QVC Infomercial: Star in a Famous Person's Infomercial
by Susan Harrow
Published on this site: August 6th, 2005 - See
more articles from this month
Not many people are qualified to have their own infomercial.
You have to be a great mediagenic salesperson, have a product
with large profit margins that appeals to millions, and fits
into a category that is already a known, successful seller.
But you can star in an infomercial of someone already established.
Being a part of a profitable infomercial can bring you opportunities
you never even imagined. This is the story of Donna Richards
who was chosen out of 160 hand-picked people to get the part
to help promote Tony Robbins' Get the Edge, one of his popular
core programs.
Robbins has already transformed the lives of over 3 million
people in over 80 countries. His reach is huge. A Tony Robbins
infomercial airs somewhere in the world every 12 and one-half
minutes and has done so for the past 7 years. That's the kind
of publicity that money can't buy.
Here are some requirements that Richards fulfilled to get
the starring role in a Tony Robbin's infomercial. If you follow
these tips you, too, have a chance to get your product out
to millions of TV viewers all over the globe - using someone
else's money, prestige, power - and air-time.
- You have a dramatic story about how a product changed
your life.
The story needs to have big highs and lows. My client, Donna
Richards, author of "My Brother's Keeper, A Kindergartner's
View of Autism (http://www.mybrotherskeeper.biz)
was already rich when a woman employee was shot in one of
the two pawn shops she owned. Almost overnight Donna lost
both businesses and became bankrupt. She went to hear Tony
Robbins speak (for fr.e.e.), borrowed money to get his Get
the Edge program and began putting her life back together.
She said, "I went from driving a $50,000 Lexis to counting
pennies to scrape together 59 cents to buy a burrito for
my son as a single mom." She listened to "Get
the Edge" on the way to her first job and on the way
home from her second job, every day. Within a year she had
bought a house, dumped an abusive husband, and was making
2 million a year in a new business. Is that a great testimonial
to how well "Get the Edge" worked? The producer
of Tony Robbins' infomercial thought so.
- Make the host look good.
Tie your success and the success of your business and product
back to the host again and again. Donna and I worked on
her story to incorporate all the different ways "Get
the Edge" made a difference in her life. She discussed
how, when the Doctors all told her what her autistic son,
Justin, couldn't do, she pushed through her frustration,
anger and denial by using the Robbins' technique of "Incantation"
(In CAN tation) in the "Get the Edge" program.
While Doctors said Justin couldn't talk, couldn't go to
regular school, couldn't be anything but a retard, she proved
them wrong on all accounts. She thanked the Robbins' company
for her fortitude and for the results that positively impacted her son, and her entire family.
- Romance the producers.
The producers are often neglected because the focus is on
the host, the star - but they do all the hard work behind
the scenes. Give them gratitude - and gifts. Donna sent
a big basket of chocolates and goodies to the producer after
she made the cut. Who loves Donna now and would do anything
for her?
Of course in addition to sending sumptuous stuff Donna did
everything she was asked to with a smile. Like, drop everything
(she works full time at her own business - now a 3 million
dollar a year venture) to talk to the QVC attorneys for
hours to make sure anything she was planning on saying was
legally viable. Like, get the clothes that the producers
requested so she'd be dressed appropriately for the set
- and represent the Robbins' product in the best possible
light.
Like, get her story honed down to 6 minutes (which we went
through a dozen times, timed it and actually got it down
to 3 minutes) with the knowledge that she may need to change
it on the spot as Tony likes to be spontaneous. The filming
is live, so the pressure is great.
Do you want to know what it takes to pass a producer's interview
(their call to you) to get in an infomercial or on a TV talk
show? Learn what they're looking for so you can make the cut
and sell your book, product, service or promote your business
or cause. Go to: http://www.prsecretstore.com/tvtalkshowsecrets.html
Susan Harrow, CEO of PRSecrets.com and BookedOnOprah.com,
is a top media coach, marketing strategist and author of
- Sell Yourself Without Selling Your Soul (HarperCollins),
- The Ultimate Guide to Getting Booked on Oprah, and
- Get a 6-Figure Book Advance.
Clients include Fortune 500 CEOs, best-selling authors and
entrepreneurs who have appeared on Oprah, 60 Minutes, NPR,
and in TIME, USA Today, Parade, People, O, NY Times, WSJ,
and Inc.
|