By John Blake, CNN

(CNN) — Out of sight. Out of mind.

Out of a job?

That’s the grim scenario lurking in the minds of a growing number of American workers whose anxieties are driving a curious trend, workplace experts say.

Companies are offering employees more chances than ever to work at home or outside their office through “flex time.” But fewer workers are accepting the offers for a more convenient schedule, according to several work-life experts.

The reason is simple: fear, says Sylvia Ann Hewlett, president of the Center for Work-Life Policy. a New York-based company that promotes flexible schedules for workers. (more…)

            Becoming a rainmaker isn’t just about being the best lawyer, although that is highly important—it’s about knowing the right people. Knowing people who need your legal services, people who refer your services out and people who speak highly of your work product.

            But going from knowing the right people to getting work is easier said than done. At a recent Legal Marketing Association Southeast Chapter meeting, Deb Knupp from Akina Business Consulting offered some insight into the rainmaking process, developing contacts into business and how to effectively network.

            One of the biggest suggestions offered was to develop a list of your top 20 contacts—then rank them in three categories. A’s would be the ones that require constant contact and have the greatest chance to convert into business, B’s would be the ones in the middle that you have decide whether to put the effort required to boost them to A’s or move them down to C’s, which are the ones that need occasional contact and are least likely to translate into business, but are good people to know. Once you finish this exercise, you should have a clear idea of who you need to focus on to develop your practice.

            Once you develop your top 20 contacts, and with any new contact you meet, be authentic. Care about what they have to say, remember what matters to them and use this information to build the relationship. Have a genuine reason to contact them with an “in”—an invitation, information or to offer an introduction to another person they might find beneficial. For example, contacting someone to inform them about new law being passed that could affect their business would be a great way to touch them, and a genuine reason. When you are authentic in your outreach, it will show and ultimately benefit the rainmaking process.

            There are many ways to go about developing business, but the common thread is that it starts by cultivating relationships with key people. Prospective clients, those who can connect you to potential clients and those you can ally with to enhance your legal practice are all people you need to focus on knowing.

Florida Gov. Charlie Crist and former state house speaker Marco Rubio “tore into each other on national television in their first debate Sunday with Crist accusing Rubio of misspending political contributions and Rubio positioning himself as the true conservative in the race,” reported the Miami Herald on March 28, 2010.

The Republican candidates for a U.S. Senate seat are going after each other even harder in their political ads and campaign statements. Enter the Florida Truth-O-Meter, a joint venture of the Miami Herald and St. Petersburg Times, two of Florida’s leading newspapers. The newsrooms share resources, such as coverage of the state capital, and collaborate at a shared Web site, PolitiFact Florida.

The Truth-O-Meter rates what candidates and other politicos are saying on scale from true to half-true to “Pants on fire!” The results are posted on a modified voltage meter and explained in a short article. The meter labeled as false Crist’s statement on FOX News that Marco Rubio’s 2007 tax swap proposal was a “massive tax increase.” In the same debate, the Herald said Rubio made a false statement when he said he had not voted for tax increases as a member of the West Miami commission.

The meter spreads it around, evaluating statements from other Florida officials and state political parties. The visuals are fun and the explanations are easy to follow. A potential voter can read something other than what someone has to say about the opposition.

Catching politicians bending the facts is an international sport. The Florida meter is part of a larger National Truth-O-Meter that tracks everyone from President Obama on down. And in Great Britain, there is a “Minister of Truth,” according to a February 22, 2010, article in Wired magazine. The government employee heads his own truth squad that investigates whether British politicians are accurate when they cite government statistics. In England, it seems, people are willing to pay taxes for the truth.

How much is enough? After a career protected by legal, PR and security handlers, Tiger Woods again is again offering public apologies about his private life. Should he be done, or is redemption a 12-step process?

Tiger Woods granted his first TV interview on March 21 with ESPN’s Tom Rinaldi. While it was part of Tiger’s orchestrated return to the public world, he answered the three of the first seven questions by saying certain matters were private. He declined to say what happened in the accident beyond what was in a police report, why he lost control of his car and why he is in treatment. He was willing to talk about golf and the upcoming Master’s Tournament.

From a PR standpoint, no answer is not not enough. When you come forward to tell your story, you have to tell all of it. Maybe Tiger’s second apology will satisfy some fans, but will it be enough for those who are unsure of his sincerity and his rehabilitation?

It has been four months since the accident. Maybe the fans who like him as a golfer are ready to move on. And those who have not forgiven him for his infidelities will remain steadfast in their views. So the PR question is when is enough is enough.

Tiger’s situation is more complicated than most. He has to rebuild a golf game and a public persona, both of which have paid him well. If he hopes to be more than a competitor, he has to make the cut with fans and sponsors.

Tiger may have gone as far as he can go within the tight confines he operates. He is appearing at the Master’s, which closely manages its operations. He is speaking only with cooperative media: CBS turned down an interview when he and his managers would allow only five minutes for questions.

From a PR standpoint, the most important endorsement has to come from his wife. As Tiger says, Elin Woods “she had every right to be and I’m as disappointed as everyone else in my own behavior because I can’t believe I actually did that to the people I loved.”

If Mrs. Woods publicly states statement that she forgives him, his public image will greatly improved.

In today’s “I want to know right now world,” journalists and their readers and viewers want answers immediately — and they are getting it — one way or the other.  Unfortunately, these answers are not always factual or accurate, but in today’s 24/7 news and blogging cycle, that is what is going on.

In the case of  Toyota, first, it was the floor mats, then the accelerator mechanism and now some are saying it is the electronics.  Who really knows?  Coming from a manufacturing background, I have seen multiple problems with products that are thousands of times less complex than an automobile, problems that took days, weeks and sometimes even months to figure out.  I feel for Toyota, a company with a stellar reputation for quality and reliability.  At the beginning, they appeared to be behind the curve in disclosing the problems, then once they began addressing them, the story took on a life of its own.  Questions remain as to whether they truly understand the problems and if their fix is going to work.

A couple of weeks ago, they instituated a proactive public relations program consisting of appearances by the company’s chairman and paid television and print  advertising featuring current customers reaffirming their loyalty to the brand, but unfortunately additional mishaps occurred and college professors began touting their engineering analyses of the problem, while plaintiffs attorneys started lining up at the courthouse steps with their class action lawsuits.  Clearly, all of the paid stuff got trampled.

On a separate note, Orlando, Florida  Sea World faired better for several reasons with a crisis of their own, the killing of one of their Killer Whale trainers duing a public show.  What was the media’s immediate response?  They started Googling and visiting news archives like Lexis Nexis to look for background.  What did they find?  They learned that Tilikum had killed before.  Next the animal rights groups weighed in saying that killer whales should not be in captivitty and held Sea World responsible.

Fortunately for Sea World, its corporate communications team was on its game.  The very next morning the curator for the Orlando park was conducting interviews.  He said it was an accident and that Tilikum did not mean to harm the trainer.  He stood up to multiple hard questions from the likes of CNN and others dealing with the past and future.  He said they would review their safety protocols and promised to reenstate the shows that very week, which is what they did — and they did it the right way, by holding a memorial ceromony for the deceased trainer and once again, conducting interviews with their top people as spokespersons.

Although Sea World’s crisis was much more isolated than Toyota’s, they were able to determine what went wrong, made the necessary protocol  changes and honored the dead.  They also took on the cries from groups and  induviduals who were demanding that Tilikumbe released into the wild.

If you think about it, Sea World had a much simpler job, since they didn’t have tens of millions of their product on the roads around the world.  Theirs was an isolated incident.  Toyota’s was not.

Once again we learn that answers and solutions to complex problems cannot always be delivered when it is needed.  Sometimes, it is better to punt and let everyone know you are working on it instead of providing definitive  answers you may not have.

For public relations and marketing professionals, former South Florida social media expert Adam Singer is a pioneer for several reasons.

First, he’s a very bright social media strategist keen to show how social media and business marketing converge. He’s also one of those pioneers who’s OK with people re-purposing his content. With that in mind, today, we’re publishing one of Adam’s posts on why companies need to integrate social media into their public relations.

Adam recently was in Las Vegas for MarTech at the LeadingRe Annual Conference; he spoke on two other panels. Among the speakers were Guy Kawasaki and Scott Murphy.

Adam sets the stage: “…The MarTech opening session title is ‘Architecting a Social Web Marketing & P.R. Strategy.’ For this presentation, I’ve decided to dial down most of my content from the deck so that event-goers focus on my words instead of reading slides.  However, to supplement my session and provide the same content to The Future Buzz community, here’s a brief written summary of what I’m presenting.” (more…)

Many of our attorney clients receive honors from publications that bestow recognition to legal professionals such as Best Lawyers in America, Chambers, South Florida Legal Guide or Florida Super Lawyers. The most common question we get regarding these listings is, once we are selected, how do we use them to our advantage?

Legal listings help establish credibility for an attorney and their practice. Since many of these listings are peer-chosen, when an attorney is selected it is because they are viewed to be skilled in their practice area. However, to fully maximize the value of these listings, you must do something with them—get the word out so people know you were recognized. Some suggestions include:

1. Draft a press release on being included in the listing. Post this press release to your firm’s web site newsroom, distribute it to local media and send the news to past and current clients and referral sources.
2. If the listing has logos you can utilize in your marketing materials, use them. Include the logos in your signature of your e-mail, on your bio page on your firm web site and any other marketing materials that might include your name.
3. Attend the networking events associated with these listings. Many times, Chambers, Best Lawyers in America, Super Lawyers, etc. host events for the honorees in different geographic regions. Attending these events are a great way to reestablish connections with old contacts, make new referral sources and start new professional relationships.
4. Have a plaque professionally made and hang it in your office. It will be a conversation starter and showcase your strength as an attorney.

All things considered, legal listings are a free and unbiased way to promote your skills. Utilizing them in as many ways as possible can only increase your exposure to your existing contact base, create a new avenue for potential referrals and clients and allow for the possibility of increased business.

South Florida Public Relations & Marketing Firm Campaign Reaches Area’s Jewish Donors

Always known for effective public relations and marketing, Boardroom Communications this month won a coveted Addy Award for a television commercial it created for the Jewish Federation of Broward County.

The Silver Addy, from the Advertising Federation of Greater Fort Lauderdale, was for Boardroom’s “Lend a Helping Hand” campaign. The TV spot depicts how the Jewish Federation helps and supports more than 30 Jewish agencies throughout Broward County. It then invites those who need help to call, as well as those who can help to give.

Dozens of faces of those in need were melded into a “mosaic” forming hands that ultimately transform to create a “Chai” – the Hebrew symbol for “Life.” (more…)

By: Don Silver

So you have a good Web site. You use social media. You network offline, and tap Outlook to stay in touch with peers and referral sources. But could you be doing more to drive traffic to your site and generate even more leads? Some think “eCommerce” is for eBay sellers, Amazon and other online merchants. The truth is: Any service provider, attorney, accountant or real estate professional who uses the Web to generate leads, awareness, traffic – and sales, can maximize his or her Web presence to drive commerce. Some law or accounting firms are consumer focused. Some real estate brokers seek only commercial transactions. Web site and search engine optimization (SEO), search marketing and social networking all play a role in successful online practices, regardless of whether the professional is B2C or B2B. Success stems from maintaining your online presence, establishing your credibility, getting involved in online conversations, and tracking where all that is taking you.  The reality is that few law firms seriously consider the Web as a business and practice development tool.  This must change.  These 13 tips can help bolster your online presence and results.

1. You are a merchant. Think of yourself that way. e-Commerce might seem contrary to a professional like an attorney or accountant “sells” his or her services. But the basics remain the same: You must market yourself and your skills, generate exposure, awareness and traffic, and then close the deal.

2. Focus on driving traffic. If you rely on the Web for business leads, everything you do should help steer people to your site – and, more specifically, to your practice area anRequest for Information link on your site.

3. Listen to what clients are saying. You can learn a lot from a customer or prospect – where they network, who they know, the problems they’re facing, the help they need. Successful vendors and service providers learn to listen, anticipate problems, provide solutions.

4. Pool your data. Having listened to your clients, you no doubt have key data across you filing system. From email correspondence to your contact manager to conversation notes in a file, integrate this data into one source (like Notes in Outlook or an Excel spreadsheet) to know your customer better.

5. In the online world, email builds relationships. It’s as natural as breathing, and drives loyalty. Whether you create a formal electronic magazine (using services like iContact or ConstantContact), or just send emails to key names from your address book, email is a great first step.

6.Invite feedback. Outreach is a conversation. Whether via email, social media or other means, it’s a series of two-way streets that encourage dialogue. Engage your customers to better understand their needs – and let them know you’re listening.

7. Use search and paid search. SEO is vital. So, too, is paid search. Everyone competes for t come top natural search placement. Fewer compete for paid listings – the small ads tha up atop the search results. Since clients often start their hunt for a service provider with a search, paid search lets you pinpoint your target audience and pay to rise above the pack.

8.Partner with your P.R. or marketing firm. Work with your Web site’s developer to maximize your site’s – or your specific practice-area page’s – visibility. Often, lawyers or professionals within a big firm don’t have much say over the overall site’s content. But you should own your specialty area page.  8Know your keywords, get your webmaster to incorporate those words into tags, title tags, metatags and keyword implementation. Moreover, suggest (demand?) that your specialty area is placed as a button on the firm’s home page (or on the Practice Areas drop down menu) – so it’s easily navigated to by those who land there.

9. Get into social media. Twitter and a Facebook Fan page can be ways to feed news and opinion to followers and friends. LinkedIn’s connections and introduction capabilities are more compelling and powerful. Know the power of social media, whether your clients are using it, and how you can add to the conversation. The goal here is to stay on your clients’, contacts’ and referral sources’ radar screen, to keep them apprised of your new commentary and current events – and to create an ongoing conversation.

10. Communicate across channels. Outlook, Linked In, your Web site, Facebook, Twitter – reach out across all the channels where your clients to ensure your message gets delivered. Integrate this messaging with your media, community and industry relations. Why? Because social media and networking should be an extension of your traditional marketing.  It’s not one or the other; implementing the fundamentals of both will incrementally grow your online presence.

11. Request – and post – testimonials. Like a retailer’s restaurant reviews, people put faith in what others have to say. Opinions and positive reviews often can nudge people off the fence and help them make a decision.

12. Use analytics. Where’s your traffic coming from? What sites or engines are steering viewers your way? Get your webmaster to generate reports (using the Web site’s o analytics tool or a free service like Google Analytics) to determine which engines, words, terms, phrases or referring sites are most effective. Then pound away at those sources. This doesn’t stop with your Web site. Track the sources of calls, inbound emails and other inquiries. Use new, online relationships to bolster existing face-to-face relationships. Remember: Success online still is no substitute for marketing the old-fashioned way.

13. So the traffic’s arrived. Now what? Once visitors have arrived, seal the deal. Place calls to action on every page, including links, phone numbers, emails, short forms, and requests for information.

Professional services are not store-front or traditional ecommerce retailers. But some of the best practices of general commerce can boost traffic, awareness, and sales. Use the Web, social media, your contacts and networking to generate leads, maximize your Web presence, build your credibility, and close the deal.

Our very own Julie Talenfeld, President and Founder, was featured in Las Olas Lifestyle.  She wrote a column on “Making Social Media Part of Your Marketing Plan.” 

Julie comments on how a marketing plan traditionally includes public relations, advertising and networking.  “But if you’re not using social media, you may be invisible in the online universe,” she stated. 

She goes on to say how important it is for businesses and professionals to embrace social media, don’t be afraid to use your Facebook page to discuss both your family and your business!  Julie does a great job of stating how social media is now a part of every business and profession, and needs to be integrated into the marketing plan today.