I just hung up with Denise Goolsby, a reporter for the Desert Sun, a 52,000-circulation paper in Palm Springs, California.
“I was so relieved when you picked up the phone,” she said after our interview. “I haven’t been able to find ANYBODY to talk to. Is it OK if I call you if I need you again for a story?”
But of course, Denise.
She interviewed me for at least 15 minutes on the topic of how small business people can get over their fear of public speaking (go to Toastmasters) and my opinion on things like using Power Point. (Power Point stinks, I told her because it’s overused, poorly used, and I want the audience’s attention rivted on ME, not on the screen.)
Even though I’m a professional speaker, I’m next to impossible to find when somebody Googles for the term “public speaker.” So how did she find me?
Well, I was the only one who answered the phone this afternoon. Most other public speakers who she wanted to contact were probably buying Easter baskets for their kids. Or picking up the ham. Or on vacation.
Holiday weekends, or the days before and after holidays, are excellent times to find hungry journalists who are searching for sources.
Mark your calendar right now for May 29. It’s Memorial Day in the U.S. And the entire weekend is ripe for pitching.