Always Be Prepared.

If you were ever a Girl Guide or Boy Scout, you know what this means:

• Don't get caught unawares.
• Don't set yourself up  for failure due to your lack of preparation.
• Don't forfeit something worthwhile because you didn't bother to put in the needed work to make sure that you moment in the sun doesn't go dark, quickly.

Yet this is what one of the candidates for the President of the United States was clearly guilty of when they stepped on to the stage on a recent Monday evening in September (a video of the full debate follows this blog post).

Yes - I'll be clear: I truly believe that Donald Trump was the obvious loser in his campaign to become president. Now - while there are many reasons why this may indeed may be the case, let's focus on what many think was most obviously apparent during the debate: his clear lack of preparation.

While his opponent - Hilary Clinton - had reason to believe that The Donald was going to try to pin her to the wall with demands for details on various issues, she was quite clearly prepared for any line of questioning that he or the moderator may have sent her way. Facts, stats and real-life examples added colour to her commentary and responses.

The Donald? Not so much.

​Between the blustering stream-of-consciousness that he provided as responses (often via interruption), as well as the lack of substantive facts in his replies, it was clear to all watching that he was not exactly bringing his "A-game" to the table.

He was unprepared.

As with many situations and scenarios, this lack of preparation led to an inevitable failure to sway his target audience to his side of the political divide.
Now. Many may disagree with me and insist that he won, though I would venture to say that those who proclaim such sentiments were already Trump fans. It is the undecided, the unclear and the unimpressed that he needed to bring to his side. His ability to do so was clear in both the numbers and interviews with undecided voters who viewed the results.

All this to underscore one of the first and primary pieces of advice that I provide to my clients:

"Always be prepared."

Along with "know your audience," I can't stress enough the importance of walking into a situation with your proverbial ducks in the most together fashion ever.

I advise my clients that there will always be those who want to knock you off your game. There will always be those who will want to trip you up in your quest to promote your product, service or brand.

Why help them destroy what you've worked so hard to achieve?

Preparation is a primary component in delivering your key messages, your company brand and your value proposition. Don't give away that power by making the mistake of trying to "wing it" during an important time in your business' vital growth period - or beyond.

Nothing bad can come of knowing your stuff (you can never know too much), and nothing good can come of efforts to "take it as it comes" and attempts to "muddle through" without preparation. The takeaway message for those who witness such behaviour will not be positive, guaranteed.

Important elements of a successful Public Relations campaign include solid key messages, a value proposition that drives a call to action and statistics and facts that support the stated key messages. Without all of these moving parts, the well-planned out campaign will go south very quickly, to the detriment of the business that has often spent so many years building up its image.

Don't fall prey to this very common mistake.

Always be prepared.

You can't go wrong knowing too much; you can go wrong preparing too little.
Is it really worth it?

Until next time,
Sam

​Last week I had the pleasure of providing Media Training to a group in the offices of one of my corporate clients. Media Training is one of my favourite things to do because it involves two critical elements that are near and dear to my heart: 
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1. Media
2. Public Speaking

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​Yes - that second one - "Public Speaking" - may seem a bit misplaced, but it is in fact a big part of mastering a successful media spot.

Think about it: conducting a media interview as a spokesperson has all of the elements of traditional public speaking, and then some. Not only must you succinctly convey your key messages to your audiences, but you get to do it on a platform (or platforms) that amplify your words to the masses. Digital technology allows your interview segment, whether online, broadcast or otherwise, to be delivered to the far-reaching corners of the Internet and beyond. 

Now, before breaking out into a cold sweat, let's look at the up-side to this reality: It's never been a better time to be a company spokesperson because when you get your messaging right, your words are received by audiences that in previous times, one could only dream of reaching. 

To some, this fact is at the crux of why doing media interviews is perceived as a frightening proposition and to others, it's seen as an opportunity, one that will result in positive outcomes for their company and brand.

In other words, get past the nervousness and the sky's the limit!

But how do you do that?

There are a number of tried and true tactics that can help you through your initial fear of being a public spokesperson, but if I had to choose, these would be the top three:
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1. Know Your Stuff! Knowledge is power and knowing how to convey your messages in an intelligent, clear and relatable way is a real confidence- builder. Be prepared and you'll breeze through your interview like a boss.
2. Know Your Audience - This is a basic tenet of "Communications 101:" To whom are you speaking? When you know how your target audience thinks and reacts, and how they want to be spoken to, you'll be better able to connect with them in a way that will successfully get your message across.
3. Keep It Simple - The most effective and resonant messages are often the most simple. What are you trying to say about your product or service? Breaking it down to its most simple, basic terms will not only give you confidence to deliver your message, but will make your offering relatable and interesting to your target audience.

​Of course these are just some of the best practices to consider when you're speaking to the media or are doing a public presentation or talk. Want to know more? Contact me for details.

Until next time,

Sam