By Nelson Hudes

Famous film star Gloria Swanson said it best when, as silent film star Norma Desmond, she marched down the staircase of her dilapidated mansion, stared deep into the cameras, eyes wide and focused, and exclaimed “I’m ready for my close-up now, Mr. DeMille.”  That concluding scene in the film Sunset Boulevard is a classic of modern cinema – but it’s also very relevant to our discussion here today.  Because this time around we’re talking about the need to put your best face forward when dealing with cameras, microphones or newspaper reporters.

But making a great impression with the media can be challenging when you’re trying to run a small or medium-sized business.  Being a businessperson means you have to wear a lot of different hats.  One day you’re the salesperson, the next you’re serving as the bookkeeper.  And when the media calls you up asking for a quote or an interview you have to put on your public relations managers hat, too.  Talk about a stressful, challenging situation for a businessperson to be placed in!

That’s why, as a businessperson who needs to project a positive image to potential clients and to the public at large, you should always be ready for your very own close-ups, just like faded starlet Norma Desmond was in Sunset Boulevard!

Many of my own clients have appeared on national and local television and radio shows, and have been interviewed frequently for newspapers and magazines.  I help prepare them for these interviews by providing them with some simple rules that I hope will also help you when you’re called upon by the media.  By following these rules you can ensure the success of any media event you’re involved in:

Look & Act Professional At All Times: Always look and act the role of the successful businessperson.  That means showing up early for each interview (you’ll need to allow time for the make-up people to prepare you or the station producer to speak with you).  And when you show up, ensure you are dressed in a professional, business-like manner with flattering colors and clean, pressed clothing.   You’ll also need to be well-groomed – tidy hair, appropriate make-up and a minimum of jewelry. The better you look, the more confident you will feel and that confidence will radiate out to your interviewer, and the audience watching you.

Show Up & Be Ready To Roll: Being professional also means NEVER canceling an interview at the last minute – that also means never saying “no” to an interview.  Saying “no” forces the media person calling you to go on to the next expert on their list, effectively bypassing you in future.  Never miss an opportunity to spread your message.  When you do arrive for your interview be aware that the producer could ask you to get on-camera or on-microphone at any time (many shows don’t give their guests ample warning of when their spot is coming up).

Bring A Press Kit: Being prepared to meet the media also means having a press kit, something every organization must have ready to pass out to any media that request it.  A simple press kit should contain an overview of your organization and its goals, a release highlighting what services your organization provides and any brochures or supporting documentation you feel would help illustrate just want your organization is all about. Include any recent releases that highlight announcements about company events or products – these will help the interviewer focus in on what’s important to you.  House the entire kit in an attractive cardboard folder and attach your business card and you’re all set!

Control The Interview: Some members of the media like to put their interview subjects “on the spot” by asking tough or challenging questions.  It’s essential that, if you’re dealing with a difficult issue or company-related crisis that involves the media, you remember to keep your cool and do your very best to come across as calm and professional in any interviews you do.    First off, don’t “shoot from the hip” – always have five or six key points that are the most important messages you want to convey committed to memory so that answers are consistent, concise and succinct.   Whenever the interviewer changes the subject, remember your messages and bring the discussion back around to the points YOU need to cover.   And never say “no comment” – it conveys to the audience that you have something to hide, even when you don’t.  Find a way to answer the interviewer’s question in a way that will answer it but also convey your organization’s message in a positive manner.

Cultivate Good Media Relations: Cultivating good media relationships that will benefit you for years to come is essential to your success as a small or medium-sized businessperson.  By promptly returning calls to media representatives, including editors or producers, you will make yourself valuable as a resource to them.  Treat them well and they will remember it – treat them shoddily and they’ll remember that treatment even more.

Being a friend of the media could mean an increase in your organization’s visibility to existing and potential clients.  It’s also an excellent opportunity to outshine your competitors, no matter how large they might be.  By making yourself available to the media, and by following the simple tips I’ve provided in this month’s column, you could become that all-important resource your media contacts depend on for a quick quote or interesting interview.  Being prepared allows you to keep your face, your name and your organization front-and-center, and potentially improving your organization’s bottom line as a result.

Are you ready for your close-up?

Nelson Hudes is President Of Hudes Communications International, a PR firm that has had its clients featured in numerous media in the USA and Canada including INC MAGAZINE, THE NATIONAL ENQUIRER, as well as on THE CONAN O’BRIEN SHOW.    Hudes has the uncanny ability to spin a story making it irresistible to editors and reporters. For more information on how Hudes Communications International can help your company obtain media exposure, visit www.hudescommunications.com or contact Nelson at nelson@hudescommunications.com or call (905) 660-9155

By Nelson Hudes

It’s 5:30 on a Friday afternoon and you’re preparing to close up shop for the weekend.  Then the telephone rings.  It’s a local reporter asking for some of your time to conduct an interview.  Yikes – what do you do? Panic? Start sweating profusely? Slam down the phone?  Or do you take a deep breath and tackle that unexpected interview in a responsive, professional manner?

One day, when you least expect it, someone from your local media is going to come knocking on your door, looking for an interview.  So let’s take a look at some tips to help you get ready for that inevitable interview request.

When I was a child the Boy Scouts had a terrific motto that they still use today:  “be prepared.”  As a small business owner, that’s a motto that echoes what you have to deal with on a daily basis while running your business.  And it’s also a motto you should keep in mind when focusing on your public relations efforts.

Timeless Tips That Will Make You Look Good

But how do you ensure that you’re always prepared for a telephone or face-to-face radio or television interview?  What tips should you keep in mind when you hear a reporter’s voice on the other end of the telephone?  Let’s take a look at a few key things you’ll want to remember when the telephone rings:

1. Focus on your message: Your interviewer has a story to convey to his/her readers, listeners, or viewers.  But you also have a story to tell.  Ensure you convey your message clearly and competently during the interview.  You can do this by staying focused on your message – don’t get sidetracked by the interviewer or the questions being asked.  Whenever the subject strays from your message or your areas of expertise, yank it back to where you want it to be by remembering to focus on the key points you want to convey.

2. Prepare a To-Do List: If the interview is being conducted over the telephone it might help to have a brief “to-do list” sitting in front of you of the 4 or 5 most-important points or issues you would like to convey to your interviewer.  If the interview is being conducted in front of a camera you’ll need to memorize that list before you begin the interview, then ensure you keep returning to it throughout.

3. Speak Slowly & Clearly: If you are giving a telephone interview try and remember to speak slowly and clearly so that the interviewer can take down all of your words accurately.  The worst thing in the world is a misquote and you can avoid having that happen by speaking coherently.  Also, telephone and television interviews require you to speak in a similar manner.  Keep Your Answers Brief: By speaking both clearly and concisely you will be able to convey your message successfully.  When the interviewer asks you a question, try to remember to pause, answer the question as briefly as you can, then pause again to await the next enquiry from the interviewer.

4. Keep Your Language Simple & Straightforward: Try to remember that you’re speaking with an audience that will not necessarily understand acronyms or complicated words or terminology.  Try to speak to a general audience so that you can convey your message to as many people as you possibly can.  But also make sure you don’t speak too simplistically — you don’t want to sound condescending, either.

5. Assume The Microphone Is Turned On: That means you don’t communicate any information you don’t want printed or broadcast. Choose your words and your comments carefully and never speak “off the record.”  If you assume the microphone is also turned on you’ll be extra-careful when you speak, and that will protect you from saying anything that could prove damaging to you or your business.

Bonus Tip:  Try to conduct all radio interviews in a studio setting whenever it’s possible to do so.  Interviews conducted over the telephone are more convenient for both you and for the interviewer but the voice quality is much more professional sounding when you are in a proper studio environment.

Look Good, Act Great!

6. How you look and act is just as important as what you say when it comes to dealing with the media.  The first thing to pay attention to is your appearance – jeans and t-shirts are usually verboten, with semi-casual business attire preferred.  You’ll look professional and more credible on-camera, and so will your business.  Secondly, practice what you preach by standing in front of a full-length mirror or, better yet, a family member and friend and reciting your comments out loud.  Get your friend  or family member to pose questions to you, in anticipation of your interview.

Watch your body language (how you stand, sit, what you do with your hands, whether your eyes dart around or stay focused, etc).

Courtesy is essential when dealing with the media.  Never forget to say “thank you” and act as gracious as possible.  Even if you don’t like the behavior of the interviewer (some media types are guaranteed to rub you the wrong way!) you must hide your personal feelings behind your professional demeanor.  Smile a lot, maintain eye contact and listen carefully to what the interviewer is saying.

I’ve seen interview subjects actually get up and walk out on interviews when they didn’t like how things were going.  Never, ever walk out on an interview.  It makes you look bad, not the interviewer, and will require huge amounts of damage control after the fact.  By remaining courteous and professional at all times you’ll keep the interview process humming along smoothly.

Two More Things To Keep In Mind…

In addition to the tips listed above, you should also try and remember to be prepared in another way – your printed materials.  By having a media kit and your business card ready to be handed to (or mailed out to) the interviewer you will be able to reinforce the message you are trying to convey.  Passing along your media kit ensures the journalist has concrete information at his or her fingertips during the production process when the interview content will be edited into its final form.

When you hand your media kit to the interviewer make sure you stress that you are always available for future interviews on this, or related, topics.  Try to get the interviewer feeling comfortable so that you become an in-demand, relied-upon source whenever they need one.  The benefits of such an arrangement will prove extremely beneficial to you and your organization.

What’s that?  There’s a knock on your door?  Maybe it’s the media, looking for a television, radio or newspaper interview.  They’re looking for you so make sure you’re ready for them.

Good luck and good PR!

Nelson Hudes is President Of Hudes Communications International, a PR firm that has had its clients featured in numerous media in the USA and Canada including INC MAGAZINE, THE NATIONAL ENQUIRER, as well as on THE CONAN O’BRIEN SHOW.    Hudes has the uncanny ability to spin a story making it irresistible to editors and reporters. For more information on how Hudes Communications International can help your company obtain media exposure, visit www.hudescommunications.com or contact Nelson at nelson@hudescommunications.com or call (905) 660-9155

Let’s talk for a moment, you and I, about advertising versus public relations.  Specifically, I want to ask if you currently allocate space in your annual budget for public relations, or do you have funds put aside only for advertising?

Chances are you are no different from most other small and medium-sized business professionals and have not yet recognized the power of public relations. You are probably relying on advertising alone to get your message out to potential clients and buyers.  That’s why advertising tends to seize the largest chunk of most marketing budgets.  Yet public relations is one of the best tools you have at your disposal to dramatically grow your business.

A well-designed advertisement will attract a lot of attention to your product.  But an article about your product in a prestigious newspaper or a showcasing of your service on a major television show, for example, could generate huge returns.  Plus, the cost outlay will be minimal in comparison to the costs associated with any-sized advertising campaign.

Before we can delve into what public relations can do to help your bottom line we have to look at what it is, and why it’s very different from advertising. When you hire an advertising agency you expect the creative staff will put together a campaign that will bring heightened awareness to your product or service.  Advertisements are created, media space is purchased and then everyone sits back and waits for the ads to perform their magic.

When you hire a public relations person your goal is still to communicate with the public, but to communicate in a very different way.  Rather than a flashy billboard or television commercial, public relations must convey your message in print, on a television screen or over the radio without the purchase of specific media space or time.  Instead, a PR agent has to convince a journalist or media outlet to promote their client or product.  And not only does the PR agent have to convince the journalist or publication to promote their client, They have to do everything possible to ensure the client is portrayed in that magazine article, television interview or newspaper story in the most positive way possible.

If advertising works, why should businesses also pursue a public relations agenda?

Publicity Is Priceless:

While ad space and time are purchased, you cannot buy publicity.  Publicity experts can get media coverage by professionally presenting newsworthy material to local, national, and international radio, television and print media. The reason media exposure is priceless as compared to advertising is because it can be used well beyond the publication date, or when the media interview took place. In today’s electronic age, articles about your company that have appeared in newspapers and magazines and even radio and TV interviews that have aired can be e-mailed to prospective clients as well as posted on your company website for future reading and viewing.  This creates tremendous value.

People are far quicker to believe news articles, interview subjects and experts quoted in the media than what they see in an advertisement.  Why does this happen?  Because the magazine, radio station or newspaper is telling your story for you; they’re promoting you instead of you directly promoting yourself.  This gives you (and your product) invaluable credibility that no advertisement could ever hope to match.

More “Bang For Your Buck””: For equal dollars, publicity can appear in more publications with much greater visibility than most reasonable advertising campaigns can hope to cover. For example, an N5R client in the Real Estate Industry recently received an 1800% return on value with one PR project in the state of Arizona. The campaign included numerous radio and television interviews as well as print stories in major US newspapers.   PR costs are nominal for most firms when compared with the costs involved in mounting an advertising campaign.  And although advertising is more costly, it also has a shorter shelf life than most public relations campaigns.

You Can Challenge Larger Competitors:  PR is a strong opportunity to combat much-larger competitors who may have more advertising dollars at their disposal.  By launching a strategic PR campaign you can gain valuable market share over your larger competitors, and do it affordably.

However, one strong benefit of advertising is that you can buy as much as you want, whenever you want, in whatever specific media you want, and with the exact style of text and graphics you desire.   You’re only restricted by your budget.    PR must be chased, worked, and pursued into being.

The importance of maximizing your PR opportunities cannot be stressed enough. The idea is to ensure you have an appropriate mix of PR and advertising.   Something to keep in mind when you’re drafting your next marketing plan.  If you don’t do so, and rely solely on advertising, you could be putting yourself at a competitive disadvantage.

By allocating funds to both advertising and public relations you’ll be able to squeeze the most out of every marketing dollar.

Nelson Hudes is President Of Hudes Communications International, a PR firm that has had its clients featured in numerous media in the USA and Canada including INC MAGAZINE, THE NATIONAL ENQUIRER, as well as on THE CONAN O’BRIEN SHOW.    Hudes has the uncanny ability to spin a story making it irresistible to editors and reporters. For more information on how Hudes Communications International can help your company obtain media exposure, visit www.hudescommunications.com or contact Nelson at nelson@hudescommunications.com or call (905) 660-9155

By Nelson Hudes

Getting the media to pay attention to you and your organization can often be a daunting task.  And the challenge of convincing an assignment editor, reporter or columnist that your news, special event or product launch is substantially more newsworthy than the news of another organization can prove close-to-impossible to achieve at times.

Yet, by following a few simple tips, you can fine-tune your public relations efforts and turn blah into brilliant and apathetic into awesome.  And that’s the topic this time around as I offer you a quick how-to guide to making your product more newsworthy. The result could be the ability to grab the attention of the media that your organization rightfully deserves.

All The News That’s Fit To Promote

First off, believe me when I tell you that magazines, radio and television stations and web sites all need material to fill up all of that blank space or empty airtime.  And who better to provide such material than you?  When the process works it can be wonderfully reciprocal  – you give reporters and editors and, in turn, they give you the soapbox you need to promote your product or service.

One of the first questions I ask prospective clients is “what’s newsworthy about your story?”    Many of them tell me all about how terrific the product or service is.  That’s missing the point because when it comes to finding a newsworthy angle you really need to focus on benefits, not on features.

Benefits not features.

This is an old rule of the public relations game that still holds true today.  If you can demonstrate key benefits to the media they will be far more interested in what you have to say.  For example, rather than promoting just a list of your car’s features by saying  “our vehicle comes with front and side-mounted air bags” you would want to promote the benefits of your technology.  This might sound something like “our vehicle is the safest on the market due to its revolutionary front and side-mounted air bags which have been shown to protect the driver and front seat passenger in crash test studies.”

See what I mean?  By spinning the product focus into a benefits focus you have placed the emphasis on the safety benefits of the product and how it can save lives.  That’s far more newsworthy, and of greater interest to the media.  And it answers the readers’ challenge of “what’s in it for me?” at the same time.

Charitable Ties

Another way to hook the media is by connecting your organization to a special event, such as a charity run or auction.  By aligning your company with a visible charity or fundraising event you’re not only helping to promote the event, you’re also promoting your company at the same time.  The media are eager to spread the word about charitable events, and the public is open to hearing about them.  This might be a terrific way to get some badly needed publicity for your company and do a good deed at the same time.

Have you found the “hook” you were searching for?  Terrific, now let’s talk about press releases and how you can best get the media interested in your news.

Press Releases Are Not What PR Is All About

Many companies expend huge amounts of energy determining what might be newsworthy to the media, write the press release, and send it out and then nothing.  For some bizarre reason there seems to be an expectation that the media will automatically flock to an organization just because a press release was sent out.  But your local media receive thousands of press releases every year – this volume of releases almost certainly guarantees your release will get lost in the paper shuffle on some reporter’s desk or in-tray.

That’s why I recommend personal contact as the first prong of your media attack.  Pick up the telephone and call your local columnists, reporters and producers.  Tell them you have a great story for them, and then use your skills of persuasion to get them hooked on the idea you’re proposing.  Once they like what you’re telling them they’ll normally ask you for a press kit, complete with that terrific press release you’ve just written.  An invitation to send information is far better than unsolicited material.

Need Help?  Enlist The Troops To Fight Your Battles

Can’t find the right “hook” for that media campaign?  Need to grab the attention of the local morning show jockeys but they refuse to return your phone calls?  When in doubt, turn to a public relations agent who has already established a long-term relationship with these contacts and can open doors that you cannot yet open on your own.  Any PR agent worth his or her salt can approach a multitude of media on your behalf, line up show appearances, interviews or the appearance of a television crew at your upcoming fundraiser or product launch, and can do it quickly and professionally.

Whether you do the work yourself, or enlist the services of an experienced public relations agent to do it for you, I’m sure you’ll be able to get the word out about your organization’s products or services and increase your public exposure.

Good luck with your next media campaign!

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Nelson Hudes is President Of Hudes Communications International, a PR firm that has had its clients featured in numerous media in the USA and Canada including INC MAGAZINE, THE NATIONAL ENQUIRER, as well as on THE CONAN O’BRIEN SHOW.    Hudes has the uncanny ability to spin a story making it irresistible to editors and reporters. For more information on how Hudes Communications International can help your company obtain media exposure, visit www.hudescommunications.com or contact Nelson at nelson@hudescommunications.com or call (905) 660-9155