Reporters don’t mind thinking, they just don’t want to think too hard. They simply don’t have time. They are writing history in a hurry. The accent is on “hurry.”

PR Rainmakers recognize this and use it to their advantage.

Creating a fact sheet gives you more control over story that you will have without it. A reporter in a hurry is very likely to take your fact sheet and covert at least part of it into a section of story.

The fact sheet offers reporter a short-cut that few can refuse. So offer it.

There are four steps to creating a powerful fact sheet. They are:

Step 1: Gather content.

Bring together every recent document your company has produced on subject you want reporter to cover. Consider widening your net to include documents produced by related associations, colleges, think tanks and even competitors.

Talk to folks in your company who really know subject. Focus not only on executives, but also on grunts who truly produce work and thus know it inside out. Take careful notes.

Think like a reporter. What would a journalist need to know? But also look for surprising, interesting or unusual: things reporter might not expect. Include these ideas as well.

Step 2: Organize and outline

Sort your information by subject. Some PR Rainmakers use binders or folders. Others use computer software. Go with whatever works best for you.

Let’s say you represent a drug manufacturer who is issuing a new pill that instantly cures hives caused by consumption of MSG. Your content might include pill’s formula, team that created pill, size of company’s investment, potential market for pill, active ingredients, chemical reaction to MSG in allergic humans, and on and on.

You want to take each bit of useful information and put it with related information. Give each “box” of information a name: “team,” “market,” “ingredients,” and so on.

Your goal is sort out your content until it makes sense to you.

Next, on a sheet of paper or on a computer screen, you want to write a master list of names of each “box.”

Is your business idea built on market research or a hunch?

Entrepreneurs often fall in love with their products or services before they determine if there's a real market, and they throw fistfuls of money into venture. If you, your spouse, your uncle, and your neighbor think you've got a winning idea, that's simply not enough qualified input to run to bank and drain your savings account!

Avoid this mistake by:

• Conducting your detective work (research).

• Testing your business idea with real marketplace.

MONSTROUS Marketing Mistake Number 2: Believing That "If You Build It, They Will Come"

Do you think you have a product or service that will practically sell itself?

Trust me — you don't.

There is a misconception among small business owners that, with right product or service, your customers will simply "find" you when you open your doors for business. Whether you have a physical storefront on a corner lot in busiest part of downtown, or a graphically pleasing online storefront offering easy access to your hot products and services, your customers will not find you if you do not market to them.

The day you open for business is day you put on your "marketer's hat" and never take it off. You must consistently move product, or schedule service time.

To stay in business you must profit.

To profit you must sell.

To sell you must market.

The good news is that, with a marketing strategy, you take control out of your potential customers' hands and put it into your own. If you have a product that will "practically sell itself," then your marketing job will be easy. Just remember that job must still be done.

Avoid this mistake by:

• Defining your niche market and USP (Unique Selling Proposition) that differentiates you from your competition.

• Developing a marketing action plan and strategy to reach your niche market with your USP message.

MONSTROUS Marketing Mistake Number 3: Trying to Reinvent Wheel

Marketing is an age-old practice with some very basic principles. Yet, I'm sure you've read many marketing information products that stress importance of being innovative and creative with your marketing efforts. It's easy to get caught up in innovation process and forget that REAL focus should be on results.

Avoid this mistake by:

• Emulating success instead of trying to create something completely new. Please note that I am not saying, "copy" what others are doing. Look at basic structure of a tactic, campaign, advertisement, or event and use same formula as a basis for developing your own tactics.

• Realizing great marketing ideas are used over and over again with just right twist to make them fit a specific business. Focus on results, and choose imitation over innovation to create your own twist on a proven, winning technique.

MONSTROUS Marketing Mistake Number 4: Over-Preparing and Doing Nothing

The fear of failure can be powerful. So powerful that we do everything we can think of to prevent it. Yet, there is a point at which we are so busy preparing, organizing, and researching to prevent failure that we never get around to actual marketing of business. Here are two things to remember:

1. Activity is not productivity. 2. In order to sell a million of something, you have to sell first ONE.

Avoid this mistake by:

• Doing something! If you believe in your business and have done your detective work, it's time to dive into marketing pool. Start small, track results and build from there.

• Not being afraid to make a mistake. Mistakes are entry to success. At very least, a failed promotion means you have SUCCESSFULLY determined what promotion does not work. And, to learn what does NOT work is a valuable tool in getting you closer to discovering what WILL work.

So, go ahead. Fail a little. It will make your eventual successes even sweeter.

MONSTROUS Marketing Mistake Number 5: Boredom

When I was working for an ad agency many years ago, I had one client that was running an extremely successful ad campaign. After about six months, I received a phone call from client. He wanted to develop an entirely new campaign. When I asked, "why?" he simply said, "I'm bored with one we have."

What?

That client may have had money to spend on a new campaign due to "boredom" but you and I usually don't. Yet, I've often seen my small business clients switch promotions for same reason. This is detrimental to your business!

"Losing money" is a reason. "Boredom" is not.

Avoid this mistake by:

• Remembering that, what is old to you, is new to an untapped target market. If you have a promotion that is consistently getting you results, stick with it until results show you its time for change.

• Testing new promotions without abandoning current one. Then track results. Never swap a current promotion with a new one that hasn't been tested.

MONSTROUS Marketing Mistake Number 6: Relying on Networking to Generate Sales Leads