Articles

You hope your company never has to deal with a crisis, but as the old adage reminds us, hope for the best, but plan for the worst. If you keep your head buried in the sand, your company will not be prepared in the event of a crisis. That’s why crisis communication training is such a valuable exercise. By going through crisis communication...

Anyone who’s been in business leadership for a certain length of time has had the misfortune of listening to an abundance of sales pitches. We call this a misfortune because most sales pitches are entirely forgettable, and that means that they are a waste of time. Of course, some are memorable for the wrong reasons. That’s unfortunate, as well....

These days, the world moves at the breakneck speed of 140 characters a second. We expect our news to be the newest, our understanding of the world to be refreshed with the next page view, and our colleagues to update us on every move they make. The world moves quickly - and it moves even more quickly during a crisis. That’s why using social media...

Interacting with the news media can take many forms: A broadcast interview – TV or radio, live or recorded. An interview with a print reporter – in person or by phone. (Yes, newspaper and magazine reporters still exist!) A press briefing or news conference. An off-the-record interview where you and the reporter agree that what you say can be used...

For most publicly traded companies, the quarterly earnings conference call is an investor relations staple – an important communications tool to reach analysts and investors. Estimates are that 98 or 99 percent of companies today hold earnings calls. For good reason. For one thing, these calls help analysts develop more accurate earnings...

“That’s not what I meant!” “That’s not what I said!” “That’s not what I meant to say!” In the media, it never matters what you meant to say. All that matters is what you say, especially if you’re being recorded saying it. As an executive, the things you say could hurt your company and cost it thousands – if not millions – of dollars. That’s why...

They say that comparison is the thief of joy. There’s certainly truth to that. When it comes to communication with the media, forcing a comparison is also an easy way for reporters to grab a juicy headline. You’ve probably seen it before; an executive is discussing their company and position when a reporter urges them to make a comparison. It can...

A few years ago, putting emojis – smiley faces, frowny faces, etc. – in a business presentation would have probably led to a stern talking to by your CEO. Today, depending on your audience, using emojis in business presentations isn’t frowny-faced upon quite as much. This is not to say that it’s something you should do in a presentation often. In...

Great leaders the world over are smart – that’s part of the reason why they represent companies as CEOs in the first place. However, when it comes to some things, being smart and being too-smart-for-your-own-good can seriously cause problems, especially if you haven’t had proper media training. You can know everything about your company – the ins...

It doesn’t matter what business you’re in - successful managers are the ones who communicate well. As a manger, most of your time is spent communicating with owners, employees, clients/customers, etc. However, in the world of business, communication means a whole lot more than just a person’s ability to talk to his or her employees. Communication...