Do It With ZEAL

Do it with ZEAL!

The philosophy behind ZEAL PR, Inc. is that elationships are the key to success, and good relationships are built with integrity and passion.  They’re built with ZEAL!

Not every budget can afford ads, but no business or organization can afford to ignore PR. 

We work with you to identify your key audiences and other groups with whom you need a solid relationship, and then develop a concrete plan of action to make those relationships possible.   

We focus on the long-term success of building relationships, not the quick fixes that are like bubble gum -- very good for a very short time, and quickly flat, tasteless and disposed of. 

PR includes a variety of activities, such as timely, content-rich news releases, informative and entertaining newsletters, enewsleters and blogs and effective use of social networking.  It requires staying ahead of trends, keeping content current and fresh, and knowing what’s happening in your industry. 

The rules of good PR have changed, but still come down to old-fashioned good manners. 

Be personal.  Be real.  Be honest.  When you meet someone new, follow up with a personally written note.  When someone does something for you, send a hand-written thank you note.  If you tell someone you’ll do something, do it right and on time. 

Public Relations is, at its core, about personal touches.

In addition to managing your PR activities, ZEAL can create a comprehensive Advertising Plan to meet your budget and reach your target markets.   Unlike other firms, we do not charge a percentage of your ad buys so every penny of your ad budget goes to work directly for you.

We’ll do an initial consultation to assess where you are now and where you want to go, and then put together a proposed plan of action based on your specific needs and objectives.   Then the fun starts!

When we go to work for you, we do it with honesty, integrity and passion.  We do it WITH ZEAL!

 Whatever you do, do it with ZEAL!

Doing it from A to Zeal: ZEAL!

"Experience shows that success is due less to ability than to zeal.  The winner is he who gives himself to his work body and soul."  -- Charles Buxton.

Zeal = Passionate devotion or interest in a cause or subject.  Enthusiasm. Eagerness.

Synonyms include, ardor, enthusiasm, fervor, fire, passion, zealousness.

Antonyms: apathy, indifference, lethargy.

When I started my own PR firm, I wasn't sure if I should give it a name or just use my own.  I played around with a few ideas, including "Pierce PR" - but given what I had gone through to end my marriage to "Pierce" I just couldn't stomach it.  A friend and I played around with my name, Binzel, and from it, she came up with ZEAL.  Immediately I knew that was the name for me.  I liked what it meant and how it felt.

I believe, just as Buxton said, that the difference between success and failure often comes down to zeal.  When I am representing my clients, if I can't express ZEAL for them, how is anyone else supposed to be excited about them?   ZEAL comes from within; it is not created.  While it can be dampened, it can't be faked. 

I will only accept (and retain) clients for whom I can feel a sense of ZEAL.  (I would say genuine ZEAL, but that's an oxymoron.)  What makes me a success as a PR person is my authenticity.  Media people know they are always getting honest, accurate information from me.  What makes me genuine is my ZEAL.

I have ZEAL as a mother, a dog owner, a cat servant, a Christian, a friend, a sister, a Tribe fan, and crossword puzzle solver.  I don't particularly have zeal for doing laundry, confrontations, or pursuing a 9-5 career. 

When I am doing it with ZEAL, I have energy for the tasks at hand.  I'm motivated to succeed.  Obstacles don't stop me. 

Whatever you do, do it with ZEAL.

Nancy Bin"zeal" Pierce, Chief Zealot, ZEAL PR, Inc.

Staying awake in the theater

  Kudos to Actor's Summit in Hudson, Ohio for their brilliant move to attract new audience members.

The semi-professional theater company is offering free tickets to anyone holding tickets to an upcoming-but-now-canceled show at The Carousel Dinner Theater, which announced this weekend that it's dropping the curtain for good and closing its doors.

Read the full article about the ticket offer here and about Carousel closing here.

It's a brilliant move.  Dozens of people who have purchased tickets to upcoming shows at Carousel are obviously theater goers.  (Trust me, they weren't going to the Carousel for its food.)  I'll bet that 70% or more have never even heard of Actor's Summit, despite its glowing reviews.  But now these people can go and check it out for free.  The folks at Actor's Summit are smart enough to know that only a small percentage of those who take advantage of the offer will return to buy tickets to future shows, but they recognize it as a good investment in audience development -- not to mention all the free publicity they're getting for their act of good will. 

It reminds me that I haven't been to a show there in a while and makes me want to go, if for no other reason than to say, "Bravo!" for your heads-up move.

When you make a heads-up move, make it WITH ZEAL!

Nancy Pierce, Chief Zealot

Zeal PR, Inc.

Doing it from A to Zeal: Y is for Year

Like most people, I like to take some time to reflect on the year that's ending and make plans for the new one beginning.  I usually do it more seriously around my birthday than I do in December, though.

However, two things I always do at the end of a calendar year are to pick a "coolest new friend" of the year, and pick a word for new year.

My "coolest new friend" has to be someone I met during the year who has now become a very important and influential part of my life.  Most years it's an absolute no brainer.  There is usually someone new in my life who I can't imagine going more than a couple of days without talking to.  This year has been tough.  I've met a lot of people, but no one person has become a truly close friend.  So I looked a little bit deeper to determine who has really influenced and inspired me.  There are a lot of people in that category!    I was fortunate this year to be hired by a local Christian school to handle marketing and community relations.  It's a part-time job allowing me to still service my Zeal clients.  Working at the school has allowed me to get to know some amazingly strong people - strong in their commitments, strong in their faith, and strong in their ZEAL.  My choice for "coolest new friend" is the headmaster of the school, a woman who I've never seen waiver for a second in her commitment to her students, staff or family, her faith, or her ZEAL.  Her example is very inspiring to me, and I think of her as an extraordinary role model for how a professional woman of faith conducts herself.  Plus, she has a great sense of humor, loves peanut M&Ms, AND she's an animal lover!

My friend Marcia gave me the idea for a "year of the word."  She told me that instead of resolutions, she picks a word to inspire her.  Her word for 2007 - exuberance.  For 2008, she was "outrageous."  My word for 2008 was CONFIDENCE.  I needed to approach life with confidence.  At times when I was feeling weak I would ask myself, "How would someone with confidence act?" and that's what I'd do. 

I've given a lot of thought to my word for 2009.  I purposely put a lot of balls in the air this year and it's time to bring them down and work toward resolution.  I considered "resolution" as my word, but decided resolution isn't always in my control.  I can only control what I do.  So... my word for 2009 is ... drum roll please ... ACTION.  It's time for me to stop floating along and take ACTION.

I challenge you to name your coolest new friend of 2008 and to pick your word for 2009!  Share them with me here.

When you celebrate the New Year, celebrate it WITH ZEAL!

Nancy Pierce, Chief Zealot, ZEAL PR, Inc.

Why you should never use internal jargon for an external piece

 

This is the front cover of a magazine put out by a hospital system.  Turns out "ED" means "Emergency Department" to them. 

Doing it from A to Zeal: X is for oXymoron

I love oxymorons.  Two words or a phrase in which the words contradict each other, like "jumbo shrimp."

Recently I heard a radio ad for a local Catholic girls high school.  The tag line was, "Building women leaders in the Catholic tradition."  What?  Since when were women in leadership in the Catholic church??? 

I also love in "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" when Hermey the Elf says to Rudolph, "Whadda ya say we be independent together?"

A McDonald's near me has a sign in the parking lot that reads, "Parking for Drive-Thru only."

I posted a question on linkedin.com asking people to share their favorite oxymorons.  Over a dozen people responded with the following:

Authentic reproduction

Military intelligence

Giant Dwarf (sun)

Unreasonable feeling (cognitive vs. affective)

Active Reserves

Business Ethics

Crisis Management

Paperless Office

Farewell Reception

Mild Violence

Small Skirmish (only to those not in it)

Peaceful Revolution

Seriously, you need to lighten up.

Honorable villain

Free with purchase

Virtual reality

Little Big Horn

Organized chaos

Pretty ugly

Freezer burn

Sound of silence

Secret service (see dem suits?)

Old news

A real phony

Definite maybe

Sutdent teacher

Original copy

Plastic glasses, plastic silverware

Microsoft Works

In Person Absentee Voting Here

Friendly fire

Fresh Frozen

Universal isolation

Young Republican

Civil War

Senate Intelligence Committee

Country Music (one could substitute "Top 40" for "country" and it would also be an oxymoron)

Have a happy Monday

--------------------------------------------

I'd like to do a survey of my other favorite - redundancies.  Like George W. Bush claiming to have had "faulty intelligence."   What are some of your favorite oxymorons or redundancies?

Whatever you do (meekly), do it WITH ZEAL!!

Nancy Pierce

Chief Zealot, ZEAL PR, Inc.

 

I agreed to meet with her because...

 

I got a call today from an advertising rep who wanted to meet with me on behalf of one of my clients. 

This client is a non-profit with a relatively small advertising budget, 90% of which is already committed.  I was on the verge of politely telling her that -- while thanking her for her time and ending the conversation there.

However, the woman calling me told me why she was interested in working with the organization -- in just two fairly concise sentences!   And it wasn't just fluff.  She had clearly taken the time to learn about it, what it stands for and what it does.  In under 10 seconds,  she expressed genuine admiration based on her own personal experience. 

I agreed to meet with her because it's clear to me that she is truly interested in the organization's success.  More than that, she spoke to me WITH ZEAL.

When you call to get an appointment, speak WITH ZEAL.

Nancy Binzel Pierce, Chief Zealot, ZEAL PR, Inc.

Doing it from A to Zeal: W is for Wink

 

I about went through the roof during the October 2 Vice Presidential debate when Sarah Palin winked.

If you want to see for yourself, click here to watch.

Diane Stafford of McClatchy Newspapers says it best:

"Can you imagine any woman being interviewed for a corporate job who winks at her interviewers?  In a professional setting it would be tantamount to saying, 'I may not have the answer, but aren't I cute?'"

We all use what we have and I suspect that charm and cutsey-ness are how Sarah Palin has gotten where she is.  

How else do you explain a former beauty queen becoming governor?  Charm works in politics.  Think of Ronald Reagan.  What exactly were his qualifications to become president?   For that matter, what about our current president?  

Reagan's charms translated well because after all, he was particularly well suited to appear on a large screen.  President W. Bush uses boyish charm to cover his gaffes, usually with success.  Humor and charm would've helped former VP Dan Quayle tremendously, who, when he made mistakes, tended to look angry and defensive, or worse, clueless.

I can't decide if Gov. Palin knows she's not the sharpest blade on the hockey skate and works to cover for it, or if she's gotten by for so long by being cute that she honestly thinks she's smart.  Regardless, her folksiness is second nature to her.  She even tried to be Ronald Reagan when she said to Joe Biden, "There you go again."  I wished Biden would've turned to her and said, "I kneww Ronald Reagan.  I served with Ronald Reagan, and you, ma'am, are no Ronald Reagan."

We have the right to expect that the first woman to land in the White House above the ranks of a staffer SHOULD be intelligent and articulate without having to rely on gimmicks.

Now about that wink.  Or rather, those six winks!  How did you feel when you saw them?  What non-verbal message did they convey to you?  In general, when someone winks at you, what message do you get?

Diane Mapes interviewed several experts to find out why we wink and what it means.

Dr. Roy S. Rubinfield, an ophthalmologist and clinical correspondent for the American Academy of Opthalmology, says winking is generally a deliberate expression of personality and a learned behavior.  "I would think that winking is something she's done since she was a kid.  It's become part of her personality and body language."

David B. Givens, director of the Center for Nonverbal Studies, agrees. "Winking is probably something Sarah Palin has done throughout her teenage years and adult life... to get people on her side.  But... to me it gave (her words) a slightly deceptive ring, like she didn't believe what she was saying."

President George W. Bush winked at Queen Elizabeth II during a 2007 visit to England to cover for accidentally suggesting that the queen was more than 200 years old.  The Queen was not amused. 

Neither are we.

Whenever you wink, wink WITH ZEAL.

Nancy Pierce, Chief Zealot, ZEAL PR, Inc.

Doing it from A to Zeal: V is for Vote!

  Every four years, we hear the same thing - that this is the most important presidential election in our history.  Of course we think it is the "most important ever" because it's the one that will affect us NOW and in our future! 

The course our country takes is truly up to us.  In this election we are saying we want to be the President, who will speak for us in the House of Representatives, and who 1/3 of our U.S. Senators will be.  This next president is likely to make at least one if not two appoints to the U.S. Supreme Court.  If you want to have a say in this, then VOTE. 

Of all the differnces between the candidates the one I'm shocked that hasn't come to the forefront is age differnce.  John McCain and Barack Obama are 25 years apart - the largest gap between two major party candidates ever.   I'm not sure exactly what that means, but it really amazes me.  The age difference between McCain and Sarah Palin is also the largest between the two members of a ticket - 28 years.  George H.W. Bush and Dan Quayle are 23 years apart.  Does that mean anything?  Yes, even though, again, I'm not sure what.

In a previous post, I wrote about ours being the "un-generation."  I was corrected - ours is known as Generation Jones.    We're the generation that is too young to be Boomes yet too old to be X'ers.  Chuck Underwood of Generational Imperative calls us "late-wave Boomers."  No matter what we're called, it seems we're pretty important to this election. 

When you vote, vote WITH ZEAL.

Nancy Pierce, Chief Zealot, ZEAL PR, Inc.

Tonight's Debate - How to Watch

I received this from Leslie Ungar at Electric Impulse Communications today.  (I highly recommend subscribing to receive her free newsletter each month.)

I enjoy taking a step back from the whole political process as a voter so that I can observe it from a PR person's perspective.  Leslie offers some terrific tips for doing that during tonight's debate from a communications expert point of view.

Read Leslie's 10 Tips here or read them below.

When you observe a debate, observe it WITH ZEAL.

Nancy Pierce, Chief Zealot, ZEAL PR, Inc.

 

10 Tips to Watch the Town Hall

Presidential Debate

Posted on October 5, 2008 by electricimpulse

1. Who Looks Presidential?
If you remember 9/11 then you know this is an important characteristic.

ho embodies trust, belief, and inspiration?

2. Who Best Represents Your Personal Future?
Who do you believe, based on values or logic, best represents

the future you want to see designed in the next four or eight years,

for America and the world?

3. Who Most Effectively Represents the Country’s Future?
Who sounds and looks like they represent the America of 2009, 2010, and 2012?
Who sounds and looks like they represent America in a global world?

4. Who Has a Vision? The person with the vision has more value than the people

who implement the vision. Vision is both a mindset and the ability to communicate

that mindset to get buy-in from the audience. Who has a vision, is strategic

in word and deed? Remember, strategy is the “what”, tactical is the “how”.

5. Who is Consistent?
Consistency has a great value, in your company and in the presidential race.

Who is most consistent, day in and day out, in a debate, interview, a

commercial, their action?

6. Observe and Record Your Mental and Emotional Responses Make a note

each time you agree or disagree with a statement by each nominee. Make a

note of each time you say to yourself, “That makes sense,” and each time

you say to yourself,  “That’s nonsense.” Do keep in mind, however,

that your mental responses always will reflect your values, your beliefs,

your bias, and your prejudices.  If you can honestly admit to yourself

that you are not seeing or hearing the nominee objectively, if you would

praise one and criticize the other no matter what he said, record your r

esponses at only half value to offset your bias.

7. Who Demonstrates Question Avoidance?
A standard technique taught in media training for politicians is to

sidestep questions they do not wish to answer and instead focus on

their talking points. When it is done well, when the art of dodging is hidden,

it is invisible. When it is not done well, it looks and sounds like spinning and

audiences tend to dislike the act and the person perpetuating the spin.

8. Watch Eye Movement According to basic eye movement cues in the

lexicon of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), you can tell a lot about

what’s happening inside a person’s mind by the person’s eye movements.

You are looking for congruity, that is, when they eyes and the mouth are e

xpressing the same things.
Here are five basic cues from NLP:
* Eyes Up and Left: remembered imagery [e.g., remembering the facts].
* Eyes Up and Right: constructed imagery and visual fantasy [e.g., creating a lie].
* Eyes Lateral Right: remembered sounds and words and “tape loops”
* Eyes Down and Left: Internal dialogue, or inner self-talk.
* Eyes Straight Ahead but Defocused or Dilated: Quick access to sensory

information, usually visual [e.g., telling the truth] Other useful links at Kenesic.com

9. Watch Body Language
You can learn much about the nominee by his body language. Does he

cross his arms or put a hand in his pocket? Does he gesture with his hand

open or balled into a fist? Are his shoulders relaxed or hunched around

his neck. Are his hands relaxed or fidgeting? Is he smiling naturally or

forcing a smile?
You are looking for congruity, that is, when they body and the mouth

are expressing the same things.

10. Fact Check for Mistakes and Purposeful Misconceptions
I suggest going to the following independent sources: Annenberg’s

 FactCheck.org, The Washington Post Fact Checker Blog, St. Petersburg

Times and Congressional Quarterly PolitiFact.com, and the public

fact-checking website, Spot.us.