Sales & Marketing – Page 53 – Management Library

October 27, 2010July 8, 2022

Tell me something good…..Reward and Recognition isn’t always easy

If you are a call centre leader, and your centre has a well structured program which is administered by a designated person, your job is half done. Usually the ceremonies are all booked and planned, you just have to show up, hand out the certificates, gift cards, prizes…maybe say a few words, but basically – it’s done.

What’s not so easy is the ‘stuff’ you need to do that no one else can do for you – the one on one recognition, the personal touch, the verbal thank you. Sometimes these types of recognition are the most important to people. Let’s try this out:

Julie, a call centre agent in your company, is having a bad morning – kids got up late, no lunches were made, she had to stop and get gas on the way to work, nearly late, spilled her coffee – I’ve had one of those mornings and they can set you up pretty nicely for the day (and not in a good way). Julie starts her shift with a couple really frustrating calls and thinks to herself – can this day get any worse? You (her team leader) look at her stats report from the previous day, and she’s had great sales results. You walk over right then and there and give her the high five – “Great job on your sales yesterday Julie – that’s why you’re so valuable to us here at XYZ. You provide great service to our clients and we appreciate it”. Imagine how those 28 words, which didn’t cost anything, didn’t require streamers, balloons or certificates, no gift cards or prizes – imagine how they impact Julie. If I was Julie here – I’d probably be taking a deep breath and mentally starting my day over again with a fresh attitude.

Sounds easy right? Sad to say that this is one of the hardest things to teach new team leaders and managers – the importance of on-the-spot, unplanned, unrehearsed recognition. I was terrible at it (I’ll admit it) and I realized that everything else seemed more important in a day – answering emails, attending meetings, whatever. I decided that I needed a daily reminder and so I put it into my calendar. Every morning – a reminder would pop up at 8:45 reminding me to recognize at least 1 person that day. The bad news is that it took me awhile to make it a habit, I’d hit snooze on the reminder several times during the day when I got busy and by the time I had time, it was time to go home. The good news is that I did eventually make it a habit and I really enjoyed the time I would spend on the floor, talking to reps and giving some verbal recognition. It also helped me to get to know the reps better, and learn all their names! The pluses in my plan were more than I had hoped for.

So this week – Rule #4 – Make the unplanned – planned. Add a daily reminder to your calendar to walk the floor and make someone’s day just a little bit better by acknowledging the work they do. It’s not an easy job and sometimes a little thank you goes a long way.

Feedback or comments: How do you teach your leaders (yourself) to do the daily thank you?

October 21, 2010July 8, 2022

Email Marketing Best Practices – Part 2 of 2

Things You Should Avoid in Your Email Campaigns

In the most recent post (Part 1 of 2), we covered the commandments of email marketing campaigns – those things you MUST do to optimize your delivery, open and response rates. Thanks to Vertical Response, we also have a list of things to AVOID.

This list is only half as long, but equally important to protect the integrity and boost the outcome.

___ DO NOT use rented lists. These recipients did not opt-in to your mailing, so you could be reported as spam, or even blacklisted by ISPs. Horrors.

___ ISPs and filters search and screen for the use of punctuation in the middle of words. Examples: “FR EE” or “FR^EE”. When they find these, your message may be blocked completely.

___ Don’t over-punctuate. “Read this! You’ll love it!! And it’s FREE!!!” Now that’s just too much. It’s poorly written copy, and it actually works to make you message less believable, not more.

___ ALL CAPITAL LETTERS indicates yelling. You don’t want to yell, do you? It diminishes your credibility. Subject lines with all caps are often redirected to your recipients’ junk mail folders.

___ Don’t send attachments. If you use bulk mail delivery systems, ISPs don’t have the capacity to handle large volumes, and the entire campaign may not be supported.

___ Don’t send offers that your recipients did not request. It is tantamount to spam, and will get you unsubscribed in a heartbeat.

More Tips to Avoid in Email Campaigns to Increase Deliverability

For technical advice, consider using an expert to review your campaign before sending it. Many of the systems vary so much that it’s impossible to know if your message and its construction are compatible with the delivery systems. Here are some examples:

___ Gmail forwards all email content as plain text

___ Hotmail strips out Flash entirely.

___ Yahoo! Mail does not accept JavaScript. (The code will appear in the body of the email.)

___ AOL strips out flash and form tags.

___ Netscape strips out Flash and JavaScript.

___ Internet Explorer can misalign images due to white space.

(Thanks to ZetaInteractive.com for the tips above.)

What email marketing systems work best for you?

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For more resources, see our Library topics Marketing and Social Networking.

.. _____ ..

ABOUT Lisa M. Chapman:

Ms. Chapman’s new book, How to Make Money Online With Social Media: A Step-by-Step Guide for Entrepreneurs will be available very soon. With offices in Nashville Tennessee, but working virtually with international clients, Lisa M. Chapman serves her clients as a business and marketing coach, business planning consultant and social media consultant. As a Founder of iBrand Masters, a social media consulting firm, Lisa Chapman helps clients to establish and enhance their online brand, attract their target market, engage them in meaningful social media conversations, and convert online traffic into revenues. Email: Lisa @ LisaChapman.com

October 20, 2010July 8, 2022

Blogging: The Spiders Say It’s Time You Got Started

What if you could broadcast your company news, brand attributes or something especially cool about what you do with a few disciplined hours each week at your computer? Of course, you know that you can….by blogging. You’re thinking, old news, right? Sure it is. But I’m here to reinforce the newsy part in the interest of good old truthiness: It’s another essential communications channel you can no longer ignore.

Blogging helps get out your message but it also — and perhaps, more importantly — optimizes search engines looking for new subject matter. These web spiders or bots, as some call them, are hungry like — Halloween metaphor warning ahead — blood-thirsty vampires and need fresh blood (content) all the time. So the more you post, the higher your name, brand or blog will come up in search rankings. As a moderator during a past webinar explained it, in the online world, we are writing for robots now (I know, English and Humanities teachers are everywhere groaning in their chains).

There’re a Lot of Blogs Out There (But Who’s Counting?)

If you look at the numbers of people blogging, it’s daunting (so don’t look — just do it). According to a February 2010 posting by Hat Trick Associate http://hattrickassociates.com/, a content creation company (yes, they will write your blog for you, if you can’t — and so will any good PR consultant), “the current estimates say there are about 400 million ‘active’ English language blogs right now, but that number varies according to the source. (Technorati estimated about 200 million blogs at the start of 2009) Of course these numbers change every day, however, as new blogs are started by the thousands or tens of thousands every day, and a large number of blogs have also reached the point of where they could be defined as ‘abandoned’ and should be subtracted. When including non-English in the total number, there may be over one billion blogs worldwide.”

How many people follow these blogs?

The Hat Trickers have this viewpoint: “This question is just as difficult to answer, because there is no reliable tracking mechanism. But certainly we are talking about many hundreds of millions of people, maybe 500 or 600 million total. If you include non-English blogs, we can easily assume a number well above a billion people, perhaps even more than 2 billion, or about 1 out of every 3 human beings on the planet.” At that rate, before long blogging will be a birthright in every country.

Their Conclusion

And I concur: “…. an active blog is absolutely VITAL to establishing a strong web presence for your company or brands, because this allows you to regularly share “fresh” content, the kind that has become key to solid search engine (SEO) rankings from Google, Yahoo, Bing, Ask.com and every other major engine…whose web crawlers are constantly seeking out and indexing new content.”

And furthermore….

Recently I was asked to write a short essay about why lawyers should blog for a law firm’s newsletter. Here, in part, are truncated highlights from that piece:

“Real Lawyers Have Blogs,” written by Kevin O’Keefe at http://kevin.lexblog.com/. A trial Lawyer, O’Keefe’s site says his blog “is a leading source of information on the use of blogs and social media for law firm marketing.” He looks like he aggregates blogs from all over the place and a myriad of practice areas. Bookmark it.

We found other blogs like the one from a New York Personal Injury Blog that asks if lawyers should blog about their cases. This seems like a legal minefield to a non-lawyer. But the fact that an attorney or someone on the outside can read and learn about the pros and cons of that issue readily underscores why lawyers should blog.

Blogging as Contemplation (for you and your readers)

After putting together a marketing and public relations campaign for the non-profit organization, the tireless Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet Ministries Foundation, a blog site was added for the then-Executive Director, a nun. It was called “The Blogging Nun.” The first day that Sister Irene’s first blog posted, a reporter from Reuters News based in Saigon emailed her back and wanted to know if any nuns were blogging in his neck of the woods! A good dialog ensued.

The good sister mentioned above continued to blog two-to-three times a week and found that in some ways, its was a powerful contemplative practice that allowed her some quiet time to reflect on her work and the deep social issues that the foundation deals with hourly. Sure, she’s predisposed toward contemplation. But a blog done right — which some have rightly compared to an open diary — is a perfect communications tool to utilize in framing the intentions and the impacts of what a smart, reliable attorney [or, insert your occupation here__________] does every day.

If you the only thing that’s ultimately holding you back is getting started, a recent column by the Pioneer Press’ superb technology reporter (who’s also written a popular book about Twitter), Juilo Ojeda-Zapata, offers some keen insights into what platforms to use, based on his experience. Plus there are many online resources to help you get going as well. Check out Julio’s advice at: http://www.twincities.com/techtestdrive/ci_16218569?nclick_check=1

See you in Blogland!

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For more resources, see the Library topic Public and Media Relations.

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Martin Keller runs Media Savant Communications Co., a Public Relations and Media Communications consulting company based in the Twin Cities. Keller has helped move client stories to media that includes The New York Times, Larry King, The CBS Evening News with Katie Couric, plus many other magazines, newspapers, trade journals and other media outlets. Contact him at kelmart@aol.com, or 612-729-8585

October 19, 2010July 10, 2022

Email Marketing Best Practices

Things You Must Do in Your Next Email Campaign

Email Marketing is so important that you should have this checklist at your fingertips when you create your next email campaign. According to Vertical Response, they are the ‘commandments’ of email marketing – to improve your delivery, open and response rates.

___ ALWAYS use recipient email addresses that have opted in to receive your materials. If you send spam (unsolicited email), you risk harming your relationship and reputation. It’s not worth it.

___ Use a FROM label that is clearly recognizable by the recipient. If they don’t, you may be automatically unsubscribed.

___ Recipients must see an easy and obvious way to opt out or unsubscribe. It’s the law and the right thing to do.

___ Your subject line must always reflect the content. People resent being ‘tricked’ into spending their valuable time on a promise that’s not delivered.

___ Include your snail mail and phone contact information. In addition to being required by law, it’s helpful in relationship building as well as adding legitimacy.

___ Don’t send everyone everything. Send your recipients only messages in which they are likely to be interested. We live in information overload. You don’t want to be viewed as a waste of their time.

___ People often forget why they’re on your list. Remind them where or when they opted in for information. This is especially important if your communications are sporadic, or if it’s been awhile since you sent the last one.

___ Try to email them regularly in order to build a meaningful relationship with your recipients. Give them something they consider valuable. Do it every time you touch them.

___ Your messages will be recognized if your recipients add you to their address book. Otherwise, they may end up in the junk folder. Ask them to add you.

___ TEST your email campaigns by segmenting your list, changing subject lines, and mailing on different days. Track your responses to determine best open rates.

___ Use images in your emails, and always include text to describe them. That way, if the image doesn’t come through, the reader has an idea of what’s missing.

___ Use a spam filter to test each word in the email. If any get caught in the filter, replace them. It’s easy and quick – and a great way to increase delivery rates.

Email Best Practices Evolve

Email marketing Best Practices continually evolve, but they can make or break the success of your campaign. You put a lot of time into its strategy, messaging and list maintenance, so take these steps to optimize the delivery rate, open rate and response rate.

(Many thanks to Vertical Response, Inc., San Francisco, CA, for the checklist.)

Have you had an email campaign crisis that taught you helpful lessons?

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For more resources, see our Library topics Marketing and Social Networking.

.. _____ ..

ABOUT Lisa M. Chapman:

October 19, 2010July 10, 2022

Survey says…Reward and Recognition is..

I’m currently doing research for a book on reward and recognition in call centres – what’s new, some fresh ideas, what motivates reps these days, etc and preliminary results show that 100% of the companies surveyed so far have some type of program. I thought it might be interesting to share some preliminary results with you today.

Does your company have a formal reward and recognition program? 100% said yes they do.

Asking the agents – do rewards and recognition motivate you to achieve your targets?

Yes

74%

17%

Somewhat

I asked what kinds of rewards/recognition do not motivate you?

All kinds motivate me	83%	Taxable benefit gift cards	19%
Certificates	0.5%	Inconsistent or non-recognition	1.50%

Results are also available by generation and show that the 1981-2000 group are most concerned with the taxable benefit issue, and prefer money and time off to trinkets, gadgets and prizes.

I asked the leaders who completed the survey if they felt the program motivated the reps and 100% said yes (which is inconsistent with what the the reps responded). They told me they reward the standard metrics, including productivity, quality, attendance and sales. Some also rewarded teamwork by giving reps time off for participating in community events. They also commented that there was no formal recognition for the leaders. This is one area where a lot of companies could use some focus, especially at the direct supervisor/team lead level.

If you’re interested in participating in the survey – it’s still open (until the end of November). I need agents and leaders to participate. I will be sharing back all the summarized results with anyone who completes it. All results will be kept confidential and no contact names, contact information or company names will be shared. Just hit the feedback button at the bottom of the article and include your email address, or you can email me directly at kimvey@rogers.com. This weeks’ rule? Rule #3 When you are designing a reward and/or recognition program for your centre, make sure you include your leaders. Recognize them in front of their peers and the teams they lead. Reward them for the % of agents they have meeting their metrics. Rewarding them in this way, as opposed to the team with the highest productivity, or the highest quality, ensures that you are rewarding teams where more people are achieving the goals, and the success of the team is not resting on the shoulders of a few superstars.

Thanks for reading, and remember to contact me about the survey. It’s only a few questions and you’ll end up getting back some great information for your own centres.

October 16, 2010July 8, 2022

Google Search Tips

Google search screen displaying on a tablet

How to Get Better Search Results with Modifiers

Garbage in, garbage out. When you need specific information and don’t have a lot of time to spend searching the internet, a few search modifiers will really help you avoid the garbage, and zero in on your target.

Every search engine is a bit different, but since they account for about 85% of all search engine traffic, we’ll focus on Google’s search modifiers.

Basic Search Modifiers

Almost everyone knows the basic search modifiers that help you find more relevant results:

“ ” means exact phrase. Example: “business card holders” yields results with exactly that phrase, not a portion of the phrase or related phrases.
– means excluded words. Example: cell phones – Verizon yields results that exclude Verizon.
~ means similar words. Example: birthday candles yields results that might include birthday cards, birthday gifts, etc.
OR means multiple words. Example: Train stations OR tracks yields train results that include stations or tracks.

Now, Use More Advanced Search Modifiers

In the examples below, enter the underlined term, or a similarity for your specific search, in the Google search bar:

To find meanings: define: photogenic (if you want the definition of the word photogenic).

To find particular sites: hydrogen peroxide site:edu (if you want hydrogen peroxide only on .edu sites).

To find linked pages: link:managementhelp.org (if you want to find pages that link to managementhelp.org).

To find math answers: 30% of 55 (if you want to get the actual answer).

To find conversions: cm in foot (if you want to get the converted answer).

When you play with these search modifiers, it can almost become addictive!

(Thanks to Google for the guidelines.)

What tricks and tips make your searches more effective?

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For more resources, see our Library topics Marketing and Social Networking.

.. _____ ..

ABOUT Lisa M. Chapman:

October 12, 2010July 8, 2022

Consistency is Key – Reward and Recognition

If you Google how long it takes to form a habit, you’ll get anything from 21 to 28 days, but there is no solid evidence on what the answer really is. We all agree though, that an acquired behavior pattern takes customary practice or usage – which in plain-speak means – do it every day until it become automatic. This can also be said for recognition in the Call Centre. Team leaders, supervisors and managers should be spending time on the floor, walking about or sitting in listening to calls (on a regular basis) and providing instant recognition for the great client experiences their agents are providing. This type of on-the-spot recognition is really appreciated and because it happens right away, and can reinforce a particular behavior, can also have a positive impact on future calls. If I take a call and do something particularly well, and my supervisor hears it and comments on it – I am going to try and repeat it on the next call. If you thank me for it 2 weeks later, the momentum is lost. I know that many of you have call quality monitoring software, and that’s great for recording and scoring, but it’s so important to also do the sit-bys. Not only do you get the chance to hear some great calls and do on the spot recognition, you also get to spend time with someone and connect on a personal basis. Many reps feel this is an important form of recognition in itself.

When it comes to rewards, the most popular criticism I hear is that the programs become either a flavor of the week, and change too often, or that they start out strong with lots of hoopla, and after a few months, no one hears anything about them any more.

In order to make a program sustainable and remain current, it takes some planning. Make sure you cover all the elements before launching. Run your model by some reps to pressure test the communications, the guidelines for achieving the recognition and to make sure the rewards are suitable for the effort required. Some companies have formed recognition teams, and these include members from all levels in the call centre. They review metrics, determine contest requirements and prizes using a set budget, develop annual incentive programs based on stretch goals for Key Performance Indicators, and promote the launches with their peers. Being included in one of these recognition teams is seen as a reward by the agents involved and they strive to achieve this status. As an agent, when some of your peers are on the committee, you tend to give the program more credibility right from the start. Having agents on the committee also helps you with the consistency factor. They’ll be the first ones to remind you that it’s time to draw winners, send communications or plan the celebration events, and you can always involve them with these activities to help out. Rule #2: Be consistent in your recognition and rewards Feedback please – How do you make sure you/your management team are consistent in their approach to rewards and recognition? Have you involved agents in your recognition and reward planning sessions? Do agents assist with celebrations?

October 12, 2010February 21, 2023

Back to Basics – Small Business MUST Adopt Social Media Marketing – Part 2 of 2

Man holding a note while noting down social media

Integrate Social Media Marketing – Brand Advocates

When companies engage their audience and develop online relationships in social media marketing with real authenticity and trust, they have an exciting opportunity to make those individuals volunteer advocates of their brand!

Business has never had a bigger vehicle for positive word-of-mouth advertising. Fun campaigns can go ‘viral’ and trigger momentum like never before. This takes some strategic planning by management, and some genuine understanding of social networks. It’s a new culture that MUST be embraced by the entire organization, from the top down.

7 Steps to Start Strategizing – Target and Engage Your Online Audience

Gather together a company team to strategize social media marketing. Include a cross-section of top management, sales, marketing, customer service, and a knowledgeable social media marketing individual (bring in a consultant if you don’t have this expertise on staff.)
Convene this group for a minimum of four hours. Bring the current marketing plan. Ask everyone, “Does our (product or service) delivery match our marketing message?” If not, STOP. You must solve these problems before you can mount a successful social media marketing strategy/plan/campaign.
Discuss and decide on your marketing and advertising goals. Do your current marketing and advertising efforts achieve them? If so, challenge the team to set higher goals, and brainstorm ways that social media marketing can be implemented.
Identify online communities where your ideal customer congregates or searches. For example, if you are a local business, Google: “(your city) directories” to find local directories in which you should be listed.
Make sure that you have searched and settled on specific keywords and keyword phrases that you use consistently in all of your online content.
Establish 2-6 online “properties” (all optimized for your keywords) such as; at least one website, blog, social network site, and directory. The more places you exist online, the greater your chances of being found!
Brainstorm online campaigns that help you achieve your goals. Remember, social media is effective ONLY if you have an end in mind. Otherwise, it’s fun, but can be a waste of time and precious resources.

Hundreds of creative possibilities exist, depending on your time, budget and goals. Have fun with this!

What social media marketing goals work for your company?

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For more resources, see our Library topics Marketing and Social Networking.

.. _____ ..

ABOUT Lisa M. Chapman:

Ms. Chapman’s new book, How to Make Money Online With Social Media: A Step-by-Step Guide for Entrepreneurs will be available in bookstores and online in January 2011. With offices in Nashville Tennessee, but working virtually with international clients, Lisa M. Chapman serves her clients as a business and marketing coach, business planning consultant and social media consultant. As a Founder of iBrand Masters, a social media consulting firm, Lisa Chapman helps clients to establish and enhance their online brand, attract their target market, engage them in meaningful social media conversations, and convert online traffic into revenues. Email: Lisa @ LisaChapman.com

October 9, 2010July 10, 2022

Back to Basics – Small Business MUST Adopt Social Media Marketing – Part 1 of 2

Simple Steps will Integrate Social Media into Your Traditional Marketing Plan

As a marketing and small business consultant (www.LisaChapman.com and social media consultant (www.iBrandMasters.com), I am continually astounded at how SLOW small business managers really are in understanding, budgeting, and integrating online marketing into their traditional marketing plans. Lots of lip service, very little action.

I realize that this is old news, but if this post motivates even a just handful of small businesses to actually START their trek into online marketing, I will be thrilled.

For those of you who have already started – congratulations, and please read this in the spirit of checking yourself. Have you covered the basics?

Why is Social Media Marketing Important?

Traditional marketing has changed and will never be the same.

Technology allows consumers to mute or skip TV commercials – and they do.
Newspaper and all print circulation is dying. Ads do not get our attention.
One-way “push” messaging is now viewed as offensive and hype-ish. Bad for the brand.
Consumers are overwhelmingly ‘over-messaged’. We are all OVERLOADED.
Consumers do not trust traditional marketers anymore.

Consumers Demand More Attention

Online, consumers have a voice. If a company’s product or service doesn’t match their marketing claims, WATCH OUT! Disgruntled and disenchanted consumers now have the power to publish all of their harsh and unedited opinions – anytime they want to! Once published online, those messages are likely permanent, and business has no control over the backlash.

Consumers want and demand that:

Their voice be heard and ACKNOWLEDGED.
Companies be accountable for mismatched promises and actions.
Their peers be involved in the most powerful ‘word-of-mouth’ ever.

Business Can Take Action and Benefit Enormously

Think of it like this: social networks are actually a democratic form of business! Customers vote with their opinions. Business has a gigantic opportunity to directly impact their customers online, engage them, and develop a real relationship of TRUST that will be stronger and longer-lived.

Businesses of all sizes MUST adopt and USE a social networking and social media marketing strategies NOW – or risk being left in the dust.

In the next post, we will cover the basic steps every business must incorporate to get started right.

In the meantime, consider reading these. It’s easy – click here to purchase:

Engage: the Complete Guide for Brands and Businesses To Build, Cultivate, and Measure Success in the New Web

by Brian Solis

The Social Media Bible: Tactics, Tools, and Strategies for Business Success

by Lon Safko and David K. Brake

Socialnomics: How Social Media Transforms the Way We Live and Do Business

by Erik Qualman

How has social media marketing benefited your company?

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For more resources, see our Library topics Marketing and Social Networking.

.. _____ ..

ABOUT Lisa M. Chapman:

October 8, 2010February 16, 2023

Good Timing in PR — It’s A Funny, Business-like Thing (and It’s in the Bible, Kinda)

Timing is everything, like any old Catskill comic, successful business person and even Ecclesiastes — a book in the Bible — will tell you. Cliched? Absolutely. And mostly true. As the good book says, “To every thing there is a season” — including (if you extrapolate enough) a right time to launch a PR campaign: A time to be born, a time to die, a time to gather ye media relations materials together to sow the good word of your business.

But when to start?

In my 20-year experience, I’ve seen PR campaigns launch that were premature, right on time and late. Depending on what you want to publicize and how early your target media contacts need to receive information, the best general advice is the be a good Boy or Girl Scout: Be prepared for a good launch that will not tax your business, because your people and systems need to be in sync throughout the organization so the holy light of media can shineth upon thou.

Case in point: A company I started working with several years ago had a breakthrough green product in an industry but we moved too early to promote it. The sales force was not in place, the website was subpar and even local dealers were not yet all aware of the benefits of this product to sell their customers.

Nonetheless, a collective decision was made to push out the pitch letters and a first news release (we had a comprehensive Media Kit in place for more information and insights about the product, the company, its principals and the product benefits). Fortunately, we managed to get some publicity locally and in the trade press, which created momentum both inside the company and among those on sales side and among dealers. Today we are all working together still, and the company is growing at a good rate.

But in reality, we should have waited a year. But that’s hindsight.

A recent New York Times article deals with this same issue. I know you’ll read it and say, “Sure, it’s a good problem to have.” But unless you enjoy getting swamped in your boat, be vigilant and circumspect about your timing. Here are the choice elements of the Times piece:

“Mr. LaCava, Eric Heinbockel and Fabian Kaempfer are the founders of Chocomize, a Web-based company that lets its customers create their own chocolate bars from more than 100 ingredients. Its Web site opened for business late last year; then, in June, the company was briefly noted in O, the Oprah Magazine. The mention was tiny — just 36 words in a wee stripe on the bottom of a page. Nevertheless, things went haywire.

“Our server crashed,” says Mr. LaCava, recalling how their orders quintupled overnight. “The phone was ringing round the clock. We’d thought, ‘Oh, we’re going to be in Oprah! We’re going to be making so many more bars!’ We didn’t think: ‘People are going to be calling us every second of the day.’”

Other than a dedicated server, there were two more things that Chocomize lacked: employees and a white-chocolate machine big enough to meet demand. Mr. LaCava, who is 23, describes the experience this way: ‘growing pains.’”

To avoid those kinds of growing pains — or at least to take the edge off them — be ready to reap the fruits of any public exposure in the media. Otherwise, sayeth your prayers so you can survive the blessing of a ‘good problem to have.’ ”

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For more resources, see the Library topic Public and Media Relations.

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