Penny Haywood Calder's Page

Still finding out how this works and uploading the basics.

It looks like an interesting opportunity to extend my DIY PR training.

I'm passionate about small business owners harnessing the power of an integrated approach to publicity to generate new jobs and business growth, instead of throwing money and time down the pan on ad hoc efforts.

The truth is: there is no one single publicity solution. Neither PR, marketing or sales work very well in isolation, but together they can become the dream ticket for a business, or fund-raiser if it's a NFP enterprise.

PR raises profile, marketing explains the benefits to customers and sales reels 'em in effectively and keeps 'em happy with brilliant after sales care. That way you sell more to existing customers - which is miles cheaper than chasing new ones. Plus you turn repeat clients into ambassadors for your product, so they do your marketing for you!

But on average, businesses lose 10% of their customers through no fault of their own. People move away, change jobs, businesses fail... That 10% loss figure worsens during a recession, so most businesses will have to keep some publicity effort going even with terrific after sales service.

And it makes sense to develop the publicity habit so you can keep something ticking over even when you are busy to avoid creating feasts and famines.

I'm also passionate about helping people find the right publicity tools from all the hundreds of sales, PR and marketing techniques. The right tools in my book are a balanced split between PR, sales & marketing - online & off-line (because the customer's buying decisions are influenced both online and off-line). But they also have to be the right tools to suit your own strengths, otherwise you'll just struggle with them, even if they worked for someone else in your sector.

I help people work out what they need to do to line up their publicity with their overall business objectives and find their best way forward for cost-effective growth.

And of course, our PR agency is happy to help out or take on the load when the business takes off.