Actual for You - Business

Growing Your Business - Get Ready To Perform On The Big Stage
If you plan to be in business for any amount of time you better be able to compete with the big boys, because the competition will inspire you or immobilize you. One important thing to remember is that you will not win 100 percent of the battles, but the victories you should experience will make all the effort worthwhile.As a business owner you will compete for the best employees, best products, and to show the best value for the client. To do this you have to play the game smarter in

1. COMPLIMENT THE JOURNALIST

Many journalists are attracted to the media because they want to see their face on TV, hear their voice on radio and read their name in the paper. I call them 'ego-driven' journalists. Work to their egos and stroke them. Compliment them on a great question. For example, use "that's a great question and I'm glad you asked it, ....."

2. GET BACK ON MESSAGE AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.

Once you've paid the co

Collective of Concepts to Better Understand Your Project Management
Project management knowledge and practices are best described in terms of their component processes. These processes can be placed into five process groups (initiating, planning, executing, controlling and closing) and nine knowledge areas (project integration management, project scope management, project time management, project cost management, project quality management, project human resource management, project communications management, project risk management and project procurement ma

Journalists are trained and often experienced at getting information out of their subjects. Conflict and other negative situations often make the news and journalists often have a knack for taking a positive situation and twisting it into something else in order to make it more “sell”-able as news.

It’s a common scenario. The media calls after your organisation has put out a news release on the latest groundbreaking achievements.

You've done the hard work in preparing your media message, spending time honing the features, benefits, evidence and proof that will build your case to overcome even the most cynical journalist. After hours of brainstorming, you've come up with a great quotable quote that even the most seasoned PR pro would be proud of.

You've practised and warmed up your voice. You've spent time to quietly relax, using your favourite visualisation technique to anchor your feeling of confidence as the moment of truth comes quicker than you realise. You've never been more prepared for this media interview in your life. The opening questions go well and you grow in confidence. Your body language and eye contact show you're in control and on message.

And, then it comes. Like an unannounced steam train, a question out of the blue. A tough 'red herring' completely throws you off balance as their ambush technique works with devastating effect. Crushed, your media interview stumbles from bad to worse. You miss several opportunities to stay on message and make the most of the media opportunity. Afterwards you feel deflated, humiliated and let down.

How can you avoid this situation and prepare for the tough questions that often come from seasoned, cynical and 'so what - who cares' journalists?

Here are Five Ways To Handle Tough Questions In A Media Interview.

1. COMPLIMENT THE JOURNALIST

2. GET BACK ON MESSAGE AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.

Once you've paid the com

Having Your Phil
February 2nd, at approximately 7:30 a.m. local time on Gobbler’s Knob in a small town in western Pennsylvania, 20,000 people and a national radio and television audience anxiously await the prognostication of America’s favorite furry forecaster. In a tradition dating back 119 years, Punxsutawney Phil emerges from hibernation…and if he sees his shadow, it’s back into the burrow for six more weeks of cold weather.The celebration of Groundhog Day in America and Canada has its roots in the

e the hard work in preparing your media message, spending time honing the features, benefits, evidence and proof that will build your case to overcome even the most cynical journalist. After hours of brainstorming, you've come up with a great quotable quote that even the most seasoned PR pro would be proud of.

How can you avoid this situation and prepare for the tough questions that often come from seasoned, cynical and 'so what - who cares' journalists?

Here are Five Ways To Handle Tough Questions In A Media Interview.

1. COMPLIMENT THE JOURNALIST

2. GET BACK ON MESSAGE AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.

Once you've paid the co

Forget About Saving Time
Myth: You can save time. There is no way you can bank unused hours. Each hour gets spent. Time is the most democratic of resources. Everyone is given the same amount every day. Since every minute is nonrenewable, all that matters is how you are using your time this minute.You might recognize these two colleagues who started work in the same department at the same time.Meet John:He is the last one to turn in work

feeling of confidence as the moment of truth comes quicker than you realise. You've never been more prepared for this media interview in your life. The opening questions go well and you grow in confidence. Your body language and eye contact show you're in control and on message.

How can you avoid this situation and prepare for the tough questions that often come from seasoned, cynical and 'so what - who cares' journalists?

Here are Five Ways To Handle Tough Questions In A Media Interview.

1. COMPLIMENT THE JOURNALIST

2. GET BACK ON MESSAGE AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.

Once you've paid the co

Specialized Marketing Methods
Magazines One of the main features of magazine advertising is that ads in this medium can often be read over and over, because magazines are often kept for long periods of time. Another benefit of magazine advertising is that it can be targeted to your specific client demographics because there is literally a magazine (or several) for almost every person's taste. Like the other forms of mass media, this is another occasion when talking to a salesperson may be of some advantage. The main

th devastating effect. Crushed, your media interview stumbles from bad to worse. You miss several opportunities to stay on message and make the most of the media opportunity. Afterwards you feel deflated, humiliated and let down.

How can you avoid this situation and prepare for the tough questions that often come from seasoned, cynical and 'so what - who cares' journalists?

Here are Five Ways To Handle Tough Questions In A Media Interview.

1. COMPLIMENT THE JOURNALIST

2. GET BACK ON MESSAGE AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.

Once you've paid the co

Inspiring and Energizing with Strong Verbal Communications
"Half the world is composed of people who have something to say and can't, and the other half who have nothing to say and keep saying it." — Robert Frost, early 20th century American poetWe can't inspire and energize people with memos, mission statements, data and analysis, charts, goals and objectives, measurements, systems, or processes. These are important factors in improving performance. But that's management, not leadership. People are inspired and aroused by exciting mental pict

1. COMPLIMENT THE JOURNALIST

2. GET BACK ON MESSAGE AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.

Once you've paid the compliment, get back on message as quickly as possible to show you are in control and not the reporter. For example, after the compliment use "...but what I want to say is this ..."

3. FOCUS.

Good reporters will always look for an angle to make the story more newsworthy and will try a range of techniques to get conflict into the story. Keep your focus, be disciplined and avoid going down a line of questioning that is not relevant to the story or your message. Be firm, but polite. For example, "I really think we're getting off track here, the main point I want to make is ...."

4. KEEP YOUR COOL.

Under no circumstances should you lose your temper, shout or get angry. This only inflames the situation and comments said in the heat of the moment when emotions are running high can often get you in trouble. Remember they make great copy and sensational 'news grabs'. Remain calm. Remember you are the one in control with the information that the media wants. You have every right to call a halt to an interview if the journalist become overly aggressive or offensive.

5. PREPARE and PRACTICE.

I've lost count of the number of times a novice interviewee has taken the whole bait and been taken down the garden path and completely off message by an irrelevant question during a media training exercise. Most people are quick learners and when they see it happening to others quickly learn not to do this once they've seen how easy it is to stay on track. Prepare for tough questions prior to the interview in a formal media training course or with a colleague. Road test your messages prior to talking to the media and you are more likely to stay out of trouble.

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London's Alternative Investment Market is getting a lot of attention lately, especially from small and growing businesses that see it as a potential alternative to the bigger markets. But why is AIM gaining in popularity among companies and investors alike? Is AIM a market you should consider - do the risks outweigh the benefits?

How foreign language translation could be your key to better customer service and to higher sales.

Handling communication with the media, staff, investors and suppliers in a crisis situation needs forward planning. Here, John Hicks of Headline Promotions, Press & PR shares some thoughts on the processes involved.

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