Congratulations to Melissa Wadsworth for earning big ink in the Sunday edition of the Lifestyle section of the Seattle Times for her small talk expertise. The “How to shoot the breeze with ease” interview with columnist Pamela Sit was well timed for all the holiday parties now in progress. Here is the link so you can learn some timely tips right now.
I asked Melissa how this story came about, and here is what she said:
“Actually, this was a gift from the media gods. The reporter just called me out of the blue and said she had been looking at my website and would I do an interview about small talk for holiday gatherings. Of course, my experience with knowing what to do when the media calls you kicked into place. She gave me five days notice. That give me time to organize some thoughts and stories around the topic. When she asked for two high res head shots after the interview, I had those to send her, which I did immediately. I also followed up by passing along the notes I had made for the interview. That way, if she didn't get what she had out of the actual interview, there was more information she could choose from. She actually used one of the points from these notes. After the article came out, I sent her a another thank you note, expressing what a wonderful writer she was. That's it.”
To go one step beyond, I suggested she connect with the reporter to share her website after the fact to make it easy to refer readers to it to make their “Small Talk Savvy” books since that site wasn't mentioned in the article. As luck would have it, the website offer came in perfect timing to respond to a reader request that can in moments before.
If you need help with small talk savvy, Melissa's book can show you the way. Here is a link to learn more.
What expertise do you offer that is perfectly timed for right now? I'll be giving a talk to the Seattle Chapter of the National Association of Professional Organizers in January. They sure have timely expertise to share to help folks get a jump start on being better organized in the New Year. What a timely idea that has legs to run. And, believe it or not, Valentines Day is just around the corner, and reporters with retail stories to tell in January want to hear the latest timely, newsworthy, and relevant ideas and trends to lend impact to their January reporting, just in time for the season of love. There is no time like the present than now to start pitching — and earning the big ink. Are you game? Have fun, and keep me posted on your success.
