Yes, I Am Giving It Away.

Having a successful press interview goes well beyond gesture, posture and costume.  The reality is that in order to have an effective conversation with a journalist, preparation must begin well before the interview is scheduled.

Before taking the plunge to build your brand in the press, you must first know what you want to say and how to say it.  My experience has shown me that many people spend a lot of time on the superficial elements and not enough on their content.

So here.  Don’t waste thousands of dollars, or your valuable time, for the very basics. Here are my Top 11 pointers that you shouldn’t have to pay an expert for:

1.     Don’t wear white on television. It’s too glaring.

2.     Move your hands to gesture, but don’t fidget.

3.     Speak slowly and clearly.

4.     Smile so that you don’t look angry on TV.

5.     For television interviews, look at the person speaking to you and not the camera.

6.     Make sure the journalist has your correct title and spelling of your name.

7.     Sit on the edge of your seat and the bottom of your jacket to keep it from bunching at the shoulders.

8.     If there is a microphone around, assume it’s on.

9.     You are always on the record unless it is very clear that you are not. Even then, what you say may be used in another context.

10. Powder your nose.

11. Be prepared.

Although important, some believe that these tips are the secret to a successful interview. They are not.  Delivering your messages clearly, concisely and honestly are the real measures of success.

Spend your time cultivating relationships with journalists, developing and then simplifying your key messages and learning how to control an interview.  Only then will the superficial elements of how to look and sound fall naturally into place.  If you want to get your messages across clearly to your audience, think about what you want your audience to hear and remember. 

And when you need help understanding how to work with the media and how to develop your sound bites, call in an expert that understands your business as well as media expectations.

Of course there are risks with every press encounter. However, preparing well in advance of the interview and focusing and rehearsing your talking points will help you better navigate and control the interview and enable you to communicate effectively with your audience.  And look good doing it. 

Cramer Finally Gone Too Far?

Obviously we all watched, glanced at, reviewed, or read about JPM CEO Jamie Dimon’s appearance before the Senate Banking Committee yesterday. Many observers said that Mr. Dimon came out winning.  Essentially, he won simply because he didn’t lose, but more importantly, he appeared honest, prepared, contrite and real.  Let’s face it; this is no easy task when the entire financial community and Washington are watching.

Following the testimony, CNBC colleagues asked Jim Cramer how Mr. Dimon fared.  His response was to call him a loser 14 times, twice say he is stupid and then he professed that Mr. Dimon himself agreed with this assessment.   I am no body language expert, but the others on stage looked a bit uncomfortable.  You can watch it here via Dealbreaker’s site.  

http://dealbreaker.com/2012/06/so-this-is-jim-cramer-talking-about-jamie-dimon/

What should communications professionals do if a reporter or commentator goes off the rails against a client or executive? It’s always best to maintain a healthy relationship with the press. But, of course, it’s not always possible.   In this case, it is a careful balance of first, not adding fuel to an unpredictable fire and second, keeping the offensive behavior in check. 

This type of situation warrants a phone call, off-the-record conversation and a request for an apology. I would not expect a public apology, but the bad behavior should be flagged as unacceptable and won’t be tolerated.  Here, the leverage is the relationship. CNBC has had the privilege of many exclusive Dimon interviews,  JPM doesn’t have to continue to do that.   

CNBC viewers watch the programming for sound financial advice, market moving news, thoughtful opinions and light banter, not unwarranted character assassinations.  This rant shows a lack of respect and a lack of class. CNBC is better than that. 

Heck of a Job Brownie, I mean, #NasdaqOMX

Finally, after nearly three weeks of observing this colossal PR blunder, Robert Greifeld, CEO of Nasdaq OMX, offered an apology to the financial industry. Perhaps some investors too, but that wasn’t really clear. 

Nasdaq obviously bungled the IPO listing of Facebook on May 18^th. But two days later said, “We definitely call it a success.” Some early introspection and an acknowledgement of screwing up would have helped fill the void of Nasdaq’s voice and perhaps tempered some of the attacks by Nasdaq’s clients and thus, the media.

Nasdaq followed its apology by offering a sort of reimbursement package to clients that lost money from the mistakes made with the Facebook IPO.  The response was not kind.  Statements  by its clients, including Knight Capital calling it “unacceptable” and those made by rival NYSE saying it was “wholly inconsistent with fair practice” would indicate that the compensation package was conceived in a bubble. This is going to invite a lot more negative press for the exchange. 

In life, when people make mistakes that hurt others, lie, cheat or steal, the best thing to do is acknowledge the error, say “sorry” and then take the appropriate steps to make the injured party whole.  In business, at least have a public relations strategy that acknowledges the issue, quickly get out and make the appropriate statements publicly and then consider key stakeholders and their responses when offering to address or compensate for those errors.  And do it quickly, not three weeks later. Three weeks is an eternity in this environment. 

You’re doing a heck of a job Mr. Greifeld.