Meet this Successful Woman Business Owner: Book Publicist Annie Jennings "Builds a Better Mousetrap" with Her Pay-for-Placement PR Services
This business profile of book publicist Annie Jennings on http://www. womenmarketing. com/success. htm tells how she decided to change the PR model and how she balanced her life by starting her own business.
(PRWEB) January 10, 2005
Annie Jennings believes in building a better mousetrap. When she started her book-promotion business, Annie Jennings PR, over 10 years ago, she considered how most publicity firms were operating and charging for their services, and decided she wanted to do it differently.
"I paid attention to the industry. I wasnÂ’t in PR prior to starting my own company, so I didnÂ’t learn from anyone else and I didnÂ’t begin with preconceived theories," says Annie. And because she didnÂ’t major in communications in college, she didnÂ’t come in with a belief system about how PR should be done. "So I was totally free to develop my own system, with no outside influences," she says.
AnnieÂ’s industry experience came from the other side of the desk--as a news reporter and a newscaster. In the course of her career, she found that PR people were usually missing the mark. And she knew they charged a hefty fee even when they failed to secure a placement.
So when she found that having a family and working in broadcast journalism didnÂ’t mesh, she decided to switch to the other side and start her own publicity business. It allowed her to have everything--her family, her career and more children. Starting her own business and doing it her way, she says, "helped me to achieve my lifeÂ’s dream of having what I have now, which is five wonderful, healthy children. ItÂ’s one of the choices you make based on your
Overall dream for your life."
When she began her business, she already had four children, and like most young, working mothers, she did it all. "I have to say that one of the benefits of running my own business is that I am able to make choices of time commitments. And I am able to go to their school activities, their soccer games, and everything else that I really feel is important. Now, in running my own business, there are times when I canÂ’t be there or choose not to be there. For instance, IÂ’m no longer the class mom. You canÂ’t do everything."
Annie has built her business into one that now has six publicists and two support staff. She now works a normal 40 hours a week, and her "staff" are all independent contractors with a need for a flexible schedule. Each publicist has attended AnnieÂ’s "Crash Course in Publicity Training," a three-month intensive training class that she offers on an ongoing basis.
"I followed my instincts," says Annie. "I noticed that there was a hole in the industry. People were paying retainers to publicists and the publicists would certainly provide, to the best of their ability, the services contracted for. Publicists do a lot of background work before they can begin promoting a product or service. When we first started, we were a retainer-based company, and I found that I was only as good as my last placement in the eyes of my client."
So instead of continuing to deal with clients who said, "What have you done for me lately?" Annie chose to change her company into a pay-for-placement publicity business focusing on authors, experts and speakers. The pay-for-placement model was already being used by a few PR people, but it was not (and still isnÂ’t) a common method.
"What I noticed was, my clients were certainly willing to pay, but they were willing to pay for results. And I wasnÂ’t willing to accept the flaws of the traditional retainer arrangement as part of my everyday experience because I like to be happy. I like to feel like IÂ’m contributing, like IÂ’m improving the world. I found that retainer-based relationships really limited my potential in pursuing my spiritual destiny, which is sharing information on a massive level with the intent of the betterment of all. Retainer-based PR didnÂ’t allow that. It was very restrictive."
Annie started the pay-for-placement program in 1998, when there were few people using this model. At the time, the firm had a couple of clients that were very challenging, and she felt her publicists were not being treated fairly by these clients. So, when they finished those contracts, Annie said, "ThatÂ’s it. We will never take another retainer client again. And I donÂ’t care if we go out of business, but I wonÂ’t live like this."
She intuitively decided what to charge for the placements, realizing that clients would most likely only want to pay for national publicity and taking into account that they were no longer paying for the development of their press materials because she develops them for her clients for free. She focuses all of her efforts on authors, experts and speakers--most of whom have a book to promote.
Working with Annie can be expensive--from $500 to $2,500 per placement--but if Annie Jennings PR takes on a client, national placement is guaranteed, and with national exposure, a clientÂ’s book sales or speaking engagements should increase, easily compensating for the fees.
"I know how to place a client in the exact venue where they’re going to thrive," she says. And she doesn’t place them on shows that are not right for them, like the "Today" Show, simply because that’s where they want to appear. "If someone’s not qualified or ready for the 'Today' Show, why do it? What they are really saying is, ‘I want to reach masses with my book. I want to share my message with the
'Today' Show audience.Â’ That can be done in other venues," says Annie. "People donÂ’t just watch the 'Today' Show and then not read or watch or do anything else. The audience is
Out there to reach."
Annie Jennings PR does what it takes to prepare its clients for moving up the publicity "food chain"--like insisting that they get media training to prepare them for radio and TV interviews. The company has a long list of vendors to help the client create the success they want.
"I believe in following my spiritual destiny--sharing information on a massive level for the betterment of society," says Annie. Promoting authors, experts and speakers helps her do that. And the world is better for it.
Words of Wisdom from Annie Jennings:
1. Do what you are passionate about and the bottom line will take care of itself.
2. Always strive to provide more value to the client than they ever pay for.
3. Make sure everything you do is perfect.
4. Continue to raise the bar, learn and improve.
5. Take the route that is best for the customer/client.
6. Do whatÂ’s best for the betterment of society.
7. Make sure everybody in the equation wins.
8. Refer business to dependable vendors. It reflects upon you.
9. Listen to others, but make your own decisions. You are the one who is ultimately responsible.
10. Remember that you have choices. You create your success or failure.
How to Reach This Successful Woman:
Annie Jennings
Annie Jennings PR
Phone: 908.281.6201
Fax: 908.281.5221
Website: http://www. anniejenningspr. com (http://www. anniejenningspr. com)
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