Monthly Archives: April 2015
Where Are All the Reporters Going?
Are you having increasing difficulty finding the right reporters to connect with? Unless you’re in Los Angeles, New York, or Washington, D.C., that’s no surprise. An analysis of U.S. Labor Department figures by The Washington Post’s Jim Tankersley (“Why the PR industry is sucking up Pulitzer winners”) found the number of regional reporters plummeting. Where […]
Want to Lose When You Testify on the Hill? Ignore the Staff
Welcome back to this series of excerpts from my new research report Thrill on the Hill: How to Turn Congressional Testimony into Public Policy Success. Stay tuned for more in weeks to come. ——————- It is impossible to overestimate the importance of staff on Capitol Hill. These experts have the boss’ ear and are many […]
Top 10 Opening Lines Guaranteed to Turn Off Your Audience
Accomplished public speakers know that they need to get the audience on their side the moment they step on stage. Here are some openers to avoid at all costs (and some positive techniques that can get you off to a solid start): Open with a joke. Few of us can tell jokes effectively. Why not […]
The Battle: Preparing a Witness for Q&A with Lawmakers
The question and answer session is what often separates the pros from the wannabes when testifying on Capitol Hill. Let’s face it, it is much easier to rehearse a five-minute speech than to suffer the slings and arrows from members of Congress. They do this for a living nearly every day. The typical witness does […]
New Thoughts on Adjusting to Life in Washington, D.C.
I had the great pleasure last week of attending a panel discussion at the National Press Club featuring press attachés from the embassies of several nations. As you likely know, I have a great interest in how communicators from abroad acclimate themselves to life and work in Washington, D.C. They offered some valuable advice along those […]
Congressional Testimony: Delivering the Oral Statement
Welcome back to this series of excerpts from my new research report Thrill on the Hill: How to Turn Congressional Testimony into Public Policy Success. Stay tuned for more in weeks to come. ——————– My clients receive a three-word mantra as they prepare to communicate in public: Practice! Practice! Practice! There is no substitute for […]
Client Confidentiality Comes First
Allow me to step aside from offering the usual communications training advice today. I still think you’ll find this post of value when you are next in the market for a consultant to help your spokespeople sharpen their communications edge. You may have noticed that nowhere on The Media Training Blog or on my web […]
C-suite Blueprint 
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