Archive for the ‘media skills’ Category

Be Different!

Saturday, September 29th, 2007

What separates the good from the great when it comes to making speeches or media appearances? The biggest difference is that great media performances or speeches contain some message that is different or unique.

If you want to be considered a great interview, you have got to come up with a message that sets you apart. Too many of my clients come to me with boring media messages or speeches. Sure they get through the interview OK. No harm is done to their career. But the real question is how much more could they have helped their career if they had spent more time coming up with something genuinely interesting to say to the media or their speaking audiences?

Aggressive Vs. Pushy – Media Spotlight

Friday, September 28th, 2007

What do you do if you are a guest on a TV or radio news program and the other guest or guests are hogging all of the airtime?

For starters, remember, this is no time to be passive. Air time is valuable and you are going to have to fight for yours. Do not simply wait to be called upon by the host or moderator.

Next, listen strategically. When the host or guest says something you can react to and add to, do so instantly. You aren’t in First Grade and you don’t have to raise your hand and wait to be called on by the teacher.

Bad and Worse Reviews – Offending Someone

Thursday, September 27th, 2007

If you speak long enough to groups in-person or on TV or radio, you are likely to offend somebody seriously. If you are on a TV or radio show that has a call-in format, you might be called a fascist or a communist, simply for expressing a mild preference for a mainstream political figure. If you are giving a speech, someone in the audience may ask you a threatening question, or worse, try to shout you down.

The Media Tortures Those Without Speaking Skills

Thursday, September 27th, 2007

Members of the media have become increasingly demanding toward the subjects they cover. Members of the mainstream media seemingly take great delight in exposing a big shot’s inability to manipulate the media.

Case in point, look at this story on the front page section of the January 9, 2006 New York Times sports page on New York Jets general manager, Terry Bradway. If you think that just because you are not a politician or the CEO of a big public company that the media will somehow take it easy on you, just read below and you will be disabused of that notion.

Answering Media Questions With Precision

Wednesday, September 19th, 2007

Of all the things I teach people to do during media interview training, by far the hardest is to get them to repeat all three of their main message points IN EVERY SINGLE ANSWER. This is an odd, weird thing to do. In real life, if you repeat yourself often, your friends and family will lock you up. But media interviews aren’t real life.

Leaders Of Every Stripe Need Communication Skills

Friday, September 14th, 2007

The headline in the New York Times said three day after Pope John Paul II died, “Cardinals Want Next Pope To Be Strong Communicator.”

Regardless of your views on the Pope John Paul II’s politics, he was a skilled communicator who routinely dominated the headlines, broadcasts and airwaves around the world—even when he wasn’t traveling to a foreign country. The Catholic Church, as an institution, realizes the importance of a strong communicator in the head position. Whether it is giving a sermon (which is really just another name for a speech or presentation) or appearing at a press conference, Pope’s must communicate strong and forceful messages (that’s what Popes do).

Managing Your Worst Nightmare

Sunday, September 9th, 2007

You are about to face a tough interview and you fear certain subjects that might come up. Why?

If you really want to prepare for a new media interview, then write down what you think the 20 hardest, nastiest, toughest, meanest questions a reporter could ask you. When you are finished with the list, walk away from it for a few minutes. Next, pick up the list and read the questions out loud. Then, with colleagues, associates or other PR counsel figure out the most positive, non-defensive way to answer these questions within 10 seconds AND (and I do mean AND AND AND) how to bridge back to one or more of your main positive message points that you want to get across during the interview (talk about those for the next 20-30 seconds to complete your answer).

Media Skills: There’s No Taking Back Words After They Have Left Your Mouth

Thursday, September 6th, 2007

Here is an actual exchange between a journalist and a European business executive that quickly went sour, all because the business executive failed to understand one basic principle of media relations: you have 100% control over what you say, but 0% control over what a reporter writes. You should never try to control a journalist by claiming that you are withdrawing their rights to use your name and quotes. That will only anger the reporter and make you an object of scorn and ridicule. If you don’t want to see something quoted, then don’t say it in the first place.

The Unexpected Hit

Thursday, August 23rd, 2007

One of the fascinating things about making in-person or media presentations is that you never know when something that seems destined for failure becomes a hit. In 2005 there was a book climbing the best-seller lists entitled “On Bullsh#$” by Princeton philosopher Harry G. Frankfurt.

The book’s success is surprising at many levels. It was supposed to fail for the following reasons:

Media Skills: Your Worst Media Nightmare

Tuesday, August 14th, 2007

Every once in awhile, you come across a media interview with a celebrity or high profile business executive and you think “wow, it couldn’t be worse than that. This person’s reputation is destroyed!”

The following are quotes and excerpts from a front page story in the business section of the May 16th, 2005 New York Times, above the fold, on Russell Simmons, a music and fashion entrepreneur.

The quotes from Simmons and the story surrounding them are such a disaster that they need no commentary from me. So sit back and brace yourself for the train wreck that follows.