school students can network effectively, on September 6, 2006.

NY Times: What make a best-selling book?

2007-05-13T10:20:00.000-05:00

The New York Times today (May 13, 2007) wrote an article exploring why some books become best-sellers and some don't.

They made a few good points:

1. The book industry is based on intuition. No one does any market research to find out what people are interested in reading.

2. The book industry lives on its back list -- books that were best-sellers and classics, as well as the break out books in the current year.

3. Many people try to write the same book, like the Secret, but only the Secret broke out to sell millions.

So I asked myself, "What other factors contribute to success?"

Here's a starting point. Remember, I wrote six books for John Wiley & Sons, so I know and have helped more than 2,500 authors get publicity with my PR LEADS service:

1. Having a platform. You must market your books your self. No publisher has a clue how to attack a market the way my best clients have done. You need publicity, a blog, a newsletter and any other way to reach people who really care about your message on a regular basis. Without that, you are dead in the water.

2. Do research. Just because you have a calling to write a book doesn't mean there's a market for it. In my days as a high-tech publicist, I'd cringe when a new prospect would tell me they created another spreadsheet program. The world didn't need another spreadsheet that was 1 percent incrementally better than what was out there. Ask the market what they need, and give it to them. That very well could involve surveying your list of customers, or surveying a traditional mailing list to find large markets that would be interested in your message. Any good list broker would be willing to share their insights into their markets with you.

3. Promote the book like crazy. Nothing happens without awareness. It is up to you to create that awareness.

Recommended Services:

PR LEADS can put you in touch with reporters who are writing articles about your field. 2,500 happy clients can't be wrong. See other posts on this blog to see recent success for clients, and the PR LEADS website for hundreds of testimonials.

Low cost press release services like ExpertClick can distribute your press releases to thousands of reporters and make sure Google indexes your press releases so reporters will find them.

If you want to hire a PR firm, go right ahead. But ask them to prove that they have the contacts you need. In today's email-overloaded world, reporters will only respond to PR people and experts they know on a first-name basis. Find a the PR firm that has those contacts and you will have made a good investment. Email me if you need recommendations, but be very specific about what you are looking for and what you are trying to accomplish. A client who has unrealistic expectations will have disastrous results.

What tactics have you found that helped sell books? I'll post the best responses.

Dan Janal
Your Fearless PR LEADER
PR LEADS Expert Resource Network
www.prleads.com

Time Magazine Quotes Yanik Silver, PR LEADS Client

2007-05-13T10:17:00.001-05:00

Time Magazine quoted Yanik Silver thanks to a publicity lead from PR LEADS in its April 26, 20079 issue.

The article is about "co-preneuring," the buzzword for co-owners of a business who share a personal life.

Yanik is one of the most prominent and respected Internet marketers. His products include:

Instant Sales Letters

Instant Internet Profits

33 Days to Online Profits

33 Days to Online Profits Video CDroms

Mind Motivators

Ultimate Copywriting Workshop

Web Copy Secrets

Magnetic Marketing

"Copywriting Seminar in a box"

Autoresponder Magic

Million Dollar Emails

New York Times Quotes Two More PR LEADS Clients

2007-04-29T22:03:00.000-05:00

The New York Times quoted two PR LEADS clients on April 29, 2007 in an article entitled, "Sizing Up Your Skills for a Return to work."

"When I read the PR Lead that a New York Times writer was looking for someone to talk about at-home moms returning to work, I dropped everything and answered right away. I knew she’d be bombarded with responses, so I wanted to get in early – and get in with memorable stuff. So, I made sure I gave her lots of great tips she could use in her article. Lucky me, I wound up as the first person quoted in the article," said Jen Singer, president of www.MommaSaid.net

"Dan - Thank you so much for the great service you provide at PR LEADS! Today I was quoted in the New York Times. This was a direct result of using your service. I have had so many great leads through you that I would not have otherwise known about. What a fabulous service!" said Allison O'Kelly - CEO, MomCorps.com, an innovative, highly-selective, professional staffing solution. We supply top-tier, experienced professionals to corporations on an as-needed basis, while enabling individuals seeking flexibility to engage in challenging work.

Dan Janal
Your Fearless PR LEADER
PR LEADS Expert Resource Network
www.prleads.com/resources.htm

Tom Hopkins Helps PR LEADS Make Big Sales!

2007-04-28T17:41:00.000-05:00

Tom Hopkins spoke at Dan Kennedy's Super Conference in April and I'm glad I heard him because we sold a lot more services for PR LEADS!

Tom instilled in us the idea to ask questions instead of just telling what we do. The difference was dramatic. We engaged more attention from prospects. We found out what they were doing and what was working and what wasn't. Based on that information, we could tailor a solution to meet their needs. The result was worth thousands of dollars to us in the short term and possibly tens of thousands of dollars based on the lifetime value of the client!

Everyone should have Tom's landmark books on selling. They are just as relevant today as they were years ago. And they should be read and re-read every year.

Thanks, Tom!

Dan Janal
Your Fearless PR LEADER
PR LEADS Expert Resource Network
http://www.prleads.com/pr-leads-resources.htm

Look for Dan Janal at Dan Kennedy's Conference, April 19-22, 2007

2007-04-18T07:17:00.000-05:00

I'll be at the Dan Kennedy Super Conference for Internet Marketers this week. If you're going to be there, drop me a note so we can plan to get together. I love meeting my clients face-to-face.

Or look for me at the conference. I'll be wearing my PR LEADS logo shirts.

I'll also have a booth in the Exposition Area. Look for me or Eric Gruber, my director of article marketing services for the PR LEADS Article Marketing Experts service.

Sorry, but I can't report on what goes on there. We need to sign waivers saying we will not disclose any proprietary intellectual property from the speakers.

But I will post pictures of the famous people who attend!

Improve Your Productivity with Done-For-You-Services

2007-04-16T09:12:00.000-05:00

Improve Your Productivity with Done-For-You-Services

Home Depot has ushered in the era of Do-It-Yourself Service in home repair. And that feeling has definitely worked its way to the Internet, where every trainer, coach and marketer has a system that will show you how to fix any problem in your relationships or office life.

I doubt there’s ever been a similar time in history when the average person has immediate access to so much information that can improve their lives.

But wait a second. What’s wrong with this picture?

Let’s assume all the info you read and all the systems you buy are 100 percent bonafide information that will work. The question really is: should you implement these tactics yourself?

Here Are the Top 3 Questions to Ask Yourself Before You Buy Your Next Do-It-Yourself System:

1. Can you devote the proper time to do it correctly and consistently? Remember, everything takes time.

2. Do you have the skills to carry this out? Information marketers try to sell you on the dream that even you can do it all. They’re hoping you will forget these programs require at least one skill. Can you write well? Can you sell well? Can you design a web page well? If so, that’s great. If not, a big question mark should flash in your mind.

3. Here’s the most important question: assuming you have the time, skill and competence to do it yourself, is it a good use of your time? In other words, if you can sell $1,000,000 worth of real estate in the same time it takes to produce a six-volume CD set with instructional materials, train the trainer modules and other supplementary texts, which activity would get you more money in the long term? In other words, I don’t mow the lawn. It takes too long and it hurts my back. So I hire a neighborhood kid who does it for much less than my hourly rate. I save time and he makes money. It is a very fair trade. And I don’t have to buy “How to Mow Your Lawn in Half the Time with Half the Energy,” a six-set DVD and coaching program!

While the web might be the greatest place for do-it-yourselfers, I see a need for another kind of service: the done-for-you services. If you want to save yourself time, energy and aggravation you must find companies that can do the work for you.

Here Are 3 Examples of Done-For-You Services and How They Can Help You:

1. I know I must develop my websites with lots of information-rich content so visitors will want to return and buy from me. However, I don’t have the time or the patience to sit down and try to figure out HTML and all of the web design and development aspects. That’s why I outsource my complete web management to Assess Communicate. They create my sites, update my content and do it for less money than it would cost me to do it myself. Remember, any activity that takes my focus from making new sales is costing me money in the long run.

2. Before I created the PR LEADS Article Marketing Service, I hired Eric Gruber to write and submit articles that promoted PR LEADS. I could have submitted the articles myself, but hiring Eric was a no-brainer after he explained that it would take about 10 hours to submit one article to 100 sites. I had better things to do with my time. For a reasonable fee, Eric found the best sites, optimized my articles so they received good placement in the search engines and even found a typo or two that I missed. Those value-added services are things I couldn’t even begin to think about, as I needed to focus my time on handling my clients. Now, I’ve joined forces with Eric, who has really taken article marketing to the next level and has helped more than 65 of my clients through the PR LEADS Article Marketing Service get the online publicity they need to sell more books, products and services.

3. My Great Teleseminars Audio Production Company is another great example of a done-for-you-service. We record teleseminars, duplicate CDs, and make transcripts and MP3s. It’s like one-stop shopping for all of your product creation needs. My teleseminar clients just show up with their audience and deliver their lecture. The next thing they know, they have a slew of products they can sell.

These are just three examples of hundreds of done-for-you services. So, before you buy your next do-it-yourself system, think twice and check online for a done-for-you service instead. You’ll have less stress and become more productive.

About the Author:

Small business expert and entrepreneur Dan Janal has created several done-for-you services that will save you time, energy and aggravation. For complete, reliable recording production, sales and administration for your teleseminar needs, go to www.greatteleseminars.com. If you’re looking for a done-for-you service that handles all of your article submission needs, go to www.articlemarketingexperts.com

NY Times Quotes Three PR LEADERS!

2007-04-06T09:23:00.000-05:00

Three PR LEADS clients were quoted in the New York Times Business Section on Sunday, April 1, 2007.

"PR leads has been a cost effective way for me to get some PR and credibility for my new business. Along with my quotes in the NY Times and Juneau Empire, I’ve used the topics I’ve written on as the basis for articles for my website. I appreciated the initial tips from PR LEADS President Dan Janal that I received because they were short, to the point and practical," says executive coach Julie Moore Rapacki, President and Founder of Polish Your Star, LLC, www.PolishYourStar.com

"I have received quality queries from PR LEADS including: Wall Street Journal Online and Alaska Airlines magazine. Your tips on how to craft a response was also helpful. I have recommended your service to many. Thank you," says Cindy Ventrice, who provides relationship-building solutions that boost morale, productivity, and profitability at www.maketheirday.com and www.potential-unltd.com

"This is the second time I've been quoted in the NY Times because of responding to a PR Lead. The first time I got several phone calls from people interested in my speaking services. I also send the articles where I've been quoted to my "Top 100 Client List" as a way to position my expertise. It's a great investment of my PR dollars," says Patti Hathaway, Business Advisor and author of 5 books, www.thechangeagent.com

You can read the article at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/01/business/yourmoney/01career.html?_r=1&ref=business&oref=slogin

Dan Janal
Your Fearless PR LEADER
www.prleads.com/blog

USA TODAY Quotes PR LEADER on Front Page!

2007-03-29T09:16:00.001-05:00

Penelope Trunk, author of Brazen Careerist: The New Rules for Success, was quoted on the front page of the print edition of USA TODAY, March 29, 2007 in an article about lay offs at Circuit City.

Here's the link to the online edition of the story:

USA TODAY

"PR Leads has been really really good for me. I have gotten two calls from reporters each week that I've done it. To be fair, I am uniquely positioned to benefit from PR Leads, having been on the other side (as a columnist for the Boston Globe and Yahoo Finance) for so long. But I have followed your advice exactly, and I really appreciate all the coaching," Penelope emailed me.

You can read more about Penelope at

http://blog.penelopetrunk.com

Penelope is the third PR LEADER who has been quoted on the front page of USA TODAY. The other highlights are:

Patrick Snow, a motivational speaker, who was featured in an article and picture on the front page. Patrick tells me he was able to DOUBLE his speaking fee after the article appeared.

Arlene Vernon, a human resources consultant and speaker who wows people with Musical Keynotes, also was quoted on the front page of USA TODAY.

If you've been on Page One of USA TODAY because of PR LEADS, please let me know and I'll add you to the list!

Dan Janal
Your Fearless PR LEADER
PR LEADS Expert Resource Network
http://www.prleads.com

Yanik Silver's Underground 3 Seminar Great for Networking, Learning

2007-03-28T18:28:00.000-05:00

Yanik Silver just held his third "Underground" Internet Marketing Conference and it was truly one of the best events I've ever attended (and I've been at many, many events as a speaker and as an attendee.)

Have you ever gone to a conference and run out of business cards?

That's what happened at this conference.

I met lots of great people who are achieving high goals.

I went to learn -- and learn I did, from masters like Ted Nicholas, who gave me great ideas about client retention strategies when we chatted in the hallway. I really appreciate that a big name like Ted, who could easily be anywhere and do anything, stayed at the conference long after his session was over so he could help people. Many big-name speakers come and leave. Ted came and gave, gave, gave. Thanks, Ted!

Prophetically, at the first session, I sat next to Tom Kulzer, president of Aweber and a PR LEADS Alumni Member. He asked me what I wanted to get from the conference and I said, "to learn new ideas." And I did!

He said he was here to meet people. I hadn't really considered the networking aspect. But it was really critical. There were lots of great people to meet and share ideas with. I had several in-depth discussions with Leo Quinn, Matt Gill, Warren Whitlock, Terry Kozlowski and others.

Plus I saw PR LEADERS Kevin Gianni, Tim Ferris, James Lange and Alum John DuCane. It is a small world when you go to a conference and a handful of attendees are your clients!

One of the highlights was when I attended Yanik's MasterMind luncheon where I took the hot seat and got grilled by his clients making seven figures and more. They shocked me out of my complacency and forced me to look at things differently. I am truly grateful for their insights and their spirit of giving. One guy gave me a terrific idea that could launch yet another successful business!

Oh yeah, several people, including speakers, signed up for PR LEADS so it was a profitable venture as well!

I highly recommend you attend Yanik's next Underground conference next year. It is a great place to learn -- from the speakers and the attendees.

Dan Janal
Your Fearless PR LEADER
PR LEADS Expert Resource Network
http://www.prleads.com/

Do-It-Yourself Publicity Resources

2007-03-27T09:12:00.000-05:00

You've seen the easy side of publicity with PR LEADS -- the reporters come to you!

The good news is that this is easy and pretty cheap. So what else can you do with the time you're saving?

Targeting the media you need to reach.

While we are very good at giving you a smorgasboard of opportunities, if you really need to be in Cosmo in six months, we can't be assured of helping you.

That's why you might want to do some PR yourself in addition to PR LEADS.

It isn't rocket science. Anyone can do good PR if you have the right tools.

That's why I'm recommending you read Bob Bly's e-book on "Do It Yourself Public Relations." You'll learn a lot and it doesn't cost a fortune like other ebooks online.

Check it out for yourself and see if you'd benefit from this:
Do-It-Yourself Public Relations

Here are some of the tactics you will learn:
-The easiest way on the planet to get your name into the newspaper or your favorite industry magazine next month -- or even next week.

-Local newspapers and niche magazines are eagerly waiting to promote your product for you. Here’s how to get them started.

-How the Elks, Chamber of Commerce, and the Rotary Club can make you a local celebrity in your community.

-How to promote yourself on the lecture circuit without ever getting on an airplane or even leaving town.

-Simple trick multiplies the number of sales leads by 10 every time you write and publish an article. Not one marketer in 100 takes advantage of it.

-Self-assessment reveals in 10 minutes exactly what about you and your business is of interest to the media.

-Why and how to start writing articles and columns to attract new business – in the publications your best prospects read.

-How to get an editor to publish your article – without ever meeting her or even talking over the phone.

-How to turn a “no” from the media into a “maybe” – and a “maybe” into a “yes.”

-The world’s worst PR strategy … the best … and how to know the difference.

-How to turn your publicity into a direct response mechanism that draws prospects to your website.

And, much, much more!

Here's the link to see for yourself and see if you'd benefit from this:
Do-It-Yourself Public Relations

Let me know what you think!

Dan Janal
Your Fearless PR LEADER

How to Write the Perfect Press Release to Get Visitors to Your Website: teleseminar

2007-03-12T15:38:00.000-05:00

Press releases aren’t just for reporters any longer.

Not only can press releases get you visibility in the media, they can be instrumental in getting people to your site. Learn the new rules for press releases so you can get indexed by Google where millions of potential readers and clients could find you.

We’ll interview Mitch Davis, of www.publicrelationssoftware.com as he explains how to write press releases that create business for you. His service www.PublicRelationsSoftware.com can guarantee your press releases will be indexed by Nexis/Lexis, the largest search database used by reporters, and considered by Google for indexing as part of their standard agreement.

You’ll learn:
- how to write headlines that captivate reporters
- how to use keywords and other tools to work effectively with search engines to get great placements
- how to guarantee Google will review your press releases without any chicanery or hidden tricks
- how to distribute 52 press releases a year for less than $20 apiece
- how to ensure your press releases are indexed and saved by Nexis/Lexis, the largest and most used search tool by reporters

You’ll also learn why you should create videos to position yourself as an expert with your clients and reporters.
To register for the teleseminar and/or receive the MP3 file for listening at your convenience, register here:
http://www.prleads.com/2007series/mitchdavis

Mitch is a long-time expert in publicity for authors and speakers. He’s been the publisher of the Directory of Experts and Authorities, a standard reference in America’s newsrooms for several decades.

The one-hour teleseminar will take place on Thursday, March 15 beginning at

2 p.m. Eastern
1 p.m. Central
Noon Mountain
11 a.m. Pacific

To attend this conference or receive the audio file for later listening, please register here:

http://www.prleads.com/2007series/mitchdavis

Book Marketing Tips: How to Build Your Email List & Sell More Books in 6 Months

2007-03-07T14:53:00.000-06:00

Book Marketing Tips: How to Build Your Email List & Sell More Books in 6 Months

By Dan Janal

Article marketing is the best book sales lead generation technique on the Web today. Unfortunately, many authors writing articles on the Web fall short in their book marketing efforts. They simply can’t get people to visit their websites to buy their books.

This is a critical fallacy that will render your article marketing, book promotion and sales lead generation campaign worthless. People normally don’t buy on the first meeting. You must develop and nurture relationships. You must get people to visit your website and join your mailing list. If you don’t, you are wasting your time, money and energy.

Sure, it is great to write articles displaying you as the expert in your field. And, yes, it is nice to post articles that help the world in general. But if your goal is to use article marketing to build your email list and sell more books, you might be falling short if your articles don’t have a call to action that grabs readers by the throat and pulls them to your website.

So, how do you get people to come to your website, join your emailing list and buy your books?

At the end of the article you get a bio box, which is your 4 line free ad that allows you to promote yourself, your books and anything else you have to offer. In this bio box, you’re allowed to put a link back to your own website, or your Amazon.com book sales page. You must make it much easier for your prospects to click on this link than to skip it.

To do this effectively, you must create a glittering necklace of persuasion that seduces the eye, charms the imagination, and dazzles the reader. I also suggest creating an irresistible offer so people will come to your website and identify themselves. Once you capture your prospects’ names and email addresses, you will be able to create a sales-winning relationship that will boost your book sales online. If you don’t do this critical step, you’ll never have another chance to sell your books to these people.

Here are three irresistible products to help prospects make the critical decision to visit your website, give you their email addresses and buy your books:

Free Special reports. Don’t confuse this with newsletters. These are 3-5 page reports on a special topic. Your special reports should include your own insights that prove you are the expert your prospects need and want.

Quizzes. People love to take quizzes. Create quizzes that have 10 yes or no answers. Design questions so people will see their pain. This sets you up as the expert who has products and services that can help them. Here’s a great site that features a quiz. http://kisstheorygoodbye.com/quiz/quiz.php. Take the quiz and then see how Bob Prosen leads you into learning about his book.

Offer a free chapter or a free sneak preview of your book. This tactic will overcome your prospects’ fears of the unknown. People will get a good feel for your book, get hooked and then buy it.

The most important part of writing articles is getting people to visit web site to buy your books. If you offer these tactics, you will build your list, get more names for your sales funnel, and sell more books online in 6 months.

About the Author:

Internationally recognized Internet Publicity Pioneer and Founder of PR LEADS, Dan Janal has helped thousands of authors just like you build their email list and sell more books with traditional and online media publicity. For more free tips and information that will help you snag more leads in 6 months than you ever thought possible, go to: http://www.articlemarketingexperts.com/articlenewsletter

Teleseminar: Use Your Book to Build Your Business

2007-03-06T18:33:00.000-06:00

You've got a published book or two or ten under your belt. Now what?

In this teleseminar, you'll earn how to use your books to position yourself and your business in the marketplace to gain highly profitable consulting and training contracts. You'll identify key differentiators between buyers of speeches and buyers of training--and tailor your efforts accordingly.

You'll learn how to protect yourself on subrights issues so that you are free to produce other derivative products from your books.

You'll also explore various licensing arrangements to your intellectual property--how to avoid the pitfalls and cash in on the profits.

Join bestselling author Dianna Booher, author of more than 40 books and CEO of Booher Consultants, a communication training firm, serving 224 clients among the Fortune 500 companies."

Join us for this PR LEADS teleseminar on Thursday, March 8, 2007 at:

3 p.m. Eastern

2 p.m. Central

1p.m. Mountain

Noon Pacific

to register, please go to:

http://www.prleads.com/2007series/booher/

If you can't attend, we will send you the MP3 file of the session but you must register at the link below. In other words, if you want to attend, then register. If you can't attend, but want to listen to the MP3, then register. Simple. There's no cost to attend or listen to the MP3.

Click here to RSVP »

PR Firms Have Power Over the Press

2007-03-01T07:32:00.000-06:00

Reporters won't like to admit this fact, but the truth is that a lot of stories that appear in daily newspapers and magazines came from ideas pitched by public relations professionals.

The best PR people have rock-solid relationships with reporters who will accept their phone calls, read their pitch letters, schedule appointments with their clients and yes, write about the clients and their products.

If you doubt me, just look at the coverage of products -- from fashion and beauty to housewares and consumer goods to high tech toys and tools. Most of those articles got their start with a clever public relations person who had a relationship with the reporter.

It is so hard for any person to get a reporter's attention -- given all the email pitches, press releases and phone calls that are sent every day. A good PR person is worth their weight in gold because they can get their calls answered by the reporter friends.

But there are also a lot of bad PR firms out there. Companies that will wine and dine you with a senior VP who you bond with -- and then don't see again after you sign the contract. Instead you will be stuck with a recent college graduate who has no contacts with the media, no experience and will be learning at your expense. I know because people call me with their sad tales of woe after they've spend thousands of dollars and gotten nothing in return.

So I've decided to act as a matchmaker between people and companies with great stories to tell who need to find the right public relations firm to tell that story. I've been in this business for over 25 years and know the good firms and the good solo practitioners that can get results.

These are full-service companies that can write your press releases, construct convincing pitch letters and get the attention of the reporters that matter. And they all have track records of success. Or they are dedicated sole-practitioners who lead you through the dessert to reach the promised land.

If you are interested in having me help you find the best PR firm for you, send me a note with your goals and objectives -- be specific. You also must be willing to invest at least $3,000 a month for a minimum of six months. That's the entry point for any serious publicity campaign. If you don't have goals and don't have focus and don't have the ability to invest in yourself, then please don't waste my time or yours. There is also a minimal $50 application fee.

If you are serious about getting your message out to the media, contact us today.

We have a particularly good knowledge of publicity firms that specialize in healthcare, technology, authors, relationships, business, self improvement and spirituality.

Having a good public relations firm on your side could make all the difference to your success.

Dan Janal
Your Fearless PR LEADER
PR LEADS Expert Resource Network
www.prleads.com

My Success Gateway.com names PR LEADS the "Program of the Week"

2007-02-22T09:00:00.000-06:00

PR LEADS is the "Program of the Week" for My Success Gateway.com, a site that helps provide great information for entrepreneurs and small business.

You can listen to my 35-minute podcast with Jim Peak by going to this page:

http://www.mysuccessgateway.com

The program will go live Thursday morning, February 21, 2007.

If you are not a PR LEADS client, you'll learn how this terrific service can help authors, experts and solopreneurs get publicity in major newspapers and magazines for a very low cost. You'll hear about several case studies of our clients who have made money by getting publicity. You'll also learn how the media likes to be contacted and how to write materials that get their attention.

Time Management: Gain an hour a day!

2007-02-20T16:02:00.000-06:00

If you're like me, you are inundated by spam. Each time your email refreshes, you see more and more junk you have to delete. This just wastes time!

I didn't realize how much time I lost until I subscribed to a service that blocks spam called SpamArrest.

You've probably seen this service. I know I have, because many of the people I send messages to are using Spam Arrest to protect themselves from junk mail.

Here's what it does:

It blocks spam. Pure and simple. It basically gets all the mail from your server and sorts it. When it sees a name of someone you approved, the message goes to your inbox. If the sender has not been approved, the message sits in Spam Arrests' verification folder on its website. You go to the at site periodically and approve or disapprove of the senders.

This might sound like a lot of work, but it is really easy -- and fast.

The result is that not only do I get less spam, but also, I am not interrupted every 10 minutes to alerts that turn out to junk. It's been shown that when you are interrupted, it takes longer to focus on the task then if you hadn't been interrupted. That was my old life. A series of interruptions by spammers.

In my new life, I find that I get my real messages from real clients faster so I can serve my clients better.

If you want to be in control of your life -- and your inbox, get your copy of SpamArrest today -- and tell your friends!

Dan Janal
Your Fearless PR LEADER
www.prleads.com
952-380-1554

Article Marketing Return on Investment: How To Determine Your Article Marketing Success

2007-02-07T18:05:00.000-06:00

When prospective clients call and ask about our article marketing service, two of their most frequently asked questions are: “ How do I measure my article marketing return on investment?” and “How do I know if my investment in time, energy and manpower is really paying off?”

Here are two formulas you can use to determine your article marketing success:

1. Cost per lead.

First, let’s look at your hypothetical article marketing costs. You need to write the article, find sites to submit to your articles to, submit the articles and then monitor the results.

When I submit articles, I notice a significant increase in traffic. But having people visit the site is not enough. I need to get them to create a relationship with me so they will buy in the future.

To do this, you need to link your articles to a special landing page on your website that offers readers the opportunity to sign up for a free ezine or a special report. To get these documents, they must you me their email address.

So how do you determine if your investment is article marketing investment is worthwhile? Here are two cost-per-lead yardsticks you can use.

* Let’s pick a mystical figure of $1,000 to do the writing, submitting and programming. Let’s also assume for the sake of simplicity that you are submitting the article to 100 sites and directories. Your results may vary, but at least we have a starting point to work from. Using simple division, you now know that your cost to submit the article to one website is $10 because you are dividing $1,000 by 100 sites.
* When readers identify themselves and provide you with their names, emails and contact information they become prospects, or leads. If you get 100 leads from your $1,000 investment, your cost per lead is $10 (divide the investment of $1,000 by the number of leads, 100, to arrive at $10 per lead).

This number shouldn’t exist in a vacuum. How much are you paying for a lead now? If it is more than $10, then article marketing is saving you money! Congratulations!

I need to point out that while some people will not sign up for your offer, no matter how wonderful it is. Don’t count those people out. You have successfully branded yourself to them by giving them an exposure to your services via your article, your website and any materials they might have read while perusing your website. I can’t put a direct value on this, but it can’t hurt. Any positive impression you make with someone is bound to pay off either directly, or indirectly.

2. Profit per sale.

Some people who come to your site will be so impressed with your article and your offer that they will immediately buy your product or engage in your services. Life doesn’t get much better than this. You’ve made a sale without spending precious time to convince them face to face, or on the phone or via email.

Let’s look at the numbers. Let’s say you are selling an e-book or other digital product for $55. You have no cost of goods or shipping costs. You might have to pay a credit card processing fee, of course. But for the sake of discussion, let’s assume you are paying $5 in fees just so we can keep the math simple. Your net profit is $50 per order.

You’ve paid $1,000 to place the articles and you are getting $50 profit per article. You’ll need 20 sales to break even. That’s one way to look at it. (Divide the investment of $1,000 by the $50 profit to arrive at 20 orders.) If you got 30 orders you’d be ahead $500. Congratulations!

Another way to look at this is to compare this cost to your exiting cost per sale. Is it more than your article marketing costs? Then you’re saving money by using articles to make sales!

One more thing to consider: People who buy from you once are likely to buy from you again. So your profit per order could go up considerable once you factor in reorders over the life of the customer.

Putting it all into perspective

These formulas can work with just about any activity you do – from Google Ad Words, to sponsored ads, to ads in newspapers and magazines. If you track your sales and your leads with each method, you’ll be able to see which activities get the best return on your precious investments. You might be surprised when you see the true cost per lead and the profit per sale. If so, you can re-allocate your resources to get the maximum impact.

About the Author: Nationally recognized online publicity expert, author of 6 books, and Founder of PR LEADS, Dan Janal can help you get the most bang for your article marketing buck. For free tips on how you can double, triple and even quadruple your article marketing return on investment, subscribe to the PR LEADS Article Marketing Secrets & Breakthroughs Newsletter at: http://articlemarketingexperts.com/articlenewsletter/

How to Have Your Best Year Ever 1-30-07

2007-01-28T17:38:00.000-06:00

Have your New Year's resolutions already gone by the wayside? Regardless of whether or not you hit your goal for 2006, did you feel the January blahs?

In this special teleseminar and interview, Mark LeBlanc, will share a number of his unique insights around what it really takes to have the best year of your life and work.

You will discover:

1. Why setting goals is usually a waste of time and energy,

2. The #1 reason why the goal-setting process is flawed,

3. The insider's tip on what true focus is, and

4. How you can create a foundation for success, that is unstoppable!

Mark will lead you through a simple process, guaranteed to make a difference in
your next twelve months, if you are willing to step back and look at how changing
your perception of goals, milestones, and benchmarks, will take you to the top.

Whether you want to grow your business, become debt-free, lose 15 pounds, or
have more fun in your life, make plans now to attend this teleseminar. You can
create a turning point in your life and work, and generate the momentum you are
looking for, in just one hour.

RSVP for an hour, and hear ideas you can use for a lifetime!

DIAL-IN NUMBER: (507) 726-3200

ACCESS CODE: 99395#

Tuesday, January 30th at

4:30 p.m. EST
3:30 p.m. CST
1:30 p.m. PST

Please reply to dan@prleads.com with "I wont miss this" in the subject line so we can get a count.

If you can't attend, but would like a copy of the MP3 file, please reply to dan@prleads.com with "Please send me Mark's file."

Mark LeBlanc, is the President of Small Business Success, and the Author of the

soon-to-be released book, Growing Your Business When YOU Are The Business! He will

serve the National Speakers Association, as it's President this Summer through July,

2008. His unusual anti-bootcamp, weekend business development retreat is truly in

a category of one, and he's about to conduct his 70th weekend business retreat. For

more information, go to:
www.AchieversCircle.com

Guy Kawasaki and the "War Gene"

2007-01-25T14:16:00.000-06:00

I first met Guy Kawasaki in 1990 when he was the noted software evangelist for Apple Computer and he was crusading across the world convincing software developers to write programs for the Macintosh and I was fairly well-known PR person specializing in high tech products.

We were at a luncheon sponsored by a Macintosh magazine and I had a copy of the proofs of my new book, "How to Publicize High Tech Products and Services." I showed him a copy and asked for his feedback and advice.

"You have two spaces after each period at the end of a sentence," he said.

Boy, does that put a time stamp on this conversation! It is a benchmark in history. The computer and word processors effectively put an end to the centuries-old practice of putting two spaces at the end of each sentence. Now you put only one space. A radical change in practice. Now, no one puts two spaces after a sentence.

So, add 15-plus years and I see uber-venture capitalist Guy Kawasaki again in January 2007 as he is delivering a speech at the University of Minnesota to a group of entrepreneurs.

He is engaging, funny and thought provoking. Some of his business wisdom is common sense (of course some people never learn common sense until someone points it out to them). But he added two points that were defining:

1. Don't work alone. This whole one-man-show thing is nuts. Get partners. Get employees. Get help. I liked this because it meant: Get your time back. Get a life.

Way to go, Guy!

Second key point: Don't ask a man for feedback on your business plan. Ask a woman.

Why?

Because men have a "war gene" that makes them want to take on any challenge, climb every mountain, beat every competitor -- no matter what. So what it the market is dominated by two companies that have been doing this forever and it would cost zillions to outmaneuver them? Take them on anyway! That's the war gene talking.

Women don't have this gene, he said. Women would look at the business plan and say "Are you nuts" and walk away.

You don't get that kind of thinking from a TV reality show!

Thanks, Guy.

Dan Janal
Your Fearless PR LEADER
www.PRLEADS.com
PR LEADS Expert Resource Network

How to use your Blog to get publicity teleseminar

2007-01-22T18:47:00.000-06:00

If You Build a Blog, How Do You Get them to Read It?

Everyone has a blog. But how can you use it increase your visibility and publicity?

Join me and Nettie Hartsock - Principal of Hartsock Communications - www.nettiehartsock.com and Business Advisor and Editor for Allbusiness.com's Must Read Business Books Blog to learn how.

In our teleclass Nettie will tackle how to use your blog to grow your business, how to reach out to other blogs, and build a stellar blogroll, how to drive traffic to your blog, how to join the blog carnival and how to blog tip and play blog tag without ever leaving your office. She'll also cover blogger fear and how to best approach the blogosphere and make connections with fellow peers in your arena.

Here's what we'll cover.
" I've got a blog but no one visits…
" How do I drive traffic to my blog?
" Can I join in blog tag?
" What's a blogroll got to do with it?
" How can I hitch a ride on the blog carnival?
" What good is commenting on other blogs and why should I do it?
" The 5 misconceptions about blogging.
" Ten Tips to Reaching out to Bloggers for PR
" How to boost your blog viability, ranking and blog carnivals.
" Taking your first dance at the Bloggers Ball and how to make sure you're wearing the right shoes
" How do I measure and track my blog's success?

As a PR LEADS blog reader, there is no cost to attend. Just call in to this teleseminar!
Thursday, January 25, 2006

2-3 p.m. Eastern
1-2 p.m. Central
11-Noon Pacific

Please call in 5 minutes to the hour. We have only 100 lines and it will fill up.
(218) 486-1105
Conference ID:
214991#

If you'd like your own teleseminar line for your conference calls like this one, click here:
http://www.myfreeteleconference.com/promo/

Nettie's "reaching out to bloggers" wisdom was selected by MarketingSherpa for the Wisdom 2007 report - http://www.leadernotes.com/2007/01/are_the_best_leaders_born_or_m.html .
If you click on the link and open it as a PDF You can read Nettie's comments on page 18.

Here are links to Nettie's sites:
Allbusiness.com's Must Read Business Books Blog
http://www.allbusiness.com/business-planning-structures/starting-a-business/2976079-1.html
Professional PR blog - http://www.allbusiness.com/marketing/public-relations/2975292-1.html
Paste these links into your browser.

See you there!

Dan Janal
Your Fearless PR LEADER

P.S. Remember, no need to register, just dial in.
P.S. No, we're not selling CDs. If want the info, call in! Or send me an email and ask how you can get access to all our teleseminars.

Green Is the New Black

2007-01-22T09:00:00.000-06:00

Attention tree huggers! Your time has come.

Environmentalism and energy independence will two of the biggest news stories this year.

Consider this:
1. Business Week devotes its cover story to this topics this week.
2. Forbes' inspirational quotes this week are about the environment.
3. One of my clients proposed this idea to me last week BEFORE the magazines hit the stands.

If that doesn't mean a new trend is brewing, I don't know what does.

So what does this mean for you?

1. Think of how your story relates to the environment.
2. Come up with story angles you can pitch to the media.
3. What aspect of your expertise hinges on the environment? Come on, there is an angle for nearly everyone. If you can't think of it, call me and we can brainstorm together at my normal consulting rate.

Then, think of how you can create a message that the media would jump at.

I interviewed TJ Walker on how to create compelling sound bites in a teleseminar recently and I have to tell you, the ideas he gave me were amazing. There were about 20 tips and each of them was brilliant. You can order the CD or the transcript at this page.

http://www.prleads.com/club-message.htm

Just keep saying to yourself, green equals green.

Dan Janal
Your Fearless PR LEADER
PR LEADS Expert Resource Network
www.PRLEADS.com

How Can I Get into Oprah's Magazine?

2007-01-08T14:31:00.000-06:00

Susan Harrow has interviewed publicists who regularly get
their clients featured in 0 and people like you who have
done it themselves. Some of their results:

==> "The O feature got us into over 100 retail outlets,"
says Denise Loren of http://www.bowwowtv.com, whose company
makes DVDs for dogs, which increased her business by 75%.
With no money spent on advertising they made $100,000 in
retail/wholesale dollars last year. "The impact for the
company once we were in O was that it legitimized us. And
that's important for a one-product company."

==> Jeanne Fitzmaurice of http://www.designhergals.com a
website that allows users to create her (or a friend's)
virtual likeness and produce it on personalized stationery
and gift items says, "Our team was fulfilling 500 to 600
orders a day during that month of May versus the usual 100
per day." She calculated that sales went up by about 60% in
that thirty-day period. Her registered website users soared
from 70,000 to 150,000 women.

==> Genevieve Piturro who founded the pajama project, a
charity to give new pjs to poor kids went from 5 chapters to
30 and growing. She got 9000 new pjs donated and a donation
of $5000.

==> Stephen Shapiro, author of Goal-Free Living: "How to
Have the Life You Want NOW!," says that his article helped
springboard him into Entrepreneur, Investors Business Daily,
Family Circle. His speaker bookings increased dramatically,
he got listed as one of Tom Peters' "cool friends" and is in
process of shooting a pilot for a TV show.

==> Author of "Yes Lives in the Land of No," BJ Gallagher
says, "I'd been trying to get the attention of this high-
powered agent forever. Just last month the top-notch agent
signed me to an exclusive contract representing my next
book. Did my O article make her more inclined to say 'yes'
to my book proposal? Undoubtedly.

==> The volume of Dr. Volgman's cardiology program at Rush
University Medical Association expanded substantially. "O
put the program on the map," says publicist Chris Rush.

==> Jeanine Fitzmaurice of Design-her Gals notes: "It's sort
of like winning the Academy Award. It's definitely a
distinction that validates your product like no other
publication."

In addition to getting this 100+ page ebook you'll get
popular products and programs from more than 20 marketing &
publicity experts who have partnered to bring you
intelligence that will get you publicity in every area from
speaking and getting on national TV to getting buzz on the
net to making your book a bestseller. January 8th-12th ONLY.
Go here to find out more:
http://www.webmarketingmagic.com/app/aftrack.asp?afid=472173

P.S. Please pass this on to at least 5 friends, colleagues
and associates or anyone you know who would like to promote
themselves, their business or product, become a speaker or
make their book a bestseller. Thank you!

Wall Street Journal Redesigns Newspaper

2007-01-04T08:14:00.000-06:00

The Wall Street Journal showed the world its redesigned newspaper this week. If you subscribe to the hard copy, you'll see a narrower newspaper, larger fonts, more color and lots of other changes. Some big. Some small.

I'd suggest you go to the library and pick up a copy of Tuesday's edition, which explains why the changes were made. You'll get a fascinating look into how editors think about presenting the news. That could be invaluable for you when you are trying to think like a reporter or editor to get them to write about you!

They even explain how they integrate the print and the online editions. This is becoming increasingly important as younger people don't read print newspapers in substantial numbers. The trend has been going downward for decades.

If you want to learn how to pitch your stories to reporters, listen to the interview I conducted with former newspaper editor Joan Stewart. The advice is timeless.

Dan Janal
Your Fearless PR LEADER
PR LEADS Expert Resource Network
www.PRLEADS.com

Dan Janal talks about Internet PR on 12/20/06

2006-12-20T14:21:00.000-06:00

Wednesday, December 20
Discover New Internet Publicity Strategies
to Sell More Products and Get More Engagements
with Dan Janal

The Internet is ushering in a Golden Age of publicity that will work wonders for speakers. Never before have you been able to reach your target markets directly, without the help of the old media, and at a very low cost. Learn how to take advantage of new tools and new Web resources that can lead to opportunities for speakers who want to book more engagements and sell more books and products.

Without knowing any technology, you'll learn how to:
Develop an empowering mindset on how to get publicity that directly reaches your target markets.

Write press releases that search engines notice so people who need to know about you find you.

Use YouTube to create a viral marketing campaign that makes you the talk of your industry.

Use your blog to promote your seminars, teleseminars and products and create an aura of celebrity and fame.

Syndicate your articles on the Internet that promote your position as an expert — and lead people to your targeted offers.

Capture traffic from your publicity and turn them into customers.

Turn this publicity into speaking engagements.

And much, much more.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Details:

Date: Wednesday, December 20
Time: 7:00 pm Eastern (6 pm Central, 5 pm Mountain, 4 pm Pacific)
Length: 60 minutes
Cost: $25
Register or order the CD or MP3

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Special Limited-Time Offer:

If you're interested in Dan's information, you may be interested in two earlier programs that will help you market your business and have an assistant implement the ideas he'll share::

Outside-the-Lines Marketing Ideas for the Speaking Professional with Jeff Tobe, CSP
Stop Doing It All Yourself: How to Find, Hire and Utilize a Virtual Assistant with DJ Watson
With your order of Dan's program, we are offering the tapes (note: not CDs or MP3s) of these programs at a special discount — only $10 each, while quantities last. This offer will expire January 15.

Use Articles to Boost Book Sales

2006-12-12T10:22:00.000-06:00

Here's an interesting article printed in the official magazine of the Publishers Marketing Association.

Use Articles to Boost Book Sales

By Eric Gruber

Article marketing can contribute significantly to a strong, multifaceted
marketing and sales plan. For instance, it helped UltraMetabolism: The
Simple Plan for Automatic Weight Loss by Mark Hyman, M.D., become #2 on the
New York Times bestseller list. And it helped the author establish key
relationships with Web site publishers that will result in increased,
targeted traffic and stronger sales for months, and in some cases years.

Use the five steps outlined here to including an effective article-marketing
program in your marketing plan.

For the rest of the article, click here:
http://www.pma-online.org/scripts/shownews.cfm?id=1402

Using Intuition to Get More Publicity: teleseminar

2006-10-26T13:00:00.000-05:00

Why do some people get tons of publicity and some people barely scrape by?

I'm firmly convinced that people who are more intuitive find more opportunities with PR LEADS. After all, I've seen people with the same backgrounds and interests have great results and bad results -- the leads don't change -- but people's attitudes toward these opportunities do.

Learn how to increase your intuition in finding leads and in working with reporters on our next teleseminar with Lynn Robinson, author of Trust Your Gut: How the Power of Intuition Can Grow Your Business.

See what Amazon says about Lynn Robinson

Lynn Robinson has made a national name for herself by helping businesses get more business via the power of intuition.

Now she's going to help you get valuable results, every time, from every interview you give to a reporter.

What's the big deal with interviews? A bad one can hurt you. Or at the very least, not help. But a good one can mean business. Fast.

Lynn will share tips from her latest book, "TRUST YOUR GUT: How the Power of Intuition Can Grow Your Business." (Which sold out its first printing last week within one day of it's release!)

You'll learn how to detect, hear, and gain confidence in your intuition.

And specifically, how to create positive results - and gain new business - from every interview you give to a reporter.

Don't miss this powerful, lively and informative, one-hour teleseminar.

You can attend the teleseminar live at 10:30 a.m. Eastern time on Monday, October 30, 2006. You can attend as my guest!

Conference Telephone Number:
(218) 486-1105
Conference ID:
229247#

You can get your own free conference call line at:
http://www.myfreeteleconference.com/promo/

We will record this session and you can listen to it any time after the conference by dialing this number after 3 p.m. Eastern time on Monday:

Replay line
Dial (218) 936-1055
Conference ID:
229247#

If you'd like to get your own conference line and replay line at no csot, go to:
http://www.myfreeteleconference.com/promo/

Dan Janal
Your Fearless PR LEADER
PR LEADS Expert Resource Network
www.prleads.com

Video solutions for publicity and media relations

2006-10-26T12:47:00.000-05:00

Video press releases and video training are the hot marketing tools this year.

David Barrett offers these solutions to help you provide great training and save money!
1. Keep your videos short. People won't spend one hour to view your video.
2. The length will vary by your purpose.
3. A commercial or quick tip can take 2-5 minutes or even less.
4. A training session shouldn't exceed 10 minutes.

Posting video files takes up a lot of space with your Internet Service Provider and you could find that you are spending a small fortune to have them host your files. Fortunately, Audio Acrobat lets you host your files for just $20 a month for an unlimited number of files. That should save you a lot of money. Of course, you'll pay a fee each time your visitors view a video, but you'd have to pay your ISP for that anyway.

Dan Janal
Your Fearless PR LEADER
PR LEADS Expert Resource Network
wwww.prleads.com

Build Your Business with these Page-Turner Books

2006-10-17T08:47:00.000-05:00

Vince Flynn and Andy Sernowitz wrote two page-turners that kept me awake for most of the weekend.

Flynn, author of Act of Treason, the latest in the Mitch Rapp terrorism series, keeps pages turning with non-stop action, intrigue and political back stabbing.

Sernovitz, the CEO of the Word of Mouth Marketing Association, kept my mind racing at 100 mph with new ideas and insights on how to grow my businesses by improving the customer experience.

Word of Mouth Marketing on the Internet, Sernowitz contends, is displacing traditional media as the place where people go to find information about products they want to buy, movies they want to watch and companies they want to do business with. Absorb this fact: an estimated 44 million people have posted product reviews online, according to Pew Internet. Companies like Amazon and Netflix get more sales by allowing customers to post reviews. And these reviewers have more trust than the media because, as he points out, people want to listen to "people like us."

You need to know the tools and rules to build, promote, manage an effective word of mouth environment--and pay strict attention to the ethics of this campaign.

This is an important book that should be required reading to understand the ethics and the tools of Word of Mouth Marketing.

The book reminds me of another classic, "Revenge of Brand X; How to Build a Big Time Brand on the Web or Anywhere Else" by Rob Frankel who shows in clear language how the power of branding has shifted from the media to the masses.

I've included links to Amazon in case you want to read what other people like you are saying about these books and in case you want to add them to your library.

Revenge of Brand X

Word of Mouth Marketing

Act of Treason

Dan Janal
Your Fearless PR LEADER
PR LEADS Expert Resource Network

Speaking in Dubai

2006-10-06T14:56:00.000-05:00

Lots of speakers are getting offers to speak in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates.

Here is an interesting article by Bruce Fenton, president of Atlantic Financial Inc on what's happening in Dubai, which he described as "the city of the future":

"Within hours of landing, I know that I have never seen such a thing in my life. Of course I haven't. No one has. The growth and scale of business in this land of unbounded potential is like nothing else in modern history. Dubai represents no less than the creation of a major new world center, the transformation of a region and therefore the entire world. Welcome to Middle East 2.0, the city of the future.

I know a lot of NSA speakers have gone to Dubai, and others have turned down offers. Read this story and then make up your mind.

Dan Janal
Your Fearless PR LEADER
PR LEADS Expert Resource Network
www.prleads.com

Calling All Coaches!

2006-10-02T19:27:00.000-05:00

If you could get your hands on dozens
of popular coaching courses and products at just a *
fraction* of the cost, would you run to get it?

This month 20+ coaching experts are coming together to
inspire you in your life, business and career.

It is a "grand experiment" and a completely
unprescedented collaboration of coaches, authors and
developers in the coaching industry.

They're practically giving their high quality products
and programs away in the hope that you will like it so
much, you'll want to learn more about their other
products. Here are the details:

http://snipurl.com/milana

Take a look at what's included:

- Terri Levine shows you the 20 ways you can make
yourself unique from other life and business coaches,
and how to raise your fees fast in her "Marketing
Strategies to Build Your Business" program;

- David Steele gives you all the tools, techniques and
training for working with couples in his "Relationship
Coaching Home-Study Course;"

- Marcia Weider takes you inside her "My Dream Circle"
private coaching club, where you can access her
teleclasses, tools, and books and experience working
with Dream Coaches from all over the world;

- Suzanne Falter-Barns shows you how to build your
platform and establish valuable contacts with the
media in her "Get Known Now Home Study Course;"

- Susan Harrow shares with you a step-by-step process
of getting on Oprah and other major talk shows in her
"Ultimate Guide to Getting Booked on Oprah;"

- Ramon Williamson shows you how you can get 100
clients in 100 Days in his brand new just released
guide for coaches;

- Travis Greenlee and Milana Leshinsky give you a
crash course on web sites, multimedia, blogging, and
other web-based tools in their "Extreme Technology
Makeover for Coaches" program;

...and that's just a sampler of what you'll gain
access to!

The MEGA Coaching Sale runs only until October 7th!
Don't miss this amazing opportunity to gain access to
some of the best courses, programs and tools in the
coaching world at just a fraction of their regular
prices.

http://snipurl.com/milana

You'll also get copies of four of my e-books:

-Secrets of Successfully Pitching Reporters

-Now that you've got PR, what do you do next?

-How to Write 'How to" Articles

-How to Syndicate your articles all over the
Internet

P.S. By the way, they're also giving away a ton of free
coaching tools, so be sure to stop by at:
http://snipurl.com/milana today!

Want to be on national TV?

2006-09-25T12:55:00.000-05:00

Want to be on national TV?

Get yourself a copy of Steve Harrison's directory/database of top shows. His "Harrison's Guide to the Top National TV Talk & Interviews Shows" which contains key contacts and "how to get booked" info on 259 top shows including Oprah, Good Morning America, Today, CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, Larry King Live, Bloomberg TV and many more.

Steve is offering the directory/database at big savings through 5 pm Eastern this Friday, September 29th so grab your copy now at ttp://www.appearontoptvshows.com/special/?10064 and you'll also get a a special training audio with a former NBC producer on "Secrets for Getting
Booked as a Guest on Top National TV Shows." Click here for info

Also at that web page, you can get four free sample listings from Steve's directory including those for ABC's 20/20, CBS' 60 Minutes, The 700 Club and Montel.

If you order by the deadline and send me the receipt by email, I'll mail you a CD of "How to Ace Your Next TV Appearance," a teleseminar I conducted with media trainer Karen Friedman, former anchor of the ABC TV news in Philadelphia.

Dan Janal
Your Fearless PR LEADER
PR LEADS Expert Resource Network
www.prleads.com

ExpertClick Announces Video Press Releases

2006-09-18T15:31:00.000-05:00

Mitch Davis at ExpertClick tells me he's planning to offer video press releases and several other major new enhanements for authors and experts to get publicity.

If you call him, mention my name for a discount. Rates go up on October 1, 2006.
Here's the press release.

Five new ExpertClick features for Yearbook of Experts
2007 participants will be available this fall.

Click here for the video news release:
http://www.NewsReleaseWire.com/13870

1) Video -- You'll be able to send video news releases!
2) Google Adsense -- you can make the money.
3) More key phrases.
4) Printed Daybook calendar.
5) ExpertMinute -- a new regular e-newsletter.

Call Randy, Robert or Mitch at (202) 333-5000.

The new base rate, effective October 1, will be $995.

Here are the details of our five new ExpertClick features.

1) Video can now be quickly included. We'll send simple instructions on how to include HTML code to play video, and a simple way to encode it. Also, when you make the video you can choose to have the video available free. Plus you can create "pay-per-play" video and make money with it.

2) Make money sending news releases. You can "Opt-Up" to include your Google Adsense code so that you get paid for all the hits on the ads on your news releases and profile, or "Opt-Out" and have advertising-free pages. We'll provide support and show you how to make money on your Web page.

3) More indexing: All 2007 members can now include indexing by 39 key phrases for better search engine results. When you choose more multi-word key phrases you can connect with more experts and ensure you are there when your phase is searched on. This is designed to give each member up to four times as much "cross-pollination." After all, journalists like several sources on each story. When we can create more "expert roundups," then all members benefit. See a sample when you search Google for the key phrases: "Toy Industry Expert," "Social Networking Expert," or "Valentines Day Experts."

4) Get more people to your 2007 events: Be part of our new printed 18-month planning calendar to ensure that you make your connections with the future. Perhaps, you hold events or you attend them. We ask you to enter all future events you know of -- from now though March 2008 -- so that we can update Daybook.com and create a special printed newsroom calendar to send to journalists. Enter your event at www.Daybook.com. If we choose to include your event in the special printed 18-month calendar, we'll send you a free copy. Call Robert Devaney, our Daybook Editor, at 1-800-DAYBOOK, if you have any questions.

5) We are starting a regular e-mail feed -- called Expert Minute -- to give you summaries of:
a) New journalists -- links to public profiles
b) New events of note, from Daybook.com
c) New events seeking speakers from SpeakerLeads.com
d) New experts and links to expert audio and video
e) Top headlines from News Release Wire
f) Links to other opportunities from our members

Expert Minute will keep you in touch with what's going on and offer training videos to bring our Member Handbook to life.

So, why not call today? (202) 333-5000 or 1-800-YEARBOOK. Mention Dan Janal at PR LEADS for a discount.

Dan Janal
Your Fearless PR LEADER
PR LEADS Expert Resource Network
www.prleads.com

Is your content ready for cell phones?

2006-09-11T17:28:00.000-05:00

The mantra on the net has always been "Content is King."

Now, cell phones are looking for content. Who knows, you might be the next Cell Phone Super Star!

Here's an article in the New York Times that shows how a former writer for David Letterman parlayed his creativity into cash by writing a comic strip for the Amp'd Mobile, a wireless service provider.

This is great publicity. I never heard of him or AMP'd before I read the article. I guess many others are like me. This news story harkens back to the early days of the web when announcing you had a web site was news. Really, it was! Hard to believe it now!

How can you get your hooks into the cell phone companies? Beats me! I don't have a clue. But I'm guessing some entrepreneur will figure a way to become a literary agent and package this together. Who knows -- it might be you!

If you'd rather sell your content to corporations, I have a clue about that!

I interviewed Paulette Ensign on "How to Sell a Million Copies of Your Information Products to Corporations." The CD and transcript are full of helpful tips on how to reach the key buyers at companies and price your tips booklets to sell. You'll find lots of great facts on how to create your content and produce these booklets. This title is one of the most popular I've ever offered. You'll enjoy it. Paulette is a real class act! Click here to order your copy of the CD or the transcript.

Dan Janal
Your Fearless PR LEADER
PR LEADS Expert Resource Network
www.PRLEADS.com

How Can I Get Celebrities to Endorse My Book, My Product?

2006-08-29T17:33:00.000-05:00

Who wouldn't want a celebrity to endorse your book?

In fact when new clients come to me and show me their books, I look for the endorsements to see how "expert" they really are! Many of them do have endorsements by great people like Mark Victor Hansen, Ken Blanchard, Steven Covey and the presidents of major companies.

Endorsements do make a difference! After all, who has heard of you? You need the credibility of leading authorities!

One of my new PR LEADS clients runs a terrific business that can put you in touch with just about any celebrity! In fact, it is endorsed by my good friends, Dan Poynter the godfather of self publishing; Steve Harrison of Radio TV Interview Report; John Kremer the expert on book marketing, and many other leading PR people, so I know it is real!

The service is called ContactAnyCelebrity and I strongly suggest you try it out when you need to get endorsements for your books or products. In case you are running a charity auction, you can even use this service to try and get autographed items for your fund raisers. Lots more uses too. What a brilliant idea! Congratulations to Jordan McAuley for creating this wonderful service.

I interviewed Liz Kelly, author "Smart Man Hunting" on how she got celebrities like John Gray (author of "Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus) to endorse her book. The tactics she shares are the kinds of things that any of us can do! Click here to get the CD and hear how Liz got celebrity endorsements for her book.

Dan Janal
Your Fearless PR LEADER
PR LEADS Expert Resource Network
www.PRLEADS.com

How Can I Get Quoted in the Holiday Articles?

2006-08-29T09:30:00.000-05:00

The end of summer means trips to the Minnesota State Fair, the beach and saying good bye to summer.

But it also serves as a reminder that the Christmas holiday season is right around the corner -- at least in the eyes of magazine editors. For it is now that they are beginning to prepare their stories for November and December.

What should you do to get quoted in newspapers and magazines for the holiday articles?

First, of course is to find the angle that will interest your editors.

If you have a product to sell, make sure you have artwork available in digital form so you can send it to editors at a moment's notice. Better yet, put the files on your website so they can grab them. Use every file size and format possible.

If you are a content speaker, think of how you can help people during the holidays. The list is endless:

1. Stress is a big thing, of course.
2. Family relationships
3. Dating
4. Gift giving
5. Blended religious families
6. Office etiquette and parties
7. Depression

I interviewed Bill Stoller, who is an expert on getting publicity for his clients in holiday articles. The best time to start is right now -- late August and early September. For additional tips on how to get quoted, go here We've put together an information-packed CD with 60 minutes of tips and tactics that will help you uncover the secrets to getting quoted in the holiday articles.

Dan Janal
Your Fearless PR LEADER
PR LEADS Expert Resource Network
www.PRLEADS.com

Should I pay to re-print articles on my web site?

2006-08-22T20:17:00.000-05:00

J. Mark Davis, Valitus Group, Inc., http://www.valitusgroup.com asks:

See this link for a quote of mine that was used in today's edition of USA Today: http://www.usatoday.com/money/workplace/2006-08-21-salaries-usat_x.htm. I am still trying to figure out what makes sense in terms of reprints and website posting. The latter seems a bit steep - $1000 for posting the article on my website for one year. Does this sound typical? Thanks.

Hi Mark,

Many publications make serious money by selling reprint rights. You should also be aware of the copyright laws:
1. You cannot print the article in full on your site, nor can you print their logo, unless you have permission.
2. You can link to the article on the publication's web site. You don't have to ask permission.
3. You can use 2-3 sentences from the article without permission (i.e. USA TODAY calls Dan Janal "a true Internet marketing pioneer" which they in fact, did write.)

If the article can really help you build your business, then you might want to bite the bullet and pay the big bucks. Consider it advertising. I wouldn't do this if there were a 2-line quote. I'd just say "I was quoted in USA TODAY on August 20, 2006."

I'd also suggest you send the link to the article in an email tto everyone you know -- present clients, former clients, prospects, everyone!

I interviewed PR legend Raleigh Pinsky on "Now That You've Gotten Publicity, What Do You Do" and created a CD from the talk. You can hear Raleigh's tips and tactics that anyone can do when you listen to the CD. Raliegh, by the way, was the PR person for Sir Paul McCartney, back in the early years!

I hope this helps.

Send your questions about publicity and marketing to me at dan@prleads.com. I'll try to answer as many as I can.

Dan Janal
Your Fearless PR LEADER
PR LEADS Expert Resource Network
www.PRLEADS.com

Now that you've got publicity, what do you do?

2006-08-21T11:49:00.000-05:00

Sunday mornings are my favorite day of the week - but not for the reason you think.

You seek, every Sunday morning, the New York Times arrives at my doorstep and I read the "Career Couch" column in the business section. Without fail, anywhere from 3 to 5 PR LEADS clients are quoted in that column! What a great way to start the day!

Of course, I let my clients know they've been quoted in the New York Times so they can reap the benefits. Since many people don't subscribe to the NY Times, this is the first way they'll know they've been quoted.

Isn't that the way with most publicity? Most people don't read every publication unders the sun, and even if they did, they'd probably be looking for their names, not yours!

So the question is, "How can I let people know that I've been quoted?"

Simple.

Send them an email with a link to the article and a subject line that says "Joe Jones quoted in the NY Times."

Send this email to everyone who is in a position to help you: your clients, your former clients, your prospects. Even send it to you banker in case you need a loan one day. Send it to your mother-in-law so she finally knows what you do!

I interviewed PR legend Raleigh Pinsky on "Now That You've Gotten Publicity, What Do You Do" and created a CD from the talk. You can hear Raleigh's tips nd tactics that anyone can do when you listen to the CD. Raliegh, by the way, was the PR person for Sir Paul McCartney, back in the early years!

Dan Janal
Your Fearless PR LEADER
www.PRLEADS.com

How can speakers and consultants brand themselves?

2006-08-14T17:35:00.000-05:00

This is a question I hear often. Fortunately, I have three important answers.

1. Bob Pike, the legendary trainer, told me that all speakers should strive to be the go-to guy, the only person that meeting planners think of when they say "I need a speaker." (of course, you can substitute the word speaker for consultant, trainer, etc.)

Unfortunately, most speakers are commodities and they all get lumped in with all the other people who offer the same services and speeches.

You need to break out from the pack.

2. I might boldly suggest you can do this with publicity in the mainstream media (http://www.prleads.com/) or with a targeted plan to publish articles on websites read by your target market (http://www.prleads.com/article.htm) but that would be too self serving.

3. So point to another NSA legend Thom Winninger, a past president of NSA and winner of every award and honor known to speakers.

In a speech to NSA about six years ago, he shared his formula for being the "go-to guy" in three industries. I don't remember the entire speech, but a few points still stand out.

1. Select a market. You can't be all things to all people. And people will pay you more if you an expert in their topic. So forget the rational of "I speak to everyone on everything." That's how you become a commodity.

2. Become an indispensable member of that community. Thom volunteered to write articles for their trade magazines, serve on advisory boards and committees, and just be available for them. Who do you think they are going to hire when they need a speaker or consultant? The guy they know.

Follow the advice of these NSA sages and your branding, name recognition and sales will no doubt increase.

Additional resources:
- I interviewed branding expert William Arruda about how authors, speakers and consultants can do "personal branding." For info, see http://www.prleads.com/club-arruda.htm

- I interviewed with publicity expert Joan Stewart on how to create an expert personae for the media. For info, see http://www.prleads.com/club-expert.htm

Dan Janal
Your Fearless PR LEADER
PR LEADS Expert Resource Network
www.PRLEADS.com

NSA San Diego Chapter interviews Dan Janal

2006-08-08T20:43:00.000-05:00

I just spoke to the San Diego Chapter of the National Speakers Association today (August 8, 2006).

The good news for you is that we recorded the presentation on my telephone replay line, so you can listen to it from 1 p.m. Eastern time on Thursday August 10 to September 8, 2006.

I spoke about:
- how speakers can brand themselves
- how Thom Winninger became the "go to" speaker in three markets
- how you can use the media and the Internet to become the go-to guy in your niche
- how to find a niche you can have fun with
- how to understand what the media really wants -- and how to get on the front page of your local newspaper
- how to use articles on the web to build traffic to your site
- why you need to blog
- whether you should continue using your newsletter, or just blog
- how to create teleseminars
- how to create products
- how to price your teleseminars
and much, much more in this 90-minute presentation.

You can listen for free by calling (218) 936-1055
Conference ID:
229247#

Yes, you must pay the long-distance call.

No, the call won't be available after September 8. No there won't be a transcript.

If you'd like your own conference line to create your own coaching sessions or teleseminars, plus have telephone replay at no cost, click here:

http://www.myfreeteleconference.com/promo/

Conference lines are great for business, but don't forget -- you can use conference lines for family get-togethers as well.

Dan Janal
Your Fearless PR LEADER
PR LEADS Expert Resource Network
www.prleads.com

Should I reply to every question the reporter asks?

2006-07-31T10:43:00.000-05:00

Sometimes, reporters ask a lot of questions in their PR LEADS, or just on the phone in general.

You do NOT have to answer each question. In fact, I'd suggest you pick only the best question that helps you the most and answer that.

Why?

They aren't going to quote you on six answers. They want six different people. So if you have only one shot at the brass ring, grab that ring and forget the others.

Also, if you aren't an expert in the other areas, then you'll drag yourself down in their eyes by giving trite answers.

Finally, save yourself the time. Managing your time is very important so you don't get overwhelmed. Stay fresh and alert for your next opportunity!

The reporter will get enough responses from other people for the other questions, no worries!

I interviewed TJ Walker on how to create "Sound Bytes." This is the single best resource I have to help you create great sounding answers with rich conent to reporters. You can read TJ's tips at:

http://www.prleads.com/club-message.htm

"Do you get PR LEADS from O magazine?

2006-07-27T14:55:00.000-05:00

"Do you get leads from O magazine?" asks Karen Salmansohn, author of "Ballsy."

Yes, we do, but they are cleverly disguised! As you might suspect, if a reporter said she worked for O, she'd be swamped with responses. So they do post queries, and they just say they are a freelancer and give a yahoo.com address, or gmail.com address.

Here's what I suggest you do: Go out and buy a copy of O magazine and write the names of all the writers on a piece of paper. Put that paper

near your computer. When you get leads that sound interesting, check to see if they are on the O masthead. If they are, write fast!

We did a teleseminar on how to work effectively with freelancers. I interviewed several PR people and freelancers to get their insights. Read more here

Good luck!

Dan Janal
Your Fearless PR LEADER
PR LEADS Expert Resource Network
www.PRLEADS.com

PR LEADS Endorses National Publicity Summit

2006-07-17T13:01:00.000-05:00

Would you like to be a guest on a top national TV show
like Oprah, Good Morning America, Today Show or Fox News
Channel?

Of course you would because there are few faster ways
to instantly reach millions of people and boost your
sales than getting big-time TV publicity.

In the publishing world, it's no secret the right
national TV appearance can catapult a book to the
top of the Bestseller List.

Curious to know how YOU might get on national TV?

Find out on a free 90-minute telephone seminar this
Thursday, July 20th at your choice of times: either
2 pm Eastern (11 am Pacific) or 7 pm Eastern (4 pm
Pacific) hosted by my friend Steve Harrison, publisher
of Radio-TV Interview Report (RTIR) on ....

"The Three Big Secrets for
Getting Booked as a Guest
on Top National TV Shows"

In addition to Steve, you'll hear from a former Oprah
guest booker, a Fox News Channel producer and some
other surprise guests.

Together they'll teach you things unknown to 95% of all
publicity-seekers.

To register for this call -- which is free except for
your normal long distance charges -- go here now:

http://www.FreeTvPublicityTraining.com/?10064

On the call, you'll learn things like:

* How to increase your odds of getting on Oprah,
Fox News, CNN, Today Show, Montel and other top shows.

* Understanding the mindset of national TV producers
and what gets them to book you as a guest.

* The strategy a husband-and-wife team used to land
a 7-minute Today Show segment last month.

* What you should send TV producers (and what you
shouldn't).

* An important lesson from one self-published author
who got on Oprah and saw sales soar as a result.

* The most important question you must be able to
answer to land a TV appearance.

* The biggest mistakes to avoid when pitching
TV producers (including ones that could get you
black-balled forever!).

* Case histories of four other authors and entrepreneurs
and the strategies they used to get on top TV shows.

Again, to register go here now:

http://www.FreeTvPublicityTraining.com/?10064

Once registered, you'll receive all the details back
within five minutes.

Who knows ... maybe we'll be seeing you on national TV
very soon!

Dan Janal
Your Fearless PR LEADER
PR LEADS Expert Resource Network
www.PRLEADS.com

Affiliate Marketing: How to Get Other People to Sell Your Stuff

2006-07-09T22:06:00.000-05:00

Every month, I get checks in affiliate commissions from other companies that pay me to promote their services to my clients.

You have to realize that I hate doing sales and wouldn't lift a phone to make a cold call, so making more than $1,000 a month from these affiliate programs is especially satisfying.

Mind you, I'm making this money by subtly mentioning these offers to my customers, blog readers and in ads to people who wander around my website. I don't spend more than 10 minutes a year doing this -- and the money rolls in.

The surprising thing is that not all my clients are buying these products or services. In fact, not one iota of one smidgen of one scintillion of the people who visit my site or read my writing do anything that produces money.

Yet, the few people who do buy are enough to generate more than $1,000 a month in income that I don't have to lift a finger to service. All the product delivery and service is handled by the companies that are selling the products and services. So even if I only sold one thing one time, it would still be a money maker.

I don't get involved in a lot of affiliate programs, but the ones I select have to meet a few criteria:
1. They must be high quality. I don't want my reputation to suffer if I recommend a bad service.
2. They must relate to my business and my clients' needs in some way. I'm not about to promote a mortgage brokerage service. That wouldn't make any sense, even if one of my clients should one day be in the market to buy a house.
3. They should (not must) offer a payout for the lifetime of the customer. In other words, each time they bill my clients, I get a piece of the action. It doesn't have to be a big piece, but it has to be something.

Here are a few of the services I recommend that meet those criteria:

1. SpeakerMatch -- helps speakers and meeting planners find each other.
2. AudioAcrobat -- easy way to post audio on your website, and offers podcasting services.
3. Alex Carrol's Radio Publicity -- I don't do radio PR and he doesn't do print PR. So it is a perfect fit.
4. Google AdSense -- Make money from people clicking on ads in my blog and website. See http://www.prleads.com/ for examples of these ads on the side of the page.
5. MyFreeTeleconference.com -- Not everyone wants to pay me to record their teleseminars. This service lets people get their own conference lines for free. You'd be surprised, but more than 600 people have signed up for this service from my Great Teleseminars website in six months. There are lots of people who don't want to give me a penny, so I make money when they choose the free option. I have the last laugh and they get a great service.

When I first starting doing affiliate marketing, I was making so little money, I wondered "Why bother?" Then the $10 checks turned into $20 and $40. Well, you get the idea.

Yet, I feel there must be more to affiliate marketing than what I'm doing.

I'm heading off to the Affiliate Summit in Orlando today. This is the biggest convention of affiliate marketers in the U.S.

I'm trying to see what I'm missing. There must be a lot of things going on that I'm not even aware of. So it is time to readjust the paradigm and see what's out there.

I'll keep you posted of anything interesting that might help you, via my blog. So stay tuned.

If you are new to affiliate marketing and are wondering what it is all about, you can read an interview I did with Shawn Collins, the head of the Affiliate Summit and author of a book on affiliate marketing.

You can read about it at http://www.prleads.com/club06-collins.htm

Here are some of the topics we discussed:

1. Should I launch an affiliate program for my site?
2. What are the next big trends in affiliate marketing?
3. What is the history of affiliate marketing?
4. What are examples of the best affiliate programs?
5. How about examples of some of the top affiliates?
6. What are the biggest issues facing affiliate marketers?
7. How can I recruit affiliates?
8. Most of my affiliates are inactive, how do I get them to promote me?
9. What is the criteria you use to accept/decline affiliate applications?
10. Should I use a third party technology or built it myself?

Dan Janal
Your Fearless PR LEADER
PR LEADS Expert Resource Network
www.PRLEADS.com

Can I say my book was featured on the Today show?

2006-07-05T11:43:00.000-05:00

Colleen Kettenhofen, co-author of "The Masters of Success" asks:

I wanted to tell you they showed the cover of my book on the Today show this morning. The exact "anthology" I'm in, and featured one of the authors.

Would it be possible to say that my book was featured on the show, or something like, "as seen on the Today show," or not?

Answer: Yes, you can say your book was featured on the Today show. It did happen. Congratulations! I hope you get a lot of sales!

Dan Janal
Your Fearless PR LEADER
PR LEADS Expert Resource Network
www.prleads.com

Mark LeBlanc's Small Business Success Seminar comes to Minneapolis

2006-06-21T08:14:00.000-05:00

My business coach Mark LeBlanc is coming to Minneapolis to do a special public seminar. I recommend this seminar highly. If you live near Minneapolis, take the day off and com e here Mark speak -- or attend one of his achievers Circles weekends. It literally changed my business for the better -- exponentially. If you come, tell him I sent you and I'll send you a free copy of his book -- it is a gold mine of business practices that are easy to implement!

Here'' the info:

Growing Your Business
When You are The Business!
Sponsored by Small Business Success

Join us for a three hour presentation on Friday, June 30, 2006
for a special program on how to grow your business or
professional practice. Whether you have heard Mark speak
or not, here is your opportunity to get reconnected to what
you want to do, and create a path for more of that to happen.

1. What do you want to sell more of?
2. What is the trap that is getting in your way?
3. Are you really focused in the direction of your dream?

What if it was easier than you thought? Let's get together,
take a serious step, make a critical decision or two, and make
some good progress in making something great happen. Imagine
if the next 12 months were the best of your career!

Mark LeBlanc, Author of the little book, Growing Your
Business!, that can make a big difference in your business,
or professional practice, will share repeatedly, proven ideas
and strategies for taking your business up a notch.

Guaranteed.

So few people will ever do what it takes to make it in their
own business. The ease of falling into a comfort zone can
paralyze even the most, well-intentioned professionals.

When you leave this presentation, you will be more
focused, able to attract more prospects, equipped with a
single strategy for stimulating more referrals, and on your
way to creating a path and a plan for generating more
business. Real business.

Make your decision, right now!

Mark your calendar, right now!

Make your reservation, right now!

1. When you rsvp, and pay on-site, your fee is $49.

Or,

2. When you rsvp, and prepay your fee, it's only $35!
And if you pre-register, and pre-pay, you will get a
free copy of Mark's book, Growing Your Business!

You can register by clicking here, and mailing a
check for $35, postmarked by June 26th, to:

Mark LeBlanc
Small Business Success
19 South 1st Street, Suite B2404
Minneapolis, MN 55401

Check payable to: Small Business Success

Or, call 800-690-0810, and provide your cc information
to Sherry, and she will get you registered promptly.

Mark's presentation will begin at 9:00 a.m. sharp at the
Holiday Inn Metrodome at Seven Corners, in Minneapolis.

Mark LeBlanc, of Small Business Success, has been
working with and speaking for groups of small business
owners, and practice professionals, since 1992. He is
the Vice President of the National Speakers Association,
and will be President of this prestigious organization in
2007. Last month, he was inducted into the Minnesota
Speakers Hall of Fame, where he shares this honor with
Larry Wilson, Harvey McKay, Thom Winninger, David
McNally, Janie Jasin, Dr. Lyman K. (Manny) Steil, Desi
Williamson, Bob Pike, Jim Pancero, and Mark Sharenbroich.
In 1997, the Minnesota Speakers Association created the Mark
LeBlanc Award for Outstanding Service, and gives this
award annually to a deserving member. Currently, Mark
splits his time between Minneapolis, and La Jolla, CA.

www.MarkLeBlanc.com

This weekend (June 23-25, 2006), Mark will be in Norwalk, CT, conducting his
special weekend program, The Achievers' Circle. It is his
63rd weekend program, designed for up to 15 Independent
Professionals, who want to sell more products and services.
For more information on upcoming weekends, go to:

www.AchieversCircle.com

How can I write a letter to the editor that gets published?

2006-06-19T17:09:00.000-05:00

Newspaper readers give the same amount of credibility to letters to the editor as they give to news articles and opinion pieces!

That's the finding of Robert Smith, the most inventive PR guy I know. And he should know.

He wrote a letter to the editor of USA TODAY, which was published, and read by a prospect who became a client with a $3,000 fee! And it took just 2-3 phone calls and letters to cement the deal! Why was it so easy? Because Robert had incredible credibility from the letter printed in USA TODAY!

"The prospect kept referring to my 'article' in USA TODAY," says Robert.

I interviewed Robert recently on how to write letters to the editor to get free publicity in your local newspapers (no, you don't have to be a national celebrity to get quoted), as well as authors who have gotten letters published in national publications like Forbes!

A few of his tips:
- Be controversial. Feel free to disagree with trends.
- Be fast. Nothing is more boring than old news.
- Read everything so you know what is topical. Then you'll know what to write about.

Robert maintains on-going Letters to the Editor program for his clients on a monthly basis as incredibly reasonable rates.

$30 just covers your local city (daily and weeklies)
$50 covers your entire state. (dailies and weeklies)
$100 covers all 50 states (dailies and weeklies)

I'd suggest you give him a call at (815)633-3375 and see if you'd be a good fit for him and his staff who stay on top of current events, and find news angles that would be irresistible to editors!

If you'd rather do the work yourself, you're in luck. We recorded the session so you can get step-by-step directions via CD or you can get instant access by downloading the transcript of this session.

You'll also learn how to get your letter to the top of pile
- Why editors want to print your letters
- How to avoid the 3 deadliest mistakes most people make
- And much, much more.

"Robert has answered all of my questions and then some. Thank you!"

Jennifer Selby Long
Founder and Principal
Selby Group

Click here to order the transcript for just $10.

Click here to order the CD for just $29.95

Dan Janal
Your Fearless PR LEADER
PR LEADS Expert Resource Network
www.PRLEADS.com

What do reporters look for in a great story?

2006-06-15T11:34:00.000-05:00

Here's an excerpt from a PR LEAD I received from a reporter:

"We're looking for women between the ages of 35 to late 50s who suffered for years from the following: 1) celiac disease; 2) lupus; or 3) mold in her home (the more debilitating her condition, the better the story) and today is in good health."

Notice her words "the more debilitating her condition, the better the story."

That should tell you something.

Just in case you were wondering, this person is writing for a major women's magazine, not the National Enquirer!

Want to get into the papers? Be dramatic!

Speaking Coach Patricia Fripp put it this way: The bigger the problem, the more dramatic the solution."

I did a teleseminar with Patricia Fripp on "How to Turn a Dull Speaker into a Dynamic Presenter." To see how you can get your copy of this CD click here

Or paste this link into your browser:

http://www.prleads.com/seminar011.htm

Dan Janal
Your Fearless PR LEADER
PR LEADS Expert Resource Network
www.PRLEADS.com

Isn't there a law that reporters have to check their facts and send your copies of articles?

2006-06-13T09:32:00.000-05:00

A new client asked this question the other day and I broke out laughing!

No, there aren't any laws that force reporters to do anything. In fact, the First Amendment specifically prohibits Congress from making any laws that have anything to do with free speech!

Also, most publications don't employ fact checkers, so don't expect a call on this topic. A few magazines will call to check facts, but they are the exception, not the rule.

Hardly any reporters will send you copies of articles. They just don't have the time.

If you want to get copies of your articles, you should ask the reporter when will the article appear? Then mark that date on your calendar. When the day comes, go to their website and you'll see the article.

You can also use a free clipping service that Google offers:

http://www.Google.com/alerts

Many of my PR LEADERS have found articles this way.

Of course, you can go to Google and type your name for articles in the past, but Google Alerts will do this for you automatically for the future.

I conducted an interview with PR goddess Raleigh Pinskey on "Now that you've gotten PR, what do you do next." Fortunately, we recorded this session. Click here to see how you can get your copy.

Dan Janal
Your Fearless PR LEADER
PR LEADS Expert Resource Network
www.prleads.com

How should soon should I follow up with reporters?

2006-06-13T09:26:00.000-05:00

Larry writes:

One radio program has asked for two copies of my book to look over. I take that as a foot in the door. How long should I wait before following up with an inquiry?

Congratulations, Larry. Any time reporters ask for your materials, that's a good sign. I'd suggest you call or email them as soon as you think they should have received your materials. So if you sent it by overnight courier, call the next day. You can even check online to see when the package was delivered. If you use USPS Priority Mail, give it 2-3 days. But definitely follow up. Not following up is a sin -- and many people fail to follow up. Guess what? They don't get interviewed!

I conducted a teleseminar on "How to Pitch Reporters" with Joan Stewart, the Publicity Hound and we were lucky enough to record it. For information on how you can get your copy, click here

Dan Janal
Your Fearless PR LEADER
PR LEADS Expert Resource Network
www.prleads.com

How can I make sure reporters can find me?

2006-06-10T08:47:00.000-05:00

When you hit the road for speaking engagement or vacation, you need to let the press know how to get in touch with you.

No, I'm not suggesting you contact them with your itinerary every time you go the Winn-Dixie!

Instead, revise your phone answering message to let reporters know how they can reach you. Also, update your outgoing e-mail "vacation" message to read:

Here's an example one of my PR LEADERS sent me:

Hi!

Thanks for contacting me. Our offices will be closed until Monday, June 5. We will not be returning email until that time.

If you're a member of the press on deadline, or if you need to speak with me immediately, please call my cell phone at 123-456-7890. If I am tied up, I'll get back to you as quickly as possible.

Your patience is appreciated. Thanks!

Best,
Your Name

This tip might help you get the interview that might otherwise get away!

When you are on the road, you might want to build in a book signing at a book store. You might want to learn how to increase your sales in that venue. We did a teleseminar with several experts who can show you how to make the most of your time on the road in a CD entitled, "Secrets to Profiting From Book Tours and Signings." For more info, click here

Dan Janal
Your Fearless PR LEADER
PR LEADS Expert resource Network
www.prleads.com

Book Expo posts seminar session online

2006-06-06T16:54:00.000-05:00

I just received this message from the Book Expo people to get their best seminars as MP3 or podcasts! Congratulations to Book Expo for making this great content available to everyone1

Here's their message:

f you weren't able to attend BookExpo America 2006 in Washington DC this year, we now have a valuable FREE service from the show -- Podcasts from BEA.

We have recorded approximately 24 of the favorite events and sessions and will release them as podcasts over the next couple of months.

Plus, our roving reporter has captured some special interviews in his quest to find out "What's the Buzz" at BEA this year.

Please visit www.bookexpocast.com where you can subscribe to our podcast by email, iTunes or other popular podcast software. We also have a complete list of our scheduled podcast events under "Upcoming Podcasts" on the site.

teleseminar: What the banks won't tell you about your merchant services accounts!

2006-05-09T17:07:00.000-05:00

Are you tired of paying high fees just so you can accept credit cards online?

I've found an honest vendor who will share all his secrets about how to get the best rates possible to accept credit cards for your books and information products, as well as your professional services. He processes the cards for Dan Kennedy and Yanik Silver, so he definitely knows how to work with people like us!

We'll also keep the phone lines open on this call so you can ask your questions.

I'll grill him on all the ins and outs of getting the best rates and protecting yourself from fraudulent customers and chargebacks. If all this is new to you, then you won't want to miss this information packed session.

If you currently have merchant services, you'll learn how to cut your rates.

If you need credit card processing services, you'll learn how to find the best vendor.

There no fee to attend the seminar live on Thursday, May 11, 2006 from
2 p.m. Eastern
1 p.m. Central
Noon Mountain
11 a.m. Pacific

To attend the seminar at no fee click on this link:
http://snipurl.com/bankseminar

You can get a CD of this session for just $9.99:
http://snipurl.com/bankcd

Want to read the transcript instead: Click on this link:
http://snipurl.com/q777

I've arranged for you to get a free evaluation of your fees to see if you are paying too much. To get yours, click on this link:
http://snipurl.com/bankprogram

Dan Janal
Your Fearless PR LEADER
PR LEADS Expert Resource Network
www.prleads.com

How the press decides what to write about

2006-05-08T10:37:00.000-05:00

The New York Times opened the cloak on how stories are created in an article on May 7, 2006 on page 12 of the Week in Review Section (you might have to subscribe to the online edition to get access to this article).

Public Editor Byron Calame reviewed the newspaper on April 16 and asked the reporters and department heads how 23 stories were created.

The results will surprise you.

Only 2 of the stories started with PR people. The rest came from ideas from reporters or editors.

So what does this mean for authors and experts?

The report shows what I've long believed. Reporters create their own stories and then need to find experts to give the story depth and balance. They need experts.

Being in the right place at the right time is an age-old adage. Knowing where to stand, that's why you need to position yourself as an expert.

I interviewed Joan Stewart, The Publicity Hound" on how to create your expert image so reporters will call you when news breaks.

We talked about:

--Why most media people donÃ’t care about your book

--Why pitching the book as the story idea will turn off print and broadcast media

--The 5 things they DO care about…give them these and you'’ll get tons of publicity

--How to position yourself as an expert in your topic - and what to do if you aren't yet an expert

--The different levels of expertise and what you must do to get to the next highest level

--Why the broad-brush approach to publicity doesn't work anymore and why its more important to target narrowly

--A big mistake authors make that gets their publicity campaign off to a bad start. Don't let this happen to you

--How to create your own holiday or your own day, week or month of the year and milk it like crazy

--Why it's OK to piggyback publicity off of other authors

--4 powerful tips for online publicity

--One of the easiest ways to get into national magazines - even the big ones

--Why landing an interview on a big radio show might not sell books - and what's more important than the size of the audience

--A major media outlet that could be a major hit for you, It loves authors and depends on them for many interviews

--How to establish strong relationships with journalists and stay on their radar screen so they come back to you again and again.

To order the CD for $19.95, click here:
http://snipurl.com/expertcdrom

To order the transcript for $10, click here:
http://snipurl.com/experttranscript

Dan Janal
Your Fearless PR LEADER
www.prleads.com

Test your ads for free!

2006-04-18T14:34:00.000-05:00

Everyone's talking about how great Google's AdWords program is. That's the best pay-per-click advertising program on the web. It's a great model: You pay for an ad and it appears on the screen when someone is searching for that product or service! But you only pay when someone clicks on the ad. So you can really make sure your advertising pays off.

But when you're the first, there are going to be competitors that improve on the model. A new company is about to launch and they are taking direct aim at Google's ad revenue.

I've arranged for all my readers (and their friends) to get $50 of ad dollars on a new search engine created by my buddy Paul Cohen, who is the genius behind the teleconferencing service that many speakers use for their teleseminar lines.

He's going to launch this service by the end of the week, so you can get in early.

It's like getting a shopping spree with free ads. If it works, you win by getting more traffic to your site and make more sales. If it doesn't work, then you've done a test and are closer to finding what does work! You can't lose. And $50 in ad dollars goes a long way when average pay-per-click is just 10 cents. You can test a lot!

The search engine is called "Search Big Daddy." Don't worry about the funny name. The search engine is based on DMOZ, which is the heart and soul of Yahoo and many other top-ranked
search engines.

Click here for details:
http://www.bigdaddypays.com/prleads

Yes, you'll have to wade through the typical sales letter you see all over the net and some third-grade graphics, so scroll to the bottom and fill out the
form and you'll get your ad dollars. They'll tell you what to do next. Please send them your questions. It's not my
business. I'm just trying to do everyone a favor!

It's a pretty good search engine too -- it's based on DMOZ, which is what Yahoo and Google are based on. So there's
no risk and you'll get advertising - no strings attached. Try your own searches and see what you think. You can promote your
books, your consulting practices, your coaching services -- at no real cost to you!

Click here for details:
http://www.bigdaddypays.com/prleads

If you want your friends to get in on this, send them this link:
http://www.bigdaddypays.com/prleads

I like to think of it as a social network for approved merchants and trusted advertisers since the only people who will
know about this are people who are invited in. So beat the Internet Marketers and grab the top listings before they do!

Dan Janal
Your Fearless PR LEADER
PR LEADS Expert Resource Network
http://www.prleads.com

Should authors have blogs to promote books?

2006-04-12T17:25:00.000-05:00

PR LEADER Ted Demopoulos has an interesting interview on this topic:

http://www.bloggingforbusinessbook.com/blogging_for_business/2006/04/book_blogs_for_.html

Amazon #1 Campaigns: Do they work?

2006-04-04T14:41:00.000-05:00

Do Amazon #1 campaigns really work?

You know what I'm talking about: You get an email from a friend saying they are trying to push their book to the #1 position on the Amazon best seller list for one day. They offer your a ton of free digital products if you buy the book on that day.

I've seen many people actually fool, trick, manipulate and otherwise coerce Amazon into landing the book on the top position, or even as high as 2 and 3. Amazon can definitely be maneuvered!

But does this lead to any long-term success for the author?

I'm interested in knowing your stories to see if you've done this and what the long-term results were. Did you get long-term sales? A distribution deal? A foreign offer. Or just lots of sales in one day?

Please post your response to the blog. Since there are so many people trying to do this, or thinking of doing this, I'd like to offer a public service to see if it is worth it.

Good luck!

Dan Janal
Your Fearless PR LEADER
PR LEADS Expert Resource Network
www.prleads.com

Congratulations to these PR LEADERS!

2006-04-04T13:34:00.000-05:00

Dr. Mark Hyman, "Ultrametabolism : The Simple Plan for Automatic Weight Loss " is on the best seller lists at the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal! It is in the top 100 on Amazon.

While running through the airports, I saw these books prominently displayed at Hudson Books:

Jeff Thull:
Mastering the Complex Sale: How to Compete and Win When the Stakes are High!

Dave Anderson:
If You Don't Make Waves, You'll Drown: 10 Hard Charging Strategies for Leading in Politically Correct Times (Former PR LEADER and current teleseminar client)

Jeffrey Gitomer:
Jeffrey Gitomer's Little Red Book of Sales Answers : 99.5 Real World Answers That Make Sense, Make Sales, and Make Money by Jeffrey Gitomer (former PR LEADER)

We're anxiously looking for new books with major exposure from Lynn Robinson and Debra Condren!

Dan Janal
Your Fearless PR LEADER
PR LEADS Expert Resource Network
www.prleads.com

Web passes all media as #1 sales tool

2006-04-04T13:20:00.000-05:00

Generating positive word of mouth on the Internet is the best way to get consumers to buy your products.

A recent survey in Editor and Publisher magazine confirms this startling statement. More people, by far, rely on the web than on newspapers, magazines and TV for information about what products to buy.

Want to know the worst medium?

Radio.

I'll show you why you need to write articles and syndicate them on the Internet so you can build traffic to your website and make more sales in this Thursday's teleseminar at 2 p.m. Eastern time on April 6, 2006.

You'll also learn how to:
-write articles that are sure to hook your readers
-submit your articles to syndication sites
-get editors to reprint your articles without sending one piece of email
-get readers to visit your site
-get visitors to take action to build a relationship with you that can lead to sales

To register for the free teleseminar, entitled "How to Syndicate Your Articles on the Internet to Build More Traffic and Make More Sales," click here:

http://tinyurl.com/o4om2

If you can't attend the session, you can order the transcript for $9.95

http://tinyurl.com/oazg8

All the best,

Dan Janal
Your Fearless PR LEADER
PR LEADS Expert Resource Network
952-380-1554
dan@prleads.com
http://www.prleads.com

Brain Dead Phone Messages

2006-03-22T10:07:00.000-06:00

Have you ever tried calling yourself to see what happens?

No, this isn't an existential meandering. It is a customer service rant.

I had to return phone calls to three people and here's what I heard:

1. A fax beep. Please disconnect your fax machine from your phone line. Nothing is worse than hearing the shrill fax siren in your ear. Okay, maybe a paper cut is worse.

2. Dial the person's extension. That might be fine IF the person actually left an extension number to dial. If you leave a phone message, leave your extension number. Otherwise you'll hear the phone directory from hell.

3. "Please enter the person's first name." Have you ever had the greeting that lets you ask for the person by their first name? Sounds cool until you realize there are about 37 ways to spell Jennifer. And if your name is Rick, but people know you are Richard, they'll never find you. Simple solution: leave your extension number or direct dial number. After all, you left a message for them to call you -- why are you making it difficult do to so?

3. Long advertisements for your seminars. It is one thing to say your are an author or a speaker, or visit www.mycompany.com. But don't launch into a 3-minute ad for your seminar. I timed it.
If a reporter can't get hold of you fast, they won't try again. Same for your customers.

Dan Janal
Your Fearless PR LEADER
PR LEADS Expert Resource Network
www.prleads.com

Have you ever been misquoted?

2006-03-20T11:32:00.000-06:00

When I was in journalism school, the first thing the professors had us do was interview a classmate. It helped to build rapport with other students and let us practice our new interviewing skills.

But it also gave us a shocking insight into the news writing process.

There wasn't a person in the room who didn't think they were misquoted!

Why was that? After all, we students had no need to intentionally misquote someone.

It was because people don't always express themselves clearly and reporters don't always hear clearly either!

I wish there was a way to improve human communications, but I'm sure you'll agree that everyone from your boss to your kids misunderstand you from time to time. Why shouldn't reporters?

Oh well, not to make light of the situation, because it is very serious if the reporter mispresents you. So the question of the day is, "Have you ever been misquoted and what did you do about it?" Please submit your responses to the blog for everyone's benefit.

Dan Janal
Your Fearless PR LEADER
PR LEADS Expert Resource Network
www.prleads.com

Space Mountain: The Final Frontier of Peer Pressure

2006-03-14T09:55:00.000-06:00

Remember the first time you drove a car?

Wasn't it the biggest day in your life?

Same is true for my niece who is 9-years old and just drove her first car at Disney World's go kart ride.

She was really thrilled because:
1. She was 51 and 7/8 inches and the sign said you had to be 52 inches. She just passed by standing up very, very straight.

2. She could do it and her sister, who is a year younger, couldn't.

3. She could drive for the first time -- and it wasn't just a kiddie bumper car ride.

However, her enthusiasm passed when she realized that her friends back home told her the best ride was "Space Mountain," the roller coaster ride with a long, long line.

I'm not sure she really likes roller coasters, but she sure does react to her peers. And if they say sitting in a roller coaster and holding on is better than driving a car for the first time, then who am I to argue?

Space Mountain was all she could talk about.

So if you are marketing to the under 10 set, remember that peer pressure is the big factor, not internal motivation.

Dan Janal
Your Fearless PR LEADER
PR LEADS Expert Resource Network
www.prleads.com

My, what big ears you have.. The better to brand Disney, my dear

2006-03-14T09:27:00.000-06:00

When I was growing up in the 60's perhaps the biggest status symbol was a Mickey Mouse hat. You know, the black beanie with the big ears and your name stitched on the front.

It was the sign that your family went far away to the best theme park in the world.

People wore their ears with a badge of honor. Yes, they looked like dorks outside the Magic Kingdom, but the power is in the brand. They wore crowns.

You could see them coming with the big ears and their name stitched in front.

What great branding!

But the minds at Disney thought: How can we make this even better?

They did.

Now they have a distinctive logo on the front of the hat: the Mickey Mouse Club. Or a leprechaun in honor of St. Patrick's Day. Or one of several other Disney themes and characters.

What happened to the wearer's name?

It is still available, for an extra fee, to be stitched on the back of the beanie.

Call me crazy, but I have to hand it to Disney. They weren't happy by just branding the cap with the ears. They had to put another picture or logo on the front to reinforce the message.

I guess I'm still a traditionalist, but I'd rather they kept the black hats the way they were. But times change and if people want pink caps or tie-died caps or gold caps, them let them.

I just admire Disney for leaving no real estate unbranded.

Speaking of which, there is a utility pole with wires that looks like the Mickey Mouse logo with the ears. That's right. They are tied in with the utility grid. But instead of having a dull cross-pole, their pole looks like their logo. Absolutely brilliant. My beanie is off to you folks at Disney!

Dan Janal
Your Fearless PR LEADER
PR LEADS Expert Resource Network
www.prleads.com

It's a small world after all

2006-03-14T09:08:00.000-06:00

My favorite ride at Disneyland is "Its A Small World" which features a cute song and thousands of puppets that portray the peoples of the world. I'm delighted that my nieces and nephew liked it so much they wanted to go on it a second time. Fortunately, there was no line and we even stayed in the same waterboat.

As we entered the ride and heard the music playing, I could hear a woman in the row behind me take out her cell phone and call someone. That's right. In the middle of the ride, she calls someone. Then she hands to phone to each family member on the ride so they could talk to grandma or whoever was the mystery caller.

I couldn't believe that she felt it was more important to call someone than to experience the ride -- and to interrupt her family's experience of the ride to talk to someone.

Couldn't she wait until the ride was over? For pete's sake, the lines at Disney are long enough that you could call everyone in your phone book while killing time on a ride! But no, she had to call DURING the ride.

Wait a second, folks, I'm not ranting here. Well, I am, but I really have a point to make and it is probably the most important point I'll make all year. I'm that serious.

Because of what she did and when she did it, I finally realized that we are undergoing a sea change in communications.

For her, it was MORE important to SHARE the experience with someone who was not there than to enjoy the experience as presented by the provider, Disney. She could have called grandma before the ride or after the ride, but no, she felt it was important for grandma to hear the music and maybe even see a photo if her cell phone was equipped with a camera (aren't they all?) AND to have her children talk to grandma during the experience.

For her, this phone call ENHANCED the experience! (Forget my displeasure in overhearing the conversation. I think we can all agree that cell phone users don't care what happens to people around them who can listen in on their private calls).

I'm not sure what to make of her, frankly. But I do see her as the point person for a new trend that is changing human interaction (I told you this would be heavy).

The signs were all around me and I failed to see them for what they really were:

I've seen people like her at baseball games who will call their friends at home to tell them they are at the game.

I've seen people like her at baseball games who will call their friends who are AT the game and stand up and wave to them -- with their backs to the field so they can't even see the game!

I've been a maniac in thinking these people were rude rubes who have no life.

But I made the mistake of lumping the people who drive their car and talk on the cell phone along with the people in the waiting rooms who talk at the top of their lungs with the people who are at an event and make a phone call.

Now I realize that I've missed the landmark a hundred times over.

These people are creating their own experience with their friends and families by using their cell phones.

I'm not sure what to make of this. Are they self-centered egotists? Are they so family oriented they block out the world? Are they bragging to their friends that they are here and you are not? Are they sharing the experience with a bed-ridden relative who can take pleasure in the event because they are being thought of at this very precious moment?

I really don't know. All I know is that something BIG is going on and it will affect everything we do.

We are becoming a cell phone nation and its implications for changing human interaction is huge.

Dan Janal
Your Fearless PR LEADER
PR LEADS Expert Resource Network
www.prleads.com

Disneyland Trilogy:

2006-03-14T09:05:00.000-06:00

I took my nieces (ages 9 and 8) and nephew (age 4) to Disney World the other day. As the ad says, "Tickets, $300, airfare, $500, hotel $200, food $100, souvenirs, $50. The experience was priceless.

I also learned a few valuable marketing lessons which I'll share in three other posts to this blog.

Dan Janal
Your Fearless PR LEADER
PR LEADS Expert Resource Network
www.prleads.com

Free Publishing Teleseminar: 60 Tips in 60 Minutes

2006-03-14T07:22:00.000-06:00

If you're a speaker, consultant, or expert, publishing is one of the most powerful tools in your marketing toolkit!

Join Us As We Reveal 60 Tips to Building a BOOMING Business Around Your Books!

Please join us for our FREE Teleseminar...
Click here to reserve your spot:

This teleseminar is at no cost. But you MUST register to reserve your place and get the call details:

http://snipurl.com/seminar60book

===
Building Your Business Through Publishing with David Newman and Steven Rowell:
60 Tips in 60 Minutes
===
Thursday, March 16, 2006

2 PM (Eastern)
1 PM (Central)
Noon PM (Mountain)
11 AM (Pacific)

Sign Up Now!

=== About David and Steven ===
Steven Rowell began his corporate career with Disney and then moved on to create his own successful consulting firm.

His proudest accomplishment, however, was his success in writing his book, "Clean is Not Enough!" and watching that book build his business to an all-time high in 2005.

Steven is known among other speakers, experts and consultants as "The Idea Doctor" because of his amazing ability to see the connections between publishing, passion, and profit.

David Newman helps people start a business, and helps businesspeople grow their business. David has written 7 self-published books and has #8 coming from HRD Press this Spring. His 9th book is sitting with an agent and is right now under consideration by two of the largest business book publishers in the country.

David has also built his business around his books, including speaking, training, and 1-on-1 consulting.

As managing partners of I'm Booked(tm) Partners LLC, (http://www.imbooked.com) David and Steven spend a lot of their time helping authors and experts create, market, publicize, monetize, and sell their books in new and interesting ways.

Learn firsthand from the co-founders of The BookCamp(tm) 60 valuable rapid-fire tips that you need to know to accelerate your publishing savvy and build your business around your expertise.

This teleseminar is at no cost. But you MUST register to reserve your place and get the call details:

http://snipurl.com/seminar60book

If you can't attend, perhaps you'd like to order the CD for just $19.95
http://snipurl.com/cd60book

Or order the transcript for just $9.99
http://snipurl.com/transcript60

Hope you can join us for the call!

Dan Janal
Your Fearless PR LEADER
PR LEADS Expert Resource Network
www.prleads.com

Referrals the right way with Bob Burg and Ivan Misner

2006-03-06T08:50:00.000-06:00

Bob Burg, author of "Endless Referrals" did a teleseminar with Great Teleseminars the other day and interviewed Dr. Ivan Misner, the founder of BNI, the largest professional networking group in the world.

They shattered myths about networking and offered tips on doing it the right way.

I took away these pointers:

- Networking is farming, not hunting. You are planting seeds to build relationships for the future.

- People might not need to buy your services today. But they will remember you for the future when they do.

- Build trust and sales will come.

- Ask how they started their business. It is a great conversation starter.

- Don't ask the "what causes you the most pain?" which many other books do. People don't feel comfortable talking about their problems yet.

- Networking is about giving and helping, not about passing out business cards and asking for business.

Bob has started the "Endless Referrals Club," a series of teleseminars produced by Great Teleseminars in which he interviews many leading thinkers who can help you build your business.

Dan Janal
Your Fearless PR LEADER
PR LEADS Expert Resource Network
www.PRLEADS.com

Howard Sterm Takes on CBS

2006-03-03T09:13:00.000-06:00

Howard Stern. Love him or hate him, he undoubtedly lives up to his claim of being "The King of All Media."

He is taking on CBS now. Who cares what the legal details are? I don't care.

The point is that when he found out that he was being sued, he started attacking CBS. He took the lead. He set the agenda. He put CBS on the defensive.

No one is better at playing David vs. Goliath than Howard Stern.

He took on the FCC.

Now he's taking on CBS.

And he always come out on top.

What can you learn from Howard Stern?

Experts like to stand on a high hill. Maybe it is better to play the underdog and fight against windmills.

What can this mean for people who are trying to change the world?

Look at Ralph Nader. That is, look at the Ralph Nader of the 1960's when he took on the entire automobile industry when he crusaded for safety in vehicles. He played the David vs. the car maker's Goliath.

He won.

If you want to battle titans (as I know some of you are trying to do) look to these two unlikely heroes for inspiration.

Dan Janal
Your Fearless PR LEADER
PR LEADS Expert Resource Network
www.prleads.com