EXPERTISE
Corporate
Communications

Agency Staff

1. Select the right club for the shot.
   Select the appropriate spokesperson, usually the chief executive officer. It is important that the message be delivered by the person who sets policy.
   
   Don't use a more powerful club -- too strong a message -- when a shorter club will do. Remember, you have more control with a shorter club.
   
   
2. Keep your clubface open when you want to get out of the trap.
   Whether it's a sand bunker or a media interview, it's important to be open and punch it out. Your message should be clear, direct and usable.
   
   Just as you practice sand shots, practice your media interviews. Have your toughest employee play the interviewer. If you can get over a big lip, you can get out of any trap.
   
   
3. You have to putt out.
   Have a strategy and see it through. Get your management team to buy-in. It's easy to think you can skip a shot, but you shouldn't. The worst mistakes are made by those who lose focus and get sidetracked. You don't have a second chance to get it right.
   
   
4. You'll have a better shot if you swing easy and follow through.
   Never appear angry or upset to the press, or to your employees. If you feel upset, verbalize it clearly, rather than wearing it on your face.
   
   Follow-through is critical. Answer as many media calls as you can or have someone in a senior position available to do so. Follow through with your employees -- in writing -- so they can take it home.
   
   
5. Before you swing, line up your shot.
   Have a clear mental idea of where you're going -- set objectives for yourself and your organization, write them down and share them with all involved. Visualize success as you do the ball tinkling into the cup.
   
   
6. You can't improve your lie.
   Once you've made a statement in the media, it is very difficult to get it changed or adjusted. If they do make a retraction, it's on page 142 and only two lines long!
   
   If there are mis-statements, write, phone or fax your key audiences directly. Your personal media are just as powerful as mass media.
   
   Think carefully before you speak. Ninety percent of the time you really did say what they reported you said.
   
   
7. When you're in danger of hitting someone, yell "fore."
   Be sure all of your key audiences are contacted. Don't let anyone be surprised by reading about it in the paper before you have a chance to tell them.
   
   
8. When you feel that your game needs improvement, see a pro.
   Many PR firms and individuals offer professional media training. It's important to practice in a "real life" setting with video cameras, lights and realistic questions. Practice brief statements or one-liners that are likely to be used by the press.
   
   
9. When you score a Hole-in-One, buy everyone a drink. Buy, even if you don't.
   Thank everyone involved. Don't expect a crisis situation to generate your best game -- a respectable performance is a major accomplishment.
   

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