How to Prevent Foot In Mouth Disease When Dealing With The Media A Prescription From The PR Doctor

Do you feel ill or uncomfortable when dealing with the media? Do you have the habit of "sticking your foot in your mouth" during media interviews? Do you wish to hide or be excused whenever the media contacts you? Well, the PR Doctor has a simple prescription for you in the form of what to do and what not to do when dealing with the media. The prescription has been developed through many years of dealing with the local, regional, national & international media and some sage advice from many friends in the media over more than 35 years.

My prescription for What To DO:

DO know who you are dealing with in the media.

DO consider the consequences (positive & negative) of media exposure.

DO be sensitive to media deadlines (different media have different deadlines).

DO have an articulate and knowledgeable spokesperson (this may not always be the CEO or Executive Director).

DO have a well prepared news release (if one is warranted).

DO make yourself or the appropriate spokesperson available for follow-up contact.

DO be on time for appointments (although media people may not always be on time).

DO say "I don't know" if you do not know.

DO be patient with inexperienced or uninformed reporters.

DO return phone call (note deadline pressures).

My prescription for What NOT TO DO:

DON'T expect that the media will do your job for you.

DON'T try to tell the media how to do their job.

DON'T think the media will draw the same conclusions you do.

DON'T leave out facts that might be damaging in the hope that the media will not know the difference.

DON'T play favorites with the media without carefully considering the pros and cons.

DON'T EVER SAY "NO COMMENT!"

DON'T tell a known untruth because it will ALWAYS come back to haunt you.

DON'T be afraid to disagree (professionally) when a reporter inaccurately paraphrases what you have said or tries to put words in your mouth.

DON'T use jargon, or "inside" jokes or phrases.

DON'T call the media to ask if your story or article ran and can you get a copy.

In my experience with the media over these past 35 years, I have heard many misconceptions about how the media works and have tried through educational seminars and workshops to "set the record straight." If you have a need to learn more about working with the media, please contact email me at jgeprman@aol.com or go to http://www.prdoctor4u.com and discover who is the PR Doctor.

J. Glenn Ebersole, Jr. is a multi-faceted professional, who is recognized as a visionary, guide and facilitator in the fields of business coaching, marketing, public relations, management, strategic planning and engineering. Glenn is the Founder and Chief Executive of two Lancaster, PA based consulting practices: The Renaissance Group, a creative marketing, public relations, strategic planning and business development consulting firm and J. G. Ebersole Associates, an independent professional engineering, marketing, and management consulting firm. He is a Certified Facilitator and serves as a business coach and a strategic planning facilitator and consultant to a diverse list of clients. . Glenn Is also the author of a monthly newsletter, ?Glenn?s Guiding Lines ? Thoughts From Your Strategic Thinking Business Coach? and has published more than 225 articles on business.

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A Positive Look at Media Interviews and A Prescription For Successful Media Interviews

As you read the headline, I can almost hear some of you asking, "How can there be anything positive about media interviews? I would rather go for a painful visit to my dentist than participate in a media interview." Well, I want to tell you that in more than 35 years of media interviews in my professional career, I remain positive about media interviews and will share some thoughts with you. And just in case you might believe that all those media interviews were fun & friendly, I can assure you they were not.

Many business people, especially corporate leaders, have great disdain for the media and hold the belief that a journalist's job is to find sensational stories and details and then present them in ways to make CEOs and other business leaders look bad. And with this kind of attitude, we witness corporate leaders and business people going on the defensive, when they should be doing the opposite - being proactive ad looking at the interview as an opportunity rather than a crisis.

So you are wondering how to look at media interviews in a positive light and view them as an opportunity to tell your story. Here is my prescription for you.

1. Be positive. Even thought the subject mater of the interview may have negative elements.

2. Be honest. If you do not know the answer to the interviewer's question than sincerely respond that you do not know. Do not try to make up an answer or "wing it" with something that cannot be substantiated.

3. Be prepared. I always advise my clients to know whom they are doing business with before any business takes place. The same advice is appropriate for your doing business (interviews in this instance) with the media. Research the interviewer and his or her background, interviewing style, subjects usually covered by them, format of interview, the physical location of the interview, etc.

4. Develop your key message(s) with 2 to 4 key points and weave these into your interview responses.

5. Anticipate questions you would rather not have asked. Do some "what if" planning for these questions. Prepare to briefly address those questions and then tie back into your main points.

6. Build relationships with the media as an ongoing goal, even before media interview opportunities occur.

7. Capitalize on every media interview opportunity and when you are asked at the end of the interview (which almost always happens) if there is anything else you would like to add, be ready to reiterate key messages and provide a positive summary of the interview.

8. Seek and engage outside counsel and training to develop your media interview skills.

9. Practice, practice, practice to hone your media interview skills.

10. Commit to viewing media interviews as opportunities, not crises.

If you would like to learn more about achieving positive successful interviews and positive media relations, please contact Glenn Ebersole through his web site at: http://www.renaissanceman4u.com/ or by Email at jgecoach@aol.com

Glenn Ebersole, Jr. is a multi-faceted professional, who is recognized as a visionary, guide and facilitator in the fields of business coaching, marketing, public relations, management, strategic planning and engineering. Glenn is the Founder and Chief Executive of two Lancaster, PA based consulting practices: The Renaissance Group, a creative marketing, public relations, strategic planning and business development consulting firm and J. G. Ebersole Associates, an independent professional engineering, marketing, and management consulting firm. He is a Certified Facilitator and serves as a business coach and a strategic planning facilitator and consultant to a diverse list of clients. Glenn is also the author of a monthly newsletter, ?Glenn?s Guiding Lines ? Thoughts From Your Strategic Thinking Business Coach? and has published more than 225 articles on business.

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Strategic Thinking To Media Visibility - A Healthy Media Visibility Prescription From Your PR Doctor

Are you getting your name, photo and the name of your business in the newspapers and professional publications? Or are you reading stories about your competition all the time? Do you have a dismal record of getting articles published? How healthy is your media visibility?

It is critical to understand that the media is not in business to promote you or your business. The media's role is to produce articles of interest to their readers. That means you need to provide interesting and relevant information to the journalists so they will want to publish your article. And I would say the most important thing to learn to know is how the media works and what the specific requirements each media has for submitting any information to them.

Here is a prescription from your PR Doctor on how to gain healthy media visibility.

+ Be strategic! Develop a strategic integrated marketing communications plan and include specific media visibility objectives within the plan.

+ Develop a positioning statement for you and your company and make sure that is a benchmark for all that is done to gain media visibility.

+ Know who you are doing business with in the media. Read the journalists articles, columns, etc. and research their interests, areas of expertise, etc. to learn more bout them. Get to know the distribution and the demographics of the readers of the media you are dealing with each time.

+ Prepare & submit well-written letters to the editor and op. ed. pieces for the media where you want increased visibility.

+ Increase your public speaking opportunities at venues where there will be media coverage.

+ Develop a few short quotes or sound bites to use in public forums covered by the media. Some of these may be of interest and picked up by the media to use in their articles

+ Develop a consistent message about you and your company that you can "weave into" communications with the media.

+ Develop and implement a plan to prepare news releases throughout the year so that you are maintaining contact with the selected media for increased visibility.

+ Develop relationships with selected editors and journalists by providing them with valued information and items of interest to them and their readers.

Compliment and thank them for their work, when appropriate

+ Be strategic in selecting the media to work with so that the media selected provides the best coverage in your target markets.

+ Volunteer to serve on boards of non-profits and to work on their community relations and/or public relations committee.

+ Establish yourself as an expert or authority in a particular subject matter or field and make yourself available to the media as a resource.

If you want to learn more about this strategic thinking approach to media visibility for you and your company, please contact Glenn Ebersole through his website at http://www.prdoctor4u.com or by email at jgeprman@aol.com

Glenn Ebersole, Jr. is a multi-faceted professional, who is recognized as a visionary, guide and facilitator in the fields of business coaching, marketing, public relations, management, strategic planning and engineering. Glenn is the Founder and Chief Executive of two Lancaster, PA based consulting practices: The Renaissance Group, a creative marketing, public relations, strategic planning and business development consulting firm and J. G. Ebersole Associates, an independent professional engineering, marketing, and management consulting firm. He is a Certified Facilitator and serves as a business coach and a strategic planning facilitator and consultant to a diverse list of clients. Glenn is also the author of a monthly newsletter, “Glenn’s Guiding Lines – Thoughts From Your Strategic Thinking Business Coach” and has published more than 250 articles on business.

To find out more about the benefits & rewards of effectively working with a strategic thinking business coach, please contact Glenn Ebersole through his web site at http://www.businesscoach4u.com or jgecoach@aol.com

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The PR Doctor's Prescription of Strategic Actions For A Healthy and Strong Pitch To The Media

The news media is literally inundated with pitches for media coverage every day. Unfortunately a very large percentage, some say as high as ninety (90) percent are useless form letters and from people who have done absolutely no research about the media where they have sent their pitch. Media pitches that are done with a lack of media-savvy are real irritants and can really greatly diminish your chances of getting the media attention you want. However, there are proven professional ways to improve your chances with the media by being strategic in your pitches to the media.

So what are the strategic actions you can take to improve your "pitches" to the media? The PR Doctor offers the following prescription for a healthy and strong pitch to the media.

#1: Always use an attention getting headline in the subject line of emails whenever you send your pitch electronically.

#2: Always personalize your pitch. This can include how long you have been reading or listening to the media source you are pitching. You have an opportunity to show that you are familiar with the person and their work. However, never gush on and on or be phony about this.

#3: Always tailor and customize your pitch to a specific individual. Never start of with an impersonal Dear Sir or Dear Madam.

#4: Always determine the outcome you want from your pitch before you make your pitch and then make a specific ask for what you want.

#5: Always include the "what's in it for me" (WIIFM) factor. You need to identify that you have something no one else has or some other reason why you want to share something with him or her that will be of value to them.

#6: Always keep it simple, short and sweet (KISSS). Remember the media get so many pitches each day. The media only have so much time to review them, so respect the value of their time and give them a strong concise effective pitch.

#7: Never send attachments electronically unless you are asked to do so or have received permission to send them. Attachments sent without prior authorization or permission most likely will end up in the media spam filter where they stay until emptied - and that could mean no one ever reads them.

#8: Never be a pest or a media stalker. Again, please remember that the media get so many pitches each day that they have limited time to get through all of them. If they have not responded to your pitch they are probably too busy, have not had time to review it, filed it for future reference, or they are simply not interested. This does not mean you should not do ONE follow-up contact, but remember to keep it to ONE.

#9: Do your homework and research the media you will be pitching so you have an understanding of the media coverage area, the types of stories and events they are most interested in covering, the editors, the reporters, and other characteristics of that particular media.

#10: Use your pitches to develop a rapport and a relationship over time with your media sources so they will get to know you better and so you can build up a trusting relationship with them. This will pay dividends because after you have earned their trust, your access to them and the attention they give you will be enhanced.

The PR Doctor recommends that you commit to follow this prescription so you can gain much more positive results from your pitches to the media.

Glenn Ebersole, Jr. is a multi-faceted professional, who is recognized as a visionary, guide and facilitator in the fields of business coaching, marketing, public relations, management, strategic planning and engineering. Glenn is the Founder and Chief Executive of two Lancaster, PA based consulting practices: The Renaissance Group, a creative marketing, public relations, strategic planning and business development consulting firm and J. G. Ebersole Associates, an independent professional engineering, marketing, and management consulting firm. He is a Certified Facilitator and serves as a business coach and a strategic planning facilitator and consultant to a diverse list of clients. Glenn is also the author of a monthly newsletter, "Glenn's Guiding Lines - Thoughts From Your Strategic Thinking Business Coach" and has published more than 345 articles on business.

To find out more about the benefits & rewards of effectively working with a strategic thinking business coach, please contact Glenn Ebersole through his web site at http://www.businesscoach4u.com or jgecoach@aol.com

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