Practice! Practice! Practice!

By Eric M. Seidel, CEO

The Media Trainers®, LLC

When it comes to dealing with the media, it’s all about impressions made on target audiences. Bad ones can be made very quickly and be long lasting. Good ones can be quick, too, and need to be repeated. One misstep can change good to bad right away.

That’s one of the reasons it’s so important to rehearse before you do an interview. Any type of interview. Print or broadcast. And the more challenging the environment, the greater the need to practice. Here’s an evaluation of a recent case in point.

Marcel Fairbarin is the founder of LED Source. He specializes in lighting. But watch him explain what he does to a business network anchor who’s pretty much in the dark. He fails in his first 16 seconds.

For another 16 seconds, he gets deeper into the weeds…not very enlightening, nor interesting.

Finally, more than 30 seconds into his description, Marcel hits on what a business network audience would want to know; his product provides strong, positive returns.

Another problem with this interview is that Marcel doesn’t appear to have practiced. His inconsistent eye contact and swiveling in his chair are distractions.

It’s not easy relating to a camera. It requires you to personify the camera and address it as if it’s animate and listening to you. You need to maintain eye contact with an unblinking object staring back at you, and appear to be relaxed at the same time.

Bottom line: Before any interview, Practice! Practice! Practice! Make sure you understand the planned environment, and prepare for it!

No "Feel" for a Sexually Hostile Workplace?

By Eric M. Seidel, CEO

The Media Trainers®, LLC

The recent arrest of International Monetary Fund Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn has led to reports that sexual harassment is part of the culture at the IMF.

US Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner worked at the IMF at one time. Politico.com reporter Mike Allen asked Geithner about reports of a “predatory atmosphere” there. His answer? Well, you really need to watch this video.

Geithner’s evasive response, and that he had no "feel" for the atmosphere there, inevitably leads to the conclusion that yes, he was aware of the IMF culture, but he was immune to it since he’s a man and it’s a question for a woman. Apparently, it just didn’t affect him like it would female staffers. In other words, this is the way things are and so be it?

His answer would be troubling for any public official, but especially for someone with such a high position in government.

Beware Interview IEDs

By Eric M. Seidel, CEO

The Media Trainers®, LLC

The media love conflict and controversy. That’s what makes for a good story. So, they often seed questions with a word or two designed to provoke a controversial response. I call these “Interview IEDs.” They’re designed to make you blow up. Figuratively speaking, of course.

And what could be a more fertile potential source of conflict and controversy than the big oil companies after their periodic public spanking by Congress?

Putting yourself in the place of an oil company CEO, it would seem enticing to use the venue of a live interview to fire back. But, the smart executives understand there’s no reward in doing that. And the really smart ones know how to avoid “Interview IEDs.”

For instance, Chevron’s John Watson, shortly after a recent US Senate hearing, appeared live with Fox business anchor, Neil Cavuto.

“Did you feel that you were just part of a kangaroo court…?” Cavuto asked.

“We take the opportunity we get. Sometimes the comments have to be short, but we try to get our points across,” Watson answered.

(Editor note: No need to be quoted talking about the Senate committee being a “kangaroo court.”)

Cavuto: “Do you think if you guys weren’t making so much money…there would even be a hearing today?”

Watson: “Well, our business is big and I think that’s hard for anyone to understand…”

(Editor note: I love this answer; it’s responsive without getting into the issue of money.)

Cavuto: “…making all that money, you certainly don’t need any tax breaks; you don’t need any tax subsidies…”

Watson: “Well, what we need is tax treatment that is comparable to what other companies receive…”

(Editor note: Often, you can adopt a word or phrase in a question to bridge to a response on your terms, instead of being drawn into controversy.)

Watson is a good listener. He made sure he heard the the questions and avoided stepping onto Cavuto’s IEDs.

“Controlling” An Interview

By Eric Seidel, CEO

The Media Trainers®, LLC

A reporter may be having a bad day, may not feel well, may not like you or your company, may have had an argument at home, or may be under the pressure of multiple stories and deadlines. These are things you cannot control.

There are two things you have absolute control over in an interview: your emotions and the words you speak. Always make sure you understand that and are consciously aware of it the entire time.

Get angry or belligerent with a reporter and you’ll be giving them a story they didn’t anticipate and one you’d prefer they couldn’t report.

That’s where RIM (Research In Motion—the people who made your BlackBerry) co-CEO Mike Lazaridis finds himself today. Reports I’ve read seem to agree that Lazaridis is a genius when it comes to technology, but much less so when it comes to being the company’s public voice.

And right now RIM has a lot riding on the line today. Its tablet product, dubbed “Playbook”, is due out soon. RIM also has some issues with countries in the Middle East and with India. They want more access to RIM’s tight security.

BBC technology reporter Rory Cellan-Jones interviewed Lazaridis recently, first about the new tablet, and then moved on to the security issues.

And Lazaridis lost it.

“That’s just not fair. Because first of all, it’s nuts. We have no security problems... we’ve just been singled out, because we’re so successful around the world. It’s an iconic product, used by businesses, it’s used by leaders, it’s used by celebrities, it’s used by consumers, it’s used by teenagers, we were just singled out.”

“Alright, so it’s over, [the] interview’s over. Please, you can’t use that word, it’s just not fair… We’ve dealt with this, this is a national security issue, turn that off…”

Mike Lazaridis’s over-reaction was completely unnecessary. He had a perfect opportunity to take the security issue and present it calmly and concisely on his (RIM’s) terms and from his perspective.

Indeed, if you listen to him in the video below, his voice remains steady and controlled, almost contradicting his anger. That tone, with a reasoned explanation, would’ve been much more productive and helpful to both he and his company. But, he’s now provided the media a distraction at a time of great business risk for RIM.

What’s Your Name?

Of Nukes, CO2 and Mastodons.

By Eric Seidel, CEO

The Media Trainers®, LLC

Contentious interviews can sometimes amuse, on occasion enlighten, and often simply frustrate. Here’s one you might find satisfies all three possibilities.

In light of the “Act-of-God”/nature-instigated nuclear power plant disaster in Japan, CNBC lined up an interview with Congressman Jay Inslee (D-WA), a member of the House Energy & Power Subcommittee. But the conversation soon migrated into a disagreement over CO2 and global warming.

In the midst of the debate, the congressman suddenly asked anchor Joe Kernen, “What’s your name? I missed your name…” Kernen’s expression was priceless. This must have been a first in his years of experience. “It’s Joe,” he responded. (You can see and hear it by clicking on the video below.)

Inslee’s failure to know his interviewer’s name is difficult to excuse. But the fact that he stopped and asked is absolutely inexcusable. All he needed to do was continuing using “you” in addressing Joe. Instead, he sacrificed some of his credibility. Hopefully, someone in the congressman’s office had the guts to tell him.

A Prototypical M&A Interview

By Eric Seidel, CEO

The Media Trainers®

Thirty-nine billion dollars.

That’s what AT&T Mobility is anteing up for T-Mobile. If approved, they’ll form the largest cell system in the U.S. If the Justice Department says “no” to the deal, AT&T has to pay T-Mobile a $3 billion break-up fee.

Those are big numbers…especially the break-up fee. That puts down a pretty heavy bet the sale will be approved.

Lots of questions about this huge merger, posed by the hyper-kinetic, hyperbolized, often over the top Jim Cramer of Mad Money fame on CNBC. On his firing line: AT&T Mobility & Consumer Markets CEO Ralph De La Vega. De La Vega did a good job, overall, although he did answer the first question saying “this is a marriage made in heaven.” That little trite expression took some of the bloom off the rose, to use another trite phrase.

But, he was much more on point after that, speaking directly to government regulators, shareholders and customers about the advantages of the deal and the two companies.

This interview is a good example for you, especially if you’re a public company talking to the media about a merger or acquisition, or any other issues where some of your responses require restraint. Some examples

Q: Cramer: “Why three billion (break-up fee)? How did you arrive at that? That’s such a gigantic amount, especially if the Justice Department says forget it, you’re out (of the three billion).”

A: De La Vega: “We feel very confident. We’re not going to comment on the exact process of the department, we’re very respectful of what they use. They Department of Justice has always looked at competition on the local level…and when you look at it on the local market level 18 of the top 20 markets have five or more competitors…so the combination of this will still keep the U.S. as the most competitive marketplace in the world.”

Q: Cramer: “You say no divestitures are needed…what are you willing to give away? Would you be willing to fund…competitors to get this deal done?

A: De La Vega: “I don’t know that it’s appropriate to talk ahead of time about what we’d be willing to do…but…if you look at the amount of spectrum that AT&T and T-Mobile have combined, Sprint has more… They have three times more spectrum than we have per subscriber… So, there’s still going to be great competition…”

Q: Cramer: “I see a story that ‘AT&T deal raises fears of higher charges.’ (As a shareholder) don’t I absolutely want higher charges?”

A: De La Vega: “Well, if you look at the history of the merger and the pricing activity in this country, Jim, what you’re going to find is prices have actually fallen 50% over the last ten years even though you had the Sprint-Nextel merger, also the Verizon merger, prices have come down…”

Q: Cramer: “Shareholders might say…I hope they’re able to not spend that much money on capital expenditures now; they cut back the number of towers they use, they don’t need all these towers; and they can start returning more money to shareholders. But, in terms of growth, you want the opposite of that. How do you reconcile these two?”

A: De La Vega: “Well, I think the way we do it is the way we are planning our businesses. I think we’re going to continue to invest, Jim. In fact, we have said that we’re going to invest an additional eight billion in infrastructure to facilitate us making this merger work and extending the LTE to 95% of the population. We have a metric that we say about every billion dollars results in 7,000 new jobs…I think it’s good for the overall economy.”

De La Vega wrapped up the interview speaking to AT&T’s expectations for continued explosive growth of the cellular industry. Throughout he remained on message, aimed squarely at the Obama Administration, Justice, shareholders and, yes, customers.

Overall, a very good job dealing with sensitive issues, especially speaking to the Justice Department’s role in approving the AT&T-T-Mobile merger and recognizing the Administration's desire for wider availability of wireless.

Marginalizing the Soundbite

By Eric M. Seidel, CEO

The Media Trainers, LLC

How many times have you heard the tired excuse, “They took me out of context”? Sometimes it’s true, but too many times it’s proven to be a lame claim that has no factual standing.

The real issue is delivering soundbites that both the media will pick up and use them the way you intended. That does take some practice and experience. The best way is to respond to questions is with positive, self-contained answers.

However, former presidential speech writer Peggy Noonan’s column in the February 26, 2011 issue of The Wall Street Journal has pointed out how the soundbite is being defeated by the Internet. While her specialty is politics, consider this paragraph from her column and how it might apply to messages you need to reach important audiences:

In the past quarter-century or so, the speech as a vehicle of sustained political argument was killed by television and radio. Rhetoric was reduced to the TV producer's 10-second soundbite, the correspondent's eight-second insert. The makers of speeches (even the ones capable of sustained argument) saw what was happening and promptly gave up. Why give your brain and soul to a serious, substantive statement when it will all be reduced to a snip of sound? They turned their speeches into soundbite after soundbite, applause line after applause line, and a great political tradition was traduced.

But the Internet is changing all that. It is restoring rhetoric as a force… I get links to full speeches every day in my inbox and you probably do too.

People…think it's all Facebook and Twitter now, but it's not. Not everything is fractured and in pieces, some things are becoming more whole. People hunger for serious, fleshed-out ideas about what is happening in our country.

The Internet is a two-edged sword, to be sure. You always need to be careful in what you put on it in order to protect your name (ID) and reputation. But it also liberates you to be your own editor, especially when you cannot afford to be reduced to a soundbite.

…But You Can’t Hide

By Eric Seidel, CEO

The Media Trainers®

Did someone forget to tell doctors in Wisconsin about cameras, smart phones, the Internet, social media and cable news outlets?

You’d think people smart enough to get through medical school would understand that in today’s world of instant global communications anything they say or do, especially in the in the public arena, can be recorded and distributed.

And so it appears some doctors—certainly more than just one—were handing out signed notes to protesting teachers to use as illness excuses for their absences from school.

One of those who documented the practice on video was a Fox News producer. The doctor did not know her, had not examined her, yet gave her an official note excusing her from work for being sick.

Have these doctors broken the law, or are they simply guilty of a major ethical violation? Conjecture over that quickly followed on-air. One physician, Marc Siegel, suggested that medical licenses could (perhaps even should) be in jeopardy.

Apparently, stupidity is not limited to the stupid. It can infect all demographics and ethnicities, including even the most educated among us. Today’s media and communication realities are fueling revolution throughout the Mideast. It’s stunning to watch those who should know better ethically and morally act as if no one will ever find out what they've done.

To its credit, the Wisconsin Medical Society has gone on record condemning doctors who are writing and signing illness excuse notes for protesting teachers.

Case Study: NFL Manages Its Message

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell

Eric M. Seidel, CEO

The Media Trainers, LLC

No matter whether you believe or support the National Football League or its players’ union (NFLPA) in their latest contract tug-of-war, the NFL’s message management is interesting.

The league is rolling in dough. It’s a $9 billion enterprise. Yet, the owners want money back from their last agreement with the players’ union!

Commissioner Roger Goodell’s reasoning: prevent a financial crisis.

Just how well Goodell’s argument will work with fans—it appears to be DOA in the unions’ judgment already—remains to be seen. The owners renounced the current contract back in 2008, yet serious talks are just getting started with a March 3^rd deadline before the existing deal expires.

This has all the potential of being a protracted situation that might even threaten all or part of the 2011 NFL season. If so, the real crisis will be for the players, fans and all the people in feeder jobs that support the league, players and the games.

The Most Powerful Word of All

By Eric M. Seidel, CEO

The Media Trainers, LLC

“You!”

I tell my clients it’s the most powerful word in the English language.

It’s personal. It’s intimate. It’s direct. It’s clear. When you say “you,” the person on the other end is very clear that you are talking to them, and no one else. “You” is designed to get their full attention.

Yet, the news media are filled with words like “consumers” and “motorists,” words that are meant to encompass a class of people, but few of us ever use. “Consumers” and “motorists” are impersonal, virtually inanimate. They are things, not people. “You” is a living, breathing human being. And it's conversational.

Radio is the medium most often where “you” is used to communicate on a one-to-one basis. Television, perhaps, is next. But print! Print media are shackled by things like the AP Stylebook, designed, you’d think, to dehumanize news. Most print stories are antithetical to effective communication.

I’ve always wondered why radio and TV news people don’t use “you” more often to connect to and communicate with their audiences when it so often fits. After all, radio and TV news is supposed to be delivered conversationally.

I’ve also wondered why people being interviewed don’t relate directly to their target audiences one-to-one with a very simple “you” when it fits. Business executives talking through the media to audiences can easily say “you” when they are focused on customers or prospects, for instance.

Certainly, “you” sounds contrived when it doesn't fit or make sense. But “you” is so much more powerful in delivering strong messaging when it can be substituted for labels like “motorists” or “consumers.”

When I hear radio talk hosts addressing their audience as “folks” or “my friends” or “ladies and gentlemen,” I cringe. They have a golden opportunity to connect, relate and bond with listeners at a much more intimate level just by saying “you,” by thinking of their listeners as a listener (singular), instead the masses (plural).

So, next time you address audiences in any forum, try talking to them as if you are talking to just one of them and say “you.” No matter how large the group, most will hear you talking just to them.

It's a powerful way to communicate!

Internet Forecaster Predicts Future

Andrew Gaspar predicted the Internet

By Eric M. Seidel, CEO

The Media Trainers, LLC

The Internet: our instant connection to the world.

What does the future hold? Andrew Gaspar is something of a futurist. In 1980, he predicted the Internet. (I don’t know if he consulted first with Al Gore.)

In those days, he says, it was easier to forecast the future because things moved much less quickly. Today, everything is on super-drive.

With that caveat, what does Gaspar see in his cyber crystal ball now?

· More and more local focus by local media; focus that is continually narrowing to news as close as your neighborhood and constantly being refreshed.

Editor’s Note: Traditional media—your local TV, newspapers, radio—are being forced to increase their local coverage, too. You see it in many metro newspapers today; cutbacks in national and international reporters; AP and Reuters can do that for them. Instead, they are putting their dollars into more local reporting. At least, the smart ones who want to resume being profitable are.

· Advertising still is catching up and will catch up because advertisers will learn in order to survive they will have to follow these local trends.

· Social networks will influence our behavior more and more. Learning about a book a friend read, you’ll be able to see other books they might like. The same for movies. And your contacts in social media will be major influencers in your buying habits.

· A future online business might be one that can help you erase embarrassing postings, pictures and videos you may have made at an earlier, more naïve age.

· Mobile networks will be able to spot where you are located and run an advertisement on your phone for a nearby story to entice you in. Of course, you’ll feel like you’re being followed, because you are!

· Education will be transformed, according to Gaspar. He envisions taking the enthusiasm of playing online games and moving it into a classroom environment where various media can be used in teaching along with live Q&A between the students and teacher.

· The life we’re seeing developing in the virtual world—Avatars and the economy that world is generating—is just the beginning. It’s a safer, less stressful world to escape to.

Video of Gaspar’s 1980 prediction followed by video of his latest forecast are below for you to click on.

Body Language: The Ultimate "Tell"

Fred Smith, Founder/Chairman/CEO

FedEx

by Eric M. Seidel, CEO

The Media Trainers, LLC

First, let me preface this post to say I've interviewed Fred Smith before. He's engaging, open and interesting. Indeed, his picture above indicates accessibility.

But body language can easily disguise your true feelings. On the other hand, it also can—and often does—betray a person and reveal your true feelings.

In this recent CNBC interview, Smith’s facial expressions take you through a series of emotions, although his immediate expression leaves an impression I suspect he did not intend.

The Set Up

The anchor is establishing the context for the interview. Fred Smith has a look of concern, perhaps even some slight dread. However, he's been interviewed many times and I doubt he feels either concern or dread. This just might be his way of concentrating on the camera and what he's hearing in his ear via an IFB.

The Introduction

Now he's formally introduced and his face softens into a controlled smile. He looks more comfortable and as a viewer, you probably feel more comfortable, as well, albeit subconsciously.

The Question

Smith is engaged as he hears and processes a question. His comfort level is even higher as he's being asked for his considerable knowledge and expertise.

The Response

Smith's facial muscles are relaxed. He's in his sweet spot talking, perhaps, about one of his favorite topics, tax cuts, as indicated on the screen.

The Goodbye

This smile seems more comfortable and natural than his first one when he was being introduced. No doubt there was a sense of relief. TV interviews can be stressful, especially from remote locations where you must relate strictly to a camera.

Smith's very first expression when the director punched up the camera to put him on-screen was off-setting. My original impression was that he looked angry. But, again, I know from my own experience interviewing him that probably wasn't the case.

The takeaway here: rehearse all types of interviews with a camera so you know how your body language (non-verbals) is either validating or invalidating your messaging.

Honest Opinion vs. Political Correctness

By Eric Seidel, CEO

The Media Trainers, LLC

The Juan Williams episode reopens these long-unanswered questions: Where does the right to express an opinion end and political correctness begin? And, how has political correctness managed to become a duplicitous tool to control speech while being applied unevenly in American society?

Whether you agree with Williams politically, you would be hard-pressed to effectively question his intellectual integrity. While left of center, he’s refreshingly honest when he criticizes those on his side of a political issue.

In what appears to be a knee-jerk decision due to the offended sensibilities of a tilted news organization, NPR acted swiftly and, as many along the entire political spectrum are saying, unjustly and unwisely.

Juan Williams is too talented and intelligent to suffer any long-term damage. His former employer on the other hand just might have marginalized itself and slapped the government gift horse square in the mouth.

If the GOP takes over of the U.S. House, that's where federal budgets begin their legislative adventure. And that's where Congress just might punish NPR. Also, the network currently is in a fund-raising period. It will be interesting to see how donations compare to expectations after its firing of Juan Williams.

Williams tells Fox News how he was fired in the video below.

Reflections on the Chilean Mine Rescue

By Eric Seidel, CEO

The Media Trainers®

The scenes we witnessed out of Copiapo, Chile, are a refreshing reminder of just how much most people in this world cherish life. It is a welcome contrast to the daily drumbeat of radical Islamists who care nothing for life and, in fact, prefer death as supposed martyrs.

Now that all 33 miners have been brought to the surface of the gold and copper San Jose mine, the world can celebrate the determination and effort of the Chilean government and the mining company, with the assistance of mining experts, including from here in America.

Sixty-nine days ago we learned these 33 men had been trapped a mile underground. Amazingly, we also found out the fact they were alive wasn’t even known until 17 days after a landslide isolated them. Once contact was made, the work began. Initially we were told it would take until Christmas to reach the miners and bring them to the surface. But a focused group of engineers, with miners’ family members camped out in a makeshift tent city nearby, worked tirelessly and ceaselessly to bring the miners back above ground alive earlier than predicted.

Finally, less than an hour before the clock turned to the 69^th day, the first miner surfaced in a tiny capsule that would be claustrophobic for most. His wife and son were waiting as he was released from the capsule and an excited world watched the wonderful reunion.

The anticipation was remindful of that day in July, 1969, when Neil Armstrong first stepped onto the moon. A fantastic feat of planning and engineering combined to make what may have seemed impossible possible.

Thankfully, life still has very high value in our world, despite the fanatics who only see value in death.

Subterranean Media Training

By Eric Seidel, CEO

The Media Trainers, LLC

Fascinating how people find creative ways to respond to unusual challenges. In our last post here we suggested that active psychological assistance would be required for Chilean mining officials and families of the trapped miners in dealing with the press.

But, of course, reporters want access to the miners themselves and they’re getting it. First, however, the miners are getting media training. That report today from Australian outlet news.com.au.

And how about that buried miner who has both a wife and mistress waiting for his rescue. I wonder what his message possibly could be. He may be the only one of the 33 miners who’s not particularly anxious to come topside!