Making A Great Impression With The Media
Making A Great Impression With The Media
But making a great impression with the media can be challenging when you’re trying to run a small or medium-sized business. Being a businessperson means you have to wear a lot of different hats. One day you’re the salesperson, the next you’re serving as the bookkeeper. And when the media calls you up asking for a quote or an interview you have to put on your public relations managers hat, too. Talk about a stressful, challenging situation for a businessperson to be placed in!
That’s why, as a businessperson who needs to project a positive image to potential clients and to the public at large, you should always be ready for your very own close-ups, just like faded starlet Norma Desmond was in Sunset Boulevard!
Many of my own clients have appeared on national and local television and radio shows, and have been interviewed frequently for newspapers and magazines. I help prepare them for these interviews by providing them with some simple rules that I hope will also help you when you’re called upon by the media. By following these rules you can ensure the success of any media event you’re involved in:
Look & Act Professional At All Times: Always look and act the role of the successful businessperson. That means showing up early for each interview (you’ll need to allow time for the make-up people to prepare you or the station producer to speak with you). And when you show up, ensure you are dressed in a professional, business-like manner with flattering colors and clean, pressed clothing. You’ll also need to be well-groomed – tidy hair, appropriate make-up and a minimum of jewelry. The better you look, the more confident you will feel and that confidence will radiate out to your interviewer, and the audience watching you.
Show Up & Be Ready To Roll: Being professional also means NEVER canceling an interview at the last minute – that also means never saying “no” to an interview. Saying “no” forces the media person calling you to go on to the next expert on their list, effectively bypassing you in future. Never miss an opportunity to spread your message. When you do arrive for your interview be aware that the producer could ask you to get on-camera or on-microphone at any time (many shows don’t give their guests ample warning of when their spot is coming up).
Bring A Press Kit: Being prepared to meet the media also means having a press kit, something every organization must have ready to pass out to any media that request it. A simple press kit should contain an overview of your organization and its goals, a release highlighting what services your organization provides and any brochures or supporting documentation you feel would help illustrate just want your organization is all about. Include any recent releases that highlight announcements about company events or products – these will help the interviewer focus in on what’s important to you. House the entire kit in an attractive cardboard folder and attach your business card and you’re all set!
Control The Interview: Some members of the media like to put their interview subjects “on the spot” by asking tough or challenging questions. It’s essential that, if you’re dealing with a difficult issue or company-related crisis that involves the media, you remember to keep your cool and do your very best to come across as calm and professional in any interviews you do. First off, don’t “shoot from the hip” – always have five or six key points that are the most important messages you want to convey committed to memory so that answers are consistent, concise and succinct. Whenever the interviewer changes the subject, remember your messages and bring the discussion back around to the points YOU need to cover. And never say “no comment” – it conveys to the audience that you have something to hide, even when you don’t. Find a way to answer the interviewer’s question in a way that will answer it but also convey your organization’s message in a positive manner.
Cultivate Good Media Relations: Cultivating good media relationships that will benefit you for years to come is essential to your success as a small or medium-sized businessperson. By promptly returning calls to media representatives, including editors or producers, you will make yourself valuable as a resource to them. Treat them well and they will remember it – treat them shoddily and they’ll remember that treatment even more.
Being a friend of the media could mean an increase in your organization’s visibility to existing and potential clients. It’s also an excellent opportunity to outshine your competitors, no matter how large they might be. By making yourself available to the media, and by following the simple tips I’ve provided in this month’s column, you could become that all-important resource your media contacts depend on for a quick quote or interesting interview. Being prepared allows you to keep your face, your name and your organization front-and-center, and potentially improving your organization’s bottom line as a result.
Are you ready for your close-up?
Making A Great Impression With The Media - To learn more about this author, visit Nelson Hudes's Website.
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Famous film star Gloria Swanson said it best when, as silent film star Norma Desmond, she marched down the staircase of her dilapidated mansion, stared deep into the cameras, eyes wide and focused, and exclaimed "I'm ready for my close-up now, Mr. DeMille.” That concluding scene in the film Sunset Boulevard is a classic of modern cinema – but it’s also very relevant to our discussion here today. Because this time around we’re talking about the need to put your best face forward when dealing with cameras, microphones or newspaper reporters.
But making a great impression with the media can be challenging when you’re trying to run a small or medium-sized business. Being a businessperson means you have to wear a lot of different hats. One day you’re the salesperson, the next you’re serving as the bookkeeper. And when the media calls you up asking for a quote or an interview you have to put on your public relations managers hat, too. Talk about a stressful, challenging situation for a businessperson to be placed in!
That’s why, as a businessperson who needs to project a positive image to potential clients and to the public at large, you should always be ready for your very own close-ups, just like faded starlet Norma Desmond was in Sunset Boulevard!
Many of my own clients have appeared on national and local television and radio shows, and have been interviewed frequently for newspapers and magazines. I help prepare them for these interviews by providing them with some simple rules that I hope will also help you when you’re called upon by the media. By following these rules you can ensure the success of any media event you’re involved in:
Look & Act Professional At All Times: Always look and act the role of the successful businessperson. That means showing up early for each interview (you’ll need to allow time for the make-up people to prepare you or the station producer to speak with you). And when you show up, ensure you are dressed in a professional, business-like manner with flattering colors and clean, pressed clothing. You’ll also need to be well-groomed – tidy hair, appropriate make-up and a minimum of jewelry. The better you look, the more confident you will feel and that confidence will radiate out to your interviewer, and the audience watching you.
Show Up & Be Ready To Roll: Being professional also means NEVER canceling an interview at the last minute – that also means never saying “no” to an interview. Saying “no” forces the media person calling you to go on to the next expert on their list, effectively bypassing you in future. Never miss an opportunity to spread your message. When you do arrive for your interview be aware that the producer could ask you to get on-camera or on-microphone at any time (many shows don’t give their guests ample warning of when their spot is coming up).
Bring A Press Kit: Being prepared to meet the media also means having a press kit, something every organization must have ready to pass out to any media that request it. A simple press kit should contain an overview of your organization and its goals, a release highlighting what services your organization provides and any brochures or supporting documentation you feel would help illustrate just want your organization is all about. Include any recent releases that highlight announcements about company events or products – these will help the interviewer focus in on what’s important to you. House the entire kit in an attractive cardboard folder and attach your business card and you’re all set!
Control The Interview: Some members of the media like to put their interview subjects “on the spot” by asking tough or challenging questions. It’s essential that, if you’re dealing with a difficult issue or company-related crisis that involves the media, you remember to keep your cool and do your very best to come across as calm and professional in any interviews you do. First off, don’t “shoot from the hip” – always have five or six key points that are the most important messages you want to convey committed to memory so that answers are consistent, concise and succinct. Whenever the interviewer changes the subject, remember your messages and bring the discussion back around to the points YOU need to cover. And never say “no comment” – it conveys to the audience that you have something to hide, even when you don’t. Find a way to answer the interviewer’s question in a way that will answer it but also convey your organization’s message in a positive manner.
Cultivate Good Media Relations: Cultivating good media relationships that will benefit you for years to come is essential to your success as a small or medium-sized businessperson. By promptly returning calls to media representatives, including editors or producers, you will make yourself valuable as a resource to them. Treat them well and they will remember it – treat them shoddily and they’ll remember that treatment even more.
Being a friend of the media could mean an increase in your organization’s visibility to existing and potential clients. It’s also an excellent opportunity to outshine your competitors, no matter how large they might be. By making yourself available to the media, and by following the simple tips I’ve provided in this month’s column, you could become that all-important resource your media contacts depend on for a quick quote or interesting interview. Being prepared allows you to keep your face, your name and your organization front-and-center, and potentially improving your organization’s bottom line as a result.
Are you ready for your close-up?
Making A Great Impression With The Media - To learn more about this author, visit Nelson Hudes's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
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David AchesonDavid Acheson is the founder of DCJA Consultancy. DCJA Consultancy is a management consultancy business specialising in B2B sales consultancy. They offer bespoke and packaged sales consultancy including Sales Optimisation Review, Interim Sales Management, Sales & Marketing Review, 1:1 Sales & Management Staff Analysis, Management Training, Solution Sales Training, Creation of New Pay Plan, KPI's, run Customer Feedback Campaigns, assist with Recruitment, Coaching, Appraisals and set up Strategic Marketing Campaigns. David spent his early career in accountancy and then moved into sales in 1982, working in Office Equipment, IT, Advertising, Training, Outsourcing and Consultancy. He has held many Senior Positions in SMBs and Global Organisations including Head of Sales Operations & Head of Business Development. His knowledge, skills and great experience of the Sales Industry has led to David making keynote speeches and running educational sessions to key businesses through organisations including The Chamber of Commerce and Business Link. - Visit David Acheson's Website |
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Linda RichardsonLinda Richardson is the Founder and Executive Chairwoman of Richardson, a global sales training and performance improvement company. As a recognized leader in the industry, she has won the coveted Stevie Award for Lifetime Achievement in Sales Excellence and she was identified by Training Industry, Inc. as one of the “Top 20 Most Influential Training Professionals.” Ms. Richardson is credited with the movement to Consultative Selling and is the author of ten books on selling and sales management, including Sales Coaching — Making the Great Leap from Sales Manager to Sales Coach, and Stop Telling, Start Selling. She teaches sales and management at the Wharton Graduate School of the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton Executive Development Center. Linda is a frequent speaker at industry and client conferences, has been published extensively in industry and training journals, and has been featured in numerous publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Nation’s Business, Selling Power, Success, and The Conference Board Magazine. Learn more about Richardson's sales training and performance improvement solutions at http://www.richardson.com web - Visit Linda Richardson's Website |
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Dave KurlanDave Kurlan is the founder and CEO of Objective Management Group, Inc., the industry leader in sales assessments and sales force evaluations, and the CEO of David Kurlan & Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in sales force development. Dave has been a top rated speaker at Inc. Magazine's Conference on Growing the Company, the Sales & Marketing Management Conference and the Gazelles Sales & Marketing Summit. He has been featured on radio and TV, including World Business Review with General Norman Schwarzkopf, in Inc. Magazine, Selling Power Magazine, Sales & Marketing Management Magazine and Incentive Magazine. He is the author of Mindless Selling and Baseline Selling – How to Become a Sales Superstar by Using What You Already Know about the Game of Baseball. He created and wrote STAR, a proprietary recruiting process for hiring great salespeople, and he writes Understanding the Sales Force, a popular business Blog and is a contributing author to The Death of 20th Century Selling and 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Volume 2. - Visit Dave Kurlan's Website |
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Leanne Hoagland-SmithAre your sales where you want them to be? Will you be one of the few who achieves sales or business success or one of the many who have failed to change? Are you tired of being told you are like everyone else? Then you may find my first book on sales of interest. Be the Red Jacket in the Sea of Gray Suits, The Keys to Unlocking Sales available at Amazon or at http://www.processspecialist.com/red-jacket.htm. This book is a reflection of my no-nonsense approach to improving sales to overall business results. If you are truly committed to making sustainable changes, then I can help you secure a positive return on your investment because I focus on executable solutions not telling you the problems you already know you have. From training to corporate (group) coaching to executive one on one coaching, my approach is to assess, create awareness, build a goal driven action plan and then execute. The bottom line question is "Not do you or your employees know it, but do you or they want to do it?" Please call for a free strategy session at 219.759.5601. - Visit Leanne Hoagland-Smith's Website |
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Cheryl MatthynssensCheryl is a life skills coach, licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor and a 20 year entrepreneur. Cheryl's dedication to achieving a life of balance led to her expanding her teaching from the simple managing of life's daily challenges to adding financial well being as well. A direct marketer with DrinkACT, she is gaining ground in the online community with her concepts of making sure business owners, entreprenuers and employees have well rounded life styles. She opened up a small affiliate site - The Balance Guide- to help others find resources for mental and emotional well being. Visit Cheryl's blog to see more of the diversity beyond business she has began offering online at www.thebalanceguide.blogspot.com - Visit Cheryl Matthynssens's Website |
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