Peter Shankman is an author, entrepreneur, speaker, and a worldwide connector. Peter is best known for founding Help A Reporter Out, (HARO) in 2008, which in under a year became the number one website for thousands of journalists on deadline to connect with experts and sourcesfor their stories around the globe. In June of 2010, less than three years after Peter started HARO, it was acquired by Vocus, Inc.

Peter is the founder of ShankMinds: Business Masterminds, a series of small business entrepreneurial-style masterminds in over 25 cities worldwide. Additionally, Peter is also the founder and CEO of The Geek Factory, Inc., a boutique Social Media, Marketing and PR Strategy firm located in New York City, with clients worldwide.

Peter is the author of four books: Zombie Loyalists: Using Great Service to Create Rabid Fans, Nice Companies Finish First: Why Cutthroat Management is Over, and Collaboration is in, Can We Do That?! Outrageous PR Stunts That Work–And Why Your Company Needs Them and Customer Service: New Rules for a Social Media World.

In this episode you’ll learn:

  • [01:26] How Peter differentiates his pitch by showing up with pizza in the client’s offices?
  • [03:00] How not to suck as a service provider?
  • [04:48] What are the questions Peter asks the client on the first meeting?
  • [06:40] How should an agency come up with a hook to a PR pitch?
  • [07:40] Why spotting trends is crucial for pitching?
  • [08:21] How are Peter’s businesses structured right now?
  • [10:40] How did Peter get his first speaking gig?
  • [11:20] Peter’s process for coming up with a talk idea that captivates the audience?
  • [14:45] Why did Peter build ShankMinds?
  • [17:45] How Peter ensures that his mastermind members get value out of it?
  • [19:38] How Peter structures his day?
  • [22:07] How did Peter find out he’s a terrible manager?

Links mentioned:

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About The Author

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Alex Berman is the founder and chief content creator of X27 Marketing. He is passionate about promoting efficient B2B lead generation channels and executing on data-driven strategies for his clients.