Winning Media Interviews, Part III: Structuring Your Answers to a Question
October 29, 2009
Whether 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. Read more
Community Banks Can Leverage Employees as Brand Advocates
October 26, 2009
Tune 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. Read more
Turning Restless GenX and GenY Professionals Into Your Brand Ambassadors
October 22, 2009
Young 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? Read more
Winning Media Interviews, Part II: What Reporters Are Looking For in a Story
October 20, 2009
When 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. Read more
Winning Media Interviews, Part I: Ten Most Common Mistakes in Dealing With the Media
October 17, 2009
More than ever before, executives are being called on to represent their organizations in backgrounders, briefings and interviews with reporters from the print, broadcast and online media. These discussions offer an excellent opportunity to tell a positive story about the organization and its products and services. Read more
Email Communication Still Rules
October 13, 2009
The Wall Street Journal had an article yesterday “Why Email No Longer Rules ” about the slow demise of email, which is giving way to text messages, Facebook, Twitter and other communication channels.
But is that true? I think not. Read more
F-Shaped Pattern for Reading Web Content Could Enhance SEO Rankings
October 10, 2009
I’m not exactly sure how I came upon the study done by Jakob Nielsen about how people read web content. The study claims eyetracking visualizations show that users often read Web pages in an F-shaped pattern: two horizontal stripes followed by a vertical stripe. This could be helpful information in enhancing SEO rankings for your website or blog. Read more
What I Learned From My Husband About Having a Passion for Life
October 8, 2009
This is going to be a very personal blog to celebrate my husband Charles. My beloved passed away a week ago, but his lasting legacy will be his passion for life, especially for family, books and music.
What I admired most about him was his zest for learning. Read more