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HANDLE THE PRESS LIKE MAJOR PROSPECTIVE CUSTOMERS

Written by: Andy Marken

Article Overview: Work with the press like your very best prospective customer. He or she is. Members of the media -- all media -- can sell your company and your products-- if you sell them.

HANDLE THE PRESS LIKE MAJOR PROSPECTIVE CUSTOMERS

"Tell him that's the way I wrote it and that's the way I want it printed."

"Tell the editor to call the contact I gave you so I can follow-up with him right away."

It constantly surprises me that an otherwise savvy and successful company president (and head of marketing) would even think he (or she) could dictate to the press. By the same token, they feel they can order bad news not to be printed or shun the reporter and the bad news won't appear.
When the Exxon Valdez dumped its oil in Alaska's Prince William Sound, Exxon's president stepped to the background while "everyone" roasted his company and him. By the time he stepped out of the shadows, the damage had been done.
At about the same time as Exxon's disaster, Ashland Oil had a storage tank burst, polluting marshes in the surrounding area. The company's president immediately flew to the area and boldly said his firm was at fault and would handle the clean-up and the damages. Very few people filed for compensation, the clean-up was carried out and most everyone was sympathetic to the problem the company was faced with.
You probably don't even recall the Ashland disaster since you don't hear or read a thing about it. But for Exxon, the beatings from the press
...more
still show no sign of abating. Every year there is still a media "visit" to Prince William Sound.
Ashland's president realistically appraised his situation, took his lumps like a professional and communicated his plans to the media. He felt that PR was part of his job. Exxon's president, on the other hand, didn't see the footnote in his job description.
He should have looked more closely.
When the Tylenol scare occurred the company president quickly stepped up taking the situation head-on. The company took all the measures necessary to protect customers, clearly spoke on the steps that would be taken to get to the bottom of the situation and lived up to those commitments.
Today, Tylenol retains its excellent reputation.
You wouldn't make the demands noted at the beginning of this article on a customer (or a competitor), but too many bosses see nothing wrong with making them on someone from the media. And at times members of the press can be both customers and competitors.
Keep in mind that they earn their keep by developing stories that attract an audience...and advertisers. They need your input when it is convenient for them, not for you. Even if questions can't be answered because of legal reasons or lack of information, giving the media some information is better than saying nothing. Saying nothing only means they'll use information from other sources.
Communication is a key problem. Many otherwise brilliant business leaders confuse communication with the press as a one-way street. It's true ...more
that the vast majority of the press are paid less than the people they are interviewing, but for the most part the press has the final word.
While it's true that the daily and business press have become more professional and sophisticated than they were when I first entered the field, it is still a never ending job to educate the press about you company, your products and your markets. It may seem like a "waste of time," and perhaps a bore, to meet with an editor or reporter to brief him or her on certain aspects of your business.
But in the long run, it will pay off in the form of better coverage. When you're sitting with an editor, present your case and respond to questions with all the charm and conviction you can gather. But never relax too much. Keep in mind that you're selling your product--try and view the editor as a prospective customer.
When you want good articles from certain publications and/or reporters, simply buy them off. Not with hard cash, lunch, dinner or a trip, but with information. As a rule, information "payments" will result in more favorable treatment by the press. But the company executive who deliberately deceives or lies to the editor will find that he or she will expose their "shortcomings" for all to see.
When this happens, or you feel you have been "mistreated," the first thing most executives want to do is to ask the editor or reporter to step out into the alley. This confrontation usually takes the form of withholding information from the publication, going over the reporter's head to have them fired or pulling all of your advertising from the errant publication.
It's all a waste of time, money and effort.
...more

Instead, sit down and talk out the problem with the editor. Explain where you feel the article was biased, erred, or just plain wrong. Get the
discussion out on the table and it can probably be resolved to everyone's satisfaction. The one thing management will find during this "encounter" is that it is impossible to tell PR people to "control" the press better.
You can't make a prospective customer buy from you, and with the press you're trying to do more than sell a product. You're selling the company's image and future. Orders, demands, and tirades won't work. Neither will shooting the messenger when things aren't exactly to your liking.
Step back from what you are doing and look at your company, its activities and yourself from the perspective of an impartial viewer. If they can't or won't stand up to this scrutiny, perhaps you're better off keeping a low profile.
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press.doc

BOX
Dealing with the Press
* The organization's president is responsible for public relations. He or she is the ultimate voice of the organization. Management has to delegate enough authority to make the company spokesperson credible. Give them the freedom to do their job and understand that they ultimately have no control over the press.

* Be a press source. Make friends in the press before you need them. Get to know the people who cover your industry and your company. Get them acquainted with you and your firm. Give them information and assistance even when your organization may be mentioned only in passing.

* Let your views be known. If you won't help the press they'll get the story anyway. If you refuse to tell them your side, they will simply go to other sources to obtain the information. In many instances, the information comes from your "real" enemies.

* Respond immediately. For a daily publication, the reporter has an hour to get your side of the story. For a weekly, the time frame is no more than a day. And for a monthly, you may be able to stretch getting back to them in a few days. But if you want to appear credible, get back to the editor immediately; even if it means stepping out of an "important" meeting or returning the call when you're on the road. If you don't have the information, be honest and tell them when you can get back to them...then do it. If you can't respond to their questions (for SEC or legal reasons), tell them so and why.

* Forget your lawyer. Lawyers always have the same advice when dealing with the press...don't say a thing. But silence is not golden. In a crisis situation, it is the same as saying you have something to hide or you are guilty. Ashland's lawyers felt there was too much legal liability involved in saying there was a problem. But instead of receiving a flood of lawsuits, they received a flood of assistance and empathy
...more

* Tell the truth. No one likes a liar, and it's too easy to get caught in a lie.

* You won't score every time. Even the best story written about you is going to have a few negatives in it (from your perspective). Reporters aren't interested in relating your story verbatim to their readers. If you win 60 to 70 percent of the time, you're way ahead of the game. Don't worry about getting your ego bruised a little either. It just may be enough to keep you on the right track.

* Operate in the public's interest. What you do is more important than what you say. If your decisions are based on what is in the public's interest, you'll get the positive press you deserve. And when you screw up, face the music humbly. Admitting you screwed up and telling the press how you are going to correct the situation will win you friends in the press and more customers.

* Know your audience. That means knowing or getting briefings on the press, whether it's TV, newspaper or trade press. And within each category, get to know the wants, needs, strengths and weaknesses of each publication and each reporter. Before you sit down with a reporter, learn as much as possible about how competent they are, how they work and how they'll treat you given the circumstances surrounding the story. If the reporters and the public aren't buying your story, maybe you need to change your message.

* Be a person first, boss second. People don't buy from companies, they buy from people. Show your human side, strengths and weaknesses, and that you're not infallible. It will allow reporters and readers to empathize with you and support you.

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