I perform a keynote presentation about mindset and am working a new book tentatively called, A Mindset Revolution: 7 Simple Steps to Manifest Your Success. One of the steps is, “Master the Ask.” It’s so important to not be afraid to ask and to be willing to try to get help if you need it. In my research, I found actual studies that show that people are more likely to say “yes” than “no” when asked for help.

My personal philosophy has always been: It never hurts to ask. What is the worst anyone is going to say? “No?” Unless you’re asking someone to do something improper or illegal, if it’s a legitimate ask, why not try? Interestingly, I’ve found that most of the “no’s” I’ve received eventually became “yes’s;” so they really weren’t a “no,” but actually a “not now.” Even if it is a definitive “no” –  how bad is hearing that, really?

Interestingly, what I’ve found about the PR profession is that it’s really all about asking. If you want publicity, you have to ask for it. I have no formal training in doing PR. I never studied it in college and I never worked in the field. It was all very accidental, basically desperation, to try to sell my product, with me not having money to hire anyone to promote it or pay for advertising.

What I quickly learned is that you have to ask a journalist to cover your story. It’s up to you to make it enticing and newsworthy, but at the end of the day, it’s just another ask. I’ve made a living by showing people how to ask for media coverage. I have forged amazing relationships with people in the media by providing value in my asks and I’ve become a trusted resource to them. This has allowed me to gain repeated media exposure for my product – thus exposing it to millions of new, potential customers. Free publicity saved my business and turned it into an incredibly lucrative venture.

Exposing a product, service or brand to tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, even millions of people can be a windfall for any business. I’ve grown my business tremendously through the power of free publicity. Get in front of more people and more people might want to buy what you sell.

Don’t forget, media has changed. It’s now a 24/7/365 business. If you can provide interesting, newsworthy stories that provide value to an audience, the media will treasure you. It’s all about creating value and knowing how to ask for it. To learn how to do this step-by-step, go to www.SocialMediaandPR.com and sign up for information for our new launch that teaches you exactly how to pitch the media and how to build lasting relationships through social media. This is the time of new media and you have to jump on board to beat your competitors to getting the exposure.

To Your PR Success!