Ten Tips For Conducting Successful Press Conferences

Press conferences are media events held by newsmakers and attended by the media to give news, updates, launch products or to make other announcements.  Through press conferences, the press is able to get breaking and important news quickly.

A press conference isn’t the solution for any and every news announcement but is an ideal source for getting news out quickly and accurately for events that are of high interest to a mass audience.

Just like in every other aspect of business, there are good ways and bad ways to conduct a press conference.

Over the course of my career, I’ve held hundreds of press conferences for clients.  While I was working for the Salt Lake Organizing Committee for the Olympic Winter Games of 2002 (SLOC) we held a press conference every Monday morning at 11:00 am and multiple other press conferences during the week.  The frequency of our press conferences increased the closer we got to the Games.

As I conducted these press conferences, and others since the Games, there are a number of tips and best practices I’ve learned. I’ve listed these below to help you maximize your press conference opportunity.

1. Start early.  The earlier the better.  Sometimes it seems like there is plenty of time to get started, but time flies, especially where there is a deadline.  If you can’t make a deadline, you’ll lose credibility with the press.  By starting early, you can also eliminate stress associated with conducting a press conference.
2. Prepare pertinent information. Pertinent information includes dates and times for the press conference, venue, identifying key spokespeople, identifying key attendees and key media targets.
3. Identify the key media targets for your client. By identifying the right targets you’ll increase the odds of media attending and providing coverage of your news announcement.  If you identify a reporter that doesn’t cover your industry you’ll get discouraged quickly when the media declines your invite.
4. Identify other potential media opportunities.  These opportunities include pre-press conference interviews, exclusives, embargoed interviews and pre press conference “Wine and Dine” opportunities.
5. Know who is going to participate/attend the press conference. Identify key spokespeople and establish a time to do media training for these key spokespeople and review key talking points.  I recommend doing this as early as possible to give key participants time to prepare and know the correct messages.  The more time they have to prepare, the easier it will be for them to rely on muscle memory and not freeze up once the questions start flying.
6. Identify key messages/strategy for the press conference.  Key messages include product launches, partnerships, sponsorships, new client announcements and partnerships as well as who will deliver these messages, how and when the messages will be delivered.
7. Make team assignments. Include key details such as talking points, provide a list of contact info for key participants, assign somebody to oversee press kit materials and assign somebody to oversee setting up a backdrop and signage at the press conference.
8. Establish goals/deadlines for the press conference. With no goal you have nothing to work towards.  I’m a firm believer that nothing drives like a deadline.  The media works on strict deadlines and it’s an effective way to accomplish time sensitive tasks.
9. Practice your brief presentation and questions that could come up during the press conference.  Doing this will help you feel comfortable presenting your message and will enable you, as indicated above, to rely on muscle memory when you get nervous.

10. Onsite/The day of the press conference. The previous points were items specifically designed for completion prior to the actual press conference.  This next set of tips pertains to the actual execution of the press conference.  This set of tips will provide the foundation for conducting the press conference and leveraging the benefits associated with a press conference.

1. Be on time.  Plan to arrive early to allow plenty of time for set-up and a walk through.
2. Set up a time to go through the press conference and answer client questions.
3. Be prepared with all pertinent materials, including:

i.     Press kit materials

ii.     List of key contacts that can provide insight or clarification on items discussed during the press conference

iii.     Media list

iv.     FAQ documents

1. Brief key participants before the press conference and conduct any pre or post press conference interviews.
2. Set up the press conference backdrop and signage.

i.     “I don’t like to carry things” doesn’t fly.  Nobody does, get over it.

1. Ensure the media has what they need and that they are taken care of.

By following these tips you’ll eliminate the stress and nerves associated with preparing for and conducting a press conference.  I keep these tips with me at all times and use them as a checklist when preparing for and conducting press conferences.  These tips allow me to check that I’ve done each item so while others are scrambling at the last minute to make sure everything is under control, I know exactly where things stand and can focus on making sure the press conference goes off without a hitch.

Author: Jeremy Kartchner | Google+

Five Tips to Maximize PR Opportunities At Trade Shows

I have a client preparing for a large industry trade show. There are a lot of public relations (PR) opportunities associated with a trade show.  From a PR perspective, I’m helping them set up onsite interviews with attending media.  As part of their preparation, I’m also providing media training to help them maximize their interview opportunities while at the show.

As I talked to my client and conducted the media training, it occurred to me that the training I provided would actually make a great blog entry.  With that in mind, listed below are five tips to help maximize PR opportunities, specifically media interviews at trade shows.

• Remember, you’re always on the record.  You’re always on the record.  Every company and every client I’ve ever dealt with over the last 15 or so years wants to be in front of and talk to the media.  The hope is that if you talk to the media they’ll write a story about you, your company and/or your product/service. Talking to the media is a great opportunity but over the course of my career, I’ve found most people don’t realize that, similar to being arrested and read your rights, anything you say can and will be used against you. Interviews with the media add tremendous value and reliable third party validation to your company.  By remembering you’re always on the record you’ll be better prepared to make the most of the interview opportunity and capitalize on the reliable third party endorsement that accompanies any article or coverage that results.
• Be careful what you say, where you say it and who you say it to. Normally, trade show attendees wear a name badge and badges are color coded to reflect specific roles at the event.  Media are usually one color, exhibitors another and attendees yet another color.  In today’s business world, anybody with a blog or social media account can be a member of the media.  If you have confidential information you don’t want made public, wait to tell somebody until you know you’re alone and nobody else can hear you. Similarly, be aware of who you’re telling sensitive information.  If somebody asks a question and you’re not sure who they are or why they’re asking, don’t be afraid to ask for this information before responding.  Just because a question is asked doesn’t mean you have to answer it.  Likewise, be careful where you’re talking.  At a tradeshow, you’ll be in airports, taxi’s, hotels, restaurants and a host of other locations.  You never know who will be around to overhear what you say.  If somebody hears something of a sensitive or confidential nature they can use that and it becomes pubic information.  Be careful what you’re saying in casual conversation on the airplane or restaurant, you never know who’s listening or sitting next to you.
• Be cautious around open microphones and recording devices.  If you’re speaking at the conference or meeting with people, be careful of open microphones or other recording devices.  Mitt Romney and President Obama can both attest to the dangers of saying something or disclosing confidential information unknowingly into a recording device.  Both did that in the last presidential election and were embarrassed and forced to go into damage control.  Similarly, a former client spoke at an industry event.  His presentation went very well and he was excited by his performance.  As he stepped away from the microphone he turned to his colleague and said, “We just beat the hell out of … “ and proceeded to name his largest competitor who had representatives in the audience.  Unfortunately this individual forgot he had a lavaliere microphone attached to his lapel and everybody in the audience heard his remark.
• Be aware of what information is sitting on a table, open laptop or whiteboard.  Even if you don’t say it out loud for somebody to hear, if the information is sitting on your laptop or sitting on a table at your tradeshow booth, a reporter or anybody else that sees it can use it in a story or share that information.  Erase whiteboards, pick up papers you don’t want the world or general public to see.  Take a few minutes to clean up before walking away.  It could save you a lot of grief or embarrassment.
• Be careful about going “off the record.”  I see this all the time.  A client will say something or tell a reporter something and then quickly come back saying, “That was off the record, by the way.”  No, it wasn’t off the record. If you want to go off the record, allow your PR person to arrange it BEFORE you tell the reporter something you want off the record.  In order to be off the record, the reporter has to agree to it first.  You need to be specific about what is off the record and when you’re back on the record.  If the reporter doesn’t agree to it first, you’re still on the record.  Saying something and then trying to say it was off the record doesn’t count and the material you provided can be used in an article.

Trade shows are great opportunities for companies to showcase and demonstrate their latest products and services as well as to keep up on the latest industry trends and innovations.  They also provide an excellent opportunity to meet press, interview with them and highlight your company, products and services.  When done properly these onsite interviews at trade shows can yield incredible articles that establish you as a thought leader and provide the industry validation that helps your business grow and be successful.

Author: Jeremy Kartchner | Google+

Four Common PR Mistakes to Avoid

I recently read an article on Inc.com about the five common marketing mistakes CEO’s make.  As I read it, I started thinking about common public relations (PR) mistakes companies and individuals make.

In his Inc.com article, Steve Cody said listed the fourth thing CEO’s do wrong is mistreating the media.  Cody writes, “While some entrepreneurs expect to be lionized by the media, they rarely treat reporters with the same respect they would extend to a big prospect or customer. I’ve seen numerous media relationships destroyed before they even begin when a busy entrepreneur decides to cancel a TV interview at the last second. Later, he’ll be completely baffled when his PR adviser tells him that the TV network is no longer interested.”

He continues, “Reporters can be critical to building your business. Treat their time the same way you would with the purchasing manager of that million-dollar contract you’ve been trying to land. Don’t cancel meetings!”

In addition to this tip, here are four other common PR mistakes to avoid:

• Over promising and under delivering.  I run into this a lot.  People want to be helpful or impress the media, so they make promises they can’t or don’t intend to keep.  This can be as simple as promising to get back to a reporter with follow up information and failing to do so.  It can include promising to provide them an exclusive on a story or provide them with industry data and statistics only to not follow through and give them what you’ve promised.  These types of mistakes are costly to you and your reputation. One of the common mistakes I see is companies that say they have thousands of clients willing to talk to the media and provide testimonials or do media interviews.  When the time comes to connect the media with clients suddenly these thousands of clients are all unavailable to talk to the press.
• An inability to meet deadlines. The media is driven by deadlines.  It’s what makes or breaks their success.  If you are given a deadline or know a reporter has a specific deadline and you fail to meet it, you cost the reporter a story, success and prestige.  You also damage your reputation and quickly become somebody the media knows they can’t trust or rely on to deliver what they need when they need it.  On the flip side, if you meet a reporters deadline, and prove that you understand the importance of a deadline, you become a trusted source for the media and somebody they will come back to the next time they need a story or a source for a story.
• With holding information.  Part of actively engaging in public relations (PR) requires that you share and talk about yourself, your company, product and service.  By doing this you gain recognition for what you do and can demonstrate that you’re an expert in your industry and a thought leader. An inability or unwillingness to share information can make it appear as if you have something to hide or that you don’t know what you’re talking about.
• Being on time. Nothing screams indifference like showing up late.  I’ve written about this topic before, but it’s an important topic that bears repeating.  An inability to arrive on time is a sign of laziness and demonstrates that you don’t care, that an interview or meeting with the press is unimportant.  When working with the media it can destroy your brand and reputation.   By being prompt and keeping commitments you build trust and demonstrate your commitment to your career, the media, your clients and the others that you work with.

If you want to stay in good standing with the media, it’s important to treat them with respect, provide valuable information, deliver on your promises, be on time and meet their deadlines.

Author: Jeremy Kartchner | Google+

Speaking Opportunities Transforming Power – More Than Meets The Eye

By now many of you may have seen the disaster that was Michael Bay’s presentation at CES couple of days ago.  He was there on behalf of Samsung to help promote the company’s newest and greatest TV.  His portion of the presentation only lasted a grand total of about a minute.  Bay had teleprompter problems and briefly tried to just “wing it” before simply walking off the stage and leaving the Samsung executive he was supposed to be talking to fend for himself.

To his credit, the Samsung executive did a great job covering for the mix up and was flawless in his execution of the presentation. It was obvious the Samsung executive had studied and prepared himself for the presentation while Bay was unprepared and as a result flustered by the teleprompter malfunction.

In public relations, I regularly pitch clients on speaking at industry events.  Speaking opportunities like these are a great way to gain additional exposure and to brand yourself as an expert in your industry, at least when things go well.  When you perform like Bay did, you accomplish none of these things.  Instead, you look like a fool and do more harm to your reputation than good.

With Bay’s epic failure in mind, here are some tips to follow to ensure success when speaking at an event.

• Be prepared: You would think that this would go without saying, but there are a lot of times where it isn’t.  Plan and prepare your presentation in advance.  Practice it so that it sounds natural.  We live in an electronic age and quite often a teleprompter is available, but don’t rely on the teleprompter.  Bring a hard copy or save a copy on an iPad or other similar device so you can have a back up in case the teleprompter goes out or doesn’t work to begin with.
• You’re always on the record: If you don’t want somebody to know something then don’t tell them.  Often people get nervous giving a speech or presentation and in these situations are more prone to give sensitive or confidential information than they would under normal circumstances.  Practicing will help get you comfortable with your presentation, and preparing in advance will help avoid the nerves and avoid disclosing confidential information.  Remember, you’re always on the record.  If you say something from a podium, you can’t erase it, take it back or quickly say that the comment was off the record and hope that everybody in attendance will let it slide.
• Be aware of open/live microphones: It’s becoming more and more common to have a small lavaliere microphone attached to a tie or lapel or to have a head set with a lightweight microphone attached to it.  These devices are wonderful and allow you to interact on a greater, more personal level with your audience.  They also create pitfalls that didn’t necessarily exist before their creation.  If you’re at a podium with a microphone, when you step away you are typically out of range to amplify anything you may say.  With a lavaliere mic, if it doesn’t get turned off when you finish your presentation, you have to be careful what you say.  A colleague shared a story about a client that spoke at an industry event.  The speech went great and everybody thought the presenter had a done a marvelous job.  As the presenter sat down next to his co-worker he said, “We just beat the hell out of XX”, and proceeded to name their largest competitor who just happened to be in the audience.  Needless to say, the goodwill he gained from his presentation was quickly lost due to a careless remark.  This goes back to the point above, but you have to remember that you’re always on the record.
• Don’t stray from the topic: Years ago my wife worked for a company specializing in leadership training.  The CEO had written a number of books on how to be a better, more effective leader.  At a presentation in Hawaii, a reporter wanted to talk to him after his speech.  The CEO happily agreed to the interview. The reporter asked about the company and what he said in his presentation, and then began asking questions about issues not related to his business or his expertise.  These were political policy-type questions that if responded to would reflect his own opinions.  The CEO responded and as a result offended a number of people and businesses.  As the reporter’s story hit the Internet, many of these individuals and businesses called the CEO’s company to cancel their partnership and terminate their relationship.  If questions don’t relate to your business or your expertise, don’t answer them. You can and should simply say something along the lines of, “that doesn’t pertain to our business so I’m not going to answer,” or, “that doesn’t pertain to our business and I’d prefer to stick to questions related directly to our business.”
• It’s ok not to know the answer:  If a question is asked and you don’t know the answer, it’s ok.  Don’t feel pressured to answer the question and then provide inaccurate information or commit to something you can’t possibly do simply because you didn’t want to admit to not knowing the answer. Instead, tell the person answering the question that you don’t know for sure and that you want to be sure to provide accurate information.  Tell them you’ll check and get back to them with the right information.  Once you do that though, it’s important to follow up as promised.

Speaking opportunities are difficult to come by, but can be incredibly rewarding. By preparing and practicing these tips, you’ll ensure that the opportunity is not lost and that you transform yourself into a thought leader and expert, and capitalize on the benefits a successful speaking engagement can yield.

Author: Jeremy Kartchner | Google+