5 Reasons Why Good Customer Relationship Are Priceless

By David Ronald

Customer satisfaction is one of the most important factors in building a successful business success, influencing everything from retention rates to brand reputation.

In today’s competitive landscape, organizations must go beyond delivering quality products or services – they must foster meaningful, long-term relationships with their customers.

These relationships can help companies, especially startups, to be successful in a variety of ways.

In this blog post, I’ll provide five reasons why good customer relationships are priceless 

1. Minimizing Customer Churn

Acquiring new customers often demands significantly more time, effort, and resources than retaining existing ones.

Customer retention ensures not only a steady revenue stream but also the potential for upselling and cross-selling opportunities. When customers stay loyal, they often serve as advocates for the brand, contributing to organic growth through positive word-of-mouth.

A key strategy to minimize churn involves proactively addressing customer concerns and fostering strong relationships that prioritize their satisfaction and long-term engagement.

One very effective method for measuring customer loyalty is using Net Promoter Scores (NPS) – by analyzing trends in NPS data, companies can address dissatisfaction early, reduce the risk of churn, and create an environment that motivates customers to remain loyal.

2. Getting Customer Referrals

Word-of-mouth referrals are among the most powerful sales mechanisms, as everyone knows.

Happy customers, satisfied with their experience, naturally become brand advocates who share their positive impressions with peers, family, or colleagues.

These personal endorsements carry significant weight, as people are more likely to trust recommendations from those they know and respect. By cultivating exceptional customer experiences, businesses can tap into this organic form of marketing, turning loyal customers into influential ambassadors.

Encouraging customer referrals not only amplifies brand awareness but also enhances conversion rates. Prospects referred by satisfied customers often begin their journey with a level of confidence and trust that reduces the need for extensive persuasion.

By fostering a culture of customer satisfaction and incentivizing advocacy, businesses can build a self-sustaining cycle of growth fueled by trust and positive word-of-mouth.

3. Creating Marketing Assets

When customers share their positive experiences in formats like case studies, webinars, or press releases, their stories resonate more authentically with potential buyers than traditional marketing messages. 

These forms of evangelism create a powerful cycle of influence, where existing customers inspire confidence in new ones, ultimately driving growth and solidifying the brand’s reputation as a trusted solution.

Customer participation in these initiatives not only builds trust but also fosters a deeper connection with the brand.

By featuring customers as champions of the product, businesses amplify the message that their offerings deliver real impact.

4. Building Product Roadmaps

Existing customers are an invaluable source of feedback that can illuminate which features of a product resonate most with users.

By understanding what customers find compelling or essential, businesses can refine their offerings to better meet user needs and expectations. Engaging with customers through surveys, interviews, and usage data analysis can reveal not only which features are popular but also which ones may require improvement.

These insights can help companies prioritize development efforts, ensuring that resources are allocated to high-impact areas that drive satisfaction and engagement.

For instance, one of my previous companies, BigBand Networks, seldom built a new product, or added a significant set of features to a product, without creating a mockup and reviewing it with customers first.

By aligning their development priorities with actual user preferences, businesses increase the likelihood of building features that will be widely adopted and valued.

5. Proactively Identifying Issues

Last, but not least, your existing customer can assist you in anticipating customer needs and addressing potential issues before they arise, businesses can create a seamless and positive experience that builds trust and loyalty.

Beyond solving problems, proactive engagement fosters a stronger relationship with customers by showing genuine care and attentiveness.

Proactive engagement shifts the dynamic from reactive problem-solving to creating a collaborative and supportive partnership, increasing satisfaction, retention, and the likelihood of customer advocacy.

Regular check-ins, personalized recommendations, and offering educational resources, such as tutorials or webinars, empower customers to get the most value from the product or service.

Summary

This blog post explored five reasons why good customer relationships can be priceless.

Together, these strategies help businesses create stronger customer relationships, drive growth, and maintain a competitive edge.

Thanks for reading.

What would you have added to my list? Leave me a comment and let me know.

How to Reverse an 18-Month Decline in Marketing Performance

By David Ronald

One of my proudest achievements occurred as head of marketing at Foxit Software, a leading provider of PDF software solutions. 

When I took the reins of the marketing team, the company had faced an 18-month decline in lead volumes. We reversed this trend within just two months, and, over the next nine months, achieved an average growth of 25% growth in leads.

So, how did we turn things around?

Surprisingly, it wasn't through sweeping changes or bold, disruptive initiatives – instead, we focused on incremental, strategic adjustments that made a significant impact collectively.

In this blog post, I'll share the key strategies that we applied to transform a challenging situation into a growth inflection point.

1. Nurture a Positive Environment

One of my first priorities was to create a collaborative atmosphere within the team. It was clear that change was inevitable, and I wanted to ensure that everyone not only felt prepared for it, but also motivated to embrace it. 

As a new addition to the team, it was important for me to establish trust quickly – I wanted everyone to feel confident that I would serve as a constructive influence and always prioritize the best interests of the team. (I had learned the hard way in a previous role that being the proverbial “bull in a china shop” wasn't an effective leadership approach.)

By fostering positive, but honest, dialogue, I was able to establish the foundation for building a shared sense of purpose. (Fortunately, the team already had a strong sense of camaraderie, which made it easier to build momentum and create a collaborative atmosphere.)

My role was to amplify this dynamic, encouraging cross-functional input, celebrating both large and small wins, and ensuring that each team member felt that their contributions mattered and made an impact. I am confident that this collaborative mindset played a significant role in our success.

2. Analyze Past Performance

Next, I implemented a series of reviews to optimize our marketing efforts—our objective was to determine what was working, what wasn’t, and where we could better allocate our resources.

We focused on three key factors to understand the efficacy of prior programs:

• We examined which activities generated the most leads in absolute terms, allowing us to pinpoint the highest-impact channels and tactics.
• We assessed the Cost per Lead (CPL) to determine which activities provided the best return on investment, helping us prioritize initiatives that delivered high-quality leads at a sustainable cost.
• We evaluated the effort required for each activity. By identifying initiatives that consumed excessive time or resources with limited results, we could streamline processes and focus on the highest-impact, most efficient efforts.

Through this process, we began to establish a culture of data-driven decision-making, something that appeared to have been missing before my arrival.

3. Define Roles Collaboratively

As a result of the review described in #2, it became evident that the marketing mix needed to be adjusted. Some programs needed to be scaled up, others introduced, and some scaled back or phased out.

I defined nine core programs for the team to run and assigned a team member to manage each. This wasn't a rushed decision or a top-down mandate – instead, I wanted to foster a sense of ownership and enthusiasm among the team.

For these programs to succeed, each person needed to fully embrace their role and bring their unique strengths to it.

For example, I identified someone to establish and lead our email marketing program, a critical initiative requiring both strategic thinking and executional excellence. Initially, this individual hesitated, feeling the role was "too big" for them.

I had full confidence in their abilities, and after a series of informal, supportive conversations, I was able to help them see the potential I saw. They agreed to take on the role, and their performance not only validated my belief in them but exceeded expectations (as well as the expectations of the VP of Sales).

Once program owners were in place, I worked closely with each person to create detailed plans, defining activities and KPIs specific to their program. This process was collaborative, not top-down.

Nothing was imposed – by respecting each person’s preferences and ideas, we created a culture of empowerment and accountability.

4. Prep for Clarity

From time to time, we identified specific campaigns that could complement our ongoing activities and capitalize on unique opportunities.

For instance, after winning a deal by successfully outmaneuvering a major competitor, we wanted to launch a campaign that could replicate our success in other markets. These targeted campaigns played a critical role in driving further growth and capturing new opportunities. 

One key practice I implemented was requiring the campaign owner to define each initiative clearly and thoroughly.

Every campaign had to include:

• A well-defined goal.
• A list of activities designed to achieve that goal.
• KPIs to measure the success of those activities.

Additionally, I asked for an end date for each campaign. Upon completion, the campaign owner was required to write a summary, detailing what worked, what didn’t, and what they would do differently in the future. This process helped us create a feedback loop for continuous improvement.

As former President Dwight Eisenhower famously said, "A plan is useless, but planning is priceless." By establishing this disciplined approach, we not only created a shared understanding of what was working but also consistently identified opportunities to refine our strategy.

I believe that more marketing teams could benefit from adopting this practice – it’s simple, but effective – and fosters accountability, learning, and iterative improvement.

5. Strive for Honesty

One of my boyhood heroes, Formula One racing driver Niki Lauda, famously said, “From success, you learn absolutely nothing. From failure and setbacks, conclusions can be drawn.”

Marketing teams can sometimes feel inclined to hide bad results – this was a trap that I was determined to avoid falling into.

Acknowledging areas for improvement is never easy, but it was essential for our growth. We didn’t shy away from underperforming metrics – instead, we discussed them openly, outlining corrective actions and the steps we were taking to address the gaps.

By fostering transparency, we built a culture of integrity.

This not only strengthened our relationships within the team but also laid a solid foundation for our future success, as people felt comfortable opening up and asking peers for advice.

6. Celebrate Successes

One of the practices that I was happy to implement was recognizing and rewarding team members for their achievements.

We implemented a few recognition programs, such as the Employee of the Month award, to publicly acknowledge standout performances. We also introduced spot bonuses to reward contributions that directly impacted the success of a project or campaign.

To make recognition even more personal, team members who achieved significant milestones received handwritten thank-you notes from the CEO, expressing genuine appreciation for their efforts.

Looking back, I feel that these recognition practices were instrumental in boosting morale and contributing to higher levels of motivation, engagement, and creativity, which had an outsized impact on our success.

7. Encourage Innovation

Last, but not least, I made it a priority to foster an environment where innovation was actively encouraged. Without creative exploration, daily activities can become mundane and uninspiring, ultimately leading to stagnation.

To keep the team motivated and forward-thinking, I made sure we were always looking for new ways to challenge the status quo and explore new territory.

Of course, I understood that not every experiment would be successful. Failure is an inherent part of the process when pushing boundaries. However, I encouraged the team to take risks and experiment, knowing that mistakes were not the end but an opportunity to learn and apply those insights to future efforts.

I believe that adoption of this mindset improved the performance of the team.

Summary

In conclusion, the strategies I implemented at Foxit Software helped reverse a prolonged decline and set the stage for sustained growth.

By fostering a collaborative, data-driven, and innovative culture, we turned challenges into opportunities and created a path forward that led to consistent success.

Thanks for reading.

Leave me a comment and let me know what you would have done differently, if you had been in my place.

One of the Most Overlooked Concepts in Marketing

By David Ronald

Ask any sales professional how they get their best customers and nearly all will tell you “word of mouth”.

Referrals are the best way to get a new client because referral prospects have likely already had a conversation about you with an impartial third party and have mostly made up their mind to buy from you, regardless of your price.

Many entrepreneurs think that good customer service is the most influential way to cultivate referrals. But it's not.

 

Although being attentive to customers is good policy and vital to the health of your business, it's not at the core of building a referral-based business. And that, ironically, is because people have come to expect good customer service—the impact of customer service unfortunately works much more effectively in reverse as people are more likely to talk about your business when they're unhappy with you.

If you want to build your referrals, therefore, you must actively cultivate your advocates. Word-of-mouth marketing helps create and sustain demand for what you are selling by nurturing a passionate community that speaks positively about you. 

This community should consist of three categories of advocates:

• Customers—although not all of your customers will want to be vocal, some will be willing to serve as references, participate in webinars and co-present with you at conferences. When is the best time to ask for a referral? The best time is after the product is delivered, not when the deal is closed. Also, consider inviting your customers to be active on social media sites such as Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook, if those tools are components of your outbound marketing strategy.
• Media and analysts—this category of advocate can supply vital “air cover” for your sales reps by providing favorable coverage of your company and what you are selling. Consequently, a prospect may already have a positive impression of your product even before a rep begins her/his sales pitch. You don’t need an expensive PR agency to get favorable coverage; nor is there a guarantee that you will be positive coverage even if you have an expensive agency. The key to fruitful media and analyst relationships is a clear understanding of your audience and their drivers, followed by content tailored to engage them.
• Influencers—industry luminaries, bloggers can also positively influence sales opportunities. At a minimum you should identify who these people are and nurture relationships with them. And you may be able to “seed” a message in this network, with a goal of getting coverage. You can even consider encouraging word-of-mouth coverage by rewarding the top influencers in your industry.

A steady stream of customer referrals can transform a struggling business into a profitable one. Adopting a strategic approach to word-of-mouth marketing is your best method of crafting a passionate community that positively impacts your revenues.

Thanks for reading! 

Leave a comment and let us know what you think of this post.

Cultivating Collaboration Within Marketing Teams

By Sharon Lee

A culture of collaboration is essential for marketing teams. 

While some may disagree with this perspective—arguing instead that a culture of respectful competition might better serve certain environments, such as sales organizations—I firmly believe that a collaborative environment is the key to unlocking creativity and driving innovation.

Collaboration not only encourages diverse perspectives and the free exchange of ideas but also builds a sense of shared ownership and purpose, both of which are critical for long-term success.

By fostering a team dynamic where individuals feel supported and empowered to contribute, marketing organizations can more effectively adapt to challenges and seize opportunities.

It would, however, be a mistake to assume that a collaborative culture will appear automatically within a nascent marketing team - instead, it takes focus and effort and time to develop. 

In this blog post I am going to provide some guidance on how best to create and nurture a culture of collaboration.

Define Clear Responsibilities

One of the first steps is to work with each team member to define their role and responsibilities. This takes time and is itself a collaborative process, born of respect for each person’s wishes. 

Nothing should be imposed. 

When every individual has a clear understanding of their specific duties and what is expected of them, it eliminates ambiguity and fosters accountability. This clarity not only helps to reduce overlapping efforts and redundancies but also minimizes the potential for conflicts arising from unclear boundaries or misaligned expectations. 

Establishing well-defined roles also promotes better collaboration, as team members can more easily coordinate their efforts, leverage each other's strengths, and collectively work toward shared goals.

Nurture a Positive Environment

A positive work environment is foundational to fostering collaboration and ensuring team success. 

To create such an environment, start by providing your team with a comfortable and well-equipped workspace that meets their physical and technological needs. Access to the necessary tools and resources is critical for enabling efficiency and creativity. 

Encourage a healthy work-life balance by promoting flexible policies, respecting personal boundaries, and recognizing the importance of time for rest and rejuvenation. 

Equally important is cultivating a supportive management team that is approachable, empathetic, and committed to addressing challenges constructively. 

Promote Communication

Utilize communication tools such as Slack, Microsoft Teams, or other collaboration platforms to facilitate real-time communication and keep team members connected. 

These platforms not only enable seamless and instant communication but also offer a variety of features, such as channels for specific topics or projects, direct messaging for one-on-one conversations, and integrations with other productivity tools. 

This helps ensure that information is shared quickly and efficiently, minimizing delays and misunderstandings.

Create Transparency

One of the most effective ways to promote collaboration is by organizing regular team meetings, where members can share updates, discuss challenges, and align on priorities. 

Yes, we all have too many meetings on our calendars, but structured brainstorming sessions can provide a creative space for team members to contribute innovative ideas and build on each other’s suggestions.

Cross-functional projects are another powerful way to encourage collaboration, as they bring together diverse skill sets and perspectives, fostering a culture of teamwork and mutual respect across departments.

To further streamline collaboration, leverage project management tools such as Asana, Trello, or Monday.com (Trello is my personal favorite). These platforms allow teams to organize tasks, track progress, and maintain clear communication, ensuring that everyone is on the same page.

Foster Mutual Respect

Mutual respect serves as the cornerstone of a truly collaborative team culture, enabling individuals to work together harmoniously toward shared goals. 

To foster this environment, encourage team members to genuinely value and appreciate each other's contributions, recognizing the unique skills, experiences, and ideas that each person brings to the table.

Actively promote the acknowledgment and inclusion of diverse perspectives, as this not only strengthens decision-making but also sparks creativity and innovation. 

Emphasize the importance of treating one another with kindness, professionalism, and respect, even in the face of differing opinions or challenging situations. 

Encourage Innovation

Creating an environment where innovation is actively encouraged and supported is essential for cultivating a dynamic and forward-thinking team. To achieve this, it's important to empower team members to experiment with new ideas and approaches without fear of failure. 

By fostering a culture that values curiosity and creative exploration, you allow individuals to step outside their comfort zones and take calculated risks, knowing that they have the support and resources to succeed or learn from setbacks. 

Encourage a mindset where failure is not seen as a negative outcome, but rather as an opportunity for growth and learning.

Implement Feedback Mechanisms

Regular feedback is crucial for fostering a culture of continuous improvement and ensuring your team remains adaptable and aligned with its goals. 

By actively seeking input from team members, you can uncover valuable insights that might otherwise go unnoticed. 

Feedback can be gathered through various channels, such as one-on-one meetings, anonymous surveys, or open team discussions, depending on what best suits your team dynamics. 

Regularly acting on feedback demonstrates a commitment to growth and accountability, creating an environment where individuals are motivated to contribute their best work.

Reward Team Efforts

Recognizing and rewarding the efforts and achievements of your team members is essential for cultivating a motivated, engaged, and high-performing team. 

Recognition can take many forms, from formal programs such as employee of the month awards or performance bonuses to more informal methods, like acknowledging achievements during team meetings or sending personal thank-you notes.

Formal recognition programs can be structured to highlight specific milestones or accomplishments, whether related to individual or team goals. This could include celebrating exceptional performance, innovative ideas, or successful project completions. 

Support Professional Development

Investing in the professional development of your team members is one of the most powerful ways to foster long-term growth, improve performance, and ensure the success of your team and organization.

Foster a culture of continuous learning, where team members are motivated to regularly update and expand their knowledge base. 

This can include both formal learning opportunities, such as industry-specific certifications, advanced training programs, and leadership development courses, as well as informal learning through peer mentoring, webinars, or online resources. 

Encourage team members to take ownership of their professional development by setting learning goals and seeking opportunities that align with their interests and career aspirations.

Summary

In summary, clear roles and responsibilities, a positive work environment, mutual respect, and open communication are key to fostering a high-performing and collaborative team. 

Additionally, encouraging collaboration, innovation, and professional development ensures continued growth, creativity, and success. 

By implementing these strategies, you can build a collaborative team culture that enhances creativity, innovation, and overall team performance. 

Thanks for reading all the way to the end! 

Did I leave something out that you would have included? If so, leave me a comment and let me know what it is.

5 Tips for Dealing with Difficult Customers

By Sharon Lee

With the good comes the bad and, in business, this sometimes means having to deal with difficult customers.

"The customer is always right" is a common adage but, as any experienced vendor knows, perhaps as the consequence of a painful experience, is an adage that’s untrue—your customers can be wrong and, indeed, can be wrong often.

What is true, however, is that the customer is always the customer, even if they are ill-informed, inexperienced or downright deceptive. And their status as customer, and source of your livelihood, dictates that you try your best to interact effectively with them.

But even simple personality differences can cause friction that, over time, risks destroying business relationships. And keeping a positive attitude when you must overcome feelings of frustration, dislike or distrust, can be especially challenging.

In this post I’m going to examine five communication skills that can enhance relationships with even your most difficult customers.

1. Listen

True listening is a disappearing art but, in order to communicate effectively with anyone, it's an imperative. 

Although the ear is only the organ that delivers sound waves to the brain, a good listener also engages their heart and mind. They do not allow themself to become distracted, but focuses on the speaker. 

They don't formulate answers before the speaker completes a statement. Nor do they give the appearance of being defensive.

2. Accept

Accept what the customer says at face value, even if you think they are wrong. They think they are right, and perception is the most important thing. 

If they perceive that you accept and believe them, they will be more likely to relax and get to the point. 

A common hallmark of strained interactions is that the main bone of contention is saved for last. The complainant will build up to their real issue by talking about the peripheral ones first. And that also allows them to build a mountain of anger out of their molehill of frustration.

3. Respect

If the customer receives respect from you, they will likely return it. If they feel disrespected, it will be perceived as a personal attack. 

Remember, you can learn something from anybody, regardless of education level, financial situation, or physical appearance. Everyone deserves respect simply for being human.

4. Empathize

You can offer sympathy to someone who is having a problem, but empathy will go much further toward achieving your goals. 

Put yourself in the customer's place - wouldn't you be disgruntled or angry, or even fearful, if a product or service didn't perform according to its advertising or worse, caused some type of damage or injury?

5. Negotiate

If you successfully employ listening, accepting, respecting and empathizing, you will pave the way for negotiating. 

You will have put the difficult person at ease and they will be better prepared to drop their aggression and enter into negotiations, more confident of being treated with fairness, honesty and integrity.

Summary

Always try to resolve a customer's issue with one conversation—the quicker the issue is resolved the better the customer will feel about the interaction.

The reality is that problems will occur. Allow yourself to learn from difficult customers in a way that helps strengthen your business and increases the probability of your overall success.

You just may begin to be grateful for the difficult customers out there every now and again.

Thank for reading. 

What are your tips for dealing with difficult customers?

The Secret to Good Public Relations

By David Ronald

Publicity can come from anywhere and in many different forms.

It can be as simple as having a letter published in the editorial column of your local paper or as exciting as being invited to speak on CNN.

Publicity can be a game-change for a small business. Good publicity is one of the best ways to build your brand. Good publicity adds credibility to your message and helps you stand out from your competitors.

Achieving good publicity, however, is probably harder than you may think—it can take a huge amount of effort. Good publicity is typically the result of a carefully crafted and executed public relations strategy.

At a former company, I spearheaded a public relations campaign that positioned the company as a thought leader in the digital document space, resulting in coverage from top-tier outlets like Forbes and TechCrunch.

This increased brand visibility directly correlated with a 35% surge in inbound leads over nine months, reversing an 18-month decline. Additionally, by aligning our public relations efforts with key product launches, we amplified market impact and strengthened our competitive position.

In this blog post I will explore some of the secrets to a successful public relations strategy. 

Understand Your Audience

You need to understand your audience on a deep level in order to capture attention in public relations.

It's not just about knowing their demographics—it's about tapping into their interests, values, and the content that resonates with them. Just as you have diverse tastes and hobbies beyond your professional life, so does your audience.

Consider taking the time to identify the media they consume: What magazines are on their coffee tables? What TV shows, podcasts, or online channels are they loyal to?

Dive into these same platforms yourself. By immersing yourself in their world, you'll gain invaluable insights into the themes, language, and narratives that captivate them.

This investment of effort will help you craft messages and strategies that truly connect, turning your outreach into a meaningful conversation rather than just noise.

Create News

Familiarizing yourself with the publications and media your audience engages with allows you to identify the issues they care about and what grabs their attention.

By understanding what they consider newsworthy, you can align your publicity efforts with topics that matter most to them.

Anchor your messaging to current events and trends, and tailor your story pitches to resonate directly with your target audience.

For example, if your business specializes in home organization, consider crafting a story around “Clean Off Your Desk Day” to engage a professional audience. Alternatively, if your expertise is in workplace time-management strategies, you might connect with an at-home audience by sharing tips on completing lingering home improvement projects.

Don’t hesitate to think creatively and stretch the boundaries of your subject matter. The key is to generate news that captivates your audience’s interests, not just what appeals to you.

Send Out Press Releases

Press releases are a great way to alert the media to your news, and they can open the door for having your product or service featured or reviewed in key publications.

Stay attuned to breaking news, and when relevant, craft a press release that connects your business to the story. Pitch your expertise to newspapers, radio and television programs, and magazines, offering yourself as an authority to interview.

Tailor each press release to a specific reporter or editor to avoid it getting overlooked, and frame it with an angle that aligns with your target audience.

Plus, don’t underestimate the importance of including clear and accurate contact information, ensuring reporters can easily reach you for follow-up.

Schedule Briefings

It’s crucial to realize that a press release, by itself, is almost worthless.

A press release on its own holds little value because it often gets lost in the noise and rarely drives meaningful impact. Instead, treat a press release as a strategic tool to engage with key analysts and media contacts, using it as a gateway to initiate thoughtful conversations and build relationships that amplify your message.

Prepare carefully for your briefings. Identify three to five main points you want to communicate ahead of the meeting. These points act as your anchor, allowing you to steer the conversation back on track if it veers off course. Practice delivering these points in a clear, concise, and engaging manner so they resonate with the audience.

Bring your enthusiasm to the conversation and stay on topic but be flexible too and respectful of your audience’s agenda. They may not have room to highlight your product or service in the way you hope, but pushing too hard can be off-putting. Instead, make your request politely, framing it as a suggestion rather than a demand.

You can expect that your press release, if it is relevant and newsworthy, will be featured one way or another by journalists – either in full, or factored into a broader article.

At a minimum, your goal is to use briefings to create a positive impression for future opportunities for publicity.

Follow Up

Building strong relationships with media professionals doesn’t end with the first contact—it’s just the beginning.

Consistent, thoughtful follow-ups are key to maintaining these connections and increasing your chances for more exposure. Avoid pestering them with frequent 'Have you decided yet?' inquiries, which can come across as pushy.

Instead, follow up with purpose. Ask, for example, when the article is expected to publish or when the segment will air, and use the opportunity to share a relevant update or new information they might find valuable. Always reintroduce yourself briefly, as reporters and producers interact with countless people daily.

Don’t underestimate the power of a thank you note.

Sending a personalized note of appreciation after an article is published or a segment airs shows that you value their work and the effort they put into the story—this thoughtful gesture not only strengthens your relationship but also makes media professionals more likely to collaborate with you again in the future.

A sincere thank you goes a long way in fostering lasting partnerships

Avoid Creating Problems

Every reporter has a unique style, perspective, and set of priorities.

Understanding their needs and preferences is key to building strong media relationships. By tailoring your approach and making their job easier, you position yourself as a reliable source they’ll turn to repeatedly for quotes, insights, and interviews.

Take the time to ask about the other stories they’re working on and the various outlets they contribute to. Find out how you can assist them—whether it’s providing background information, suggesting angles, or connecting them with other experts.

Show genuine interest in their work by asking what topics they’d like to explore in the future. When you demonstrate care for their stories and their audience, you create a partnership where both of you will shine.

Study the publication or program they work for, as well as its competitors, so you can provide tailored insights and ideas that align with their goals.

By becoming an invaluable resource, you’ll not only secure more media opportunities but also help them produce outstanding content that benefits everyone involved

Develop a Media Kit

Prior to reaching out to media outlet create a good media kit. Think of it as your business’s resume—it showcases who you are, what you offer, and why your story matters.

A professional and thoughtfully crafted media kit not only makes a strong first impression but also provides journalists, producers, and hosts with everything they need to cover your story seamlessly.

Your media kit should include:

• A compelling short bio—Highlight your expertise, achievements, and what sets you apart.
• An overview of your product or service—Provide a concise, engaging summary that explains its value and relevance to the audience.
• Contact information—Make it easy for media professionals to reach you by including up-to-date email, phone numbers, and social media handles.
• Sample interview questions—Include a list of questions tailored to your topic that can guide an interview, helping the journalist or host prepare while steering the conversation to your strengths.
• Supporting materials—Consider adding high-quality images, press releases, testimonials, and fact sheets that add depth and credibility to your story.

Package all these elements in a professional, organized folder or a digital format, depending on the media outlet’s preference.

Deliver your media kit well in advance of any interview or pitch meeting—this will give media professionals time to review the materials and come prepared.

By providing a polished and comprehensive media kit, you demonstrate professionalism and make it easier for the media to say yes to featuring your story.

Summary

Running a successful publicity campaign takes effort, but it doesn’t have to feel overwhelming.

By understanding your audience’s interests and targeting publications and programs that align with their needs, you set the stage for maximum visibility. A professional approach, supported by a polished media kit, ensures you capture the attention of journalists and producers. 

Build strong relationships with media professionals, and you’ll become their go-to source for quotes and interviews. When you deliver a compelling, engaging interview and follow up with genuine enthusiasm, you leave a lasting impression.

Successful public relations can be a game-changer for your business, driving awareness and increasing your bottom line.

The best part? You don’t need to be a public relations expert to succeed. By following these strategies, you can amplify your media exposure, secure valuable press coverage, and enjoy the benefits of great publicity for your product or service.

Thanks for reading.

What do you think of this list? Leave a comment and let me know.

A Checklist for Startups Coming Out of Stealth Mode

 By David Ronald

One of our clients, a tech startup, recently asked for a list of marketing assets to develop as it prepares to come out of stealth mode.

In this blog post I’m going to share the list that we provided in the hope that you may find it useful.

Foundations

 Here are some of the foundational activities that you will need to complete upfront:

• ICPs & personas & industries—identifies target audiences, by company type and role, in each of the company’s target industries.
• Value proposition—quantifies the company’s value, ideally by industry.
• Positioning & messaging—positioning statement, and messaging framework (by buyer persona).
• Pricing strategy—articulates how the company’s product is priced, including add-ons as applicable. This is for internal audiences only.
• Promotional strategy—describes campaigns and events that we will use to generate leads in target industries, with expected results (including key performance indicators) and budget breakdown.
• Developer marketing strategy—if developers are a target audience, a unique plan will be required for this audience.

Completion of these activities will accelerate the creation of the marketing assets described below and significantly enhance their impact.

Marketing Activities

Here are some of the most important marketing assets that you can consider developing prior to coming out of stealth mode.

Brand Identity

• Branding guidelines—ensures a consistent visual identity across all platforms.
• Tagline—a memorable phrase that encapsulates the brand's value proposition.
• Brand narrative—craft a compelling narrative that communicates the company’s mission, vision, and values.
• At-A-Glance summary—one-pager that summarizes the company (includes corporate description, customer testimonials, and links to more information).
• Corporate video—a video that evangelizes what you do, and why you do it better than alternatives.

You can also consider developing a corporate brochure that communicates your vision, and your strategic narrative, and provides valuable corporate information, including the pedigree of your executives.

Website

• Website—pages describing customer benefits, your differentiation, the product architecture, along with contact information, and so.
• Resource center—content to educate potential customers and build authority (seen next section).
• Blog—used to generate awareness of both your company and your product. Aim to have 2-3 blog posts already in place prior to your launch.
• Technical documentation—provide in-depth descriptions of how to install and use your product.
• Search engine optimization—ensure architecture and web copy are optimized for search engines with relevant keywords,

Remember to optimize your website both desktop and mobile, with clear messaging and user-friendly navigation.

Product Information

• White Paper—explains the company’s vision for your industry and how your product is going to transform it. This may prove to be your #1 lead magnet.
• Buyer’s guide—explains the criteria that buyers should use when selecting a product. This should be vendor neutral.
• Benchmark report—shares test results (ideally by a reputable third-party) that demonstrate why your company’s product is superior to alternatives.
• Architecture paper—provides a technical explanation of why your product is a better choice than alternatives.
• Product datasheet—brief document that provides a technical overview of your company’s product.
• Solution brief(s)—one or more documents that explain the use cases of your company’s product.  
• Case Studies—success stories from early customers or beta customers.

You can also consider creating one or more videos that explain how customers can use your product to achieve the business outcomes they need.

Sales Enablement

• Pitch deck—compelling presentation that communicates why the company is the better choice. This should be built around your strategic narrative.
• FAQs—a comprehensive list of common objections and questions and answers to assist your sales team. 
• Email templates—emails that your sales team can use in their outreach.
• Call scripts—dialogue for sales representatives to engage with leads in their phone calls.

You may also want to develop a sales playbook with guidance on objection handling and use cases.

Public Relations

• Press release—an official announcement highlighting key aspects of the company’s launch, the pedigree of your founding team, and how your product addresses the limitations of current products. You can also consider including funding information.
• Analysts/media outreach list—a curated list of journalists, influencers, and bloggers for outreach.
• Embargoed briefings—offer exclusive information to select media before the public launch.
• Media kit—includes the press release, backgrounders, executive bios, and high-quality images/videos. 
  

You can also consider surveying industry executives about limitations of current products and producing a report subsequently that provides the results. This can could be the basis of second press release (or be used to supplement your fist press release).

Digital Marketing

• PPC campaign—targeted ads on Google and Bing.
• Social media campaigns—engaging content scheduled to drive targeted engagement.
• Email marketing campaigns—drip campaigns to nurture leads before and after your launch.

Additionally, you may want to kick start your content marketing that leverages blog posts, whitepapers, and other content to establish thought leadership.

Event Marketing

• Launch event—a kick-off event, such as a webinar. This can be the focus of sales outreach leading up to your launch and can also be a good marketing asset subsequently.  

You can consider building a 12-month calendar of events that you intend to participate in, spanning conferences, executive events, tradeshows, and so on.

Metrics

Last, bit not least, begin tracking and reporting your key performance indicators. 

Establishing a cadence for tracking the performance of your launch across various channels (such as website, social, email, etc.), will assist you in identifying those marketing activities that provide the best return on your investment.

Thanks for reading.

I’m sure we left items off the list—drop us a comment and let us know what you would have included.