Articles

The Terri Ammerman Group pairs decades of communications and media experience with relevant, current perspective. We understand the ever-changing needs and scenarios faced by companies, executives, and media professionals. Part of our training involves examining communications scenarios in real-time, so participants can clearly see what to avoid when speaking and what to say when delivering a clear, convincing message. Our team regularly offers perspective and insights on current situations through the articles posted here.

“Like, um, I didn’t know I was saying that.”

Ever wonder why it’s so hard to eliminate those “uhs,” “ums” and other annoying non-words that punctuate your spoken communication? Most likely, you don’t hear them. So say Douglas Stone and Sheila Heen, lecturers at Harvard Law School and authors of the new book, Thanks for the Feedback: The Science and Art of Receiving Feedback Well.

Crisis Management Expert Partners with Ammerman Team

Bruce Hicks, a veteran communicator with 45 years of experience in the news media and public relations, is partnering with The Ammerman Experience to provide additional support in the area of crisis management.

Briefing Lessons from Jack Ryan

Tom Clancy’s best known fictional hero has resurfaced – this time in the new movie, Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit – about a young Jack Ryan who uncovers a terrorist plot targeting the financial sector. Clancy, who died last year, wrote seventeen best-selling novels, including The Hunt for Red October, where Jack Ryan first appeared.

A Model Crisis Management Center

Twenty-first Century crisis management involves several elements – a comprehensive (written) crisis management plan, a crisis management team, crisis drills, and a crisis management center. That last element has undergone some changes as crisis management has evolved.

New Trends in IR Communications

As a consulting firm that helps publicly traded companies prepare for their quarterly earnings conference calls, we’re always on the lookout for new trends in investor relations communications.

Warmth or Strength?

What do you project when you present yourself in the workplace? Research led by the Harvard Business School says that when people make judgments about us in a business setting, they look first at two characteristics: How likeable or trustworthy (warm) are we? And how competent (strong) are we? Most people try to emphasize their strength or competence on the job. But sociology and psychology research shows that people who project strength before establishing trust run the risk of generating fear and apprehension. In other words, warmth is judged before competence. Or put another way, before people decide what they think of your message, they decide what they think of you.

Ammerman Experience Co-founder Honored with Lifetime Achievement Award

Mary Ammerman, who co-founded The Ammerman Experience with her late husband Dan Ammerman, was honored by the Fort Bend Chapter of the American Business Women’s Association with its Lifetime Achievement Award. The Ammerman Experience is headquartered in Fort Bend County, Texas. The award is based on years of membership and involvement in the chapter (Mary joined in 1987), personal and professional accomplishments, and community service.

In a Crisis . . . No Need to Sacrifice Accuracy for Speed

Pilot Flying J, the nation’s biggest diesel fuel retailer, is under investigation for claims that it cheated customers out of rebates on bulk fuel purchases. This April, FBI and IRS agents showed up at the company’s headquarters looking for evidence of rebate fraud that allegedly took place for more than five years.

A Lesson from Boston

Within an hour after two bombs exploded at the Boston Marathon, the Boston Police Department set up a command post in the ballroom of the Westin Copley Place Hotel. During that first hour, the number of people stationed in that center expanded from 12 to 100. Ultimately, some 1,000 local, state and federal authorities, including the mayor and governor, were based there.

Let’s Talk “Framing”

…Not the kind you do with a painting or photograph. Or when building a house. And certainly not the kind that’s a criminal activity. No, the kind of framing we’d like to discuss has to do with communicating.