Matt Eventoff

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….

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.

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.

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.