I was perusing the latest edition of Men’s Journal when I came across an interview with  Anderson Cooper.  I enjoy Anderson’s speaking style – he appears confident, is conversational and has great control and is masterful in his use of paralanguage while reporting. 

Imagine my surprise to read that Anderson Cooper, who presents in front of millions and millions of people (indirectly) everyday, prime-time, has struggled with…. a fear of public speaking?  The same anxiety-inducing phobia that millions of people (including me) have had to, or currently, deal with every day? 

MJ: Have you tried conquering other fears that way?

AC: On a more ridiculous level, public speaking. Being on camera is easy for me, but speaking in front of several thousands of people, it’s a different skill set. Making speeches gave me a nervous pit in my stomach, so I forced myself to do it: I gave the commencement address at Tulane in front of 12,000 people. And it was fine.

I give Anderson tremendous credit for a) admitting a phobia publicly and b) for finishing his answer with the truth – and it was fine.  With practice and preparation, it usually is. 

The reality is that 99.9% of the time, all of the nightmare scenarios you envision the night before your presentation will not come true (with practice and preparation).  Additionally, when you present, you almost always feel much more nervous than he or she appears.  You really don’t appear to your audience to be as nervous as you feel inside.

Stay tuned, next post will be a summary of what to do when the fear starts creeping in….

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This is a great example of how to handle a tough interview.

Ted Olson, former Solicitor General under President Bush, appeared this weekend on Fox News Sunday, hosted by Chris Wallace.  The topic was Proposition 8 in California, and a recent victory by Mr. Olson’s legal team in Federal Court.

In terms of handling a difficult interview, Mr. Olson did an excellent job, no matter where you stand on the issue.  Here are a few reasons why:

1. Message – Mr. Olson’s message was clear, and he did not waver. Nearly every answer contained one or more of the following:  Fundamental Rights; Bill of Rights; 14th Amendment. 

2. Composure/Tone – No matter how hard he was pressed, Mr. Olson never lost his composure, raised his voice, or indicated any sign of being rattled. 

3. Pause - The pauses were not long, often only a second, but they were there.  It was obvious that Olson was thinking about what he was going to say before he said it.  In a few instances, when Chris Wallace was utilizing comments Mr. Olson made in the past, you could see Mr. Olson crack a very subtle smile, acknowledging the trap, and then going straight back to his message.

4. Preparation – There is simply no substitute for preparation, and it is clear that Mr. Olson had anticipated and prepared for every question before it was raised.

5. Backdrop – Sometimes you can control it, sometimes you do not have a choice; this backdrop was very flattering to Mr. Olson as it fit is appearance

6. Appearance - Mr. Olson looked the part – a seasoned, experienced legal expert who regularly argues before the highest court in the land.

7. Silence - Mr. Olson disagreed, but never interrupted.  Even more importantly, when he finished answering, he stopped.  This is one of the hardest, but most important, things one can do when dealing with a hostile interview – once you have answered, stop talking.

There were numerous other takeaways, including answering a question with a question, using an analogy that involved the host, and utilizing passion in a more subtle way than most of us are used to. 

After over 14 minutes of sparring, Chris Wallace paid Mr. Olson the ultimate compliment:

“After your appearance today I don’t understand how you ever lost a case in front of the Supreme Court.” 

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Not only does everything you do send a message – that message is received, and usually remembered – often for a long, long time.

Recently, my wife and I made a large purchase.  I happened to show up directly after working out, so I was in gym attire.

Our experience involved two saleswomen, one who was a gem, and one who was rude and quite nasty.  The nasty saleswoman was condescending, treated us as if we were beneath her, and indicated through her behavior that she could care less if we ever did business with her, or told anyone about our experience with her.

One problem – I know her boss. I also know a number of her regular clients.

I have not, and will not say anything to her boss or her clients, and I will not use her name publicly, name her employer, etc.  I am no threat to her or her business.

The next person she treats like that might be.

The one thing that delivers an overpowering message to others – how you treat people.

Not just clients, spouses, employees, employers – everybody.  If you think that no one takes notice, guess again.  I have been told of job interviews blown because of the way a candidate treated the wait staff.  I was recently told of a service provider who was rude to the security guard of an office complex visiting a prospect – guess who didn’t get the business?   Elected officials publicly humiliated because of rude treatment of wait staff and poor tipping habits.

You never know who the person next to you on the subway is.  Or who your waiter knows. Or the gentlemen pumping your gas (for NJ residents!).  Or the sales clerk.

The list is endless, but the lesson is the same – every action sends a message, and you do not always have the benefit of knowing who the audience is.

An old favorite:

“Be careful of whose toes you step on today, as they may be connected to the ass you have to kiss tomorrow.”

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Dear LeBron,

Umm. Over 20 times.  Umm.  The first (non) word of every answer. Umm.

One of the most visible personalities on the planet.  Millions watching you decide where to play, live.  Only 25 years old.  The hero of who knows how many young men and women.  A celebrity who seems to truly understand the power you wield over the lives of those who look up to you.

And the decision is….ummm

The President publicly courted you over seven times. The President! Thirty foot billboards. Six cities courting you. The eyes of the world on you, hanging on every word.  Umm….

Pausing before answering the questions tonight would have a dramatic impact on your delivery.  Practicing your key line – “I’m taking my game to South Beach” – about 1/1000000 of the time you practice your craft would have made a dramatic difference.

The eyes of the world will be on you tomorrow, the next day and continue for a long time to come.  You are a leader, period. You are a role model.

Great leaders realize the power of their words, and it is clear you understand that.

There is also tremendous power in how those words are delivered.

There is no question in my mind that you can become a great speaker — if you put even a little work into it, the difference will be tremendous.

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The disaster has taken a turn for the worse today, just as BP put Gulf Coast native and BP executive Bob Dudley in charge of the cleanup effort.   The last few weeks have certainly dropped communication expectations, and everything that has appeared in print with regard to Mr. Dudley  indicate he will do a much better job than his predecessor.

11 More Steps BP can take right now:

(1.) Actions speak louder… Stop Talking – Communicating is always preferable to silence, except when it is covering up inaction or irresponsibility. If you have nothing good to say, say nothing. Following Mr. Hayward’s latest testimony before Congress, the public is no longer listening;

(2.) The whole truth…What You Say - “We are a responsible party. Our obligation is to deal with the spill, clean it up and make sure the impacts of that spill are compensated. And we’re going to do that.” The two words that followed, both from BP CEO Tony Hayward and BP America President Lamar McKay undermined that entire message:  “Legitimate Claims.”  This word combination completely neutered the effectiveness of the earlier message and has been derided repeatedly in the media.

(3.) And nothing but the truth… How You Say It –BP America President Lamar McKay, in an exchange with Senator Maria Cantwell,  looked and sounded a lot more like a defendant on trial than the President of one of the world’s largest companies.  BP CEO Tony Hayward was abrupt when answering questions in front of the House this week, answering some version of “I don’t know” 66 times… Not good.

(4.) So what to do… Restructure Leadership, Immediately— If the faces of the disaster don’t change, the reputational damage won’t change. Right now, the “faces” are damaged wildlife, angry elected officials, and current BP leadership. As of today there are conflicting reports as to who is in charge – not exactly reassuring to the masses…The change that came today comes on the heels of a similar change last week that caused a great deal of confusion.  BP handled today’s switch much more effectively. – STEP TAKEN

(5.) Your local heroes…Major Relief Fund – directed by local officials – The locals are saying they can do it better – let them try. It will at least re-direct some of the attention – the best case scenario for BP right now.

(6.) Sacrificial lambs… Show some sacrifice –So far, the sacrifice that BP gets credit for are the comments from Mr. Hayward and a fund that was set up after meeting with the President.  Appearances matter.  Put A LOT of money into local nonprofits now. Reduce headcount and replace with affected locals. Invest in these communities for things having nothing to do with the environment.

(7.) No good deed… Non Profit Support –When you input the term “BP charity” or “BP nonprofit” into Google News, very little comes up. Not good.

(8.) Retrain or repurpose… Retraining Stations - There are now entire industries that may no longer exist. Set up retraining stations to work in oil and gas exploration and give those displaced apprenticeships and permanent jobs; Start the retraining now

(9.) Fish & Fowl Friendly… ASPCA, etc. –Give EVERY major animal rights and environmental organization you can nonprofit funding, fly them down, and get them on the ground on your dime to help. As of yesterday some animal rights groups have begun to file suit – this could have been avoided.

(10.) Accept Blame – Direct any and all blame inward. Someone internally needs to comment on how BP handled this from the jump – taking the heat. Americans are very forgiving, but only if given the opportunity.

(11.) Message Discipline – The CEO was photographed, days after being ripped for his testimony on the Hill, watching a prestigious yacht race.   After being criticized for his handling of the entire disaster and the perception of a lack of caring for those affected.  He may very well have deserved a break, but there should have been some thought put into taking the break publicly, at a prestigious sporting event. Everything sends a message, and this sent a big one.

(12.) Pipeline Meltdown - Focus on the hole in the pipe, not in your communications – Another recent communications disaster resulted when BP decided it was a good idea to tell everyone that the company is going to use profits from any recovered oil to help the ecosystem that is now in chaos. Profits; repeat Lesson 1 – Stop Talking!

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When testifying, whether before a legislative body or in a courtroom, the message begins the second you arrive, and components of that message include:

1) Your clothing; your hair; your makeup; your shoes; jewelry;

2) How you exit the car; your stride; where your eyes are focused; facial expressions; body language

Once you enter the arena (and a legislative body or courtroom is an arena), message development continues:

How you approach the legislative body; how you sit (or stand); who you sit with; where your hands and arms are; facial expressions; what material you have….

At this point, the beginning of your message, like it or not, has been developed.  Now the verbal component of your message begins, and the nonverbal component continues.

Tony Hayward, appearing before the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee, was well dressed, his body language entering the hearing did not set a bad tone, and his decision to sit center stage by himself, without attorney’s or staff, sent a powerful message of responsibility and openness.   It was a great beginning.

As has been the case throughout this disaster, it quickly went downhill.

The sense of openness turned into 66 versions of “I don’t know.” The sense of responsibility turned into 23 versions of “I was not involved in those decisions.”  The sense of deep sorrow and guilt turned into both abrupt and hostile answers.  Body language and facial expressions turned defensive.

Granted, Mr. Hayward was in a no-win situation.  However, the responsibility to handle no-win situations and deliver the organization’s message effectively is the CEO’s responsibility, not that of the small people.

Oil is gushing into the Gulf every minute of every day, and any goodwill that BP may have garnered after meeting with the President left after Mr. Hayward’s performance.  Messages matter.

From Bloomberg Businessweek:

In his testimony yesterday, Hayward not only failed to convince lawmakers he was committed to making BP safer, he may have deepened suspicion of the company by repeatedly pleading ignorance to events that took place under his command, said Matt Eventoff, a partner at New Jersey communications firm, Princeton Public Speaking.

“Mr. Hayward’s comments today, saying ‘I don’t know’ 66 times, evaporated any feeling of responsibility,” Eventoff said. “Any goodwill that the company bought back yesterday eroded today with his testimony.”

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I apologize in advance for two posts in one day, but……wow.

Leadership at BP really just doesn’t seem to understand crisis communication, at all.

I can’t even begin to make sense of this, and what BP thought they were going to accomplish by doing this tonight…completely contrary to what I believe BP should be doing.…

Courtesy of the Daily News:

BP says profits from spilled oil will benefit new wildlife fund

BY Meena Hartenstein
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

BP has a message for the oil-soaked wildlife off the Gulf Coast: we’re just here to protect you!

That’s right, the British oil giant – which has scrambled since April to stop the flow of millions of gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico – announced Tuesday that it has created a new wildlife fund to benefit from any proceeds BP makes on the sale of captured oil from the spill.

“We’ve already launched the largest environmental response in history, and BP is committed to protecting the ecosystems and wildlife on the Gulf Coast,” said Chief Executive Tony Hayward.

The announcement comes as BP finally seems to be making some progress – and potential profits – on containing the oil. The company announced earlier Tuesday that it had collected 14,800 barrels on Monday, up significantly from the day before, and front month futures for crude oil are at $72 a barrel. In addition to the oil being harnessed by the well containment systems, proceeds from oil recovered through skimming operations will also go into the fund.

So just how much money can the impacted critters expect to see dedicated to their cause? In keeping with what Americans have come to expect from the oil company since the Deepwater Horizon rig explosion in April, BP admitted it can’t actually predict that number. Instead Hayward released a statement that said, “We believe these funds will have a significant positive impact on the environment.”

Oil from the spill has washed up all the way from Louisiana to Florida, decimating unknown numbers of birds and other wildlife. The Coast Guard estimates the cleanup process could take years.

This latest olive branch to the Gulf Coast isn’t BP’s only attempt at PR damage control. Many Internet users have realized the company is also buying up keywords on popular search engine sites like Google, Microsoft Bing, and Yahoo! so that typing in the words “oil spill” now leads to BP’s very own internal press page.

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Seven weeks later, there are three givens: 1) much damage is being done to the wildlife and ecosystem,  2) no one is quite sure when, or how, this tragedy will end, and 3)  everything BP is trying to do from a public relations and communications angle just isn’t working.

Nine steps to take now:

1. Stop Talking – I always advocate communicating over silence, as do the most crisis communication professionals.  After seven weeks, all efforts should focus on action; the public’s appetite for communication is gone.  At this point, the public is looking for heads to roll;

2. Restructure Leadership, Immediately — If the faces of the disaster don’t change, the reputational damage won’t change. Right now, the “faces” are damaged wildlife, angry elected officials, and current BP leadership. Commercials, apologies and new communication, at this moment in time, won’t change that – people have made up their minds; in order to get the public to even potentially buy into an message BP sends, it needs to appear that the culprits, real or imagined, have been replaced.

3. Major Relief Fund – directed by local officials – The locals are saying they can do it better – let them try. It will at least re-direct some of the attention – the best case scenario for BP right now.

4. Show some sacrifice – So far, the sacrifice that BP gets credit for are the comments from Mr. Hayward. Put A LOT of money into local nonprofits now. Reduce headcount and replace with affected locals. Invest in these communities for things having nothing to do with the environment.

5. Non Profit Support – When you input the term “BP charity” or “BP nonprofit” into Google News, very little comes up. Not good.

6. Retraining Stations - There are now entire industries that may no longer exist. Set up retraining stations to work in oil and gas exploration and give those displaced apprenticeships and permanent jobs; Start the retraining now

7. ASPCA/Etc. – Give EVERY major animal rights and environmental organization you can nonprofit funding, fly them down, and get them on the ground on your dime to help.

8. Fall on the Sword - Now is the time to direct any and all blame inward. Someone internally needs to comment on how BP handled this from the jump – taking the heat. Americans are very forgiving, but only if given the opportunity.

9. Fall on the Sword, Pt II – BP station owners, who have little or no affiliation with the parent company, are victims as well. Defend them. Something along the lines of:

“Any anger should be aimed squarely at us. Most BP stations are owned by small business owners, your neighbors, and hard working people who have NO HAND in anything the company has done. Your anger, deservedly, should be pointed at BP, and we understand protests of BP; please don’t misdirect anger at station owners who have no connection to BP or any responsibility for the disaster.”

Unfortunately, the only formula for BP in terms of repairing damage to the corporate name is time – commercials and appearances won’t work.

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BP, after a late start getting out of the “damage control gate”, developed a fairly effective central message:

“We are a responsible party.  Our obligation is to deal with the spill, clean it up and make sure the impacts of that spill are compensated. And we are going to do that.” – BP America CEO Lamar McKay May 11, 2010

However, a number of comments that followed were decidedly off-message.  There will be myriad lawsuits filed in this case, and litigators are not going to have to wait for discovery to start developing story lines around key quotes.

One has to wonder what a juror will think after being exposed to these quotes from, or attributed to, CEO Tony Hayward :

“What the hell did we do to deserve this?” [New York Times, 4/30/10]

“The Gulf of Mexico is a very big ocean. The amount of volume of oil and dispersant we are putting into it is tiny in relation to the total water volume.” [Guardian, 5/14/10]

“I think the environmental impact of this disaster is likely to be very, very modest.” [Sky News, 5/18/10]

“We’re sorry for the massive disruption its caused their lives. There’s no one who wants this over more than I do. I would like my life back.” – CNN, 5/30/10

(collected by ThinkProgress.org)

Come on, this is America, of there will be frivolous lawsuits —   Shep Smith, Fox News, had pretty powerful comments about this one.

Referring to the 9 cleanup workers who have been hospitalized:

BP CEO Hayward told CNN that the sick workers, who blamed their nausea, headaches and chest pain on the oil cleanup at the beach at Grand Isle, probably got sick from food poisoning.

“I’m sure they were genuinely ill, but whether it was anything to do with dispersants and oil, whether it was food poisoning or some other reason for them being ill,” Hayward said. “You know, food poisoning is clearly a big issue when you have a concentration of this number of people in temporary camps, temporary accommodation. It’s something we have to be very, very mindful of. It’s one of the big issues of keeping the army operating. You know, armies march on their stomachs.

I am an advocate of the CEO being front and center when a crisis strikes; that is why CEO’s need to be media trained and have crisis communication plans drawn up prior to being in the line of fire.

What you say can and will be used against you in court and the court of public opinion.  Jurors are individuals, and members of the public. Hence, comments that can be interpreted as callous by the public can be interpreted as callous by a juror.  Jurors will determine what claims are legitimate.

What you say and how you say it matters. Case closed.

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Last evening was very interesting and sent a clear message to incumbents and establishment candidates (ex.  9.9% unemployment doesn’t make people happy), and the general elections in November will be just as interesting, however…

Breaking News:  Elections in the US (and the UK) are NOT the only major elections that occur!

Next year, a major battle is shaping up in the Middle East — who will lead Egypt.  While Hosni Mubarak has led Egypt since Anwar Sadat’s assassination nearly three decades ago, there appears to be the potential for a very competitive race next year, with Mubarak’s son, Asst. Secretary General Gamal Mubarak, the front runner, and Nobel Prize Laureate Mohammed ElBaradei the face of the opposition.

One fact transcends all borders and elections — in a democratic election, the ability to “connect” with the electorate, through verbal and non-verbal communication, is paramount.

While both Mubarak and ElBaradei are highly visible throughout Egypt, both are extremely bright and highly articulate, neither man has displayed the ability to “connect”….yet.

A few (unsolicited) communication tips for Asst. Sec. General Mubarak:

1. Expression Matters – Mr. Mubarak’s facial expressions rarely change.  His mouth is constantly positioned the same way, as is his forehead (creased) – very serious, regardless of what he is talking about.  While I believe his serious demeanor can, at times, be an asset, if overused it becomes a hindrance;

2. Body Language Matters - See Tim Geithner; Mr. Mubarak’s chin is constantly lowered, hindering eye contact, putting the focus on his forehead, and really exaggerating the forehead “creases”; the simple “tweak” of raising his chin will make a dramatic improvement;

3. Movement Matters - On television, movement is exaggerated; Mr. Mubarak constantly moves his head, sometimes very rapidly, which causes a distraction to the viewer;

A few (again unsolicited) communication tips for Dr. ElBaradei:

1. Expression Matters – Dr. ElBaradei has a lighter, less serious demeanor (at times) than Mr. Mubarak;  however, when he begins to speak at length, his demeanor tends to change a bit, and his expression and tone goes flat; Dr. ElBaradei’s smile is an asset- he should use it more;

2. Length Matters – Mr. ElBaradei is much more effective in shorter sentences – he should focus on shorter, focused sentences with longer pauses in between thoughts; When he speaks at length, verbal “noise” tends to penetrate, as does a tendency to speed up dramatically;

3. Image Matters – This may seem insignificant, but Mr. ElBaradei’s suits tend to appear too big and his suit jacket tends to ride up his back when sitting and speaking; easily rectified but something that should be addressed now rather than in the heat of election battle;

I will be keeping a close eye on this race as it will be fascinating – more (unsolicited) tips to follow for both candidates…

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Message and delivery.  Having a message is crucial – delivering that message effectively is just as crucial.  The equation for effective communication involves both message and delivery.  All too often, companies and individuals in crisis learn this lesson the hard way.

BP has certainly made its share of mistakes in terms of responding to this crisis – not being able to stem the flow of oil and looking completely unprepared to handle a disaster would be mistake number one for any multinational company. From that point forward BP has had series of missteps in terms of getting central messaging down, missed a number of opportunities to leverage social media and had trouble in the initial development of a message.

After those initial missteps, I believe that BP had the underpinnings of an effective response, and a strong message:

“We are a responsible party. Our obligation is to deal with the spill, clean it up and make sure the impacts of that spill are compensated. And we’re going to do that.”

1. What You Say - The two words that followed, both from BP CEO Tony Hayward and BP America President Lamar McKay undermined that entire message:  “Legitimate Claims.”  This word combination completely neutered the effectiveness of the earlier message and has been derided repeatedly in the media.  This is the sound bite, rather than “Our obligation is to deal with the spill…” and will be pretty difficult for BP to get away from now.

2. How You Say It – BP America President Lamar McKay, in an exchange with Senator Maria Cantwell yesterday, looked and sounded a lot more like a defendant on trial than the President of one of the world’s largest companies.  There is a fine line between looking serious and looking hostile and Mr. McKay looked somewhat hostile.  That is unfortunate as this will be the clip that will circulate around the ‘net for the next few days.  Senator Cantwell, on the other hand, looked concerned and upset while not being argumentative, and I think her line of questioning (What she said) and her delivery (how she said it) will result in higher name identification and some new fans.

Whether it is a perfectly worded apology delivered with no emotion or the highly defensive delivery of an explanation, the failure to both have your message and deliver it effectively usually means exacerbating the crisis.

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I believe that Floyd Mayweather, Jr is the best fighter in the world at this moment in time.    He is certainly one of the most talented athletes around, lives and breathes his sport, and has a  training regiment that is second to none.  Regardless of the controversy he generates pre-fight, the reality is that he has trained for thousands of hours to get to this point, and he is not only a master, but also a student of his trade, and it shows.

Floyd is extremely personable, is in front of the camera constantly (literally) and has won forty one (41) times — he has given a post-fight press conference like this 41 times (not even mentioning his storied amateur career and  Olympic career).  So why are there so many “umms” and “you know’s “- verbal fillers – littered throughout the first two minutes of this press conference?

My guess – training, practice and preparation – or lack thereof.

There is no doubt in my mind that Floyd, with the proper training, preparation and practice, could be one of the most effective communicators in professional sports today. His personality and natural ability give him a great head start.

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When it comes to communicating off of the field,  the professional athlete faces a major dilemma– a constant flurry of opportunities to speak, and very little, if any, formal training on how to handle those opportunities.

Unfortunately, as can be witnessed on any evening news program, or on ESPN throughout the day, athletes, who put so much time, dedication, practice and preparation into their chosen craft, do exactly the opposite before appearing in front of the camera.

This post, the first in a series, will address one of the most common mistakes professional athletes make when being interviewed on, or off, the field:

1. Please, slow down when you speak, as well as AN-NUN-CI-ATE!

One of the greatest commercials of all time is the Federal Express spot starring John Moschitta as a corporate executive who speaks at such a blistering pace he is very humorous.  However, it is nearly impossible to follow and all too common in how athletes communicate, especially when approached by a reporter immediately at the conclusion of an event.

While you may not speak at this breakneck speed, odds are that you do speak at a rapid pace. Most of us do. There is great interest in what you have to say, the reason why the all of the microphones are in front of you in the first place. You need people to really hear what you have to say, but in order to do that you must give them an opportunity to.  Take a deep breathe, gather your thoughts, and then speak – slowly.

Speaking too rapidly is a major communications no-no, as is speaking to softly and slurring is another.  The event is over, you left everything you had out there, and all of a sudden the media gaggle is upon you.  You are sore, the evening hasn’t been great, and you really don’t feel like talking.  Understandable – but not to the thousands (or millions) who are watching the interview clip for the entire weekend where it was impossible to understand what you said!

Stay tuned for Pt. II….

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One headline that a company in crisis could certainly live without is  “Inside Toyota, Executives Trade Blame Over Debacle“  — this morning’s headline in the Wall Street Journal.  This comes on the heels of a controversy surrounding the Lexus GX460 — suspension of the sale of the vehicle following Consumer Reports issuing a rare “Do Not Buy” warning.

While the news doesn’t get better for Toyota, their handling of the Lexus crisis did.  Toyota took action, suspending the sale of the vehicle, offering Lexus loaners to concerned owners, and addressing the issue publicly – immediately.

This was a much better crisis response than Toyota has done in the past few months, however there are still things that Toyota, or more specifically, Mr. Toyoda, needs to do immediately – especially in the wake of this morning’s WSJ headline.

I have written extensively in the past about what I believe Mr. Toyoda needed to do in order to improve public perception of the company his family founded and he runs.

Nothing has changed.   The New York Times reported a few days ago that Mr. Toyoda told investors that “negative reporting” was behind the crisis, and then yesterday when the Lexus crisis broke, it was not Mr. Toyoda who addressed it, instead leaving that to the U.S. Lexus General Manager (via email).

Add the internal discord now playing out in the news, and Mr. Toyoda now is battling on a number of fronts – internally and externally.  Again, here is what Mr. Toyoda must do right now:

1. Develop your Message – There are the underpinnings of an effective message in today’s WSJ article

2. Speak Publicly – Immediately — You are simply taking too much incoming fire at this point; a member of the Toyoda family must speak, now, today, and every day going forward until this crisis is settled

3. Appear Publicly – Multiple times, each and every day

4. Show up where your customers are – Multiple times, each and every day

This list is very basic and slightly different than two months ago, as some of the damage is now irreversible and the chances of effectiveness have diminished due to time passing.

One prediction – if these steps, or similar steps, are not taken, the damage and negative stories will not only continue but increase.

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This week has been rife with examples of organizations that have had a rough go in the media.

The week began with the social media storm surrounding GreenPeace, Sinar Mas and Nestle, playing out on Nestle’s Facebook fan page. There are new issues, a record fine and overall Washington troubles for Toyota (more on this here and here).

Front and center has been Massey Energy and the unspeakable tragedy unfolding in West Virginia. The allegations surrounding past compliance,  recent articles and especially recent appearances by CEO Don Blankenship are not going to help with public perception.

When facing a crisis or controversy of this proportion, there are two things that can happen – you can define yourself (and your organization) or the media can do it for you.  Hint – number 2 is not what you want.

My friend, owner of 5WPR and public relations expert Ronn Torossian has a great post on rules everyone must follow when appearing before the media.

If you want to crash and burn when appearing before the press, then ignore these rules:

1. Know what you want to say and how you want to say it – Ask yourself what am I trying to accomplish and who is my audience

2. Practice, prepare and have a message – Sounds simple enough, but without practice and preparation, the results usually speak for themselves (not in a positive way)

3. Body language- a roll of the eyes, a harsh look, or a awkward physical stance speaks louder than words; as an aside, Don Blankenship’s fig leaf posture in the Diane Sawyer interview here does not send a great message.

4. Be honest and consistent - hypocrisy is a killer

5. Don’t keep talking – Many stories have grown legs overnight by interview subjects who continued to talk

And I would add one more:

6. Be first – define yourself before your opposition (or the media) defines you; this is politics 101 – if you have negative news about yourself, put it out first — don’t worry, if you don’t and it exists, someone will find it.

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Today marks the opening of one of the most anticipated 3D movies of the year, The Clash of the Titans.  The story line is self-explanatory.

In New Jersey right now, there is a claash of the titans occurring live each and every day, pitting Governor Chris Christie against one of the most powerful unions in the state, the New Jersey Education Association (NJEA).  For background, please check out articles covering all sides of this debate here, here and here.

So what does any of this have to do with public speaking and messaging?

Everything!

The message that resonates with the public will determine the winner of this debate.  The most effective message delivery will be a significant, if not the deciding, factor as to what message breaks through.

The Governor is a very effective communicator, as you will see by watching the video below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nceBCFEiivQ

What makes this speech effective?

1. Repetition – The Governor’s consistent utilization of repetition of his key messages, including that it is “not about the kids” is very memorable, very clear and therefore very effective.

2. Storytelling - Drama/Suspense – Watch the moments leading up to the 4:49 mark; the story building up to the key phrase, which in this case was a contraction – “they’re”; there is a misconception that a story needs to be a long, drawn out exercise – the reality is that a story can be told in a few short sentences, as the Governor shows.

3. Vocal Variety – He very clearly tells a story with his voice throughout, utilizing changes in volume, pitch or tone.

4. Pausing – Effective throughout – there is never any question when you are being cued to listen to a key point – the pause always precedes it.

5. Body Language – Expressive, to say the least. This helps to make this speech much more conversational (and can be used effectively by anyone reading this).

6. Key Phrases – “Language Matters”; “They”; “It’s about the kids”; ”Language is a window into attitude”; there were countless takeaways planted throughout, very effective and something that everyone can utilize when speaking

7. Passion – Agree or disagree, it is impossible to watch this and question the Governor’s passion with regard to this issue.

Ways to make this speech more effective:

1. Shorten it – The shorter the presentation, the more impact it has. Always.

2. Avoid pointing – pointing, while being used to “make a point” tends to send mixed messages to an audience.

The lines have been drawn, and the fight is far from over, and messaging will determine the winner.

If this were a prizefight, the Governor, through messaging and public speaking, has won the early rounds.

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“He was my model. I learned from him how to hold thousands in thrall.” – Sir Winston Churchill

So who was “he”?  He was W. Bourke Cockran, a Congressman from New York City in the early 1900s who was described in his day as the greatest orator in the land.  He also served as a role model to Churchill.

Congressman Cockran was noted for his ability to move colleagues and constituents to support causes or even change positions due his magnificent oratory.  Churchill once wrote to Cockran, about Cockran, “…there are few more fascinating experiences than to watch a great mass of people under the wand of a magician….”

Why mention Congressman Cockran today?  I found it only fitting after watching what I would describe as an oratorical debacle on Sunday during the healthcare debate on the floor of Congress.  This post has nothing to do with the merits of the bill.

While there were some bright spots in the debate, they were very few and far between.  Instead, there were lots of speeches full of self congratulations, accusations, big words, addresses to others within the Chamber, reading from prepared statements with little to no emotion, etc – but not one that really differentiated itself from the rest in any positive manner.

There were countless speeches given on Sunday. The timing was perfect to launch an oratorical career. Unfortunately, in my opinion, that did not happen.

* Michael McMenamin and Curt Zoller have written a book, Becoming Winston Churchill,  that I have read countless times about Churchill and Cockran — I highly recommend it.  I consider Winston Churchill to be my oratorical role model, so I can only imagine how moving his oratorical role model was (unfortunately, I do not believe any recording of Congressman Cockran exists).

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Fear doesn’t just exist for the days and hours prior to an event.

In Pt. III of this series, I am going to address tips and tactics when the nerves kick in within minutes of your presentation actually beginning (although every one of these tactics also work hours and days before as well).

1. Body Movement - A few minutes before “taking the stage” –  “Waggle” (lateral movement) your jaw; bend forward and dangle your arms and let them shake; shake your hands over your head; utilize simple stretches and isometric stretches (more on that later) — all of these movements, when incorporated with proper breathing, warm the body, relax the mind and calm your nerves.

2. Body Movement, Pt II - As a former amateur boxer, nothing prepares me to speak better than light shadow boxing a few minutes before I have to speak.  I know a CEO who (literally) does 20 pushups prior to every earnings call.  Still another prominent political figure actually “swings” a tennis racket prior to giving a major address.*  The point is, focused movement helps even more than just for generic movement because…

3. Visualization – …it works.  Professional boxers, when shadow boxing, do not throw random punches — they are visualizing an opponent and quite literally sparring with that visualization.  Ballplayers do the same thing before approaching the plate.  Elite athletes, musicians, actors and dancers utilize visualization regularly — Todd Hargrove has an excellent article on visualization in athletics here.  Visualization, if done properly, works for speakers and presenters as well.

Stay tuned, Pt IV will focus on tools and tactics when the presentation or speech actually begins….

*If you are in a crowd or a situation where you are not by yourself immediately prior to presenting, please send an email and I will give you some pointers on how to improvise.

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Last year Megan Mylan set the bar with her Oscar acceptance speech.  This year, unfortunately, no winner quite met the bar that Megan had set, although some certainly took it in a much different direction.

The lack of great acceptance speeches at the Academy Awards is nothing new — Joseph Lindsay has posted an excellent article on that here.

One “thing” that stood out to me more than any other last evening…reports indicate that the number of viewers increased by 15 % from 2009, and stood at over 41 million. 41,000,000. Think about that.

Over 41 million people watched the ceremony, during which awards were presented to a cadre of film professionals.  Said professionals participated in those movies and films that were watched by, oh, I don’t know…maybe some of the 41 million people who tuned in last night.

Not one acceptance speech focused on the one group who made each award possible – THE AUDIENCE.  No one spent significant time thanking the fans who voted with ticket purchases and their time.

There is a crucial public speaking lesson here — if you should ever win an award (and I hope each of you win a number of them), when you accept,  remember your audience, always.

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I spent an interesting(and frustrating) two days last week- the first watching a number of legislative hearings, and the second watching a number of presentations/pitches before venture capitalists and private equity groups.

The similarity was striking, and there are

1. You are presenting for your audience, not yourself — It doesn’t matter if you are presenting on the floor of the House of Representatives or on the floor of a private equity investors boardroom — your presentation is not about you, it is about the folks you are presenting to.

2. Focus – What are you trying to accomplish? – Rallying support behind a cause? Garnering votes for a bill? Gaining the interest/investment of equity groups?  Moving poll numbers? Placating a board?  Far too many presentations have no focus,  fail to answer this central question and fail to get the desired response.  Wonder why?

3. Reading verbatim IS NOT fundamental - First of all, the organization Reading is Fundamental does truly wonderful work.  There is one situation where reading is not fundamental, and then is when you are presenting.

I watched an entire Congressional hearing where EVERY opening statement was read verbatim, with eyes failing to meet anything but the copy of the testimony — three things were obvious:  1) the Congressional member reading was rarely, if ever, the author of what was being read; 2) the Congressional member displayed very little, if any, ownership of the words written; and 3) the chances of connecting with the audience was non-existent (Watching reporters and interested parties typing away on iPhones and Blackberry’s is not a positive sign)

To Legislators:  It is understandable that you have staff prepare comments prior to committee meetings and floor votes – your time is very limited and the pressures on you are great.  However, if you do not have the time to take the prepared comments, introduce your own thoughts, and re-write sections in your own words and language, you are better off not speaking at all.

To Entrepreneurs:  It is understandable that you are nervous, have a lot of information to convey, and have written it down in order to ensure that you are able to introduce every concept you feel is necessary.  Reading directly off of a script, or even worse, off of a PPT (the subject of another post) will not allow potential investors to see how passionate and confident you are about your company, your fund or your idea.

Invest the time in practice and preparation. If the President can re-write comments, practice and invest countless hours in preparation for an address, so can everyone else.

The President does it because he is well aware of the fallout should he fail to prepare.  The question is, what is the fallout should you fail to prepare?

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Challenge Day – The Power of Words

Challenge Day – The Power of Words

This video was taken a few years ago at Yuba City High School (CA). It is one of the most powerful clips I have seen, and illustrates the power of words and messages in a way that very few speeches or presentations can.

Challenge Day is the organization that created and operates the Challenge Day program at schools across the United States – check it out.

There is also a communications lesson here – Challenge Day effectively illustrates how to a) craft a very powerful message and b) make it very easy for everyone who comes in contact with the message to personalize and internalize it.  Very powerful and very effective!

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I.   “You lie!”

With those two words, Congressman Joe Wilson (R-South Carolina) now might have the highest name identification in Congress.  Those two words are not today’s topic – Congressman Wilson’s apology is.

Crisis Communications 101 – Apologize!

Crisis Communications 101 (a) – Be Sincere and Mean it!

Number one without number two is a) disingenuous (obviously) and b) dangerous to you and your credibility with the public.

Here are Congressman Wilson’s comments at an impromptu press conference today:

“Last night, I spoke to the leadership, and they wanted me to contact the White House and say that my statements were inappropriate. And I did.”

“I am very grateful that the White House in talking with them, they indicated that they appreciated the call and that we needed to have a civil discussion on the health-care issues…”

When is an apology not an apology? See above.

The issue exists in the first sentence – “Last night, I spoke to the leadership, and they wanted me to contact the White House and say that my statements were inappropriate. And I did.”

If the apology isn’t coming from the heart, but instead because “leadership wanted me to” then one should not apologize.  In this day and age where apologies appear everyday, the last thing an untrusting public wants to hear is another one.

How he could have sincerely apologized (hint – for the timing of the comments, not for the comments themselves):

1. “There is a code of conduct within the Congress.  I did not live up to that code last night, and for that I am sorry.”

2. “While I vehemently disagree with the President and his assertions with regard to (said issue), the way I handled it this evening was totally inappropriate, sets a bad example, and for that I am truly sorry.”

3. “It was inappropriate and rude to comment during the President’s speech.  The issue that should be debated today is the content of the health care package rather than my comments, and I have done an injustice to the President, my caucus and the overall debate with a ill-timed comment.  For that, I have apologized to the President, the Congress and my constituents.”

Congressman Wilson missed a great opportunity for damage control, which not only hurts him, but also hurts the GOP as the issue of the day is not the contents of the President’s speech, but rather two words.  That is a huge missed opportunity for Republicans because….

II.   Finger Pointing

…last night was not the President’s greatest performance for a number of reasons, but one in particular.  Finger pointing – literally.

The President continually pointed his finger, both down and at his audience.  Repeated finger pointing while giving a speech often can appear to be angry, lecturing and defensive. On television, this effect is amplified dramatically.

As advertisements for Dry Idea used to say, “Never let them see you sweat.”  The President earned the nickname “No Drama Obama” due to his ability to never let anyone see him (figuratively) sweat.

For one the first times in a long time, the public saw a bit of perspiration…

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I am pleased to announce that effective today, Princeton Public Speaking and 5WPR have entered into an exclusive strategic partnership.

5WPR is a member of the Inc. 500, is one of the largest public relations firms in the US, and has offices in New York and Los Angeles. The firm represents a diverse client base ranging from Whole Foods to the Martin Luther King, Jr Memorial to BET Networks, a wide range of international interests, and major figures from the entertainment, sports and music worlds.

Ronn Torossian, the CEO of 5WPR, is as dynamic a figure as you will ever meet and is a master at his craft.  I have had the opportunity to work with Ronn on a whole host of client issues over the past few years, and in every situation (literally every situation) Ronn was not only succcesful, he took on the client’s cause as his own. The official announcement:

Princeton Public Speaking & 5WPR Form Strategic Partnership

NEW YORK, Sept. 29 /PRNewswire/ — 5W Public Relations, one of the 25 largest PR firms in the U.S., and Princeton Public Speaking (PPS) announced today an exclusive strategic partnership for communications training, media and presentation training, and trial/witness preparation. Princeton Public Speaking will utilize 5WPR for clients’ PR needs, and 5WPR clients will utilize PPS for communications and media training.

“We have worked together closely for a number of years, referring clients to one another, been involved in a number of crisis matters with confidential client trainings and have always had terrific results. We have decided that formalizing this partnership will mean better results for our clients and companies,” said Matt Eventoff, President of Princeton Public Speaking.

“Training allows confidential, authentic communications practices which accentuates a client’s strengths, mitigates weaknesses, and allows the client to deliver his or her message effectively, articulately and memorably,” said Ronn Torossian, CEO of 5WPR. “From addressing body language to understanding the difference between speaking to broadcast, print or radio outlets, the most compelling message can get lost among verbal and non verbal ‘tics’ that remove the focus from the message.”

Programs will specialize in private one-on-one sessions with individuals in leadership positions. Additional services will include customized designed, partial day, full day, and multi-day workshops for key personnel, teams, or small groups.

About Matt Eventoff:

Matt Eventoff helps leaders become great communicators. He has been intimately involved in all aspects of public speaking — from crisis management and presentation skills training to message development and delivery for over 15 years. Matt is also well-versed in the world of new media and how to integrate social networking, viral video, and other online communications with traditional public speaking and messaging methods. Matt works as a communications strategist for senior executives at Fortune 100 institutions, litigators, entertainers, and political leaders throughout the U.S. and abroad.

About 5WPR

5W Public Relations (www.5wpr.com) is a full-service public relations firm known for implementing cutting-edge, customized media programs designed to impact client specific business goals and objectives. 5WPR’s energetic, fast-paced, and focused culture earned the firm a spot on the INC. 500 list and the title of “fastest-growing agency” three years in a row. One of the 25 largest PR firms in the US, the agency maintains practice areas in consumer, technology, health and wellness, entertainment, lifestyle, fashion, and corporate communications. The growth and recognition of 5WPR stems from a focused, smart, and creative staff that expertly communicates client messages to impact ROI. The team is led by CEO, Ronn Torossian, and has the understanding and ability to harness the newest tools in a rapidly changing media landscape. This 24/7 approach to the media led the industry’s foremost trade magazine to describe 5WPR as “aggressive in a way that clearly resonates with clients looking for a firm staffed with type A-plus personalities, a BS-free approach, and results from Day One.”

SOURCE 5W Public Relations

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Elie Saidman, a friend and a very succesful entreprenuer, had a great post on his blog this morning that I not only found very interesting, but completely agree with.  Email’s impending death has been written about ad nauseum, and never seems to come.

Email has been, and in my opinion will continue to be, the dominant online communication medium of choice.  Here is Elie’s post:

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Gerry Storch, former night news, sports and business editor of USA Today, and now editor of a new combination of blog/book called Ourblook, recently interviewed me regarding social media, journalism and the future of online communication:

You work with corporate execs, politicians and other leaders in public speaking … what to say and how to say it. How do social media such as Facebook, Twitter, texting, etc. figure into this?

ME: Social media are an integral part of communicating today, and will evolve. The single biggest question I hear, whether from a political or business leader, centers on “I want to use social media like Obama.”

My first question: “What’s your message and why would someone who doesn’t know you, live in your district, or use your product care?” Herein lies the fundamental secret to effectively using social media to communicate as a legal, business, nonprofit, academic or political leader … just as in public speaking and presenting, you MUST have a clear, compelling message, or social media won’t work for you .. it just won’t be an effective medium.

My second question: “Do you have $750 million to spend?” That’s what the Obama campaign spent, very effectively, to spread its message. It wasn’t a Twitter and FB page put up in a vacuum; there were thousands of hours and millions of dollars behind creating an unbelievably successful social media program.

So my advice to leaders is the same advice I try to follow myself … put out fresh, compelling material, message it well, start with friends, customers, supporters, associates, etc. and slowly build a following. Make it easy to connect to you via your web site.  If you are running for office, put your social media info on your material … if a company owner, on your product packaging and advertising. Remember, social media complement what you do face to face, they do not replace it.

By extension, do you foresee much impact from social media in major news operations such as newspapers and TV news, or in the future of journalism generally?ME: I do, although I disagree with a number of my colleagues in that I believe major news operations will always have a fairly prominent place in our society. Major media bring legitimacy to a story, and that won’t change. What will change is reaction. Everyone has an opportunity, a real opportunity, to voice an opinion and express it in a very public way. However, mainstream media still matter.

Why? Sheer reach. Mainstream media still reach more individuals than any other single medium. So when a major national daily (the New York Times, Wall Street Journal , USA Today) runs an eye grabbing headline, the public pays attention. Statistics indicate that the reality is that for every five people who read a headline, on average only one reads the actual story and content.

The reality is that a political campaign will use a positive headline in a major daily in paid broadcast advertising over an endorsement from my blog, or any one of the millions of bloggers out there. The difference now is that a candidate’s “blogging army” of 2 or 20 or 200 can relentlessly comment, post and generate their own content and get it listed on Google news, Yahoo, Bing, etc.

Of the various social media, do you see any one in particular as having the greatest potential on the media or generally in society? Any that will fade?ME: I speak quite a bit in high schools and colleges, and when asked who tweets, uses Facebook, e-mails and texts, texting is always the hands-down winner both in popularity and number of students involved. Most use Facebook, and most use e-mail. Why does this matter? This is the generation that has literally grown up with the web, and I believe that their preferences will, to a large degree, determine what succeeds and what fades going forward.

I believe Facebook will have a long and prosperous life because it helps us connect to those we know and interact on a somewhat deeper level with acquaintances. Communication is not an announcement, it is a discussion. Facebook provides for that. Twitter does, too … however FB is much more personal and much more conversationally focused, and I believe those two traits really, really matter. The recent Twitter study saying that 10 percent of users account for over 90 percent of tweets is telling.

Do social media represent a dumbing down of America , a liberation of new possibilities, or both, or neither?ME: I believe they allow us to enter into conversations with people we might never have met, and find people who share common interests with us.

As with anything, I think there is a tendency to overgeneralize the effect of social media. Pick a position, yea or nay, pick a social media topic, and there are countless statistics either confirming or questioning the validity of that position. As an aside, I see this regularly with a statistic that is commonly referenced when discussing communication … the “7 percent, 38 percent, 55 percent rule.”

Prof. Mehrabian released a study nearly 40 years ago, and among the conclusions was that when determining the meaning of a message, 55 percent was based on body (or facial) language, 38 percent based on tone of voice, and only 7 percent based on words. Very powerful, and this is cited ad nauseam as “proof” that the words you use are not that critical. All well and good except for the fact that the statistics are taken out of context. Prof. Mehrabian was studying a very specific communication experience. Unfortunately, many people have assumed that words don’t matter.

What does this have to do with your question? As with anything, I don’t think there is a definitive answer … it depends on the individual and how he or she chooses to use social media.
Tennessee women’s basketball coach Pat Summit complained that players on the team bus were texting each other rather than speaking face to face. Your reaction?ME: Reality. I think this is one of the drawbacks of social media … when they are used to replace face to face communication rather than complement it when face to face communication is not possible. Being able to relate and communicate with another individual face to face will, more often than not, determine your ability to succeed.

What do I mean? You will rarely be awarded a raise via e-mail, win a congressional seat on Facebook alone, become CEO via a text message or acquire a company or major funding over a tweet. VC’s and bankers will always want to meet with you, as will a corporate board, voters, etc. Social media can certainly be extremely beneficial to all of these … however, face to face communication will always be crucial.

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Breaking news….If you are a startup pursuing funding, you have more in common with a politician or athlete caught behaving badly then you might think.

A politician caught misbehaving, an athlete photographed doing something he or she shouldn’t be doing, or a celebrity who finds that one heated moment has turned into tabloid fodder for weeks on end all have one thing in common – how they communicate will likely determine whether the incident is a speed bump or a career ender.

So what does this have to do with entrepreneurs pursuing VC funding? Everything!

Crisis communications is usually identified as the effort to protect and defend an individual, organization or corporation’s reputation when crisis strikes and public confidence in the individual or organization is shaken or thrown into question.

Entrepreneurs often face the same situation every day while trying to raise capital.  The crisis is always the same – a lack of funding puts the entire startup in danger – no funding, no operating budget, key personnel pack up and head for greener pastures, and the startup is in a lot of trouble (to say the least).  So what is a startup to do? Pitch (communicate with) VC’s to raise the capital to end the crisis – crisis communications!

“Crisis” Communications Lessons for Entrepreneurs

1. Have a Central Message – The images are very clear…the “repentant” politician standing at the dais, wife at this side, as he stumbles through a very awkward and very longwinded statement that says twenty different things, which means he has said — Nothing!

The value of having a message can not be overstated.  As I said in an earlier column, if you are pursuing funding, you must be able to identify how you will deliver a return on that investment, profits, and you must be able to do this in a manner that is clear, consistent, and easy to comprehend – remember, you are asking people to invest at a time when investing, no matter the size of the VC firm, is a scary thing to do. Why should the VC invest in your company? The risk to the VC is obvious, and the potential reward may or may not be as well. What mitigates that risk and gets the company across the finish line?

2. It is not about YOU – The athlete accused of using banned substances often forgets that it is not about him – it is about the fan that has placed his or her trust in loyalty in the athlete and now feels betrayed. The point of view the athlete takes often determines whether he is forgiven or the loyalty is gone forever.

As much as your pitch may be about your company, it really isn’t – it is about the VC that you’re are pitching too, his or her investment, and what that investment in your company will mean to the VC in terms of opportunity cost, time, energy, effort and ultimately the ROI. 

3. Be Open – Like investigative reporters, VC’s are (usually) very adept at plying their trade, and that means that, when crisis strikes (or you need funding), just like the reporter, the VC will probably know what the hot button issues are and where to look.  Be open – hiding information, trying to gloss over or bury a problem will do more harm than good.  If there is bad news, it will get out – get it out on your terms. What you don’t say says a lot.

4. Body Language Matters – An apology given with a smirk, or with arms crossed and a hostile look (don’t laugh, I’ve seen it) is always recognized, and the result is never good.  In that same vein, looking down the entire pitch, speaking toward your shoes, shuffling in your pockets, fidgeting, bouncing back and forth on each foot (very common) always sends a message.  Is body language the major difference maker for a pitch – of course not.  Does it matter – of course it does – it sends a message.

5. Words Matter – When a major crisis strikes a Fortune 50 company, every word uttered by the CEO and/or spokesperson is analyzed – every word, the choice of language, terminology is a potential landmine, as a poor choice of words could be a devastating blow to a leader (see Big 3 testimony a year ago). When pitching a VC, think about it – you are asking for millions of dollars – do you think your word choice might matter?

6. Practice and Prepare – I can not overstate the importance of practicing and preparing.  The road of busted startups is littered with great ideas and great leaders who failed to prepare for the pitch and didn’t receive the funding.

7. Every “Crisis” is an Opportunity – Every crisis provides an opportunity to for a leader to show his or her true character, and can sometimes lead to that leader becoming even more popular going forward, based on how the crisis was handled.  Every pitch affords an entrepreneur to do the same.

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“People who are carrying out such heinous crimes, they want to shake our resolve. And I want to address them.

We will not buckle.

We will fight you.

We will fight you because we want stability and peace in Pakistan.

You are on the run, and we know that.

We defeated you in Swat and Malakand. And the brave soldiers and officers of the Pakistan army will defeat you in Waziristan.

You think by attacking innocent people and lives, you will shake our determination?

No, sir, you will not. We will be more determined to fight you and defeat you for our own reasons, because we have a vision for Pakistan, and that vision does not fall in line with what you stand for.”

- Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi

Earlier this morning, hours after the Pakistani government announced bounties on the top 21 Taliban leaders, dead or alive, a suicide bomber has left at least 30 people dead and 45 wounded.  This comes on the heels of last week’s car bomb which ripped through Preshawar, Pakistan, killing 90 civilians, immediately preceding a visit from Secretary Clinton.

Watch the video above beginning at about the 1:04 mark.  A few words come to mind when watching Qureshi: strength, resolve, power, anger and determination.  That is a lot to convey in a very short speech.  What I really liked:

1. Audience - While he was addressing the terrorists, Qureshi was well aware that his audience for this was global, and he made the most of the opportunity.

2. Pitch, Tone and Inflection – Leadership, resolve and determination with every word.

3. Facial Expression – I don’t have the full clip yet, but even in this shortened version you can see the seriousness in his face

4. Message - Excellent. This was a message that clearly sent a message, to the terrorists and the world. Well done.

Areas for improvement: Too many verbal “tics”, a bit to quick in some spots, too little movement and too much grasping both ends of the podium.

Shah Mehmood Qureshi has been Pakistan’s Foreign Minister for the past year and a half, and it has not been an easy go.  The challenges facing Pakistan are great, as are the internal and external threats the nation faces.  Strong leadership and presence will be essential to seeing Pakistan through this period of time.

That being said, I have had the opportunity to witness Minister Qureshi on a number of occasions and his presence and oratorical skills improve every time.    Stay tuned…

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There is a saying in boxing that holds true for public speaking – “Styles Make Fights.”  Styles also make presentations, speeches and media appearances – every person is unique and every person has a unique style, something that works for them.

This is why I have always felt that the idea that you can become a great orator after reading a book on public speaking is like being prepared to go on the Tour de France after reading a book on bicycling– not really possible.

I have worked with speakers in situations where every “traditional” rule” for media training and public speaking gets thrown out the window because it DOESN’T WORK FOR THEM.  Every person is an individual, with individual strengths and weaknesses.  The key is identifying characteristics and techniques that work for that particular individual – just like snowflakes, no two styles are identical.

This video illustrates a lot of what’s wrong with trying to use the same techniques or claiming that certain “techniques” or “styles” will work for everybody – not to mention to illustrating a lot of what is wrong with commentary on television today – not once was the idea of having any type of message (the key to it all) mentioned.

If you are loud, antagonistic, energized, attacking and use powerful words you are an ideal pundit?

No wonder punditry, and all too often public relations and media training, have been given a bad name – at no point in this video is there any mention of Having Something Meaningful to Say.

Make no mistake, having something meaningful for the audience – a message – is crucial.  With regard to style, when speaking before an audience– either before your Rotary Club or on CBS – one size does not fit all!

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Developing and communicating an effective message is not easy. That being said, I have always found three questions to be extremely useful in the identification and development of a message:

1. What am I/are we trying to accomplish?

2. Who cares? (Who is my/our audience?)

3. Why should they/do they care?

Answer those three questions and while you won’t have the complete message, but you will be well on your way to developing an effective message.

What is the biggest danger to any message? ( I would call it “message kryptonite”)

Confusion. If the message you send is confusing, mixed, is contradictory or even worse hypocritical (do as I say not as I do) your message is doomed.

The number one or two issue in Washington this week?  Healthcare reform.

From a message development perspective, “Legislative Washington” is trying to garner support for healthcare reform (What are you trying to accomplish?); every American is the audience (Who cares?); because we want ourselves, our families, our friends and our neighbors to live long, healthy prosperous lives(with the hope that you will weigh in with your elected representative (Why should we care?);

After years of established medical protocol, in one week women have been informed that a) mammogram screening does not have to occur until age 50 b) cervical cancer screenings should occur less often and begin later and c) that pap smears don’t need to begin until age 21.

I can tell you that as a grandson, son, brother, husband and uncle, all of this has led to one thing — confusion, and lots of it.  Where were the major press conferences to fully explain what this meant?  The websites so that any woman, regardless of age or education level, could understand what this meant, and why it happened now?  The simple, concrete, compelling message that anyone and everyone could understand?

At the same time, H1N1 (or swine flu) now shows signs that it may have peaked.  This is good news, and hopefully true, because after every American had been told about the dangers of H1N1, every American was then informed that there wasn’t enough vaccine to go around. Another messaging disaster.

There is a major disconnect in Washington today, and it all boils down to poor message development. Sad.

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This is a private matter and I want to keep it that way. Although I understand there is curiosity, the many false, unfounded and malicious rumors that are currently circulating about my family and me are irresponsible. – www.tigerwoods.com

Tiger Woods is right.  False, unfounded and malicious rumors are wrong, period.  However, when innocent until proven guilty may exist in the courtroom, in the living room the opposite often holds true.

This incident has been stressful and very difficult for Elin, our family and me. I appreciate all the concern and well wishes that we have received. But, I would also ask for some understanding that my family and I deserve some privacy no matter how intrusive some people can be. – www.tigerwoods.com

Here is where Tiger is wrong.   He is paid tens of millions not for playing golf, but for endorsing products to the public.  At that point, once you are making your living from using your public image to sell products to the public rights to privacy diminish.

Do you have to answer questions? No.  Is it in your best interest to answer questions? Yes.

One thing to remember — the public allows a professional athlete, entertainer, celebrity, politician etc. the right to promote  products or ideas to the masses – no public figure is given that right by anyone but the people who vote for them, either via dollars (products) or literal votes.  This means that the public does has the right to know if a professional athlete plans on continuing to make a living promoting products to them.

So what should Tiger do now? Tiger needs to recognize his audience — his audience isn’t me, it’s his millions of fans.  Those fans are feeling hurt, angry, betrayed, and a good number of them want to defend Tiger. This code of silence hurts them more than it hurts anyone else.  So Tiger:

1. Remember your audience – Give your fans something to defend you with.

2. Have a Message – Saying nothing is a very clear message, and not the one you want.

3. Press Conference/Video Blog – Your fans need to see you – statements alone don’t cut it.

4. Make a public appearance – show up at Chevron World Classic, even if you don’t play

5. Again, Remember your Audience — You might think that the rest of the public, the media and the tabloids are your audience, but this is not who you are hurting by failing to speak.  Address the rumors head on. Be 100% truthful, no matter what. The story begins to ends once you speak, as your fans will be able to rally around you.

Will this work?  It will certainly work better than the strategy that has been undertaken so far.

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Define yourself before your opponent, or anyone else defines you (and if you don’t define yourself first, someone WILL take the opportunity to define you).

Whether you are campaigning for elective office, to get/keep the public trust, to get promoted, to get a job, to keep your job – it is paramount to define yourself before anyone else does.  How do you define yourself? Messaging.

President Obama understood this.  He was the candidate of “hope and change.”  The definitions his opponents provided – inexperienced, poor judge of character, lack of foreign policy experience - did not stick. Why? He defined himself first, and relentlessly stayed on message.  He also addressed every potential crisis during the campaign head on.  We all know what happened – candidate Obama became President Obama.

Tiger Woods defined himself early on in his career, very successfully.  The past few weeks have unraveled all of that.  He is now defined by nearly everyone but himself on an hourly basis, and the definitions are not only sticking but have taken on a life of their own – and people are paying attention.

911 calls, 11 potential mistresses and counting (literally), unprotected sex with mistresses, allegations of drug abuse, wife moves out, numerous colleagues now alleging that this was not new behavior, and the list goes on and on.

Tiger’s response?  You just heard it – nothing.  No mention of anything on www.tigerwoods.com, no response at all. In my personal opinion, a lot of the damage that has been done to brand Tiger Woods is irreversible.

Why?  In our society, lack of response or comment is usually taken as an admission of guilt. A week after the crisis began, with no response from Tiger, cracks in the empire are showing – sponsors are leaving, advertisements are getting pulled, etc.

Ronn Torossian, owner of 5WPR and the top crisis manager I know, has managed crises for countless celebrities, many of who have faced similar trials and tribulations in the public eye.  His advice on this is absolutely spot on:

“…There’s no excuse the behavior that led to Tiger’s predicament, but the still-expanding fallout from his mishandling of these events provides lessons to celebrities, companies and anyone else who suddenly finds themselves at the center of a crisis.

Here are my top three crisis management rules:

Rule No. 1: Come clean and come clean quick. Instead of accepting his role in the spotlight and addressing the facts head on, Tiger ran for cover hoping it would all go away. But the fastest road to redemption in the public’s eye is an early and honest mea culpa.

That’s what Alex Rodriguez did earlier this year, when he stood in front of his teammates and the media and addressed his alleged steroid use head on. While certainly not an easy statement to make, it undeniably saved A-Rod’s career from taking the Barry Bonds route, and served as a launching pad for the best season of his career and praise from many of his former critics.

Rule No. 2: Keep your message consistent. As Bill Clinton can attest, the truth eventually comes out. So be clear, be honest and keep the story consistent. When similar allegations arose regarding David Letterman and young staff members, Letterman immediately took to the airwaves, admitted his wrongdoings and the circumstances surrounding them, and saw no ill effect in his ratings.

In contrast, Tiger’s only message for nearly five days after the accident was silence. And while he did eventually admit to his “transgressions,” his promise to “strive to be a better person and the husband and father that [his] family deserves” seemed to ring hollow as information surfaced regarding a renegotiation of his prenup in an effort to keep the family together.

Rule No. 3: Leave no gray area. From the moment reports of the accident happened, the only color surrounding the facts was gray. How did Tiger sustain the injuries he did in such a slow-moving, low-impact crash? Was his wife chasing him with a golf club? Was he impaired? And so on until another round of questions surfaced regarding alleged romps with various women. Tiger then made his brief admission of guilt but still failed to explain how the accident happened, why he was reportedly snoring on the ground as the family waited for an ambulance, etc.”

I will add one final rule – after doing all of this, go away. Disappear from the public eye.  There is no way to “come back” if you have never “gone away.”

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*Pardon the joke, and I believe that this Tiger can still resurrect his career.

Even a gas leak at his home is newsworthy!

It is impossible to escape the nonstop headlines, blog posts and breaking cable news stories about Tiger Woods and his alleged dalliances.  Every day (often every hour) brings new allegations, rumors, stories and general drama.

From a crisis management standpoint, I believe that this week has been Tiger’s best.  Why?

He finally did two things he needed to do: come clean, especially with his core audience (supporters) and go away.  With his statements on www.tigerwoods.com, Tiger has given his fans and supporters the ability to begin to rally behind him.

Tiger also has decided to go away.  This is a crucial and I believe is the key to a successful comeback, if he in fact has one.   You can not re-emerge unless you go away, and by removing himself from professional golf, he has certainly gone away.

That being said, both coming clean would have been much more effective 21 days ago.  There are also a number of steps that Tiger needs to take in between coming clean and going away:

1. Speaking publicly – It doesn’t have to be an interview or a press conference; even a taped video on TW.com is better than nothing; Your fans need to see, hear and visually “touch” you;  The importance of a visual medium can not be understated.

2. Have a Message and live it – You have the beginning of one – “I need to focus my attention on being a better husband, father and person”; now the trick is to consistently display it – America loves a comeback – start doing things that reinforce that message, even while out of the public eye.

3. Communicate with your audience – I didn’t say the public, I said your audience.  The vehicle, even while out of the public spotlight, is your website and your email database.

4. Get out of the cocoon – You need advisors, and not only those who tell you what you want to hear. Get them. Pronto.

One final note – the mishandling of the crisis from the onset and the subsequent damage that has occurred can not be minimized.  While I believe Tiger can still come back and “Brand Tiger” can still be resurrected, the road to get there has more potholes and red lights than it would have if addresses properly in the beginning.

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There is no way to “come back” if you don’t “go away.”

When a public figure emerges from a crisis or scandal, it is imperative to disappear from the public spotlight for a while.

For more proof, look no further than former President George W. Bush.  In October 2008, within a month of the end of his Presidency, President Bush had an approval rating of 25% as reporter by Gallup.  Twenty-five percent — “only three percentage points above the lowest presidential approval rating in Gallup Poll history.”

So what did President Bush do publicly since leaving office?  Not much. Two semi-public speeches.  That’s about it.  He was the subject of an entire Presidential campaign, has been the subject of well over 10 books, and is still mentioned in the press fairly regularly (not in a positive light).

No public appearances or defenses, more negative publicity equals…

According to Gallup last week, it equals 44% of those polled would prefer to have ex-President Bush back in office. Why?

A number of reasons, including a number of opinions about the ex-President that have changed in the past year. Why?

He went away. As the proverb says “Time heals all wounds.” (maybe not all, but at least some)

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“What we’ve got here is failure to communicate – some men you just can’t reach…” – Strother Martin as ”The Captain” – Cool Hand Luke

The attempted bombing of a Northwest Airlines Flight 253 has shaken our collective confidence in national security, and communication or the lack of communication is once again a central issue.

Retired Army Colonel Ken Allard has written a must-read piece entitled Terror Deja-Vu, which centers on communication failures and the resulting damage:

“When I was in the military, we called the problem “inter-operability” or “stovepipes.” At business school, they’re called “silos.” In plain English, when bureaucracies don’t effectively talk to each other, as we saw over the skies of Detroit on Christmas Day and the killing grounds of Fort Hood last month, trouble—and, often, death—follow.

This was supposed to have changed after the 9/11 attacks, when roadblocks on the information highway killed hundreds of police, firefighters and first responders at the Twin Towers. Yet here we are eight years later and, maddeningly, warnings about a Nigerian engineering student hell-bent on a path of Islamist fanaticism were enough to place his name on a watch list, but not enough to prevent him from boarding a plane. And solid information that an Army psychiatrist at Fort Hood was in continuing contact with a radical Islamist cleric did not prompt preemptive action by his chain of command.”

This was followed by Department of Homeland Security Chief Janet Napolitano first stating that “the system worked”, and quickly reversed course the following day stating that “What I would say is that the system did not work in this instance...”  This is a shining example of why messaging matters.

On top of this comes intense criticism of President Obama for first not speaking publicly about the Christmas Day attack until the following Monday.  This was followed by Tuesday’s comments (with a marked change of tone) that “…a systemic failure has occurred.”

The President was on vacation in Hawaii when the attack occurred.  This, coupled with his lack of public comment over the weekend, sent a message as well – not one I believe the President intended to send.   This has allowed critics to successfully pounce– once again, politics 101 – define yourself before your opponent has the opportunity to do so.

So now we sit, at the end of a decade, a decade marked, politically, in many ways by the Captain’s comments – “What we’ve got here is failure to communicate…”

Failure to communicate effectively plagued the last Presidency, hurt two Presidential campaigns (McCain, Kerry), and in some ways led to a Congressional turnover, a financial disaster, and a societal disaster (the response to Hurricane Katrina).

This is why effective communication is like breathing – crucial.

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The New York Post reported today that John Liu, New York City’s newly elected Comptroller, has instituted a new policy…..drum roll please….and the new policy is:

“New York City’s new comptroller, John Liu, has ordered his staff to rise whenever he enters the room and to address him as “Mr. Comptroller.”

The New York City Comptroller’s mission:

“The mission of the office is to ensure the financial health of New York City by advising the Mayor, the City Council, and the public of the City’s financial condition.”

Wow.

Business and political bookshelves are filled with examples of leaders who do everything to fit in, who talk about the importance of “team,” who pick up garbage when they pass it and who proudly describe no task, regardless of how menial, being beneath them.

I have had the opportunity to work with myriad elected officials over the years, a few who took the actual title (what he or she was called) very seriously, and most who took the job a lot more seriously than the title.  One group includes men and women who were beloved long after they left office, and the other group (the “title” group) does not.

In this day and age, when people are hurting, incumbents are vilified and being a man or woman of the people is what’s in (watch C-SPAN for any random 5 minutes, listen to a speech or testimony and you will see what I mean), I am not sure what message Mr. Liu is trying to send.

I am quite sure about the message that the general public has received.

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Breaking news….Social media is in fact….Social!

Social Media outlets are not diaries, confidants or private/confidential conversations. The reality is that now, more than ever, social media conversations are public, or at the very least semi-public.

Whether “friends, followers or connections” the reality is that every day more and more of what you post is available via search.  More importantly, even without search, what you post can leave your immediate universe of friends and followers, and in some cases, even go viral.

Who cares? You should, especially if a friend, follower or connection becomes a foe, gets annoyed with you, or just decides that something you wrote is so interesting, ingenious (controversial, embarrassing) that they just have to share it with a friend who is not your friend.

Below are examples of some gems that have been circulating around the web — all examples and further reminders of why you should read, re-read, and then read once more before you hit send, share or tell Twitter “what’s happening.”

The following examples were sent over by my good friend Ed Kuhn (who just passed his P.E. exam – congratulations Ed!)  The language in some is a little rough, so consider yourself warned:

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Today we celebrate the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr., a leader, a visionary and a hero.

He was also one of the greatest communicators of the past century. Dr. King was always relentlessly on message, and always spoke with passion and energy.

This clip is important for a number of reasons.  It is the conclusion of his final speech, given at Mason Temple in Memphis on April 3rd — he was assassinated the next day.

He was speaking in support of the striking sanitation workers in Memphis, however as was usually the case when Dr. King spoke, his message was consistent regardless of who he was addressing, and he was always on message.

The sheer energy that this clip contains is unbelievable. One can feel the power through the small clip on a computer — imagine the energy that must have been in the room that day in Memphis!

Dr. King’s use of tempo, inflection and pause during this speech are masterful. It is not possible to sleep through this speech. It was not possible to drift away into another thought if you were watching. It is not possible to walk away indifferent after hearing this speech.

How many times have you witnessed presenters or speakers fail to make eye contact, speak in a monotone or rush through each thought? How often have you walked away from a presentation unable to remember hours later what the speaker said? How many times have you witnessed a speaker that had absolutely no energy or passion, and seemed to be going through the motions?

The notion that it is better to say something than to say nothing is just false.  If you don’t believe in what you are saying, you are better off saying nothing.

If you think that you can fool an audience, think again.

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Man, I wish it was that easy.  I speak publicly often, and I still get nervous prior to every speech or presentation. Every single one.

That being said, I’m in pretty good company — it has been noted that Sir Winston Churchill and President Lincoln also got quite anxious prior to speaking publicly.

Unfortunately, no matter how many books, courses, DVDs, websites or snake oil salesmen promise to “cure” you of your fear of public speaking, it is never that simple, or that easy.  That being said, there are a number of techniques, strategies and tactics to use to alleviate the fear and anxiety that come calling prior to speaking publicly.

Tips and Tactics, Pt.I :

1. Prepare. Prepare. Prepare - Simply put, the more you prepare and the better handle you have on the material you are presenting, the better it will go.
2. Practice. Practice. Practice – Once you have prepared, you MUST practice, early and often.  Rumor has it that Churchill practiced for one hour per one minute of speech content he was delivering.  5 minute presentation = 5 hours practice.  How long are you practicing?
3. Check out/Read the room before – Familiarity breeds comfort; surprise the day of a presentation are no fun and ratchet up anxiety tenfold.
4. Remember – the audience is on your side- 9 times out of 10, the audience is rooting for you to succeed, not waiting for you to fall flat.
5. Breathing - My three favorite breathing techniques – 3 Deep Belly Breathes, Ujaia breathing, and the Alternate Nostril technique – more on each in a later post
6. Listen to Music – Watch a boxing or MMA competition; watch Kobe or LeBron prior to getting on the court – always listening to music, getting in the zone, eliminating outside distraction and chasing away anxiety and negative thoughts — it works prior to public speaking as well (I do this each and every time)
7. Remember – You are always more nervous than you look – ALWAYS!

Stay tuned for Pt. II…

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