Oprah's going to call you any day now. People say to me all the time, "Has Oprah called yet?"
Ahhh, what a great thought, huh? The dream of any business owner, to win the Oprah lottery....
Yet, it happens. The problem is you can't buy a ticket. So, there must be some other way to ensure that Oprah and her staff find you.
The truth is, for most business owners, the Oprah Effect, while nice, is not necessary for them to have an extremely successful business.
Yet, getting on TV would help tremendously. However, this is such a foreign landscape for most businesspeople that they don't even know where to start and as a result -- they don't start.
Recently, I've had the great fortune of working with media coach, Nicole Dunn of Dunn Pellier Media, to find out how I, as a small business owner, can get the exposure I need without having to pay out the big bucks for a publicist to start. Dunn is an Emmy-nominated Producer and TV insider who has helped her clients get on shows like the Today Show. She and Huffington Post blogger, motivational speaker and author Eli Davidson have an upcoming class to teach people how to navigate this process.
Did you know that TV people have their own language? Segments, one sheets, pitch, sizzle reels...who knew?! Did you also know that they think in a different way than you and I do? When I started listening to Nicole, I had a whole new appreciation for the process of what ends up on my TV screen every day.
The great news is that on your way to getting noticed by Oprah, there are some specific things you, as a business owner, can start to implement today.
Here are just a few tips from the upcoming teleclass series, Insider Secrets to Getting YOU on TV:
•Go Local. If you are a speaker or small business owner, your first target market is in your very own neighborhood. News shows love a "local hero." Make your tips uniquely tied to your town.
•Get Quality. Get the best production values. Do your own detective work finding out who your local reporters and senior producers are. All you need is a laptop and a cell phone.
•Get Known. How do you get the attention of a producer? The Internet can give you all the contact information you need to get the producer.
•Get Unique. Create a sellable, creative angle that makes you different from your competitors. Make sure that you are solving a problem in a unique and visual way.
•Get Reel. Don't think you're going on Oprah tomorrow. You need to have a TV reel.
You can hear more by listening to the interview, Get Booked on TV, that I did with Nicole.
One of the keys to attracting more business is to be seen more. Getting on TV and other media is a great way to do that and you don't need a publicist to get the ball rolling. All too often I see small business owners think that the process is too expensive and too complex and so they don't try. As with anything, you can find an expensive way or you can find a reasonably priced way.
Set your intention for what TV shows you'd like to be on, learn how to get on TV and watch your business attract all the customers it wants!