A communications major at the University of Florida recently interviewed me regarding what it takes to be successful in public relations. I offer the following tips that I gave her.
Successful PR professionals:
• Always get their key message across. Whether it is a news release, brochure, media interview or social media “Tweet,” PR pros are focused on the message(s) they need to communicate. Even if someone tries to lead them down another path, a PR pro knows how to transition back to the message to keep the spotlight on it!
• Are very good writers in both short and long form. Study grammar and style. Be crystal clear and concise in your writing. The more writing you can do, the more constructive feedback you can get to help you improve.
• Part of being a good writer is reading good writing. Some of the best PR writers in the World are editors in magazines such as Time, Newsweek and US News. Read their stories and you’ll see nearly perfect style and form. You’ll pick up sentence structures and how they crafted their story. I encourage our young staffers to read the story, and then try to recreate in their mind, or on paper if they have the time, the news release that was originally sent to the reporter.
• Are good verbal communicators. In many cases, a PR person is front and center in an interview on behalf of a company. It’s important to know your key messages, be able to transition to them, how to counter misleading questions and, of course, look calm and cool under the circumstances.
• Are creative at what they do. While all of the above is important and vital for success, you have to remember that everyone else is doing the same thing to capture a reporter’s attention. So it’s important to be creative in your approach to pitching the media about a topic, writing a news release with a headline and first paragraph that has some flair to it, creating social media tools that not only educate but are somewhat entertaining. At the end of the day, you may have the best news release ever written, but the reporter who receives it already has seen 100 other releases and will give your release about six seconds to scan it… It’s important to capture their interest from the very first word.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Crisis PR 101
With the environmental disaster in the Gulf... and the crisis PR being deployed by BP... it should remind everyone to be prepared for a crisis themselves. Here are some tips:
First of all, every company should have a crisis plan in place before a crisis actually occurs. Without a plan and when a crisis happens, mistakes in handling the PR function often occurs. The key is to be prepared with an action plan, a hot tip sheet to answer in key talking points, have an executive on hand who has been media trained and a good assessment of what has occurred.
In a crisis, PR practitioners need to talk to give people information. If they do not talk, someone else will do it for them. Their competitors, dissatisfied customers, industry experts and former employees will all have something to say about the situation. But only the practitioners have the company's best interest at heart.
Be honest! Crisis management is also about regaining trust. PR practitioners cannot lie their way out of a crisis – it will always backfire. Being dishonest during an emergency response campaign is a sure way to navigate the company into troubled waters. If investors, customers or business partners find out that the company is trying to finagle them, credibility is gone. A crisis is the time to step up and show competency and commitment to honesty. The victims of a crisis deserve to know the truth.
In any crisis situation, you should be prepared to answer the "Big Three" crisis media questions. These questions are asked with surprising consistency in any emergency situation, regardless of the nature of the crisis. Answers to these questions set the tone for general media coverage.
Q: What happened?
A: Be honest and provide as many facts as possible. Send out updates as further information becomes available. The goal when answering question one is to appear competent and transparent. Show stakeholders that you know what you are talking about, have gathered all relevant information and are forwarding all available facts. Do not hide anything!
Q: Why did it happen?
A: Give the reasons as to why the situation occurred. When responding to an accident, you might not be able to answer this question right away. Investigations often take months and you might find yourself in a position where you will have to deal with rumors and accusations. Do not speculate; it will not help the victims of your crisis.
Q: What are you going to do about it?
A: As you might have guessed, this is your chance to shine. This question gives the company the opportunity to show that it is professional, responsible and prepared. Tell stakeholders what actions will be taken to help them during this difficult situation. Make sure to get the answer to this question right because you might only have one try.
First of all, every company should have a crisis plan in place before a crisis actually occurs. Without a plan and when a crisis happens, mistakes in handling the PR function often occurs. The key is to be prepared with an action plan, a hot tip sheet to answer in key talking points, have an executive on hand who has been media trained and a good assessment of what has occurred.
In a crisis, PR practitioners need to talk to give people information. If they do not talk, someone else will do it for them. Their competitors, dissatisfied customers, industry experts and former employees will all have something to say about the situation. But only the practitioners have the company's best interest at heart.
Be honest! Crisis management is also about regaining trust. PR practitioners cannot lie their way out of a crisis – it will always backfire. Being dishonest during an emergency response campaign is a sure way to navigate the company into troubled waters. If investors, customers or business partners find out that the company is trying to finagle them, credibility is gone. A crisis is the time to step up and show competency and commitment to honesty. The victims of a crisis deserve to know the truth.
In any crisis situation, you should be prepared to answer the "Big Three" crisis media questions. These questions are asked with surprising consistency in any emergency situation, regardless of the nature of the crisis. Answers to these questions set the tone for general media coverage.
Q: What happened?
A: Be honest and provide as many facts as possible. Send out updates as further information becomes available. The goal when answering question one is to appear competent and transparent. Show stakeholders that you know what you are talking about, have gathered all relevant information and are forwarding all available facts. Do not hide anything!
Q: Why did it happen?
A: Give the reasons as to why the situation occurred. When responding to an accident, you might not be able to answer this question right away. Investigations often take months and you might find yourself in a position where you will have to deal with rumors and accusations. Do not speculate; it will not help the victims of your crisis.
Q: What are you going to do about it?
A: As you might have guessed, this is your chance to shine. This question gives the company the opportunity to show that it is professional, responsible and prepared. Tell stakeholders what actions will be taken to help them during this difficult situation. Make sure to get the answer to this question right because you might only have one try.
Friday, April 23, 2010
"How To Give A Great Interview."
Posted by Emmy Award journalist - and director of Public Relations for cPR - Matthew Schwartz.
My previous blog discussed some of the things that make a bad interview. If you’re a company spokesperson, how you handle an interview can directly affect your firm’s bottom line. You might be on the news once a year, or even less frequently. Your eight second sound bite could actually affect your company for years to come. Don’t blow it! Here are some tips I’ve come up with after 30-plus years as a television news reporter.
When the station calls requesting an interview, find out the reporter’s name. Do a little homework on that person. Better yet, try to watch one of the reporter’s pieces on the station’s Web site or elsewhere on the Internet. Then, when you meet you can tell them you saw the piece and compliment them. Who doesn’t like a compliment? And the reporter just might be a little nicer to you when it comes to writing the story.
During the interview, say the reporter’s name a few times during the course of your answers, such as “Yes, Matthew, that was a big day for us.” Many reporters like using sound bites with their names in them, as though the interviewee is on a first-name basis with them.
If appropriate and you have any video that helps explain the story, make sure it’s available and ready when the reporter arrives. If it’s pertinent and exciting “b roll,” as it’s still often called, reporters will be grateful to you.
You will turn-off the reporter if you try to make your interview sound like an obvious plug for your company...don’t make it sound like a commercial.
When answering questions, look at the reporter, not the camera. Staring into the lens looks hokey and like a commercial. Also, it’s ok to periodically glance at any notes you might have written. But if you look down too long, you will appear not to be well-versed on your subject.
Be open and honest. We live in a forgiving society. Reporters might cut you some slack if you say, “We made a mistake here.”
If the topic involves any late-breaking news, the reporter will love getting that from you…say something like, “We have just found out…”
Make sure you TIVO the interview when it airs. That accomplishes a few things. You can critique yourself, and also make sure the reporter didn’t take what you said out of context. If you are being interviewed as an expert, make sure the station has your contact info on hand so you can always be called for future stories. In fact, you should make sure all the news organizations have your contact information.
My previous blog discussed some of the things that make a bad interview. If you’re a company spokesperson, how you handle an interview can directly affect your firm’s bottom line. You might be on the news once a year, or even less frequently. Your eight second sound bite could actually affect your company for years to come. Don’t blow it! Here are some tips I’ve come up with after 30-plus years as a television news reporter.
When the station calls requesting an interview, find out the reporter’s name. Do a little homework on that person. Better yet, try to watch one of the reporter’s pieces on the station’s Web site or elsewhere on the Internet. Then, when you meet you can tell them you saw the piece and compliment them. Who doesn’t like a compliment? And the reporter just might be a little nicer to you when it comes to writing the story.
During the interview, say the reporter’s name a few times during the course of your answers, such as “Yes, Matthew, that was a big day for us.” Many reporters like using sound bites with their names in them, as though the interviewee is on a first-name basis with them.
If appropriate and you have any video that helps explain the story, make sure it’s available and ready when the reporter arrives. If it’s pertinent and exciting “b roll,” as it’s still often called, reporters will be grateful to you.
You will turn-off the reporter if you try to make your interview sound like an obvious plug for your company...don’t make it sound like a commercial.
When answering questions, look at the reporter, not the camera. Staring into the lens looks hokey and like a commercial. Also, it’s ok to periodically glance at any notes you might have written. But if you look down too long, you will appear not to be well-versed on your subject.
Be open and honest. We live in a forgiving society. Reporters might cut you some slack if you say, “We made a mistake here.”
If the topic involves any late-breaking news, the reporter will love getting that from you…say something like, “We have just found out…”
Make sure you TIVO the interview when it airs. That accomplishes a few things. You can critique yourself, and also make sure the reporter didn’t take what you said out of context. If you are being interviewed as an expert, make sure the station has your contact info on hand so you can always be called for future stories. In fact, you should make sure all the news organizations have your contact information.
Friday, April 16, 2010
“How Not To Do An Interview”
Posted by Matthew Schwartz, a Four time Emmy Award winner and now director of Public Relations for cPR.
I’ve spent more than 30 years as a television journalist, mostly as an investigative reporter in New York City. I’ve conducted thousands of interviews. Some were memorable: One was in an upstate New York prison with the “Son of Sam” serial killer David Berkowitz. He preferred to discuss religion over why he did what he did while I preferred to focus on the murders.
Then there were interesting chats with mob boss John Gotti, Dwight “Doc” Gooden, the parents of missing baby Sabrina Aisenberg, presidents and former presidents (Jimmy Carter while he and Roslyn were building a house) and then New York State Attorney General (and now former disgraced Governor) Elliott Spitzer, who was once known as being tough on law and order.
I have no problems remembering those interviews. But I do have trouble recalling the really bad, boring ones. Maybe I’ve intentionally forgotten them. But there are some common elements to why they were so bad that anyone can learn from.
The worst interviewees are those who have no focus and tend to run all over the place. They go off on tangents rather than sticking to a single point. They might have pre-determined notions of what they want to say, but answer one question only to ramble on with things unrelated to the question. And sometimes they answer the question with something totally unrelated.
When interviewees mindlessly answer questions with long responses, they are leaving it up to the reporter to edit the comments to get their desired key points on the air. If the interviewee is a spokesperson for a company, trying to improve the business, they just blew a golden opportunity. Why leave it up the reporter to ascertain what is your key message and what is not?
And if the reporter is there because of a company crisis or any negative issue, the worst thing the rep can say is, “No comment.” In those two words, you’ve just convinced almost all of the audience that you’re guilty. Might not be fair, just true.
Lesson learned: be prepared, be short and sweet in your response, be clear in your answer and be open and honest with your response.
Media training can do a lot with most spokespeople. Some need a lot, others a little. But a high percentage of company reps who I’ve interviewed could use a host of pointers. I believed this long before I moved into public relations.
Remember, one bad interview can cost your company a lot of business. And one good interview can change its fortunes.
I’ve spent more than 30 years as a television journalist, mostly as an investigative reporter in New York City. I’ve conducted thousands of interviews. Some were memorable: One was in an upstate New York prison with the “Son of Sam” serial killer David Berkowitz. He preferred to discuss religion over why he did what he did while I preferred to focus on the murders.
Then there were interesting chats with mob boss John Gotti, Dwight “Doc” Gooden, the parents of missing baby Sabrina Aisenberg, presidents and former presidents (Jimmy Carter while he and Roslyn were building a house) and then New York State Attorney General (and now former disgraced Governor) Elliott Spitzer, who was once known as being tough on law and order.
I have no problems remembering those interviews. But I do have trouble recalling the really bad, boring ones. Maybe I’ve intentionally forgotten them. But there are some common elements to why they were so bad that anyone can learn from.
The worst interviewees are those who have no focus and tend to run all over the place. They go off on tangents rather than sticking to a single point. They might have pre-determined notions of what they want to say, but answer one question only to ramble on with things unrelated to the question. And sometimes they answer the question with something totally unrelated.
When interviewees mindlessly answer questions with long responses, they are leaving it up to the reporter to edit the comments to get their desired key points on the air. If the interviewee is a spokesperson for a company, trying to improve the business, they just blew a golden opportunity. Why leave it up the reporter to ascertain what is your key message and what is not?
And if the reporter is there because of a company crisis or any negative issue, the worst thing the rep can say is, “No comment.” In those two words, you’ve just convinced almost all of the audience that you’re guilty. Might not be fair, just true.
Lesson learned: be prepared, be short and sweet in your response, be clear in your answer and be open and honest with your response.
Media training can do a lot with most spokespeople. Some need a lot, others a little. But a high percentage of company reps who I’ve interviewed could use a host of pointers. I believed this long before I moved into public relations.
Remember, one bad interview can cost your company a lot of business. And one good interview can change its fortunes.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Emmy Award Winning Journalist - Matthew Schwartz - Joins cPR.
One of the most trusted media professionals in Tampa is coming to our agency to benefit your business. We are pleased to announce the appointment of Matthew Schwartz as the company's new Director of Public Relations.
Schwartz joins cPR from his post as an investigative journalist for ABC Action News in Tampa. Previously, he worked in New York City for WWOR. There, he reported from Ground Zero on 9/11, David Berkowitz (The Son of Sam serial killer) granted him the only interview he did in a 10 year span and he covered the trials of John Gotti.
As his four Emmy Awards and 200 other journalism awards attest, Schwartz is an expert in media relations strategy, writing, pitching, media training and placements. He will lead the cPR media relations team on all accounts and work with others on marketing public relations strategies to build awareness, credibility and name recognition.
"When you need something to break, Matthew not only knows the right message to interest any reporter, but he personally knows reporters around the country to get the placements our clients expect. He's a name that people know and trust and we look forward to his work with all of our accounts."
During his career, Schwartz has also been a lead reporter in Cleveland, Richmond, Va., and Utica, NY. A native of Brooklyn, he graduated with honors in journalism from Ohio University.
Schwartz joins cPR from his post as an investigative journalist for ABC Action News in Tampa. Previously, he worked in New York City for WWOR. There, he reported from Ground Zero on 9/11, David Berkowitz (The Son of Sam serial killer) granted him the only interview he did in a 10 year span and he covered the trials of John Gotti.
As his four Emmy Awards and 200 other journalism awards attest, Schwartz is an expert in media relations strategy, writing, pitching, media training and placements. He will lead the cPR media relations team on all accounts and work with others on marketing public relations strategies to build awareness, credibility and name recognition.
"When you need something to break, Matthew not only knows the right message to interest any reporter, but he personally knows reporters around the country to get the placements our clients expect. He's a name that people know and trust and we look forward to his work with all of our accounts."
During his career, Schwartz has also been a lead reporter in Cleveland, Richmond, Va., and Utica, NY. A native of Brooklyn, he graduated with honors in journalism from Ohio University.
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