Monthly Archives: June 2015
It Is What It Is
Whether talking to a reporter or delivering a presentation, colorful language is recommended (no, not the kind of colorful language George Carlin used to describe the seven magic words). Rather, the use of anecdotes, analogies, alliteration, and the like helps spice up your media interviews and speeches. Just be careful not to go overboard. One […]
It’s a Business Deal
Treat every interview with a reporter as a business deal. It is akin to buying anything from a loaf of bread to a new car. In those cases, the business deal involves an exchange of money. With a reporter, the business deal consists of an exchange of information (let’s just hope no dollars are changing […]
Don’t Fall Victim to Ego
Most senior executives have at least a baseline of sophistication when it comes to media relations. At the same time, every last one of us must realize that we are always in learning mode. You would be wise to avoid the hole into which a Fortune 100 CEO stepped. His company faced a crisis in […]
Hot Media Relations Tips
Reporters love good sources — experts who know their material and can dish it out in easily understandable sound bites. Are you striving to make it to the media major leagues? I’ve assembled a list of “Hot 100 Media Tips” to help you get there. You’ll find the first 10 here, with more to come […]
Would It Kill You to Say “Thank You?”
Non-profit organizations often approach me asking to deliver pro bono keynote speeches that can help their members communicate more powerfully. I am glad to oblige when time allows and when the cause is one I feel comfortable embracing. I normally ask for a few small non-monetary considerations in return — perhaps a space to sell […]
Thrill on the Hill: Closing Statement
This is the final in our series of excerpts from my new research report Thrill on the Hill: How to Turn Congressional Testimony into Public Policy Success. —————– Forget about delivering a speech with your most important audience in the hall. Never mind that CNBC interview you’ve been pursuing for months. Put out of your […]
Clicking on All Presentation Cylinders
I recently had the great pleasure of observing a presentation by Andy Jorgensen, Associate Professor in the University of Toledo’s Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. The talk was titled “Climate Change Disruption: How Do We Know? What Can We Do?” While I do have an abiding interest in the topic (having worked on the Clean […]
C-suite Blueprint 
Recent Comments