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.
Top Cop Leads with Credibility and Compassion
A shooting in Austin, Texas last weekend left 14 people wounded. It also left the community shaken and looking for leadership. Residents found it in Interim Police Chief Joseph Chacon. Soon after the shooting, Chacon held a news briefing and continued to speak often to the community through the media. In the following clip, he was especially...
Allow Me to Interrupt This News Conference to Hug a Friend!
When holding a news conference, the rule of thumb is to avoid distractions and stay focused on your message. Most rules, of course, have exceptions. We found one when Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo talked with the media about his decision to resign and become the top cop in Miami. He was emotional at times as he praised his department’s...
Winning the Interruption Tug-of-War
Reporters love to interrupt someone who is in the middle of delivering a key message. Interruptions give control of the interview to the reporter and they really like that. If you are being questioned by a reporter, it’s your job to not let interruptions happen because you want to be in control of the interview. Virginia Senator Mark Warner...
The Four C’s of Presentations: Connection
In our series on the Four C’s of Presentations, Terri discusses the importance of creating connection: Connection is more than just being likable and engaging. While you should certainly strive for both of those elements, connection is about helping your audience feel like you are as invested in them as you are in the content you are presenting....
The Four C’s of Presentations: Credibility
In our series on the Four C's of Presentations, Terri discusses the importance of establishing credibility: If you cannot bring credibility into your presentations, you will struggle to motivate your listeners to take you or your message seriously. Don't hold yourself back from becoming the best presenter you can be. You will never be able to...
He’s Not the Grinch, but He Admits to Stealing Christmas!
It is every communicator’s desire to deliver a memorable statement that dominates water cooler chat the next day. With passion and authority, Premier Brian Pallister of Manitoba, Canada accomplished that by pushing COVID-19 restrictions during the holidays. His blunt, no-holds-barred, statement isn’t full of Christmas cheer. And, he makes it...
A Doctor Skips the Jargon and Delivers an Encouraging Message to America
As Covid 19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths rise, some voices in the medical and political worlds are calling for a national lockdown. But the man considered America’s top expert in infectious diseases is not one of them. In an interview on ABC, Dr. Anthony Fauci clearly communicates a different message. While fervidly prescribing social...
A Critter Creates a Crisis for a White House Correspondent
When you prepare for a presentation, media interview, or crisis news briefing, you should try to anticipate things that could go wrong. But there’s no way to anticipate that a frisky critter might make an unwanted guest appearance. What can we say? Stuff happens, as CNN Washington correspondent Joe Johns recently discovered when a raccoon...
To Read or Not to Read: That is the Question
During our Terri Ammerman Group crisis spokesperson seminars, we are often asked if it’s okay to read a statement during a news briefing. Our answer is “yes.” But our response includes conditions that must be met or reading a statement will look and sound amateurish. You should become intimately familiar with the statement by rehearsing it in...
Repeat After Me: The Mic is Always Hot. Always.
It’s not often that a public figure reinforces what The Terri Ammerman Group teaches in our communication training seminars. In this case, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer demonstrated her awareness that a microphone should always be considered hot before, during and after a speech or interview. Whitmer was clowning around a bit, preparing to...