Why Epiphanies Never Occur to Couch Potatoes

Need Publicity? Attend a free teleseminar

2011-02-06T13:56:00.000-08:00

After being interviewed by and appearing in about 200 publications and being a guest on over 50 radio shows worldwide, I feel qualified to offer a little advice on the topic of generating PR.

Here's the advice: attend this free teleseminar Thursday. Here's the link:

http://www/.tvpublicityteleseminar.com/?10535

Why should you take my advice?

After my first self-published book came out in January, 2005, sales didn't exactly soar. So later that year when I got an email telling me about a free teleseminar on getting PR, I wasn't really sure, but thought "it's free, it's less than an hour, so what the heck."

Steve Harrison interviewed a couple people on that teleseminar, then at the end, he pitched the National Publicity Summit.

I listened to a replay of the teleseminar, then I went to the web site for the Summit. I checked out who was coming (from the press), talked to my wife, then signed up.

A week later Steve Harrison called me to tell me I wasn't a good fit for the Summit. He felt it was mostly B2C, not a B2B (or for me, business-to-government) type of event. I said has this particular magazine confirmed they'll be there. He said yes. I said, then it is well worth my time to attend. He said OK.

This points out 2 things. First, that Steve doesn't let just anyone attend because they have the money. He wants this to be a win for the press that attends and for the people paying to meet the media. He tried to talk me out of attending.

The publication I wanted to pitch was Entrepreneur magazine, and it turned out the (then) editor in chief was the attendee, Rieva Lesonsky. And here's how the pitch went (Keep in mind the first 2 days of the Summit is training the attendees how to pitch a story and it is well worth your time):

I am in line to pitch Ms Lesonsky, and my turn finally comes up. I have 2.5 minutes for my pitch and I start, full of enthusiasm. I am on a roll. Except at the 30 second market she holds up her hands in a "time out" gesture, and I think "Oh crap- I blew it..."

Ms Lesonsky says- and I quote because I remember this VERY clearly: "The soonest we can have you in is July. Is that OK?"

In July 2006 there is a 2/3 length picture of me down one side of page 25 and a short interview on the left side. Over the next 2 years I was back in the magazine 2 times and on the web site 3 more. A full-time PR pro can't get you any better coverage.

Fast forward to January 2011. Rieva Lesonky, now editor in chief at GrowSmartBusiness.com, reviews my third book-and even adds a review at Amazon. Obviosuly we are still in touch!

Did the National Publicity Summit work for me? Yes- and it still does. I went a total of 4 times.

Am I a paid affiliate? Yes- and proud of it! I don't do much affiliate stuff, but when Steve offered me the chance, I took it.

IF- and that's a big if, if you are ready for publicity, if you know why you want it, and you have something of value to share with a well-defined audience, then you should consider attending the National Publicity Summit. Check out the media that will be attending and match it to what you want publicity for. If it's a match....consider going!

And it all starts with a free teleseminar. If it is not a match, or if you are not quite ready, don't go! There will be TV, radio, print and more.

And the teleseminar all by itself will give you a couple of great tips.

http://www.tvpublicityteleseminar.com/?10535

If you have any questions, send me an email I will respond to any inquiries with "Publicity Summit" in the subject line.

email markamtower gmail com

And best of luck on your publicity adventure!

Do you have a book in you???

2011-01-25T05:38:00.001-08:00

Besides my marriage and the birth of my children, the biggest thrills in my career have been seeing my name on the cover of three books- the latest just out (Selling to the Government).

I have a theory that goes like this:

95% of the people are very happy (professionally, not necessarily personally) with who they are, what they currently know about their profession, and assume that they will learn what they need to know by some form of osmosis- proximity to others in their profession. Possible, but not likely.

4% of the people proactively go to seminars, belong to professional associations, network with peers on a regular basis, read trade publications and the like. Practical and good - real growth occurs.

1% of the people wish to excel and go to seminars, belong to and participate in associations, read trade publications and the like. They also write articles or blogs, and/or make presentations, and find other ways to actively grow their knowledge bases and share it with others.

Among all three groups, there are some who think they should write a book.

For those in the 95% group, this will probably never happen.

For those in the top 5%, it is a possibility. But the possibility is stifled by a self-imposed limitation: it will take too much time and work to write a book.

As the author of 3 books (2 self-published, the 3rd just out from John Wiley) I can tell you from experience that-
1) yes, it takes time;
2) it is not easy, but it is not as difficult as most think;
3) the rewards of being an author come in many ways.

Thursday, Jan 27, my friend Steve Harrison will be hosting a free teleseminar/webinar where he will interview Ann McIndoo, the former creative assistant to motivational guru Tony Robbins. Ann has trained 268 authors to write their non-fiction books in under 90 days.

If you have a book inside you waiting to come out, or if you have one started that is stalled for whatever reason, consider listening in to the teleseminar or watching the webinar. It is available twice on Thursday, once in the afternoon and once in the evening. Details are here:

http://www.freeauthortraining.com/call/?10535

I can tell you that short of my marriage and the birth of my children, there is nothing like seeing your name on the cover of a book!

While I have not attended this session, I have attended several events hosted by Steve Harrison since my first book came out in 2005, and I have benefited from each. I am also now a compensated affiliate for Steve and Bradley Communications. If you have questions about my experience with Steve and Bradley Communications, enter your comment or question here on the blog post, or email me at markamtower gmail com

If you really want to write a book, take an hour and listen in!

http://www.freeauthortraining.com/call/?10535

Need more publicity?

2010-10-23T06:30:00.000-07:00

Regardless of what we do, to some degree, we all need publicity.

If you are a speaker, writer, consultant or a business owner, you definitely need publicity.

But this issue for each of us is how do we get it?

I whole-heartedly recommend Steve Harrison's PR program. I have attended several since my first book came out in in 2005. Google "Mark Amtower" and see some of the results for yourself. My 3rd book comes out this December and I'll be using everything I have learned to sell more books.

Steve is hosting a free teleseminar Monday Oct 25 on strategies to promote almost any book, product, business or service. I'm an affiliate, but again, I am proof of the results.

If you'd like a little more info from me on this, or my advice to see if you are ready for this, drop me a line at MarkAmtower AT gmail.com and we can discuss your situation.

I truly wish you the best of luck with your PR efforts!

http://www.yourquantumleap.com/previewcallfour/?10535

Are you EVER going to write your non-fiction book???

2010-01-16T12:09:00.000-08:00

You've seen "experts" on TV or heard them on the radio or read their quotes in the trade press - and these "experts" don't know as much as you, right?

Without a book, you will never be "the" expert, the one the press turns to for comment, or the one who commands higher fees and gets the speaking gigs.

I know - I am the author of 2 books - and I get more press and speaking gigs as a result - plus I can (and do) charge more. It took me a long time to get the first book done - but once it came out - wow! I even got featured in Entrepreneur (July 2006).

If you are committed to writing or finishing your book, there is a teleseminar this week (Thursday, and it is free) that will give you some tips on how to write it over a weekend.

Thursday Jan 21- discover how to write your book in a weekend.

http://www.WriteYourBookInAWeekend.com/call/?10535

This is a free teleseminar and it will give you some valuable tips.

Best to you in your writing quest!

Mark Amtower, author,
Government Marketing Best Practices
Why Epiphanies Never Occur to Couch Potatoes

PS - I have attended Steve Harrison's events in the past, and have purchased coaching from him on more than one occasion. I have always been satisfied with the results - and now I'm an affiliate. if you have questions - feel free to email me at Mark@FederalDirect.net

Ever thought about business coaching as a profit center?

2010-01-04T05:55:00.000-08:00

Do you offer coaching services? Over the past 2 years I have, and it can be good income and emotionally rewarding as well.

If you have not considered business coaching, maybe you should for 2010.

Why? Because coaching is one of the quickest ways almost any 'subject matter expert' can make more while also helping a lot of people. In fact, you might be surprised how much others will pay for what you know (and probably take for granted).

To discover how to get started offering coaching services, you're invited to a free telephone seminar on Thursday, January 7th:

http://www.CoachingTrainingTeleseminar.com/?10535

On the call, my friend Steve Harrison interview Tim Paulson, an author, speaker and coaching expert who's helped many people start successful coaching practices. Although I am a compensated affiliate for this program, I recommend Steve Harrison's program without reservation. I have been through several of his programs since meeting him in January 2006, and each program has helped me develop new skills.

Here's just some of you what you'll discover on Thursday's call:

* Why you undoubtedly know (and take for granted) things others will pay to learn, plus why you probably don't need any special degrees or credentials to get started.

* How to get others to gladly pay you $100 ...$200 ... (or more) per hour for your advice and have it be worth every penny to them!

* A little-known secret Tim discovered in Egypt on how to help other people change their lives through coaching ... and create a big cash surge quickly (authors and 'soon to be' authors will LOVE this.)

* How you can have a lot more fun, make a profound difference in the lives of others and do it in a way that completely fits your lifestyle (even part-time).

* Why having a non-fiction book can be a powerful (but not essential) way to get coaching clients. And how to get clients if your book isn't out yet.

* The fastest and easiest way to be up and running in a successful coaching business (literally within five days from now).

* Three costly mistakes and common pitfalls to avoid when getting started as a coach. (These you MUST know!).

* How to take an existing coaching business to the next level.

From my own experience as an occasional business coach, the emotional rewards are as good as the financial rewards. And your most successful clients will bring you more clients. You can offer coaching in groups (face to face or via teleseminar), or one on one (also via teleseminar or face to face). I prefer recorded teleseminars, as we can both (or all) review the entire discussion at our convenience.

I have seen coaching programs for a wide variety of skills, from dressing professionally (yes - how to dress for success!), business management, getting PR, blogging, public speaking, using social media (using Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebbok, etc), podcasting, how to start na seminar business, traditional networking (how to work a room) - all kinds of things!

Again, in the interest of full disclosure, you should know I'm a compensated affiliate for Steve's programs.

To register for Thursday's free telephone seminar on how to get started coaching, go here:

http://www.CoachingTrainingTeleseminar.com/?10535

I truly wish for a happy, healthy and safe New Year for each of you.

Mark Amtower

P.S. My coaching is in 3 areas: getting PR, B2G marketing and using LinkedIn. Drop me a line if you are interested! markamtower@gmail.com

Holiday Gift Ideas - books keep on giving: October through December Sale

2009-10-18T07:03:00.000-07:00

Five Reasons to Give This Book to Employees, Friends and Family
(2 copies signed by the author for $15!!!)

Recently, my 12 year old son read Why Epiphanies Never Occur to Couch Potatoes for the first time. He knew about the book, but on his own he took a copy out of my library and read it in a few hours (it is a short book). He told me in no uncertain terms that he liked the book and he knew several people at his school that should read it.

I've been told by many that it is the perfect airplane book - short (with cartoons!)

Bob Bly (Robert W Bly, world famous copywriter and author of over 75 books) wrote:

"There are few people who can write and speak with equal ease on highly specialized topics as well as broad, big-picture notions. Mark Amtower is one of them. He is best-known as America’s leading expert on marketing to government. In Why Epiphanies Never Occur to Couch Potatoes, he widens his focus to dispense wisdom won from the school of hard knocks – common-sense advice and practical ideas that can help you achieve greater success in every important area of your life. Amtower’s wit and wisdom combined with Dave McCoy’s great cartoons make this is the perfect book for these tough times."

So here are five reasons to consider buying, reading and sharing this book:

1) As your children go off to college, or enter high school, it is important to send them with a reminder that character counts.

2) Inspiration helps people toward positive action. That is the core message in this book, complete with several personal anecdotes.

3) New Year's resolutions rarely stick. Why not give a book that shows the positive outcome of changes you choose and implement for yourself.

4) The book is short, sweet and to the point. The lessons are equally valid for teens to those who are retired; for men or women, boys or girls. These are lessons that can change lives for the good, and it is never too late to change.

5) The book is inexpensive. In today’s economy, that is huge.

Bonus Reason to Give this Book: All copies of the book will be signed by the author. A signed book is a wonderful gift for anyone.

Almost every person who has contacted me after reading the book has been moved to laughter, tears, or to evaluate where they are in their own lives.

I am having a 2-for-1 sale on Why Epiphanies Never Occur to Couch Potatoes until the end of the year. $15 gets you 2 signed copies -that's a hard deal to beat!

Take a look - http://www.epiphanybook.com/ - for $15 you cannot go wrong!

Oct 15 BlogTalkRadio interview

2009-10-18T06:56:00.000-07:00

I did a BlogTalk Radio interview with Massachusetts-based Nat Couropmitree on Thursday, Oct 15 on his show, The Prosperity Lighthouse. It is available at

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/ProsperityLighthouse/2009/10/15/Living-Your-Passion-with-Mark-Amtower-amtower

We spend almost an hour disucssing the evolution of Why Epiphanies Never Occur to Couch Potatoes - why I wrote the speech that became the book, the "laws" that I live by, why we each need a constant in our lives, and more.

I had a good time and it was a good discussion.

Do you have a favorite quote from the book? Share your favorite!

2009-08-20T13:18:00.000-07:00

My 12 year old son picked up Why Epipahnies Never Occur to Couch Potatoes last week and read it. He told me in no uncertain terms that this is a good book and it needs to sell more.

As to why he picked it up... We were watching a "The Universe" on television, and the narrator mentioned the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle. I told my son that I referenced that in my book and he said "No way." I got a copy of the book and showed him how I adpated a theory from physics to my book on ethics. He kept the book - and read it! Thanks Travis! I needed a push!

So I am making a big push now to sell out the first edition and I need your help. If you liked the book when you read it, please tell your friends and co-workers, or buy a few more for yourself so you can give them to those who like it.

Since it was published, I have been called, emailed and stopped by many who have read my second book, and invariably they have a favorite quote. Several of them tell me that they have had occasion to use quotes from Why Epiphanies Never Occur to Couch Potatoes in various situations. Others have told me they read the book while traveling (usually by plane) - and when they laugh out loud they explain to the person next to them that it's the book....

American Small Business Coalition Chief Visionary Guy Timberlake told me earlier today that this one CEO was lamenting about not being able to find good Business Development people -- they all looked good on paper but didn't last very long. Guy said "They looked like the Second Coming on a resume, huh?" and the CEO laughed and agreed. (page 21, Law 9 - "I have seen resumes that could indicate the Second Coming.")

My personal favorite, as it is a rule I try to live by, is "I am loathe to let thoughts escape unnoticed, unexamined and unused." (Author's preface, page xxi).

Other people have indicated they like the

-"First three Laws (especially #3 - "I don't take crap from things that breathe"(page 59);

- "I am not God' brightest child" (page 1);

- "Each of us has had the co-worker who claims responsibility for anything that goes right, the hindsight prescience to humbly seek kudos for work performed by others." (page 21);

- "The universe is not required to stop, hold its breath and await your announcement." (page 26);

If you have a favorite quote from the book, please share it here.

If you have not read the book, consider buying a copy! Go here:
http://www.epiphanybook.com/order.html

Almost Everything I Learned About Publicity, I Learned at the National Publicity Summit

2009-07-31T13:36:00.000-07:00

http://www.NationalPublicitySummit.com/?10535

From my very first time attending the National Publicity Summit (January, 2006), I got fantastic results. Since my business deals with advising companies on selling to the federal government, I wish there was more business media there, but the consumer media at the Summit have always been great and I have been very happy with the results. My first Summit paid big dividends for me.

With 25 years of experience behind me, I knew all about my business but wanted to learn how to gain the kind of broader publicity that could build my business in the way I envisioned. I wanted to go to a whole new level. The National Publicity Summit helped me in a BIG way!

Below are some of the valuable things I have learned from attending this event:

After signing up for my first Summit (I signed up in October, 2005 and the Summit was January, 2006), I spoke to Steve Harrison, who runs the Summit. He told me, "We’d really love to have you come, but this isn't geared towards your market." He was trying to talk me out of attending, thinking I would not get the results I wanted.

I told him, "I’ve looked at the list of the media, and while I don’t have anything to say to Oprah or Good Morning America, I do want to speak with Entrepreneur magazine, so it’s worth my time and effort to come." Being in Entrepreneur was already on my wish list. So I went to the Summit.

There was training before attending, via telseminars, for all who signed up. That was really good prep for me and helped me set realistic expectations and actually raise them.

When I got to the Summit I got even more really great training. Each attender learned to present their most powerful material in the first 30 seconds of a 2 1/2 minute pitch, then we practiced it. And practiced it again! The staff with Bradley was superb: accessible, intelligent, and really, really helpful. Sometimes I got to go up in front of the group (always volunteer when they ask!). The feedback from the group was almost as good as the feedback from the professionals. All of the feedback was extraordinary.

All of the staff are friendly and helpful. By the end of my first Summit I was friends with a couple memebrs of the staff, and by the middle of my 2nd Summit, I was on a first name basis with almost all of them.

At the first Summit, when I finally got in front of Entrepreneur magazine (after a couple days of training from some very cool people) I started my pitch. About 45 seconds into my pitch the editor wanted me to stop, and I thought, "Oh, no, I blew it."

She said, and this is burned into my memory, so I believe this is verbatim, "The soonest we can have you in the magazine is July. Is that okay?"

That Summit was in January of ’06, and I actually ended up in the July issue of Entrepreneur! The magazine hooked me up with Sam Holden, who is a world-renowned photographer. I went to Sam’s studio (a refurbished firehouse in Baltimore), we shot for an hour, and I got a full-page, full-length photo in Entrepreneur with my interview. This is the kind of thing that PR firms would die to be able to deliver, and they'd charge you around $10,000 or $20,000. It was worth the price of the Summit for me.

The networking opportunities you make at the Summit can lead to a platform in your target market. From my first Summit I got publicity training, I got coverage from Entrepreneur, and I got about 10 radio interviews. I met David Reader, who had a radio show in Annapolis (close to where I live, and I was a guest), and 2 months later I ended up doing my own show at the same station! A year after that I was invited to bring my radio show from Annapolis to Washington D.C. on Federal News Radio, where I have been on the air for over 2 years. So, as an indirect direct result of the Summit, I now have my own show in the nation’s capital, which is the seat of my market on the only radio station that works for my market.

The visibility factor alone is huge. After I did David Reader’s show I did another show in Washington D.C. on a different station. A guy by the name of Brian Roberts had a show called Taking Care of Business with Brian Roberts. What was cool was that Brian didn’t do it to be a radio guy (he could have, he was really good); he used radio as a business development tool. With his own small business, his idea was that he could spend a quarter million dollars to hire the right business development person or he could buy time on this radio show and invite the CEOs he needed to meet to be guests on his show! What a cool idea! Think I do that for my show? You bet!

I have had a good reputation in the government market for a long time, so with the added publicity and the radio show there are very few in the government market who get anywhere near the publicity I get.

Never underestimate the power of your presentation. When presenting yourself to the media, remember that they don’t want the focus of the conversation to be about you. It's important to introduce your concept as it pertains to the audience they serve. That’s a very powerful lesson.

Be sure to develop a one-pager (a skill you learn at the Summit) with a photo of you, a very brief bio, and a little bit of media history about you to show that you’re not a complete novice. It's helpful to media outlets if you include some suggested questions. This is something that you can tailor to each media outlet.

If you have a book, you can have a powerful presentation by placing a full bio, a question sheet, and your one-sheet in a very nice presentation folder with a copy of your book and sending it to key media people for your niche, not to everybody because not everybody wants all of that stuff.

Before sending something like this, I get in touch with the media person via phone and/or email and say, "Please be on the look out for my package. It will come in a royal blue envelope." I use a very distinctive bubble-wrapped foil envelope in very bright royal blue for mailing my big stuff. It really stands out in the mail (a tip from author Alex Carroll, one of the Summit speakers).

These are very powerful techniques, because if you make a single misstep in your introduction to the media, they’re going to dismiss you immediately and forever.

Be proactive, not reactive. Try to tie your promotions into current news stories. Let’s say you’ve now been on half a dozen radio shows, and you’ve been mentioned in two or three articles and a piece of news occurs that is related to your area expertise, so you know a couple media people. You can immediately contact (email and phone) all of your media people and say, "This is my take on what’s going on." You then change your one-sheet to reflect the situation and give them questions that are related to that hot issue. In my experience, that will generate more press for you. This is a technique that they drive home thoroughly during your Summit training. Usually the credible person who gets in front of any media outlet first on a breaking issue is the one that gets the press. It is rarely the best person for that topic, but bright enough for breaking coverage. In this case, the early bird, gets the credibility that comes with being the “expert” on a breaking story. I’ve been able to leverage this several times and my competitors wonder how I do it! They probably think I pay the media off!

Skilled media follow-up can lead to more opportunities. Another very cool thing about the Summit is that you’re in front of somewhere around 100 media outlets of national or local magnitude. They always have national media at the Summit: talk show television, syndicated radio, city-based radio, national print, etc. You have the opportunity to present to most of these people for two and a half minutes, and they actually take your material and they will tell you right there if they have some interest. It is incumbent upon you to follow up quickly and within the parameters that they set.

Don’t start emailing them every day asking when they'll have you on their show or interview you for their publication. Sending an email once every other month should be fine, unless they ask for more frequency OR if a story breaks and you are perfect for it. By being respectful and considerate while staying in touch with editors and producers, you can build long-term relationships that will help you network and still get media coverage for you years to come. If you look at my LinkedIn profile and my contacts, you will see I have many media contacts there.

For example, I became friends with the editor of Entrepreneur magazine, and she put me in touch with the guy who heads the magazine's website. It's three years since I met her at the Summit, and I’m on the website again this month. This is my fifth or sixth time being featured on their website, and I have been in the magazine at least 4 times. On the web site or in the magazine a total of EIGHT TIMES!

You can expand your media coverage beyond your niche market. Before my first Summit I was getting press primarily in the government market and sometimes a little bit in the general business marketing or business press national environment about once a month, which is very good by any standards. Since my 2nd Summit, however, I get coverage somewhere at least once a week, and it’s expanded. I have been in The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, the Financial Times of London, Investor’s Business Daily and several national magazines, a couple of association magazines (great for speaking gigs) and an airline magazine! I've also been on over 50 radio shows around the country.

I encourage anyone looking for publicity to check out the National Publicity Summit. Please click on my affiliate link for more details: http://www.NationalPublicitySummit.com/?10535

It is worth the price of admission for those with something of value to say.

Not that I have an opinion.
Caveat- I am an affilate for this program and get a fee for the people who register. However, this is one of the very few programs where I do this and I only do it ebcause it worked for me.

You just never know when or where the ideas will come

2009-07-30T10:22:00.000-07:00

Take a look at this really good article by Marissa Levin.

http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-12152-DC-Womens-Entrepreneurship-Examiner~y2009m7d30-Much-more-than-a-concert-the-lasting-gift-behind-the-present

A time to reflect

2009-07-03T12:56:00.000-07:00

July 3, 2009, 3:57 PM and I am wrapping up my week.

I don't thonk our tropops in Afghanistan or Iraq are wrapping up their week.

So, two simple things you can do:

1) keep them in your prayers;

2) send some momney to the USO - www.USO.org

Have a great 4th!