The Truth About Public Speaking (and the Media) Blog

Did I Really Say "Slush Fund?"

Sunday's Washington Post broke the story of what it called "lavish" expenditures by Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution (the organization's top officer) Lawrence Small.

One of those who offered comment on the situation was Roger Sant, chairman of both the Smithsonian's audit committee and its executive committee. Sant, one of the founders of energy giant AES, is no novice when it comes to dealing with the press. But it looks like he forgot a vital media training principle -- never serve up negative language.

Sant talked about Small's creation of "a slush fund," then opined, "I don't think it was a personal-gain sort of thing." Of course, I have no inside information on the questions asked by reporter James Grimaldi. But I would not be the least bit surprised to learn that his questions contained the pejorative words of which Sant took ownership.

I have another guess about this interview -- that Sant took the call from Grimaldi cold. That is another media training no-no. Had Sant taken a few moments to collect his thoughts, it is possible that negative phrases like "slush fund" and "personal-gain" never would have passed his lips.

More than Conquering Stage Fright

Last Sunday's Washington Post ran an article that indicated most people's fear of public speaking stems from stage fright. In truth, that is but one cause of many. Read my letter to the editor, published today, intended to provide a bit more depth (or, at least as much depth as a brief letter to the editor can contain).

Nothing Personal

Living in the Washington, D.C., area, I have the good fortune of being able to listen to C-SPAN radio. They aired a live program Tuesday of this week from the National Press Club featuring White House Press Secretary Tony Snow and a panel of reporters who cover that beat.

I was unable to attend, but had it on in the car and found one of the most fascinating aspects to be the frequency with which the participants claimed it is not personal when reporters question Snow relentlessly, or when he tosses barbs back at them. There did seem to be an element of "methinks thou dost protest too much" about the whole thing. Regardless, it is a noble goal.

And it is something to bear in mind whenever you deal with the press. You may not be the administration's press secretary or cover the White House beat. But it is wise to remember that any interview amounts to a business deal between you and the reporter. Rather than money changing hands (let us hope!) as in a typical business deal, you are exchanging information.

The reporter probably doesn't hate you on a personal level unless you have done something to earn her enmity. So don't take it personally. Keep matters on a professional plane. It's a business deal.

Facilitation Is an Art

Content is important in any business meeting. So is process.

While rules should not override the need for substantive progress, a modicum of process is necessary if a meeting is to reach any sort of meaningful conclusion. At a recent idea session I attended, everything started fine. The discussion was on point and participants were energetically engaged. Then a faction hijacked the proceedings. It was nothing mean or intentional. The topic just meandered to something largely unrelated to what we were there to discuss.

Whose fault was this unintended shift? One person and one person only -- the facilitator. Perhaps he thought the discussion had run its course. I did not sense that was the case since participants were still engaged in spirited on-topic conversation. Regardless, if matters veer off course, the facilitator owes it to everyone in that room to keep the discussion on track. It is not always easy to pull it back when a number of people change the topic and begin a lively, albeit superfluous, discussion. But everyone entered that room agreeing to adhere to an agenda. Changing the rules midstream is rude.

It is important to acknowledge that not everyone is cut out for the job. Assertiveness is required. I had some doubts from the start about the facilitator in question. His vocal volume made most of us strain to hear him, and his body language seemed distant at times. Hardly the picture of someone capable of taking charge if the situation demanded.

Most groups give too little thought to this crucial role. That's why successful organizations set forth some ground rules and expectations for those who are asked to facilitate. If they cannot or will not abide by the guidelines, fine. Don't take it personally. But do find someone else.

If you are involved in a meeting dedicated to talking about a certain subject, stick to it unless there is consensus that the discussion has outlived its usefulness and there is explicit agreement to move on to something else.

Pacing Yourself

I tuned in to parts of C-SPAN's coverage of the Senate's debate on the Iraq war resolution on Saturday. While the comments ranged from the high-minded to the lowbrow, there was one performance that caught my attention.

Sen. Judd Gregg (R - N.H.) made me think I was watching a tennis match. He paced incessantly, taking two steps to his left, two steps to his right, then repeating the process over and over. I felt like my head was on a swivel. It was such a distraction that I cannot remember the thrust of his argument.

Some speakers pace because they are nervous. If you fall victim to that distraction, find another outlet for your energy. Boost your vocal volume a bit or slightly increase your gestures, for instance.

It is fine to move as you speak (provided you are not delivering remarks behind a lectern). Just avoid leaving the impression that you are little more than a perpetual motion machine. Take two or three deliberate steps, then hold your position for a bit. Repeat as necessary. Who wants to be stuck with the nickname, Human Tennis Match?

Waffle Words

Reporters talk to experts because they are just that -- experts. They are not guessers, not estimators. When you are interviewed by the media, act like the authority. Avoid undermining yourself with waffling phrases as too many people do.

Two examples. First, while interviewing a client during a recent media training, I noted that he began most of his replies with, "I think." If a news outlet wanted your personal opinion, they would ask you to pen an opinion column. They want the facts, based on your expertise and knowledge. By starting a sentence with, "I think," the interviewee short changes his credibility.

Second, yesterday's news conference by President Bush witnessed an overuse of "I think's" first cousin, "I believe." Dana Milbank of The Washington Post was counting. He toted up 18 Bush uses of "I believe."

I wish I could say these are isolated occurrences, but they are not. I hear this "I think" sentence construct regularly during media training workshops. This can be tough to knock out. Some people use it to stall for time. Others are manifesting a bad habit gained over years. For some, it indicates a subconscious lack of confidence.

Admittedly, it is difficult to edit out our first reaction. But that is what it takes -- a mental edit that takes place in the blink of an eye. For most, this does not occur overnight. It takes work and dedication to change ingrained habits. In the end, the work is worth it. I would rather set a client on the road to a confident sounding persona than to have him continue to sap his credibility with meaningless waffle words.

Sunshine Week

Open government is vital to a free press and a free citizenry. Sunshine Week, March 11-17, is designed to shed light on freedom of information issues.

The recognition is sponsored by the American Society of Newspaper Editors. According to the organization's web site, "Sunshine Week is a national initiative to open a dialogue about the importance of open government and freedom of information. Participants include print, broadcast and online news media, civic groups, libraries, non-profits, schools and others interested in the public's right to know."

Want to encourage your local media outlets to take part in Sunshine Week? See the booklet "Bright Ideas for Sunshine Week" online.

Keep It Simple

The message you try to get across during a media interview should not be as complicated as rocket science (unless, of course, your topic is rocket science).

Your goal is to make it as straightforward as possible for the reporter to translate your words to his readers, viewers, or listeners. This means keeping your language and examples simple. During your interviews, talk as you would to your 12-year-old child, niece, nephew, grandchild, etc. Or if you are a doctor, explain things as you might to one of your patients. Businesspeople, think of a potential customer who knows next to nothing about your service or product.

Never try to impress reporters with jargon or inside baseball terminology. You will succeed only in making them work too hard, thus forcing them to turn to another source that can put matters in plain English better than you can. Simple words lead to successful quotes.

More Internet News Trends

Could it be that things are not as bleak as we have been led to believe for newspapers and over the air television stations?

Research by the Pew Internet and American Life Project studied where Americans turn for their political news. TV still leads the pack, down only three percentage points (from 72 percent to 69 percent) in the last 10 years. On the surface, newspapers took the biggest hit, dropping from 60 percent of respondents to 34 percent. The big jump, no surprise, was in the numbers who turn to the Internet, rising from three percent to 15 percent.

Even with the drop in newspaper numbers, when people turn to the web for political news, they hardly shun newspapers. Local news organization web sites were the third most frequently visited online source (48 percent) followed in fourth place by web sites of major national newspapers (31 percent). TV network web sites tied for first, with 60 percent of online politicos turning to that source.

Perhaps the most troubling shadow for traditional media was the identity of the other first place entry -- news portals like Google News and Yahoo News. I cannot bring myself to call these legitimate news sources. They are no more than content aggregators, providing little if any original journalistic value. What becomes of such sites when they succeed in cannibalizing their newspaper, radio, and TV sources? It may be fine for them to move on to online shopping or whatever the current trend of some future day might be. But what will become of those of us in search of real news when serious journalistic enterprises are driven out of business or cut to the bone?

Who Wins Best Grammy Acceptance Speech?

Will this Sunday's Grammy acceptance speeches be riveting, appalling or simply mundane? If tradition holds, we can expect the good, the bad, and the ugly from this year’s crop of Grammy winners.

Viewers will be able to tell which recipients have worked to sharpen their communications edge and which take a cavalier—or outright lazy—approach. Talented singers and musicians don’t always make good public speakers. It’s like learning to sing or play an instrument at a high level. Solid presentation skills demand a lifetime of lessons and a rigorous devotion to practice.

This applies even if you receive an honor not quite as prestigious as a Grammy. Your award may come from a local civic organization or your child’s school. No matter how minor it may seem in the grand scheme of things, it is a big deal to you. As Grammy winner Aretha Franklin would say, treat it with some R-E-S-P-E-C-T.

As for this year’s Grammy recipients, if the music starts to swell as they ramble on about their mother, their agent, and God, the best advice I can give to avoid embarrassment is to take the hint and wrap it up—right away!. And let’s hope we are spared what seems to be an annual overdose of self-righteousness—Bono, take note.