Book Review: Assisted an Autobiography

Book Review: Assisted an Autobiography

Author: John Stockton with Kerry L. Pickett

I grew up a huge John Stockton fan. The summer before I started eighth grade I attended a Jr. Jazz summer basketball camp and Jon Stockton was there. It was the highlight of mu summer being able to be that close to him, Karl Malone, Thurl Bailey and a couple other former players.

Growing up he always seemed to closed off and wanting to stay out of the limelight that accompanies professional athletes. There was always a sense of mystery about him and the stories always left me wanting to know more about him. Over the years, hearing stories about him and the things he did created a greater desire to know more about him.

When I heard the book was coming out I was skeptical. I kept asking myself, after all these years of privacy and Stockton’s coming out with an autobiography?

I was lucky enough to get an autographed copy from a friend. The back cover has quotes from people that knew Stockton best or had worked with him and covered him as reporters. A couple of the quotes say how the reader will get a truly unique look at his careers or how you thought you knew him….

I’ve read a number of autobiographies in the past and thought this book would be like Charles Barkley’s where he tells stories of his exploits on and off the court. Stockton’s book is considerably different than what most athletes produce.

While I was hoping for more stories about actual games and what he felt and thought during some of these games, it was a more personal look into his life and his values. He did share some stories about specific games but the book was mainly a high level view of his career and a tribute to the players, coaches, family, friends and fans that made his career possible. He expressed gratitude and respect for teammates and coaches and the lessons he learned as opposed to blow-by-blow accounts of individual games or playoff series.

Some of the lessons and values he shard that stuck out to me included what he learned from key basketball principles of balance and vision and how they translate to every other aspect in life. Stockton says, “At my basketball camps our coaches put a ball in the kids’ hands and teach that they are much more likely to succeed if they maintain balance and vision. We insist that they remain stable, either in a stance or while in motion. In the same breath, we preach, ‘Keep your eyes up, and be alert.’”

He also shares his dad’s philosophy on life: “It doesn’t matter how many times you get knocked down, but how many times you get back up that matters.”

Similarly, I appreciated hearing how he gained confidence as a kid by applying himself and pushing himself to achieve things he didn’t know he could. He emphasized throughout the book that he took great pride and gained confidence each and every time he set a goal and accomplished it.

Stockton was an incredibly hard worker and competitor. He liked to compete and push himself to be the best.

Of the detailed stories he shared about specific games, he shared a story about getting a technical foul for swearing at the ref. He said you could call the league to contest the technical foul and try to avoid paying the fine associated with a technical foul. Stockton did this on one occasion and was successful. He called the league office and told the commissioner that he indeed had said the swear word to the referee but had used it as an adverb. The commissioner got such a kick out of his response that he let Stockton off the hook.

I enjoyed the book and recommend it to any Utah Jazz, NBA or sports fan. It’s a quick read and really does give you insight into the best pure point guard to ever play the game.

 

Author: Jeremy Kartchner | Google+

 

Extra, Extra, Read All About It

Every business wants its customers and target markets to know what they’re doing. Some businesses are effective at communicating and sharing news, while others struggle to share.

Press releases are one of the most effective public relations (PR) tools to communicate and share important news. Many people know this, but don’t necessarily understand when, why or how to write and issue a press release. It’s a common problem that I get asked about a lot. There’s no shame in not knowing all the details about how or when to issue a press release.

From a PR perspective I recommend five basic points to consider when trying determining if a news item is worthy of a press release. I’ve listed these five points below.

• Be consistent: I recommend to my clients that they plan on issuing press release on a regular basis. Usually once a month is sufficient. That doesn’t mean that you have to issue a press release on the first day of each month, but if you’re consistent with sharing your news you’ll build a solid electronic footprint of news. I see so many companies that will issue a series of press releases in rapid succession and then go months without making any announcements. The logical question in these instances, especially from a media perspective is, “what happened to this company since they last issued this flurry of press releases?”
• Create a schedule: I recommend clients create a schedule of upcoming news and events that they can refer to and follow for writing and issuing press releases. You may not use every topic but it’s helpful to have a calendar to know what’s in the pipeline. In some cases you may combine some of these news items or replace them with more breaking news topics, but a calendar will help you plan accordingly.
• There is such a thing as too much: Some companies will issue too many press releases. In my experience the companies that do this are simply trying to increase their stock price or attract potential investors. Not every occurrence is worthy of a press release. Similarly, fluff news isn’t news and, from a media perspective, will not garner the attention and respect of the media.       If you’re constantly issuing press releases for non-newsworthy things it waters down your message and when there is legitimate news the press is less likely to listen. In some cases, if there is information you want to share, but are unsure if you should issue a press release to make the announcement, consider a blog entry or social media post to share the information.
• Communicate the news: This may sound simple, but I’ve seen businesses try to announce legitimate news only to leave out relevant details.       In one example, a company announced an event but failed to list the date of the event. If you’re going to share your news through a press release make sure to include all relevant information. Re-issuing a press release is possible, but it’s also costly. In my opinion, you only get one chance to make a good impression, and including all pertinent details is critical.
• Make the news accessible: If you go to the trouble of writing a press release, you need to share it.       Don’t just share some of the news or share it with a privileged few. Make it available to everybody. The best way to do this is via a wire service such as Business Wire, PR Newswire or PRWeb. There are other resources, but a wire service will get the word out quickly and reliably. Social media is another venue, as is your company’s Website, but the wire will share the information with the largest group of people the quickest.

Press releases are an effective tool for sharing important news and making sure the audiences you target know what your business is doing. There is a strategy to press releases that will maximize your exposure and create the most awareness. If you follow the tips listed above you’ll increase the effectiveness of your press releases and benefit from the exposure a press release generates.

 

Author: Jeremy Kartchner | Google+

Five Writing Tips That Will Make You Stand Out

The ability to effectively communicate is critical to success in any endeavor. In public relations (PR) it’s even more important because despite what many people think, that’s what PR is. Contrary to what some may call “spin”, “spin doctoring,” “sorcery” or “dark magic” PR is all about effective communication to help educate others on what your business does, the products or services you offer and what differentiates you and your company from the competition.

Writing is an essential part of any public relations (PR) strategy. It’s also one skill that when done well can differentiate you and set you apart from others. Writing is also very subjective and open to criticism based on individual writing styles and preferences.

I write a lot in my job. I write blogs like this, press releases, case studies, contributed articles and a number of other pieces. For me, the more I write the easier it becomes. I can easily take a blank Word document and within a short period of time draft a press release or a 1200 – 1500 word blog entry or contributed article. I know some people that see a blank Word document and struggle to fill half the page.

Over the years, I’ve discovered a few writing tips that have helped me successfully tackle the myriad of writing projects I’ve encountered during my career. I’ve listed these tips below.

• Have a topic. I find it easier to write the more I write. I also find that the more I write the more aware I am of potential topics to write about. Without a topic that blank sheet of paper or Word document can be overwhelming.   As I think of potential topics I’ll write them down for future use. As I think about these topics and when other thoughts come to mind I’ll write them down as part of an overall outline of the topic.
• Draft an outline. Writing sounds easy until you sit down and are staring at a blank page. It can be intimidating. However, if you draft an outline of the topic you want to write about it will be less intimidating and provide the context of an article that you can simply begin building on.
• Be willing to share. There are so many opportunities to contribute content and share your expertise. However, if you’re not willing to share you’ll never be able to take advantage of these opportunities. To be a thought leader people need to know what you think or what your expertise is.
• Keep It Simple Stupid (KISS). I’ve written about this in the past, but I learned this phrase from my high school newspaper advisor. The key is to try not to complicate things or try to sound to smart or use big, complicated words.   It’s not about dazzling readers with your command of the English language or your extensive vocabulary. The key is to share and engage your readers and make it as simple as possible for them to understand your message. Simplicity will go further than dropping big words that nobody understands.
• Read what you write out loud. A former editor shared this tip with me years ago. If you write something it may sound one way or the way you want it to in your head but entirely different when you read it out loud. If you read it out loud you’ll hear what it sounds like to your audience. This editor told the story of being in a newsroom interviewing a potential new editor. She said as they toured the newsroom the candidate told her he could identify her best writers without even talking to or meeting them. She took him up on this offer and to her astonishment he was right. He identified her best writers without knowing or having met them before. She asked him how he did that and he said, “It was easy, I just watched for the ones reading their articles out loud.” I tried it and was surprised myself to see how effective it was at making my writing more concise. Try it yourself the next time you write something, you’ll be surprised at how effective it is.

These tips have served me well in my career. Writing is subjective and by following these tips you’ll be able to identify your own voice and develop your own writing style. You’ll also be able to communicate more effectively and utilize writing to differentiate yourself and the way you communicate from others in your industry.

 

Author: Jeremy Kartchner | Google+

Four PR Tips To Be Relevant

Recently while sitting in a meeting a question came up and the answer caught me totally off guard. The response had absolutely no relevance to what the question.

In public relations (PR) being relevant is a critical component to any interview or interaction with the press, partners, clients and employees. Yet, it seems like more and more I see people respond in ways that continue to amaze me with their lack of relevance to the subject at hand.

I’ve written about it in the past, but the key in any media interview is to prepare. I offer clients media training in an effort to help them maximize their opportunity to meet with and interview with the press. This isn’t an exercise in scripting how an interview should go or the response they should give, but rather an opportunity to sit down and remind people of best interviewing practices.

The Internet is full of videos of people making fools of themselves for things they said that made no sense or weren’t relevant. A couple years ago a Mrs. America contestant had her 15 minutes of fame when she responded to an interview question during the pageant and her answer had nothing to do with the question. Not only that, nobody knew what she was talking about or what question she could possibly be asking.

For the purposes of this blog entry and being relevant in an interview, I’ve listed four tips below to help ensure that you’re relevant and don’t make a fool of yourself.

• Listen. This doesn’t mean you’re simply hearing noise. I know somebody that when you talk to them will sit at their computer typing, acting as if they’re listening. When you stop talking there is an awkward pause before the person stops typing, looks up from their computer and gives you a blank stare. It’s obvious that the person hasn’t listened to a word you’d said and you end up having to repeat yourself. Occasionally, the person will attempt to respond as if they’ve heard the question or conversation but it quickly becomes obvious to all involved they weren’t listening. The responses are typically off topic and have no relevance.
• If you don’t understand a question as for clarification. There is nothing wrong with asking for clarification to ensure you understand the question or conversation. I’d rather ask for clarification that wing it and give a response that makes no sense. A reporter will also appreciate you asking for clarification, especially in a live interview situation.
• If you’re giving an example make sure it’s topical to the question. Siting an example or sharing a story to illustrate your point is a good practice. It helps the person your talking to understand your point while creating the scene in their mind. The key is to share a story that clearly illustrates the point you’re making. For example, if you’re talking to a younger person that has never used a typewriter or phone booth don’t use examples that ingrate those things into your story. Similarly, talking about the good old days or how things were when you were young are not good examples. Try to share examples that are relatable. If somebody doesn’t like sports or doesn’t know industry jargon then don’t draw on those things as examples.
• Keep It Simple Stupid (KISS). I learned this in my high school writing class and it’s served me well for more than 20 years. Big words aren’t going to impress people if they don’t understand what they mean. On the contrary, if people can’t understand you they’re not going to listen to you.

By paying attention to the conversation of question and making sure you understand a question, you’ll increase your odds of being able to respond intelligently and be relevant to the conversation. By being relevant you’ll be viewed as a thought leader and somebody that knows what they’re talking about.

 

Author: Jeremy Kartchner | Google+