Do It! Marketing Blog: Marketing for Smart People™

Marketing Coach: Your PR, Interviews & 15 Questions

marketing coach marketing speaker interviewOnce or twice a month, I get interviewed, featured or quoted by other experts, the news media, or my mom. (Hi Mom!) 

How can you do the same?

You won't get coverage from my mom but you WILL get major media from PRLeads.com like I do. Try it - it's your best deal for public relations bar none.

But that's not the point of this post.

The point of this post is... Balls.

Nerve.

Moxie.

Stepping up and asking for what you want. 

Just like my new friend Damian Niolet did when he asked me for an interview.

Damian could easily have succumbed to negative self-talk like "Oh, this David Newman character is a big deal and he'll never agree to an interview. I'm just a guy studying marketing who has a meager 50 Twitter followers. He's not going to waste his time talking to me..." and so on. 

Good news for Damian - he did not sabotage himself with any such nonsense. 

He asked. I said yes. We did an interview that totally kicked ass and - frankly - was a hell of a lot better than anything I've given to The New York Times, Philadelphia Business Journal (Hi Craig!) or FastCompany.com.

Here's the interview.

Listen online or grab a copy to download. 

Why is this interview valuable to you?

First, because Damian prepared thoughtful questions I've never been asked before. (Like the ethical code of marketing? Or how marketing affects our society? Wow... nice!) So the content will help you market smarter and generate more leads, better prospects and bigger sales. 

Secondly, this interview shows you how YOU may want to use interviewing as a marketing strategy yourself. Either purely for research OR to build relationships with your prospects and colleagues OR as a content development strategy to enrich your blog and establish yourself as an authority in your field. 

For your reference - and to make it easier to follow along if you listen in - here is the list of 15 questions Damian prepared for our conversation...

See if YOU can develop a list of smart, detailed and occasionally surprising questions like these for YOUR next interview: 

  1. Can you provide a brief overview of your experience, to include education?  (Leading up to your marketing experience, unless you knew from the start you wanted to work in marketing, in which case you can speak to your experience working for other marketing firms)
  2. What drove you to enter the world of marketing? (Your passion for marketing; Leading up to starting Do It! Marketing)
  3. What drove you to start up Do It! Marketing? (Why and when)
  4. What was the most difficult part of the start-up process? (How)
  5. Did you have a marketing strategy from the start?  How did it evolve?
  6. What is your view/opinion of how marketing has changed in the last 15-20 years?
  7. Has social networking always been a big part of your strategy? (Dependent on when Do It! Marketing was founded)
  8. What is the very first bit of advice you’d give to a client to get them started?
  9. What is the very most important bit of advice you’d give to a client for whom you are building a marketing strategy?
  10. What would you say to those who suggest that using social networks in a passive mode (as a conversation tool only) is time wasted because it does not necessarily focus on leads?
  11. Is there a medium, other than social networks, you believe to be invaluable?
  12. What company do you believe exemplifies marketing at its best?
  13. Is there an ethical code within marketing?  Is this code debatable? 
  14. The manner in which marketing is practice undoubtedly influences society at large.  Do you believe the marketing practices in America over the last 50+ years have had a positive or negative impact on society?
  15. What will marketing look like in the future?  Are there near-term changes we can expect?  Is there another revolution on the distant horizon?

Catch up with the rest of Damian's blog and keep your eye on this guy. He's gonna do BIG things. 

business coach business coaching

p.s. We still have a few open spaces for the Simple Marketing Success 10-Week Virtual Bootcamp experience. The program is open by application only. Let me know you're interested (email or call me 610.716.5984) and I'll forward you the application materials and program guidelines right away. We start the program September 26, 2012.

Tags: marketing speaker, marketing strategy, marketing success, media relations, marketing professional services, marketing coaching, public relations, small business coach, marketing ideas, marketing coach, marketing strategist, speaker marketing, small business marketing, questions, small business marketing coach

Marketing speaker: New priorities for the new normal

Consultant Bob Treadway reports the following as top priorities of Fortune 500 organizations and leaders:
  • Building a coaching culture that promotes candor and dialogue
  • Linking strategy, structure, processes, values and human resources
  • Balancing strategy and tactics
  • Developing road maps for strategic planning and implementation at all levels
  • Identifying and developing future high-potential leaders ("HiPos")
  • Business literacy and management skills for new managers
  • Performance-based coaching and feedback skills for managers and execs
  • Persuasion, political savvy, managing without authority, managing upward
  • Building "bench strength" in anticipation of the next labor shortage as the economy recovers
  • Developing a bottom-line accountable culture
  • Motivating workers in uncertain times

Marketing speaker marketing coach David Newman top trends

What's YOUR take on the list above? Please SHARE and DISCUSS in the comments section below...

Tags: marketing speaker, marketing success, consultant marketing, consulting firm marketing, small business, professional services marketing, marketing, leadership, marketing ideas, thought leadership, small business marketing speaker, questions, recognized authority

Small business marketing coach: Your SELF-check

marketing coach for speakers David Newman"I always wanted to be somebody, but I should have been more specific."
-- Lily Tomlin

"The self is not something ready-made, but in continuous formation through choice of action."
-- John Dewey

"A somebody was once a nobody who wanted to and did."
-- John Burroughs

As a small business marketing coach, let me offer you this Self-check:
  • If you were to fully live your life, what is the first change you would make?
  • What areas of your life could be upgraded or improved?
  • What could you start working on today that would make the biggest difference?
  • How could you make this goal more specific or measurable?
  • What would be the biggest impact from achieving your goal(s)?
  • What do you love? How can you bring in more of it?
  • What do you hate? How can you eliminate/reduce almost all of it?
  • What's one thing you would love to do before you die?
  • What could you do right now that would really put a smile on your face?
  • For your life to be perfect, what would have to change?
  • What do you really, really, REALLY want? (Really!!)
  • Are you willing to be the hero of your own story?
  • What obstacles might stop you?
  • Who are your allies? What weapons and tools do you have?
  • What - or who - is at hand right now that might hold the key to your success?
How did you do? Please share your thoughts and opinions in the comments area below...

Tags: marketing speaker, coaching, self-check, marketing coach, small business marketing, questions