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.

Attitude!

CNBC's Joe Kernen interviews Xerox CEO Ursula Burns (left); Yahool CEO Carol Bartz

By Eric Seidel, CEO
The Media Trainers®

Attitude is key! How you feel about an interview going into it plays a big part in what you get out of it.

Negative feelings find a way to come out. Facial expressions, overall body language, even tone of voice (critical to phone interviews), can sabotage your prettiest words. And, vice-versa, positive feelings emerge the same way and are quite validating to what you say.

Here are two very positive examples of two women, both CEOs, who quite clearly enjoy the give-and-take of the interview.

Established relationships with the media often play a part in your attitude. The new CEO of Yahoo, Carol Bartz, obviously has some history with CNBC and the way she communicates verbally and non-verbally is very much in synch. In this video she has some fun with Squawk Box co-host Joe Kernen during a recent early morning interview.



In a separate interview with Xerox CEO Ursula Burns in this next video, she uses humor to answer a question about the company stock price which provokes some laughter and warms the environment.



Bartz took over Yahoo after founder and CEO Jerry Yang was forced out by a board of directors angered over his refusal to accept a lucrative acquisition offer from Microsoft. Of course, that came up while Bartz was talking to the Squawk Box gang, and her reaction in this next video serves to dramatize further her complete sense of being at ease.



Finally, Burns’ great attitude helps her correct what she feels is an incorrect premise posed in a question from co-host Kernen. Watch the interview and make note of the fact she does not argue or talk down to Kernen. Indeed, she even relates to his world of work in her response.



Because these two CEOs are so comfortable with themselves and the interview environment, they leave a great (and persuasive) impression with audiences they wanted/needed to reach. Both are very articulate, but it’s their body language, reflecting great attitudes, that speaks loudest of all.

The Fries Have It!

www.themediatrainers.com

When dealing with the news media, you usually can expect the unexpected.

These situations can come in many forms, many ways. One way is the reporter/interviewer injecting himself into the conversation and putting you on the spot.

What can you do when you feel like you’re being personally attacked?

Case in point, CNBC’s Joe Kernen prefers the French fries at McDonalds and is quite vociferous about it. In a recent interview he praised Mickey D’s CEO Jim Skinner for his fries. Of course, Skinner gladly accepted the accolades.

A few days later, Burger King CEO John Chidsey was the guest. While talking to anchor Becky Quick at Davos, Kernen injected himself from the studio, first asking Chidsey if the fast food restaurant’s burgers were indeed flame broiled, or simply made to taste that way.

Chidsey paused, considered the question and then had some fun with Kernen, saying he should know the answer, that Burger King’s burgers indeed are cooked over real flames.

Then Kernen claimed McDonald’s French fries are superior. And he even suggested that the potatoes could be pivotal to the company’s stock price.

“Why are McDonald’s fries better?” he demanded. Talk about getting into a CEO’s face. To his credit, Chidsey kept his cool and maintained a slight smile…except for one brief moment when he gritted his lips (as opposed to his teeth). (Click on the video below.)

Lesson learned: park your emotions outside the interview. For the most part, Chidsey did. And, he paused before he answered, giving himself time to take a breath, and responding instead of arguing.