How to Be Successful

“Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” – Thomas Alva Edison

What are the elusive secrets of success apart from the oft heard and less practiced ‘hard work’ and ‘dedication’? Researchers have discovered that people who overcome impossible odds – discrimination, illness, personal grief and failure – and succeed have certain common personality traits. These characteristics of successful people include:

1. Happiness as a habit: Sadness, anger and other sufferings come easy. But being happy is very tough. Successful people have a talent for enjoying life. They try to latch on to the everyday joy, however simple or small. If they can’t have big victories, they accept small ones. Terrence Des Pres, a former Colgate University professor who studied the attitudes of Holocaust victims, calls this tenacious hold on life “a strength beyond hope”.
2. Flexibility to change: Accepting changes, and being flexible to them is necessary for success. Accepting changes means not abdicating ones responsibility and not blaming others for current circumstances. It means to look at change as an opportunity to learn and improve our skills.
3. Tenacity: Don’t give up. Trying won’t make the problem go away, but it’ll make it more bearable. Successful people ask “What do I do next?” rather than “Why Did I fail?” This helps in 2 ways – you don’t get bogged down by your ‘failure’ and focusing on doing something else keeps you motivated to keep working.
4. Reaching out to others: When faced with failure or overwhelming circumstances, successful people don’t shut out others from their life. They readily ask for help when needed, and cherish the involvement. Duke university researchers have found that one of the best indicators of health, happiness and long life was the tendency to reach out to people beyond your immediate family.
5. Living in the present: Don’t wallow in self-pity or live in a fantasy world. Says author Fredrick Buechner in The Hungering Dark – “Not one of us can bring back yesterday or shape tomorrow”.
6. Having a dream: Goals give focus and can be incredibly motivating. Successful people don’t shy away from dreaming and working on something ‘seemingly impossible’.
7. Thinking long term: Most people look for quick shortcuts to success and aren’t ready to endure any short term pain. Successful people don’t mind stepping out of their comfort zone and think long term.
8. Interest to learn: Another common habit of successful people is the continuous desire to expand their knowledge – from books and, people they meet.
9. Sense of urgency: Successful people don’t procrastinate and prefer to be decisive and act quickly. They don’t waste time because they value it highly.
10. Mindset about success: The authors of Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies say – ” … what appears to be constant is that the principles don’t change over time. What defines these people’s lives is their commitment to doing something that is meaningful to them.”

Popularity: 1% [?]

Tags: 2 Ways, Buechner, Characteristics Of Successful People, Colgate University, Common Personality Traits, Duke University, Enjoying Life, Fantasy World, Holocaust Victims, Immediate Family, Impossible Odds, Overwhelming Circumstances, Personal Grief, Secrets Of Success, Self Pity, Sufferings, Tenacity, Thomas Alva Edison, University Professor, University Researchers
Posted in Hurts My Brain, ShowBiz Advice | No Comments »

Secrets to Great Press Kits

by Kristie Tamsevicius

== WHO NEEDS A PRESS KIT==
Press kits aren’t just for big corporations anymore. Whatever your
line of business, be it an entrepreneur, a performer (musicians, artists), or an author (books/ebooks) you need a press kit. But what exactly is a press kit you ask?

A press kit is like a resume for your company. It’s a collection of
company information and articles put together to inspire interest from media, investors, clients, and potential employees. The goal is to create a press kit that grabs the reader’s attention, creates a killer impression, helps them remember you, and makes them hunger to know more.

==KINDS OF PRESS KITS==
It used to be that press kits were cut and dry, but new technologies enable us exciting new ways to present our information. Here are a few different types of press kits.

- TRADITIONAL – The traditional press kit is a collection of articles
and information packaged in a presentation folder and sent via mail.

- ONLINE – Get it on the net! If you have a web site, I encourage
you to put together an online press kit. This keeps visitors abreast of your company’s latest news and events and accomplishments. Online press kits have the added advantage of being able to include audio and video clips.

- PRESS KIT ON A DISK – Want to be on the cutting edge? Since the advent of ebooks, now you can create your press kit as a PDF file that you put on disk and mail out.

==ANATOMY OF A PRESS KIT==
Ready to put your press kit together? Remember to be selective: less is more. Don’t put every article since the beginning of time. This will frustrate your reader. Only put the most recent and most pertinent to your target audience. Busy editors don’t have the time or desire to sort through a 1-inch stack of articles, and they probably WON’T! (It may get “filed”) Instead focus on the product or service you want to highlight. Here are some ideas about what to include in it.

- Pitch letter: The pitch letter is the first thing your reader will see.
It’s important to create a good first impression, or your will lose the
reader’s interest. Tell them up front why they should care about what you are telling them. List the items enclosed. Create a call to action. Let them know you are available for interview or if they have questions how they can reach you. Use bold to highlight key points. Remember to include a PS! Although this is the last item in a letter, this is often the FIRST thing that is read.

- Two Business Cards: They can keep one copy and pass the other to a friend or associate.

- Recent Articles: Keep an ongoing file of your press coverage. This can include print media and ezines that reprint your articles. An easy way to keep a press file is to hire a clipping service. But you can search for articles yourself by doing a link check in the search engines.

Type Link:http://www.yourdomain.com in the search box.
You can also search in Google or Dogpile by article title, author, and
company name.

Still another idea is to search in media portals such as Mag Portal -
http://www.magportal.com. This searches through all recent media and shows articles related to a certain subject area, author name or other criteria.

- Press Releases

- Audio and video files of radio/television interviews, speeches, and performances. You can include a write up of the interview, an audio tape, or even a link to where readers could listen to it online.

- List of Testimonials (limit to one sheet)

- Sample News Story: often times they will print this verbatim. Editors see ready-to-print-stories as an easy way to fill up space with little effort on their part.

- Sample or actual product/service/performance review: This will let editors see what others are saying about you or help the editor to write his own review.

- Product Sell Sheet/Company Brochure
- Investor News
- Community Involvement Projects
- Recent Awards
- List of Events/Appearances
- Photos (If appropriate)
- Bio Sheet (If appropriate)
- List of Frequently Asked Questions? (This helps the editor to
think of questions to ask you in an interview or include in their
article)

==CREATE A KILLER PACKAGE THAT GETS NOTICED==

Busy editors sort through piles of press kits each day. Packaging is
the key to getting your press kit noticed! Start off by placing your kit it an envelope they can’t miss. Try mailing your press kit in a colorful envelope or one of an unusual size. Send it Fed-Ex or hand deliver it to add a sense of importance. Try writing a teaser question on the outside of the envelope with the answer inside. For another eye opener, try adding a red sticker that says, “important materials enclosed” to spark interest. Package your materials in a nice presentation folder for a professional polished look. Take time to stack your materials nicely inside.

==DON’T FORGET TO FOLLOW UP==

It’s crucial to follow up to make sure they got your press kit. Follow
up calls provide the perfect opportunity for editors to ask questions, or schedule an interview. Take this opportunity to network and get to know the editors. By developing a relationship with important members of the media, you will build recognition and rapport and improve their chances of covering you. If you DO get coverage, be sure to send a handwritten thank you note.

==GET A MOVE ON AND DO IT==

A press kit is an important part of your public relations effort. Don’t
wait till you NEED one to scramble and put one together. Savvy press kits can be a powerful PR tool to improve your media relations, create media coverage, and act as a sales tool to potential clients.

Popularity: 1% [?]

Tags: Advent, Anatomy, Author Books, Beginning Of Time, Company Information, corporations, Cutting Edge, Entrepreneur, Grabs, Hunger, Line Of Business, Mail, music, Musicians, New Ways, Pdf File, Pitch Letter, Presentation Folder, press-kits, ShowBiz-Advice, Stack, Target Audience, Video Clips
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Selling Your CDs

Think of everything from their point of view
� Constantly ask, “What do they really want?”
� Reach them like you would want to be reached.
� They know nothing about you. Don’t assume anything.
� What has worked on YOU?

Have the confidence to target.
� Bad Targeting Example: progressive rocker targetting teenybopper
� If you don’t say what you sound like, you won’t make any fans.
� Proudly exclude some people.
� The Most Expensive Vodka
� If you target sharp enough, you will own your niche

Grab people’s attention, senses and emotions.
� Touch as many of their senses as you can.
� Never use corporate-speak
� Leave ‘em wanting more

All the world’s a stage. What character are you?
� Imagine a play with 1000 actors on stage.
� Be an extreme version of yourself.
� Even conservative legends were extreme.

Think test marketing – proof of success
� Test. Improve. Perfect. Announce.
� A good biz plan wins no matter what happens.

The Power of People
� Get used to the idea of database and quantity
� Stay in close touch with hundreds of people.
� Database tips
� Meet three new people every week
� Always think how you can help someone
� Get personal
� Don’t be afraid to ask for favors
� Keep in touch!
� Small gifts go a long way.
� Keep in touch – (long version)
� Life is like High School.
� Make these habits, and they won’t seem hard.
� Shining example: Rayko

The Power of Words
� On the internet, words matter more than ever.
� A short description – 10 seconds or less
� Think like a person or poet, not a musician.
� Read about new music. Use the tricks that worked on you.
� Yes you DO sound like something or someone.
� Blah blah blah… What NOT to say.
� Or you can not talk at all
� Have fun – do NOT be corporate

Tools and Weapons
� Promo box on your desktop
� Know the important skills
� Your Interactive Website

Big Strategies
� Call the destination, and ask for directions.
� Put your fans to work.
� Make your success a “we” or “us”. Include everyone.
� Photos of your audience on your website.
� Go where the filters are
� Extreme results = extreme actions.
� If this is draining your energy, please stop!
� Have someone work the inside of the industry
� Be a novice marketer, not an expert.

Popularity: 1% [?]

Tags: 2c, Bd, Biz Plan, Blah Blah, C2, C3, Corporate Tools, Database Tips, Extreme Version, Internet Words, music, Musicia, New Music, Niche, Poet, Senses, Short Description, ShowBiz-Advice, Small Gifts, Test Marketing, Touch With Hundreds, Vodka
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Making the Perfect Press Kit

Marketing Your Music As An Independent: Part 1- Making A Press Kit

Whether your goal is to be successful as a country songwriter, a jazz musician, a symphonic composer, or a hip-hop producer, you have to make your name and music known within the industry. The first step in getting your music heard and publicized is to create a good press kit. While most professional musicians will possess basic knowledge about constructing a press kit, many are not aware of the important details that can be the difference between your CD getting thrown in the trash can and getting placed in the player. Here is list of things that you should always include in your press kit, as well as a list of things that you want to avoid at all costs.

DO: ALWAYS PRINT/TYPE YOUR NAME, PHONE NUMBER AND EMAIL ADDRESS ON
YOUR PRESS PAPERS AND YOUR CD. DO NOT: Use bad quality photocopies that blur or cut off text.

DO: INCLUDE A 1-2 PAGE TYPED, PROFESSIONALLY WRITTEN BIO.
DO NOT: Write a 3,4 or more page bio mentioning every gig you’ve ever played.

DO: INCLUDE A SHORT EXPLANATION OF YOUR NEW RECORD WITH SONGWRITING
AND MUSICIAN CREDITS. DO NOT: Forget to check your spelling and grammar. A bio that looks like it was written by a fourth grader is an immediate turn-off.

DO: INCLUDE A RECENT, GLOSSY PHOTO OF YOU OR THE BAND.
DO NOT: Send more than one photo (or one sheet of small glossy photos), especially if there is little chance the person receiving the press kit will run an article.

DO: INCLUDE 1 PAGE OF FAVORABLE PRESS QUOTES FROM THE MORE PRESTIGIOUS PUBLICATIONS; OR 2-3 POSITIVE PRESS CLIPPINGS
DO NOT:
Include more than 1 page of press quotes or 3 individual press clippings, especially if the quotes are verbose and do not offer an enthusiastic reaction to your music.

DO: INCLUDE A PROFESSIONALLY RECORDED, MIXED, AND MASTERED CD WITH YOUR BEST SONGS/SINGLES SEQUENCED FIRST OR NOTATED.
DO NOT: Forget to include all of your personal contact information on the CD label or jewel case cover.

DO: SEND YOUR PRESS KIT AND CD IN A 9″ X 12″ BUBBLE-WRAPPED ENVELOPE THAT IS EASY TO OPEN.
DO NOT: Shrink wrap your CD or use any packaging techniques that are difficult and time consuming to open.

DO: E-MAIL OR CALL THE INTENDED RECIPIENT TWO WEEKS AFTER MAILING THE PRESS KIT TO SEE IF THEY RECEIVED IT.
DO NOT: Call the person receiving the press kit more than one time after they have confirmed receipt of the package.

REMEMBER: Your music should speak for itself. In other words, don’t try to grab the attention of the recipient with bright, flashy graphics or an extraordinarily long list of press clippings (3 or 4 is good). PRESENTATION IS EVERYTHING!! If you put your press kit together at Kinko’s, you may want to consider asking the employees to do the layout and make the copies. Always have at least one other person proof read the text for spelling, punctuation and grammar.
Write in a clear and concise style – a reviewer will not read an 8 page bio or 30 press clippings. Most importantly, make sure your name, phone number(s), and email address is on everything you send
out. Good luck, and don’t give up on trying to get your music heard!

Popularity: 1% [?]

Tags: Bad Quality, Basic Knowledge, Best Songs, Cd Label, Country Songwriter, Favorable Press, Glossy Photo, Glossy Photos, Hip Hop Producer, Jazz Musician, Jewel Case, Little Chance, music, Musician Credits, Personal Contact, Press Clippings, press-kits, Prestigious Publications, Professional Musicians, Quality Photocopies, ShowBiz-Advice, Songwriting, Symphonic Composer
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