The Truth About Public Speaking (and the Media) Blog

The Best Laid Plans

2008 Democratic Presidential hopeful John Edwards and his media advisors thought they had it all figured out. The bigfoot candidates, Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, deferred announcements concerning their presidential aspirations until early 2007.

In an attempt to take advantage of the traditionally slow news week between Christmas and New Year's Day, Edwards scheduled the announcement of his candidacy for yesterday in New Orleans. He balanced the negative of fewer people paying attention to events this week with the advantage of having the field to himself.

Then former President Gerald Ford died. Edwards went forward with his announcement, but Ford's death dominated the news cycle and will continue to do so for a number of days, swamping the strategy the candidate had mapped out.

This just goes to show that no matter how well you plan and how smart you think you are, unforeseen circumstances can still rise up in surprise. You basically have two choices in this type of situation. One, you can go ahead with your plans. Two, you can postpone your event until a later date. Regardless which option you choose, it boils down to making the best of a bad situation. Sometimes there are no excellent choices when circumstances beyond your control assert themselves.

Debate Etiquette

While you may not be a candidate for the highest office in the land, many of us participate in debates. You may be running for a city council seat, county sheriff, or the state legislature.

More likely, you have to argue pro or con for a new workplace initiative or wade into an association debate designed to shed light on a contentious issue.

What is the best way to prepare yourself for the give and take of a debate? Follow these guidelines:

• Make sure your opening and closing statements are rich in your message
• Practice multiple times in as realistic a setting as possible
• Understand the time limits for answering, rebutting, and responding to the rebuttal
• Practice with the debate’s time limits in mind, and assign a timekeeper during your rehearsals
• Anticipate likely questions from your moderator or panelists
• Anticipate your opponent’s arguments
• Prepare questions for cross-examination (the sad fact is most political debates are not debates at all, simply glorified press conferences)
• Bring a few notes on index cards if the rules allow
• Reinforce your message as part of every response
• Nonverbals count—no sighs, smirks, eye rolling, or aimless walks around the podium
• Keep things professional, and avoid personal attacks

Reporters Have a Nose for (Certain) Numbers

Reporters may not be subject to pressure from their advertising departments (or from you if, heaven forbid, you try to convince them to use your quotes because your company buys ads in their newspaper). But they do pay attention to circulation numbers.

Witness yesterday's sit down between President Bush and three reporters from The Washington Post, including Peter Baker. Bush stated a few platitudes about his attempts to forge a positive relationship with the press corps. At that point, Baker rejoined, "We appreciate that, and you've certainly been good for business."

The Value of a College Education

Presentation skills matter in the job market. And college can help you sharpen those skills.

The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, a U.K.-based human resources membership organization, recently surveyed university graduates and found that 75 percent valued the communication and presentation skills they gained in college.

I could find no indication how many of the respondents had taken formal public speaking courses as part of their studies. But I'm not sure that matters much. The act of standing up in front of a room, presenting a point of view, and defending it leads one to become a better communicator.

That experience can come in college, in community groups, non-profit organizations, government meetings, or any number of other forums. When it comes to public speaking, there are few better ways to improve than to, well, speak in public.

Getting that Second Interview

During a recent media training workshop, I conducted a practice interview with an executive who just didn't get it. Oh, she knew her messages cold. But she was thoroughly unskilled at inserting them into the conversational flow gracefully. Everything was forced.

For example, I opened with a question about a new product line. She responded by reciting verbatim the first message point on the sheet in front of her, telling me about her customer profile. That is certainly a legitimate answer to some questions, but not to the one I posed.

We continued this crosstalk until the end of the interview. But, as a former reporter, I felt my time ill used. She not only failed to address my questions, she wholly ignored them.

Had I been editing tape for a TV or radio piece or writing an article for a print publication, I would not have been able to write anything particularly negative. At the same time, I would hardly have made a special effort to get her name in the story.

Then again, that is not the only test of a successful interview. Relationships matter. So consider this question: Would I, as the reporter, return to her for future comment? In this case, I would have immediately scratched her name from my list of potential sources. Why waste time with someone who refuses to cooperate? There is too much competition willing and able to take your place if you fall down on the media relations job.

Slides and More Slides

Just what the world of business presentations does not need -- an online service that encourages sharing of PowerPoint slide shows.

SlideShare.net allows users to upload and browse slide decks originated by others. When I recently took a look, it featured presentations on Global Fashion Week and Defensive Driving, among other topics.

Now, I am not suggesting that one cannot glean ideas from slide shows put together by others. But let's face it. Most PowerPoint users are not designers. Many, judging by the quality of the slides we all see on a routine basis, seem to be visually challenged.

It will be interesting to observe how much traction, if any, SlideShare develops. Regardless, my standard caveat regarding the use of slides as part of any talk still holds: Do you really need to use slides?

Never Sit Alone, But . . .

Most people seem to have an innate fear of making new acquaintances. If you doubt it, just look around at the next luncheon or dinner meeting you attend.

Not long ago I volunteered to assist with a luncheon function for an organization to which I belong. I was busy greeting attendees and was one of the last to take a seat. At one of the last remaining open tables was a smiling group of five individuals. They certainly seemed to be getting along quite well. As I introduced myself around the table, I soon learned why. They were all from the same company!

I am all in favor of liking those you work with. But you see them five days a week (and, truth be told, most of us welcome the occasional break from our office mates). Why not meet some new faces? At the very least you might enjoy some scintillating conversation. You might even make a new friend or establish a profitable business contact.

Make it a rule: When you go to a professional event with co-workers, it is fine to arrive and depart together. But, in the interest of good business, sit with people you don't know.

What to Do with a Harsh Question

You can scratch the name of BBC Political Editor Nick Robinson from the White House Christmas card list. The British reporter succeeded in getting under George W. Bush's skin at a joint news conference with British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Robinson's question: Mr. President, the Iraq Study Group described the situation in Iraq as grave and deteriorating.  You said that the increase in attacks is unsettling.  That won't convince many people that you're still in denial about how bad things are in Iraq, and question your sincerity about changing course.

Bush's response (delivered in a tone of annoyance): It's bad in Iraq. That help?

I want to leave aside the politics of the situation to make a point about dealing with the press. Never let 'em see you sweat. After nearly six years in the White House and an equal length of time as governor of Texas, it still surprises me when one with such experience fails to implement some core principles of press relations. Bush's sharp response turned the routine question into the video clip of the day.

He would have removed the defensive edge to the story had he responded something to this effect: "Yes, it's bad in Iraq. The fact remains we still need to keep sight of the big picture," then moved on to his desired message. You can argue that he has a strong message or a weak one. The point is such a rephrased response would have allowed him to redirect the angle of the story.

Bush violated another tenet of news conference management by looking his needling questioner in the eye while responding. He might as well have extended an engraved invitation to issue a follow up. Sure enough, Robinson pounced. Had Bush shifted his eye contact to another part of the room, once again, the exchange would have proved far less toxic.

No, this is not Media Relations 101. But it doesn't come from the PhD syllabus either. Be forewarned: Your experienced spokespeople -- the ones you put in front of the cameras when the issues heat up -- should be able to navigate these journalistic waters.

Enforcing Consistency of Message

Some organizations bang their heads against the wall because they try to reinvent the wheel before every public appearance. However, message consistency done right actually facilitates your communications efforts.

My Personal Trainer column for December, "Enforcing Consistency of Message," details how you can leverage your communications efforts to save time and ensure discipline, in the process putting your organization ahead of the competition.

Subscribe to Personal Trainer. It comes to your e-mail inbox every month and it's free.

J-school Cheating Scandal

Just what newsrooms don't need -- a cheating scandal at one of the nation's most prestigious journalism grad schools.

Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism held a meeting on Friday in an effort to get to the bottom of a somewhat unclear scandal surrounding a final exam for, irony of ironies, its mandatory ethics course titled "Critical Issues in Journalism." The alleged cheating centers on an online exam that students were given 90 minutes to complete, but were allowed to do so within a 36-hour window.

The lack of clarity, interestingly, can be traced to the j-school's Director of Communications Barbara Fasciani, as quoted in The Washington Post. When asked whether administrators were investigating the possibility that some students were offering exam answers to other students, Fasciani replied, "It may be." How's that for enhancing accuracy in reporting?

Worse yet, the course instructor, Samuel Freedman -- a columnist for The New York Times, no less -- declined comment to a Post reporter. This lends more proof to the general rule that reporters do not play well when they find themselves on the receiving end of questions.

Bottom line: As with most professions, the vast majority of reporters are ethical, hard-working folks. But conflict sells newspapers and boosts ratings, so the tiny unscrupulous minority gets all the ink and airtime. All the more reason why those seeking to uphold ethical standards should communicate clearly and decisively when the spotlight shines on the industry's transgressions.