Archive for October, 2009
Winning Media Interviews, Part III: Structuring Your Answers to a Question
Posted by: | CommentsWhether you are being interviewed by a print, broadcast or online reporter, you should structure your answer in what journalists call the “inverted pyramid” style. That is, you lead with your most important message. For many executives, this is in direct contrast to the way they approach a problem, that is, by gathering the facts and building a case for a proposal or recommendation.
Just read the lead article in your daily newspaper tomorrow, and you’ll see that the most important news is in the “lead,” or the first paragraph. Unless you have a personal interest in the subject, it is doubtful that you will read the entire article. The facts will be written in descending order of importance, with background detail at the end of the story.
When framing your answer, think in “headlines.” Your headline should be short and simple with one idea. The headline is, in effect, your most important key message that you want to communicate to the reader or listener. It will be supported by evidence, examples, facts, personal experience, anecdotes, visuals, etc. In a television interview, you may not have time for more than one headline and a couple of supporting facts.
As an example of a headline, the House of Representatives is investigating brain injuries to football players. Facing a barrage of nasty questions from House committee members regarding National Football League policies and research, the Commissioner Roger Goodell responded, “I can think of no issue to which I’ve devoted more time and attention than the health and well-being of our players, and particularly retired players.” This is the key message he wants as his takeaway: that baseball is committed to the health and well-being of its active and retired players. Time will tell if his message holds up or is refuted.
Community Banks Can Leverage Employees as Brand Advocates
Posted by: | CommentsTune in to Blog Talk Radio for my thoughts about how community banks can leverage employees as brand advocates and disinguish themselves from money center banks and regional competitors. I was interviewed by Jeff Simpkins, host of this weekly internet radio show and head of Community Bank Consulting about how community banks can differentiate themselves from larger money center and regional banks. But companies in every industry can team with their employees as brand advocates to provide better service and build their business through social media like Twitter, FaceBook and LinkedIn. I also discuss this in other posts including “7 Steps to Making Your Employees Brand Ambassadors.” I would love to hear from you about what your company is doing to leverage social media.
Turning Restless GenX and GenY Professionals Into Your Brand Ambassadors
Posted by: | CommentsYoung GenX and GenY professionals have a different mindset about work. Baby Boomers worked long hours to reach the pinnacle of their careers. Their parents were products of the conservative 50s. Their grandparents were depression-era babies with the narrow goal of making do. So what do today’s young people want?
They want to contribute to making a better world and value work-life balance. Their personalities are tied to their PDAs and they feel they can work from anywhere. The old notion of “face time” in the office is a goner.
So how do employers recognize these differences and turn them into benefits for the company and employees? Paladino and Company. (yes, owned by my two terrific nephews) has established a Global Green Ambassador Program to create excitement within the firm while aligning with its brand as one of the country’s leading green building and sustainability consulting firms.
The Program provides cash and matching grants to employees who volunteer their time to help people in need, and to work towards a sustainable planet. Within the giving program is a new initiative, the Outbound Ambassadorship Grant, that enables one employee each year to take a one-month sabbatical at half-pay, with travel and housing expenses paid, to pursue a project that contributes to a sustainable environment. Individuals will submit proposals for their projects. The entire company gets involved because each project is peer reviewed. The peer review panel chooses the winner. The Program empowers employees to be brand ambassadors for the firm as they are doing good.
It’s a win-win for everyone. The company is responding to young people’s need for new challenges. Employees compete for the honor to be the Ambassador, yet there is teamwork involved in choosing projects, evaluating and discussing them. The process also sparks new ideas the company can use.
So, what is your company doing to keep your young professionals engaged and excited to be working there?
Winning Media Interviews, Part II: What Reporters Are Looking For in a Story
Posted by: | CommentsWhen you have the opportunity to be interviewed, you will no doubt have thought about the key messages you want to communicate. This is important and the right thing to do. It comes under “being prepared.” But you also need to know what reporters are looking for in a story and it may not always be what you are interested in talking about. Before the interview, be sure you’ve researched the media outlet and read/watched the last few stories the reporter has written. If the reporter feasts on controversy and you don’t want controversy, think twice about doing the interview. But if you are good to go, this is what you need to know about what reporters want:
- What’s new. Reporters are always looking for “what’s new.” Are you announcing a new service, a new president, sponsoring an important event, releasing the results of a survey?
- Trends. Trends in your industry that are affecting the way business is being done, impacting large numbers of people, influencing public policy.
- Stories with a beginning, middle and an end. Reporters love to hear the words, “For example,” because they know they are likely to hear an interesting story that will clarify and possibly even entertain.
- Conflict. Differing points of view on important subjects of wide interest, i.e., health reform, the economy, the environment, etc.
- Visuals. Charts, graphs, product samples and other visuals that will improve their understanding of the story, and stimulate the interest of their readers or viewers.
- Juicy quotes. A sound bite for television, a lead or “grabber” for a newspaper article.
- Oddball angles. Man bites dog. The expected turned on its head
So, when you’re preparing for your interview, see how many of these “wants” you can include.
