PR Straight Talk

I’ve provided media training to hundreds of companies, non-profit organizations and  associations.  At least half of those trainings were to help executives prepare for a crisis before it happened.  Sometimes, I’ve had to step in while a crisis was at-hand.

The four most important things to know, in preparing for, or dealing with a crisis, are:

(1)  Admit mistakes
(2)  Express and exhibit compassion for victims
(3)  Put the problem into perspective
(4)  Create effective positioning

ADMIT MISTAKES:

Unless your organization is constrained by legal counsel from admitting a true mistake, you’ll find that most people are very forgiving of the admission of an error, if the admission is quickly forthcoming.

It’s important to tell the truth.  Deception, in the long run, ruins
reputation and standing in the community - and ultimately your bottom line.

EXPRESS AND EXHIBIT COMPASSION FOR VICTIMS:

We’re all in the people business.  You count on your various publics - all composed of people - to support you, to buy your products and services, to embrace your stance on issues.  If you’ve made a faulty product or rendered a service that hurt people (or worse) - express compassion for those victims.  Do everything you can to back up your expression of compassion with tangible acts of compensation, if at all possible.  Make sure you rectify the problem so that it will never happen again, and let your publics know it’s been rectified.

PUT THE PROBLEM INTO PERSPECTIVE:

It often occurs that an organization has to deal with a crisis that somehow has the potential of tarnishing its reputation to the extent that the public perceives this is not a one-time occurrence, but a pattern of negligence.  Usually, this is not the case.

Put the problem into perspective.  Explain your long history of good citizenship, of trustworthiness and ethical behavior.  Put this particular problem into the “untypical category” - of an incident that doesn’t typify your actions.  When contextualized within the larger picture of upstanding behavior over a long period of time, the problem diminishes in scope in people’s minds. 

The use of “perspective” will help you get through a crisis.

CREATE EFFECTIVE POSITIONING:

Remember or hear about the Tylenol crisis of years ago?  A case of product tampering, where some Tylenol capsules were laced with poison.  People died.

The eventual solution was the creation of tamper-proof product sealants.

What did Tylenol’s manufacturer, Johnson & Johnson, do to cope with this situation?  A simple positioning statement helped neutralize opposition to the company:  “We are victims too.” 

In one fell swoop, this statement helped put the company on the side of the victims.  It worked and ultimately was part of a campaign that brought the product back into mainstream acceptance.

“Faith is to believe what we do not see; the reward of this faith is to see what we believe.”

    — St. Augustine

“Anyone can hold the helm when the sea is calm.”

    — Publilius Syrus

“The difficulties of life are intended to make us better, not bitter.”

   — Anonymous

“To be nobody but yourself - in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else - means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; and never stop fighting.”

– e.e. cummings

Achieving “rapport” with a television interviewer is an essential component of any media interview. 

Good rapport on the interviewee’s part includes a perception that he or she is likeable and caring. One way interviewees can establish good rapport with the audience and the interviewer is to humanize themselves and their organization. This can be done by relating personal anecdotes that enhance their point of view. Interviewees should talk in terms of people rather than statistics, and speak in personal terms. It helps viewers identify with the person speaking, and in turn, identify with the message. 

Another route to good rapport is by way of conversationality and first names. Think about the warmth and charm of the late President Reagan. Whether you agreed with his policies or not, his soft but charismatic style, his likeability, his conversational tones and his ability to communicate in simple yet graphic imagery – all of this “reached” viewers and “scored points” with them.

Think about the late Egyptian prime minister, Anwar El-Sadat, whose skill in conducting the warm and human interview greatly increased the prestige of his office and affection for him. Why were Mr. Sadat’s interviews on television so believable?  Quite simply, because he succeeded in identifying himself in the minds of the audience as a friend of the interviewer. One way he accomplished this was by skillful use of first names - by calling Barbara Walters “Barbara” and Walter Cronkite “Walter.” This subtle recognition of the interviewer as a person creates the image of a warm, caring, courteous individual. There’s a suggestion that the interviewer and the guest are friends.

Interviewees should use their judgment in applying this suggestion to specific cases.  If in doubt, they might ask the reporter or host before the interview begins whether he or she would mind being called by his or her first name.

One very important aspect of “rapport” is to achieve “presence.” Being present during an interview means being as relaxed as possible – in body, mind and spirit – while ALSO being focused and alert. How is presence achieved?

Here are eleven simple yet powerful ideas:

1.  The point of power is always in the Present Moment!  This moment is all any of us have, and it’s in this moment, and in the mastery of this moment, that anything and everything happens. When you really “get that” – that you have power, and you realize that you have choice, then you realize it’s up to you as to what you do with this moment.

2.  Be unattached.  When you’re unattached to outcomes, to stop worrying what people think of you, to stop worrying what the interviewer or your audience is thinking of you, it frees you up to be yourself, to be more centered, to come more from “the inside out” instead of allowing yourself to artificially construct yourself based on what you “think” other people want from you.  Over the last 20 years, I’ve seen so many people obsess around constructing a false self, based upon what they “think” other people want them to be. The paradox is, is that when you’re overly attached to being someone else, people see through that veneer and lose respect for you.

3.  See yourself as the Expert.  In virtually all cases, unless you’ve failed to prepare for the interview, you must remember that YOU are the expert. It’s rare where an interviewer will know more than you about your organization, and about the issues you came into the interview to discuss. When you really get that, it should boost your self-confidence level considerably.

4.  Relaxation techniques.  Look for a way to relax the morning of your interview, or an hour or so prior to the interview. What works for you? Perhaps it is meditation.  Just several possibilities:  TM as taught by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi; or the technique taught in a book, “The Relaxation Response” by Harvard’s Herbert Benson; or simple breathing techniques, involving following your breath from inhalation to exhalation; or saying an out-loud “treatment” affirming your peacefulness, calmness, expertise and self-confidence; or just reading your favorite most inspirational poem.

5.  Exercise.  If you can take a mile walk, or jog, or do aerobics, two to three hours before your interview, you will release stress, unify your good energy and feel more of your presence in time for the interview.

6.  Smile.  The cliché is true – one smile really is worth a thousand words. Of course, smile when appropriate and if it feels comfortable.

7.  Listen – and try to be considerate.  For example, if the interviewee tends to be an interrupter, the common-sense solution is not to interrupt.  During the training session, work must focus on the art of listening.  If we consciously intend to listen to the interviewer, or to the debate opponent, waiting for this person to complete his or her thought before responding, allows us to be perceived as considerate.

8.  Avoid insults or invectives.  If your interviewer or debate opponent insults you or your organization, you can simply reply, “I take exception to the way you’ve characterized me, my intentions and my company. Then, go on to explain your good intentions and actions, and the positive track record of your company.  This way, you’ve put the spotlight on the other person’s poor behavior, and highlighted yourself as a person who takes the high road.

9.  Never get personal.…with the interviewer or your debate opponent.  Deal with issues, with the validity and sense of the statement put to you – but never hurtle diatribes at the person him or herself.  You simply will be seen as an ogre, and unlikable.

10. Use humor when appropriate.  Humor instantly can relieve the heaviness of a moment, and illustrate to others that you can lighten up and put things into perspective. However, for some of us, humor doesn’t come naturally, so don’t apply it if it isn’t natural for you to do so.

11.  Empathy.  Good rapport is also promoted by previewing the interviewer. Doing so teaches the interviewee about the interviewer’s style and point of view. The interviewee will then be prepared for the interviewer’s position and will be able to empathize. Empathizing and acknowledging the other person’s viewpoint, without necessarily agreeing with it, is a great way to eliminate communication barriers.  If interviewees create a cordial comfort zone with the show host, the “vibes” will be picked up by the people on the other side of the screen - the people they’re really intending to reach.  Interviewees who let reporters upset them only promote unfavorable impressions in the minds of the thousands - or millions - viewing.

This is by no means a new book, but it was the first book that showed me that science and spirituality converged - and of the possibility that “evolution” and “creation” were not conflicting theories but of one pattern.   Written by a Jesuit priest and paleontologist, Father Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, it lifted my spirits, and for the first time I could see that Life on this planet and in this Universe was purpose-driven and of an intelligent design leading it to ever higher expressions of unfoldment and of the Spirit.

One need not agree with all of Father Teilhard’s theological suppositions to appreciate the majestic possibilities inherent in this book.  This priest/scientist was a truly spiritual man, in the best sense of that word, and this and other books by him (e.g., ”The Divine Milieu”) reveals the thinking of a truly great man. 

Author Bernard Haisch’s views click with my own experiences, sensitivities and speculations thus far.   It appears to me that consciousness is the source, and that materiality arises out of consciousness - not the opposite.  It appears to me that each of us IS an indivualized creative aspect of this larger consciousness, and that our lives are to a significant degree shaped by what we think and what we believe.   It appears to me that this larger consciousness is the moving force behind evolution - and that therefore evolution is true and creationism is true.   One never hears much about the possibility that both are true, rather than one or the other.

It appears to me, too, that since we are moved by the source of consciousness, that this Higher Power gives to us the freedom to choose and that we co-create with God.   God does not micromanage because it is left to us to govern our affairs.   And yet, when in alignment with the ultimate intelligence and goodness of the Creative Power, are choices our healthier and our lives are happier.

It also seems to me that this kind of spirituality speaks to a reality where God lives in us and through us as our higher truth, and that religion, when it departs from the essence of that truth, has historically developed controlling doctrines that have more to do with containing people based on aspects of the mind that are divisive and ego-centered.

In the more spiritual scientific view, there is an ultimate Goodness inherent in life because it is inherent in consciousness. We see and sense this goodness in the ongoing perfection of nature, in the beauty and perfection of beingness in an oak tree, a duck, a puppy or kitten, and so beautifully in a new born baby.

Everything this author writes about corresponds to my own experiences and reflections about the ultimate nature of Reality.

“No matter what is going on
Never give up.
Develop the heart.
Too much energy in your country
is spent developing the mind
instead of the heart.
Be compassionate
Not just to your friends
but to everyone.
Be compassionate.
Work for peace
in your heart and in the world.
Work for peace
and I say again
Never give up
No matter what is happening
No matter what is going on around you
Never give up.”

  — H.H. The XIV Dalai Lama

There is of course no perfect presidential candidate.  Each contender has his or her strengths and weaknesses.  In my article, “Candidates’ Style Vs. Substance: A Media Trainer’s Scorecard,” published on July 2^nd by PR Week Magazine (see url below*), I pronounced Hillary Clinton the debate winner in the field of Democratic candidates, based on my media trainer’s perception that she led or ran high in a number of the ten determinants of style delineated in the article. 

Among Senator Clinton’s strongest suits were: projecting confidence; ability to connect; ability to articulate/communicate; perception of centeredness and balance; intelligence; perception of strength.  She either led or was a close second in these categories.  Interestingly, Senator Joe Biden scored high in these categories too, which leads one to suspect that the one category not covered in the article – name recognition – can be a linchpin determinant when thrown into the mix.  It should have been the eleventh determinant. 

Yet Senator Clinton, while she was the winner, and now apparently seems headed for the nomination of her party, is not the perfect candidate.  Senator Obama took the lead in three other determinants:  heart and humanity (based on his inspirational stance of projecting a new paradigm of rising above dualism and being an advocate of inclusionism, unity and hope); likeability; and wisdom (heart combined with intelligence.)  The perception of these attributes of Obama may not be enough to carry him into the lead, at least among registered Democrats, but they have attracted many into his orbit.

What I found attractive in Joe Biden, from a media trainer’s perspective, is that he clearly represents a man of great experience, especially in foreign affairs.  That came across through his strength of message in this area, and his having projected stylistic strengths that came close to Senator Clinton’s, including self-confidence, intelligence and strength. But lack of name recognition is clearly one of the good Senator’s handicaps.

Today, on CNN, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, a Republican, gave what I thought was a tour de force in his interview with Wolf Blitzer.  What struck me about Mr. Huckabee’s performance was that he maintained a cheerful disposition, deflecting harsh criticisms of him by his opponents without going into a personal attack mode.  On the contrary, when Mr. Blitzer quoted tough criticsm by Conservative Phyllis Schlafly, questioning the authenticity of Mr. Huckabee’s conservatism, the former Governor simply and politely suggested Ms. Schlafly was misinformed, and then praised and acknowledged her for her strong and consistent track record as a Conservative.

When other criticisms were drawn about his stance against abortion and his support for Intelligent Design vs. Evolution, Huckabee was not apologetic.  Rather than get into the mire of the debate on the latter, he simply presented his belief in God and the Bible, and with a sincerity that was admirable (irrespective of one’s own conviction on the matter). On abortion, he made a strong case in opposition to it which was perceived as heartfelt, that all human life must be treated with reverence, including life in the womb.  Again, I think that people of another point-of-view, if they were fair, would not have disrespected Mr. Huckabee’s sincerity in expositing his belief on this issue.

What was appealing about Mr. Huckabee’s performance was that he came across as a man with a strongly held inner value system, and yet not arrogantly so.  Moreover, he presented himself as someone who could listen to criticism without getting personal of his opponents’ expressions.  To me, this conveys character.  “Character” is a quality that can only be shown or evidenced by strength of conviction combined with a tolerance for others’ views, and by action.  With respect to the former, Mr. Huckabee seems to potentially be such a person.

In my July 2^nd article, former Mayor Guiliani seems to have been underrated.  While he had decent scores in some categories, I did not perceive him as the winner.  Instead, former Governors Romney and Huckabee came out on top.  I think here, again, as Rudy is as of now the front runner among the Republican field of candidates, “name recognition” turns out to be a linchpin determinant.  The other strength that the former New York mayor plays on is his strong and hawkish position against terrorism and the Iranian threat.  That is a strength that obviously plays well among a goodly number of Americans, and Senator Clinton seems to be taking a strong stance here as well.  Part of the reason for this may be political so as to neutralize Mayor Guiliani’s criticisms in this area were he to be her opponent in a national election (and it appears this is moving in that direction).

So who’s the ideal candidate in this current presidential political campaign?  It’s clear.  It’s Clinton-Obama-Biden-Huckabee, and perhaps with a dash of Rudy Guiliani thrown in. Since there is no such “animal,” Americans can hope that as the campaign gels into one with two major candidates on either side, that these individuals will either grow by cultivating and integrating aspects of themselves that had been more submerged – or bring to their respective tickets Vice Presidential choices that are more developed in those areas of lack.

* July 2nd PR Week Magazine article can be found at: http://www.mediamavens.com/Articles/ArticlesbyMike/PRWeed_USAJul207.pdf