Articles

Can a British royal appeal to common men and women when reading from a prepared statement about COVID-19? Prince Charles answered that question with a resounding “yes” in a video message that is resonating well beyond the United Kingdom. Speaking from the perspective of someone who fell ill to the coronavirus, Prince Charles rose to the occasion...

Seldom has a crisis affected so many Americans as the Coronavirus pandemic. The crisis has left countless government officials at all levels scrambling to confront Covid 19 and to develop accurate, concise messages they can deliver to the public. With New York suffering the most cases and deaths of any state by far, Governor Andrew Cuomo has been...

So, you’re in the middle of an interview and you decide to mention a clever little anecdote that you saw on social media. But what if that anecdote or any other tidbit of information you might rely on is demonstrably false? Well, it will be obvious to the world you didn’t do your homework and your credibility will take a big hit. Take Mara Gay, a...

When conducting crisis press briefings, you are the face of your company or agency. You must deliver facts with authority and, in many cases, take questions with patience and grace. But your first job is to sincerely show that you care about those whose lives have been impacted or lost in the unexpected event. Empathy  and compassion are crucial...

What did he say? What did she mean? These are questions you don’t want your audience to be asking during a press briefing, media interview or presentation. The use of jargon will jeopardize your message and confuse your audience. A meteorologist with Pacific Gas & Electric recently fell into the jargon trap when explaining why the California...

Bill Belichick is well known for developing and implementing a precise game plan for his media news briefings. The New England Patriots head coach will only “talk football” as he engages the media during his weekly briefings that precede his team’s next game. Recently, Belichick was confronted with questions about Antonio Brown, the wide receiver...

Here at The Ammerman Experience, we advise our clients to stay focused on their messages during press briefings. You don’t want to be distracted by anything or anybody. But every rule has its exceptions. Once in a great while you must improvise or, in football terms, call an audible. Earlier this year, and Australian police detective was briefing...

Can an expert in his or her field, armed with solid credentials and decades of experience, fail to deliver a clear, confident message during a press briefing or interview? It happens all the time. Take Barbara Borden, chief horse racing steward for the state of Kentucky. Borden started in racing in the 1970’s as a groom and exercise rider and...

The best managers are great communicators. That’s not surprising, because great management is about bringing employees and teams together, motivating through big picture thinking, and then organizing logistics and roles to achieve objectives. Naturally, doing that well takes great communication skills. Just as naturally, poor communications...

Layoffs. Benefit cuts. Slumping sales and earnings. Accidents. Communicating bad news isn’t easy. Which is why some companies avoid doing it, or do it in an untimely or ineffective manner. On the other hand, communicating good news is a “no brainer,” right? Wrong. Sharing positive information can be just as tricky. And some companies fail at it...