| |
| |
|
PR Information |
|
|
|
Media Training: How To Speak During a Media Interview
WHITE NOISE A client recently told me about a fascinating new approach to television advertising. Some advertisers, she said, are producing 30 second commercials without even a hint of sound. That approach goes counter to every rule of television advertising. Since the combination of visual messages and audio allows for the greatest probability of the advertiser's message actually sinking in, sound is a critical element. Plus, since so many people leave the room during commercials, advertisers want to make sure those people can at least hear the ad. So why would a television advertiser leave the audio out? Imagine it's dinner time. Dad is preparing dinner for the kids and has the television on in the corner of the kitchen. Dad's not really watching - he's focused on cooking - and the programming is basically just background noise. But you're an advertiser, and since you're paying good money for that airtime, you want his attention. So the television, which has been providing consistent background noise for the past half hour, suddenly goes quiet. Dad notices, and his head snaps up to see if something is wrong with the set. He might even walk over and fiddle with the volume. The advertiser has earned his attention. The tactic worked. Good interviewees apply the same principle during media interviews. They know that on the other end of the radio or television speaker is a person who's cooking dinner, driving the kids to school, or multitasking in some other way. They don't assume that the audience is hanging on their every word; rather, they know they have to reach out and grab their attention. Seasoned pros do it by varying the tone, volume and pace of their verbal delivery. If they've been speaking at a moderate pace, they suddenly speed things up. If they've been speaking rather softly, they may suddenly become emphatic. By doing so, they've recaptured the audience's attention. Let's give an example. You're on the radio and are working up to your key point. You've been speaking at a fairly moderate pace, and your volume has been rather steady. As you work your way to your key point, you suddenly slow down and reduce your tone to that of a whisper. By doing so, you've signaled to the audience that something important is coming. All of a sudden, their dinner preparation takes a momentary break so they can hear what you have to say. ANYONE? ANYONE? If you remember the 1980s film, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, you probably remember the sardonic actor Ben Stein playing an economics professor. Standing perfectly still, he would face the classroom with complete disinterest and say, "Does anyone know what this is? Anyone? Anyone?" That oft-quoted iconic role is still used as the perfect example of a ridiculously boring, monotone speaker. But how many interviews have you heard or listened to that sound pretty much the same? Although it may seem unnatural at first to speak in varying tones, volumes and speeds, great orators have been doing it for centuries. And since the number of distractions in the modern world have increased exponentially since the time of Cicero, it's more critical than ever to use every tool at your disposal to retain an audience's attention. Brad Phillips is the founder and president of Phillips Media Relations. He was formerly a journalist for ABC News and CNN, and headed the media relations department for the second largest environmental group in the world. For more information and to sign up for free monthly media relations and media training e-tips, visit http://www.PhillipsMediaRelations.com.
MORE RESOURCES:
PR - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Public Relations Mixup? When you pay good money for public relations services, you have a right to expect its primary focus to be on your most important outside audiences, those people whose behaviors have the greatest impact on your operation.Often, however, that primary focus is limited to a communi- cations tactics debate about the relative merits of brochures versus press releases versus newsletters instead of planning how to achieve those key audience behaviors that directly support your business objectives and make the difference between success and failure. Publicity Tips from the Pros If you want to know the best way to approach the media, get advice directly from the source: the editors, producers and journalists who choose the stories that get publicity. Here are some of the best tips I've gotten from media representatives about getting your story in the news. The Medias Muscle: Make it Work for You The least expensive, most effective way for you to promote your product is through media coverage. Reporters are excellent communicators. The Press Pack Is Chasing You - Give Them Room There's good news for public relations execs, marketing professionals and even one-man-band entrepreneurs: journalists are surfing your sites looking for news.It's true - while some PR people spend months trying to win over cynical reporters in order to wrangle a company profile or CEO interview (and get nowhere), an army of journalists are proactively hunting for facts, figures and interview candidates. Public Relations: Power Tool for the 21st Century I address this article to businesses, associations, non-profits and public entity managers seeking a direct connection between the money they're planning to spend on public relations, and the achievement of their organizational objectives.We can save a lot of time - you and I - if we can agree on one point: I believe that deep down - and I mean DEEP down - most chief executives understand that doing something about the behaviors of their most significant external audiences can rank in importance right up there with increased sales and earnings. HELP: I Need a Press Kit! A press kit is an essential press relations tool. While it can be used to support a special event or promotional activity, it is most helpful in strategically positioning an organization or product. Where is the Best PR Value? Wherever the fundamental premise of public relations is practiced.Look at what it suggests. Are You Sure You Know What Youre Doing? Because when it comes to public relations, non-believers can produce a double-bummer -- missed opportunity AND a ton of wasted money. It really is a shame because we do public relations to change the behaviors of certain groups of people important to the success of those very Doubting Thomases. Three Communication Secrets of The Great Communicator I've worked in media and public relations for 20 years, and experience has taught me that communication is an essential skill to master in order to be successful in all aspects of one's life. No one person can do many things without the involvement of other human beings; having superior communication skills, then, is a highly enviable quality, and those who manage such a feat serve as role models to the rest of us. 3 Essential Elements For Turning Your PR Pitch Into Publicity Exposure 1) Establish Rapport, then get the editor/producer excited.There's not a shortage of stories, but there is a shortage GREAT stories. Company Dress Codes for Small Business; Shorts and Pants Most small businesses have logo'ed shirts, usually polo shirts with logos, this is typical in American Business. But many small businesses either do not have a dress code for pants and shorts or they have one, but rarely enforce it. Why Managers Need the PR Advantage Where is there a business, non-profit or association manager who does not need all the help he or she can find in achieving their managerial objectives?Help like altering individual perception leading to changed behaviors among their key outside audiences?Help in the form of positive actions affecting the behaviors of those important external audiences that most affect their operations. And the help afforded when the manager persuades those key outside folks to his or her way of thinking, then moves those people to take actions that let the department, group, division or subsidiary succeed?Of course they can use that kind of help. PR Campaigns - How To Get To Grips With The Media If you're serious about getting great results from your PR you may find that you have to severely challenge your current reading habits. A recent client completed her PR assessment form with a comment about how she had always read a certain paper because her parents had and she'd just fallen into the habit too. PR - More Than News Releases Public relations and news releases are synonymous in the minds of some. Because the media relations aspect of PR is so "public", the PR discipline often is narrowly defined by this tactic. Lets Blow The Lid Off Public Relations And show it for what it is - a humdinger of a strategy machine using cutting-edge communications tactics that lead directly to program success. And all because perceptions were altered, behaviors modified and the employer/client satisfied with the end result. How to Create Quality PR Results For many of us, the word quality is closely related to our expectations. When we receive the public relations results we planned for, we feel, understandably, that we have generated quality results. Building The Best Network If you want to succeed, build a great team. A great team multiplies your prospects for success; it enables you to form relationships with powerful people who can make your dreams come true. How to Get PR There is a process for successfully getting publicity about your business or organization. Publicity is no great mystery, just a thorough and strategic sales job. The Three-Mile Radius In last year's animated film Shrek II, a giant gingerbread man steps on a building and sends all the customers scurrying across the street. The name of the establishment they leave and the one they run into is "Farbucks" - poking fun at the fact that an unending stream of patrons appears willing to pay four bucks for a cup of coffee. PR: Behavior Modification Specialist While awaiting economic recovery, business needs to attract the attention of its most important external audiences in a more targeted and focused way. Primarily to impact the perceptions of those key outsiders so that resulting behaviors help those managers achieve their objectives.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
