How to – HANDLE THE MEDIA A reporter calls! Suddenly you have the opportunity to raise the profile of your company, your services, your product, and your cause. Public relations can be a double-edged sword: the potential to increase a positively induced audience filled with prospective clients AND a mine field of bad impressions.

Some guidelines for dealing with the media effectively can help you further your cause and limit the opportunities for problems:

• Don’t be forced into saying something you don’t want to say. If you are uncomfortable with a question, answer the question you wish they had asked. Be clear about the point you want to get across. Always bring the focus back to the points you want to make.

• Never lie to a reporter. If you don't know an answer, simply say so. Add that you will be happy to find out and get back to them. If you can not talk about a specific aspect, again, say so, but never lie. A lie will be discovered and your chance at good visibility will turn sour.

• Put YOUR spin on YOUR story. If you know there is going to be something negative coming out, try to counter it before it gets out. When the second story appears, it has already been discredited by your story.

• A great deal of what you want to communicate gets lost. The quote people like to use is the one that is the most colorful. Make it count. Think in terms of a ‘sound bite.’ Almost everything else can become background.

• Find the hook that makes it interesting. You story is competing with lots of other stories. A half hour new program actually has only seventeen minutes of news! Your story has to be interesting enough to capture a few of those precious minutes.

• Your timing can be more important than anything else so be the one to say it first. The initial press about things is what the public remembers most. Everything else is catch-up and defense.

Nationally recognized consultant, trainer, author and professional speaker Joni Daniels has helped thousands of people become empowered about accomplishing their professional and personal goals. She is a sought after resource for Fortune 500 clients, professional organizations, higher education, and business publications. Sign up for her free quarterly newsletter at www.jonidaniels.com/newsletter.html.

Labels: media, reporters, timing

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