According to Sean Silverthorne in his BNet blog, new research has come out of Harvard Business School in the US (in the wake of the Sarah Palin candidacy) which shows that:

"listeners can develop a “conversational blindness” that blocks our ability to detect discrepancies between the question asked and the answer delivered — as long the wrong answer is delivered smoothly and confidently."

Further:

“More troubling, listeners preferred speakers who answered the wrong question well over those who answered the right question poorly.”

The full Washington Post article is here.

For all of you who attend job interviews - and let's face it, that's most of us in one form or another - this has major implications. We've all been taught to answer questions honestly, without waffle, but in light of this research, a bit of side-stepping and message massaging may work in the candidate's favour.

Anyone who has ever attended media training will be told: prepare for and anticipate questions; think about the key messages you want to get across; make the interview work for you. Seasoned politicians do this exceptionally well.

I hate to say it, but may be actually can learn something from them.

1. Can any amount of positive PR seriously save Sarah Palin - and John McCain - at this point? As the Gibson and Couric interviews keep racking up views on YouTube, along with dozens of homemade and professional parodies (Tina Fey continues to be spot on, loved her "Maverick" drinking game reference in the last SNL)... I just don't see a victory for "this really bad Disney movie," as the astute political mind Matt Damon said.

For what it's worth, if I had the PR hat on for the McPalin campaign, I'd keep Palin and McCain apart as much as I could in these final weeks. Put him on all mainstream media as much as you can. Put her on Rush, Laura Ingraham, Sean Hannity, etc... several times and hope that enough Republicans look past McCain's abysmal VP choice and vote for the party. Otherwise it's Obama's race to win.

Here's an interesting take on some necessary media training for Palin, from BiteMarks. In Palin's case, it may be too late.

2. D S Simon Vlog Views has an interview with Jennifer Martin, Director of PR of New Media at CNN that hits on some key points in new media, epecially in the blogosphere: Get the C-suite at your company involved, be transparent and be ready to respond to the conversations about your company. If your company doesn't have a blog - start one!

3. O.J. Simpson had an acquittal party planned. Does that surprise you?

4. If you haven't seen it yet, Interbrand has posted the 2008 Best Global Brands. Coke remains #1. IBM moves to number 2, while Microsoft drops from 2 to 3. Aside from Google moving from 20 to 10, there are no surprises in the top 20.

5. And, I'll leave you with a video. A simple message really. Courtesy of the Boys and Girls Clubs:

Think about it. If most companies are reacting in a turtle-like fashion and hiding in their shells until the sun comes out again, there’s less competition out there; less companies are launching PR campaigns, fewer are reaching the public with effective marketing efforts. Suddenly you have media outlets that are looking for stories, particularly some good non-doom and-gloom stories. If you’re a savvy business person you know this and understand that this is precisely the time you can have a greater impact and get a bigger bang for your buck. So, look at tough times as your chance to reach your target market and build your business.
Copyright © Anthony Mora 2008
For further information visit:
www.AnthonyMora.com

Just kidding... I have a bit more to say on the topic. Over the years I have counseled dozens of young people interested in pursuing a career in public relations or some form of marketing communications. The number one question I get asked is: "What is the most important skill I need to have in order to get a job?" My answer is always the same: "Can you write?"

Believe it or not, writing does not come naturally to most people. In fact, some people hate writing so much, they would rather do their neighbors' tax returns than write an article even on an interesting topic. For me, I have always loved writing. I wrote my first "book" when I was nine years old. It was called "Albert the Blue Alligator" and I still have it-- and it's still pretty good.

I chose to attend Emerson College in Boston, MA because it is a communications school that puts great emphasis on one's ability to communicate effectively. In fact, the school motto is " Expression Necessary to Evolution." So true.

So why does a PR person need to know how to write? Don't they spend most of their time networking, hooking up with journalists, building their contacts lists, going to events and making phone calls? No. That's some of what a publicist does, but that's not the whole enchilada.

A lot of what happens includes developing messages, working with clients on how to communicate what it is they want to say, and writing a variety of written documents for both internal and external use. There are press releases, Q&As, talking points, media advisories, pitch letters, e-mail communications, etc. All of these activities require a person to be an outstanding writer.

Spending time honing your writing skills lets a potential employer or client know that you can get up to speed on new topics quickly; assimilate complex information and relate that to a general audience; understand a variety of audiences; and can create messages that speak authentically and accurately about your product or business. Being a good writer means you are a good strategist, researcher, and overall great communicator.

PR people have to understand and apply basic journalistic principles in writing press releases. This tells a journalist that she's working with a pro-- someone who understands the meat of a good story, not just someone interested in hawking a product, service or initiative.

Some great writers' resources for PR people include:

The Elements of Style by William Strunk, Jr.

The Associated Press Stylebook

A few years back a story we pitched was rejected by CNN, because the author we were
pitching had self-published his book. We pitched it three times and received three passes.
Well, we had also been working on other media fronts, and a few weeks later called back
explaining that the author and his book had been featured in both Newsweek and USA Today. Three hours later we received another call from CNN stating that they had thought it over and wanted to move forward with a segment. The author was interviewed on CNN. The moral is, if you get a “no,” keep working it and offering different angles until you turn that “no” into a “yes.” A self-published author's real struggle has to do with distribution and marketing. When it comes to media relations, if you do it right, you can play in the same ballpark as the majors. As a matter of fact, I sometimes think that self-published writers fare better than their house-published counterparts because they are under no illusions. They don't assume that some big entertainment conglomerate is going to use all of its muscle and turn their book into an overnight sensation. They realize that if success is going to happen, they'd better get to work, and fast. Your book was written to be read. Use the magic of the media. Get it out there.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2008
For further information visit:
www.AnthonyMora.com

Remember, when it comes to landing media coverage, it still all comes back to the media hook, to offering them a strong story. It's the story that will interest the press. Don't simply send out your book and information to the media, thinking that they'll be so knocked out by your writing or the book's subject matter that they'll be clamoring to interview you. It seldom works that way. Develop hooks and story ideas that you can use to spotlight your book. If your book is non-fiction or a how-to this becomes a much easier task. We have represented authors who have written books on fashion, beauty, health, relationships, sex, and a variety of other topics. Even though we focus on the books in our campaigns, we do not limit ourselves to the book exclusively. Our objective remains the same: to establish our clients as experts in their field. The book becomes a part of the story, but it never defines the entire campaign. If you can place an article in a magazine or a segment on a talk show that revolves specifically around your book, you've hit pay dirt. But that's not always an easy task. Certainly pitch your book as one of your hooks, but don't limit your campaign. Come up with other story ideas which can include your book, but do not revolve specifically around it.

For example, we worked with a psychotherapist who wrote a book on how to save a troubled marriage. Although we included the book in all of our pitches, the focus remained on the psychotherapist's expertise in relationship issues. We pitched the women's magazines and talk shows, relationship-oriented stories in which our client could appear as an expert. The media reacted well to our pitches and interviews were scheduled. Although some of the stories were about marriages and romantic relationships, others were about other types of relationships, such as parent child relationships or sibling relationships. Even though those issues did not
revolve specifically around the topic of our client's book, she could expertly address them. When she appeared on talk shows, our client was introduced as the author of her book and was asked questions about her book during the interview. Although the shows themselves did not always revolve around the book, the book and client were always highlighted. If we had insisted on segments or articles that only featured or revolved around the book, we would have severely limited the media opportunities. We were branding her as an expert. Whenever she was interviewed, she discussed her book, which garnered her book more coverage and led to more media specifically focused on her book. The approach worked.

So, broaden your media horizons. Make a list of all the potential story ideas about you, your journey and your book and start writing again - writing press releases that is.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2008
For further information visit:
www.AnthonyMora.com

But if I accepted the Palin assignment, I would radically change the approach the Republicans are using.

First, I'd lose the "My Fair Lady"/Henry Higgins approach of trying to school the eager backwoods lass in the ways of Washington.  It's patronizing, it oozes sexism, and most importantly it doesn't work.  Very few of us can successful cram and regurgitate hours worth of talking points; for Palin, the problem is clear in the Couric interview.  Less is more.

Second, I'd treat Palin as a real person (and a bright one) with a compelling story to tell, and get her using that story as a metaphor to promote her views in every interview, as Barack Obama did and still often does.  She did, after all, come from nothing to being elected Governor of the largest state; she is not a daughter of admirals, married to a former President, a descendant of a wealthy and powerful family, etc.

Third, I'd spend some time with her asking her what her most personal political views are and which of McCain's talking points she finds most compelling.  Then I'd help her craft them (or the ones that the campaign finds most acceptable, at least) into key messages that she could actively promote going forward, and return to when the questioning got tough.  If her message was "lower taxes help working families", for example, she could use her own family as an example.

Fourth, I'd give her some ammunition; two or three key facts and statistics, not a week's worth of briefings.  And I'd make it clear that she should stick to the truth and not make up things, no matter how great the temptation or the media pressure.

Fifth, I'd spend our time doing videotaped one-on-one interviews, not cramming random facts into her head.  Give her a half-page of bullet points, have her glance at it, then throw the security blanket away.  My experience is that everyone is uncomfortable and unsuccessful in the first one or two ambush style interviews, but they gain mastery over time.  From there, move on to mock press conferences, shouted questions, etc.

So I guess I'm in reluctant agreement with the "let Palin be Palin" Republican camp.  It hasn't happened so far, but she can be a powerful spokesperson for the Republican ticket.  But even trained, confident spokespeople can't help you if you don't have a compelling message.

Thanks to David Parmet for his recent Tweet about the reaction of CNN's Jack Cafferty to a clip from Gov. Sarah Palin's recent interview with CBS Evening News Anchor Katie Couric.

Politics aside (way aside, actually), I think this clip is one of the best examples I've seen that so clearly shows someone searching their memory for the talking points that suddenly weren't there, despite (what I believe) were many, many rehearsals and cram sessions.

Spokespeople need counsel and practice for even the most routine of interviews, but especially so when it is as high stakes as one for a major media outlet and where the questions require thoughtful, informed and substantive responses.

The next time you are preparing for an interview, keep this clip in mind as a reminder of how critical it is to digest the message points so you can concisely express them in your own words as well as apply them easily and effectively in other, relevant contexts, i.e. internalize them.

At my firm, we run the gamut when it comes to representing authors, from self-published, first-time writers to writers who have landed multi-book deals with major publishers and, I am sad to report, the one common link among all the authors we work with is that, unless they are already household names, few seem to receive much support from their publishers.

It would be easy to blame the publishing company's media relations departments, but most publishing companies have slashed their in-house staffs and their publicists are overloaded. Every month, up to thirty books are dumped on a couple of in-house publicists. It's an impossible task. And unless you have name recognition or have written a shocking expose that the entire world is waiting to read, chances are you and your book will get lost in the shuffle.

Whether you are self publishing or are publishing your book through a major house, this is one instance where I strongly recommend you hire an outside PR firm that understands book media relations to implement your campaign. This is one time you don't have the luxury of learning as you go. You need to launch an effective campaign even before it's published. If you want to have it reviewed, you need to send a copy of your book, or the galleys, to reviewers, often as long as three months before the publication date. Once it's published, you immediately want to hit the local media, the talk shows, and the national press. One area you definitely want to focus on is national and regional radio outlets. There are hundreds of regional and local radio talk shows and current event-oriented programs that feature books and authors. These interviews are almost always conducted over the phone. You can be at home in your bathrobe, discussing your book, while thousands of people listen.

Even if you are publishing with a major house, I suggest that you approach your book’s PR launch as though you're self publishing your book. View your publisher primarily as a printer and distributor and assume that all of the responsibility for securing publicity for your book rests firmly on your weary shoulders. Try to convince your publisher to pay for at least two to three months worth of outside media relations. If your publisher launches a campaign for you, that's great, but don't count on it doing a heck of a lot. You don't have the luxury of being wrong. If you assume the media relations will be done for you and it's not, by the time you discover your error it will be too late. You’ll keep waiting for the phone to ring and for that Oprah segment to magically appear. Take your PR campaign into your own hands. If possible, hire an outside firm to handle your campaign for you. You finally have your book. Make the most of it. Don’t miss your window of opportunity.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2008
For further information visit:
www.AnthonyMora.com

At Berkeley, as at most technology PR agencies up and down the country, we provide media training for our clients.  The main aim of this is to educate our clients as to what makes an interesting story, the importance of knowing your audience and the basic dos and don'ts of a press interview. 

The part that clients don't particularly like but is always the most beneficial part - when the camera comes out.  We always like to film the interviews.  This puts a little extra pressure on the client so they genuinely have to be on top of their game when answering questions, they also have proof of where they went wrong which can be played back to them.  It also allows them to see the little things we all do which can be off putting during an interview.  The sort of thing I mean is saying um a lot, playing with your hair or generally fidgeting.

I have done this as part of my own presentation training in the past and will put my hands up to say I find it an excruciating experience but always beneficial.  So a big hat tip to Will sturgeon, formally of Silicon.com fame and now at Lewis for being brave enough to post this video on his blog.

It is well worth watching and had me laughing my head off, although be warned his language is probably worthy of a 15 certificate so don't let the kids watch.  I think I found it so amusing because I have worked on a couple of pitches recently and during the practice runs in our board room have heard myself saying similar things to Will such as "what am I talking about? that is absolute rubbish and damn it I have said that already!."
 
That said, I usually find that when the old adrenaline gets pumping everything goes alright on the night.

I am now stepping on the first level, exposing my self to the world of Media.

Continues process of learning and nonstop effort to do what's best for my career plans.

I am thankful because I met people who are indeed bigger than me but willing to help me to make my dreams true. Jojo Terencio and Roy Mabasa are the people behind my first stepping stone to success. They were the one who talked to me sincerely about my career plans and goals. They gave me the experience and needed skills to be a reporter/writer someday.

I am way too idealistic and I have high standards when it comes to work, that's why I needed a reality check through training. It did not failed to keep my self open to reality and be well grounded. Every Big Title has big responsibilities. Every success we have in life comes with hard work. Nothing comes constantly without sweat... and that's what makes us living: HARD WORK and nonstop efforts.

So, here are some pics from my training at the Senate's PRIB!

Me with ABS-CBN Senior Reporter Sir Jun in live coverage

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Never stop chasing your goals/dreams.

Never stop believing in yourself!

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Acknowledgement

Media Training /PRIB

Patient, nonstop effort will brought more about miracles than anyone can imagine.
Sweat and God's power is a winner. God doesn't encourage laziness, he measures not only a mans faith but the sweat on his brow before giving His answer to a prayer.

Lasting Succes never comes easily. In fact, it never comes, period. One has to chase after it constantly.Anyone who tells you isn't so, isn't successful and doesn't know what he's talking about.

HARD Work, Prayers. Having faith and believing in yourself is the key.. also with the help of the people who believes in what you do-
For Jojo Terencio and Roy M.

Super Special Thanks to:
Jojo Terencio (my fairy godmother)
Ms.Macon Araneta (c/o Roy- training @ Congress PRID)
Roy M.
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Ms. Ulla Tioseco
Ms. Josh
Ms. Peachie Urquiola (Secretary of Sen.Gringo/ for offering me another training and yummylicious lunch!)
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PRIB Staff
Ms. Mae
Ms. Majo
Ms. Nat (Writer/ thanks for teaching me patiently :D)
Ms. Blen (Broadcast Dept. /thanks for teaching me the technicalities, especially making kalikot sa camera/control room he he)
Paparazzi- (Cameramen/ my photographer inside the Session hall :D)
Mr. Rommel (Cameramen of Sen. Villar)
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Mr. Thomas William (Cameramen of Sen. Madrigal/ Dami kong natutunan din from you, especially sa mga hindi ko maintindihan sa loob ng senado at marami pang iba! at sa pakikipagusap sa mga photographers to take my pics with Senators)

Director's of PRIB
Sir Joe, Sir Corro and Sir Sammy (for guiding me to the right direction for the things that I must learn in Media World, especially Sir Sammy (Print Media Director) for giving time to discuss with me, my career path/plans.
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Ate Remy (for always buying my food pag wala akong kasabay kumaen sa Senate Lounge :)
kuya Leo- sa pagbitbit ng gamit ko and for mapping the shuttle ha ha!

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Sir Larry (NBN4)
Sir Jun (reporter of ABS-CBN/ for inspirational talk and wishing me luck)
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Photographer of Senator Aquino, Legarda and Lacson.
PRIB's in-house Photographers (for non-stop taking my foto's tuwing nasa session hall ako- nagiging parang stariray tuloy ako- e training pa lang ako ha ha)

note: natatawa kasi ako, dahil wala akong ginawa kung hindi magpose sa mga camera ng photographers ng mga senators.. (dapat yata photography na lang ako hehe joke!)

@ Senate: I am learning the basics of writing messages/ Press Releases for Sen. Villar, Technicals on in-house broadcast... and there's more to come next for next week's training.

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Most firms will place you in the media and use your media appearances to interest other media outlets in interviewing you. But don't rely on a media relations firm to fully maximize the various ways that your media can help your business or career grow. Be inventive and creative and to effectively utilize your media in as many ways as possible. Copy the article, video, or audio tape and send it out when the media requests further information on you. Update your biography to include your most recent media appearances. When writing or talking to the media, let them know about other segments or articles you have appeared in. Mention your media in your ads, flyers, newsletters, and brochures. Review your articles and interviews, and look for any particularly impressive quotes about you or your business that you can highlight in your ads or marketing.

If you have a staff or employees, teach them to use the media you have been featured in their pitches or conversations to both clients, and prospective clients. Teach your employees to utilize your media. If they are talking to a prospective client, patient, or customer, it never hurts to have them mention that you, your product, or services were featured in a magazine or TV program. Work with them; come up with ways to weave your media appearances into their conversations and discussions.
Copyright © Anthony Mora 2008
For further information visit:
www.AnthonyMora.com

"Because of click-throughs from the story right to the product?" I asked.  "Yes, but that's only part of it."

On the Web, news is instantaneous, but it's also persistent and searchable.

News flying around the Web is powerful--it can promote a product, like an unknown vice-presidential candidate, or raise a stock price.

News is also persistent, in a world of archived stories, industrious search engines, translations into many languages, references on blogs and Wikis,  immortalized on YouTube.

So now I tell our media training clients, "Believe it or not, your words will stick around--so make them count."

Not really. We place the stories, because we know that we can use them to our advantage. We can use that media coverage, to help garner other coverage, to help land more articles and other TV interviews. It's important to have a broad perspective and see the whole picture. The process isn't as obvious as it may seem at first glance. Instead of just asking if a particular story will bring in immediate clients or calls, ask yourself if that story will help you garner other media, or if will it be useful to you in your overall marketing plan. If you look at it from that perspective, you’ll soon start to see that press coverage, whether large or small, can all be of use to help build a powerful and effective media campaign.

My first public relations firm specialized in representing clients in the entertainment field. We were once retained by a young actress who perfectly illustrated this point. She had been a regular in a prime time TV series. The series had been canceled, and she wanted to do more film work. During the time that the series was on TV, she had received a mountain of press, including stories in People, The Los Angeles Times and Entertainment Tonight, but when I asked to see copies or video of some of her media, she just stared at me. She hadn't kept any. While she had been on the series, the media exposure had accomplished its short term work, keeping her in the public eye, and that's all she had been concerned with. She never looked at her long term goals. The media coverage she had received was worth its weight in gold, but she didn't see it. You don’t need to be in the entertainment industry to learn from her mistake. When it comes to launching an effective, ongoing public relations campaign, you not only need to see the forest but the trees, grass, and bushes, as well as all the furry animals along the way.

The author very appropriately asked me what sort of expectations she should have within a three-month contract in terms of how many interviews I could land for her. I said, "Absolutely none." Had she asked me that ten years ago, I would have scrambled for exactly the right answer. I probably would have said "At least two major hits" or something along those lines. I wouldn't have been lying, I would just have been very confident in my abilities to deliver. And if I didn't deliver, not only would I be disappointed with myself, I would have a very angry client on my hands. So here are some basic questions that many publicists get when being interviewed for a contract-- and I'll tell you what I would say. Take it or leave it.

1) Do you have active contacts at Oprah that you can call?

Yes and no. I have secured two clients on Oprah in years past, but there is no guarantee that I can pull that off again, and I would never promise that to anyone. What I can promise is that I bring nearly twenty years of experience in developing pitches and stories that capture the attention of producers. But even if your best friend is a  producer at a major network or show, they still have to push stories through production meetings, other producers and hosts.

2) Do I have to go to some other state to do interviews? I don't have the time.

No. That's a waste of time. If you're trying to get on national television, focus on that. You can always do a satellite media tour from your home town which will transmit you around the country.

3) How many media "hits" are normal?

PR is not just about media hits. It's about creating a strategy to meet your objectives. If your objective is to become an expert resource on a particular subject matter, then doing interviews is essential. If you want to sell widgets consistently quarter after quarter, PR is a small (but integral) part of a larger marketing plan. Be clear on why you need "hits."

4) I don't have much money, but I need a lot of help. How do you charge?

I used to charge by the hour, but I don't do that anymore. A brilliant idea can appear and be executed in a matter of minutes and yield very signficant results. It would not be fair to charge for fifteen minutes of work. I do flat monthly fees depending on the scope of work.

5) How many clients have you gotten in national media outlets in the last six months?

It's not a matter of "getting clients into" anything. There is a process which includes developing messaging, a pitch, and maybe a press release or other materials including b-roll, sidebars and other good content. Good publicists either have existing contacts in your specific industry, or they have the ability to quickly forge new relationships with targeted media. Then the pitch goes out, follow-up is conducted and then you go from there. I think the days of touting how brilliant a PR person is based solely on where clients end up is long gone. In many ways, media relations is honestly a crap shoot.

You're really paying for world-class messaging, media savvy sensibilities, knowledge of your industry and the news industry, and execution. It's called "earned" media for those very reasons. You may have an upper hand if your pal is an editor, but if the story is stale not even your closest pal can do much for you.

BALTIMORE, Md. (September 10, 2008) – Jeffrey A. Davis and Susan J. Anthony, partners with Baltimore PR firm Sawmill Marketing Public Relations, will discuss practical public relations during a workshop sponsored by SMEI-Baltimore/Washington (Sales & Marketing Executives International, Baltimore/Washington Chapter) on Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2008 at the Loyola Graduate Center, 2034 Greenspring Drive, Timonium, Md.

The workshop, “Putting Practical Public Relations to Work for You in a Down Economy,” begins with networking at 7:30 a.m. The program begins at 8 a.m. and concludes at 9:30 a.m.

During the presentation, the Baltimore PR firm veterans will share the following practical tips and tools:

- How to use a press release - and resulting coverage - as a sales tool.
- What to place in your Web site press room - the first and oftentimes the only place the media looks.
- How a press release can become your most valuable search engine optimization (SEO) tool.
- What media relations techniques turn off reporters - and what works.
- How an economical use of the wire services can lead to widespread coverage.
- The latest on the low-cost social media and social networking techniques, such as blogs and Twitter.
- A new, free service used by PR professionals which informs you what stories the media are working on each day and what sources they need.

“We always enjoy opportunities to speak with organizations and their members about ways PR can add value to what they are trying to achieve,” said Davis. “The SMEI workshop is especially timely because during difficult economic times, the marketing budget is often the first expense executives look to cut, yet an effective use of public relations can help carry a company through a downturn and beyond.”

To register, email baltimore@smei.org or call 410-925-6005. Cost is $20 for members, $50 for non-members.

About Sawmill Marketing Public Relations
Sawmill Marketing Public Relations, headquartered in Baltimore, is a Baltimore PR firm established in 1995 specializing in the development and execution of marketing public relations programs as business development strategies for business-to-business, business-to-consumer and professional services clients. The Maryland PR firm specializes in media relations, media training, crisis communications and social media. For additional information, visit http://www.sawmillmarketing.com To read Sawmill’s blog on public relations trends visit www.sawmillpr.wordpress.com.

About SMEI
Sales & Marketing Executives International (SMEI) is the worldwide organization dedicated to ethical standards, continuing professional development, knowledge sharing, mentoring students and advancing free enterprise. For more information, visit http://www.smeibaltimore.org or call 800-999-1414.

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It’s important to understand exactly how media relations works. By understanding the process, you make it a cumulative, ongoing process. Media begets media. You can turn an initial opportunity into ongoing media coverage. Be creative. Make a list of the various ways you can utilize your media, from ads and newsletters to placing framed copies of articles in you window or office. Don't waste opportunities due to short sightedness. Be imaginative, inventive. Think outside of the box.

For further information visit:
www.AnthonyMora.com

In an attempt to help attain that interview nirvana a bit more often, I asked top talent and producers to share their thoughts on guests they considered the cream of the crop. My interviewees covered a broad spectrum, from hot talk to conservative talk to women’s talk to sports talk to talk-intensive music morning shows. Obviously, the individual hosts and producers as well as the target demographics of the programs and stations determine some of the answers. But, as you will see, some basic qualities of a great guest transcend format and individual differences.

My questions were:

· What are the qualities of a great guest?

· Could you give specific examples of guests you thought were great,

whether or not they are well known?

If you could give one tip to a guest who was going to appear on your show, what would it be?

A great guest has energy and an interesting topic, is conv's ltional, and says either very intelligent or very stupid things. I tell my guests to crank up the energy. Make it sound like it’s the first time you’re talking about the subject, and be enthused.–Ronn Owens, host, KGO, San Francisco

Great guests don’t have preconceived ideas of where the conversation is going to go. They trust the host knows to give out the Web site and the book’s name. They don’t try so hard. They follow the host’s lead and just let go. Baseball Hall of Fame announcer Ernie Harwell was a great guest because he was comfortable with himself. My guest tip: Don’t have your guard up. Accept that even a less-than-stellar interview as a real person will be far more memorable than one as a polished, slick "guest."–Jeff Deminski, host, Live 97.1 FM, Detroit

ٱA great guest is upbeat, passionate, and real about whatever they are on the show to discuss. Some people forget that they are on the air, so they just talk, without any feeling. They drone on. Many authors forget that their on-air performance should be as interesting as the prose they create. My advice to guests is to listen–both to the interviewer and to the callers. Unfortunately, some guests are so intent on cramming in all the knowledge they possess on a given subject, and/or are so busy plugging their book, that they don’t listen. The audience will pick up a guest’s self-absorption quicker than I can give the station ID.–Hilarie Barsky, host, CFUN, Vancouver, B.C.

ٱA great guest has passion, convictions, and a touch of a chip on the shoulder. Any two of the three will make you a pretty good guest. Civil rights leader James Farmer was great, although, as he entered the studio, I thought, "Wow--is this old guy worn out!" But while he was physically infirm, his mind and voice were sound, and he took Americans on a journey now known only to elderly blacks: It was chillingly compelling. My tip for guests is to give direct answers. You can elaborate if you wish, but at least say something that approximates an answer to my question.–Jim Bohannon, host, Westwood One Radio, Washington, D.C.

ٱWe are in the conversation business, and the guest advances the process the same way a witness does in a trial. The key to being great guest is boiling material down to terms where listeners can agree or disagree. I like guests who will disagree with me but allow for areas where we agree. Think of the interview as a conversation, but an animated one. Get your energy level up!–Dom Giordano, host, WPHT, Philadelphia

ٱA great guest is someone who speaks in sound bites but is happy to embellish if asked. Sadly, many authors are bad talkers. Tom Bergeron, host of Hollywood Squares, is an awesome guest. He’s not famous, but he is funny and he plays along. If we’re talking about Polish sausage on the show for some reason, he will have five minutes of Polish sausage stories, and he can still creatively sell his show without it sounding like a commercial.–John Scott, producer, STAR 101.3 FM, San Francisco

ٱMy favorite interview, and one of the toughest, was the late Charles Schulz, the author of "Peanuts." I had him on a talk show one night during a baseball strike to discuss Charlie Brown’s team, since they weren’t on strike. He was ultrashy and couldn’t believe the topic. However, he knew that I was prepared and that I was a fan, and he began to trust the premise. I can still hear him laughing at the thought of Charlie Brown’s team not striking.

On television, the best guest is somebody who is not afraid of the camera and who embraces it. I can think of a few NHL players, like Jeremy Roenick, who steal the camera, and that’s fine with me. My advice for someone I’m going to interview is to have fun and enjoy the ride.–Todd Walsh, host, Fox Sports Net Arizona, KDKB-FM, Phoenix

ٱ Have some energy!!!! There is a zero-tolerance policy on boring guests on our show, I don’t care who they are. If one slips in, we’ll hang up. Most two-bit activists are great guests because they know what they want to say and have a strong passion for it. Advice for guests? Get to the point. Don’t filibuster. Don’t go off on tangents. Answer the question. Don’t play the game of ignoring the question so you can stay on message. We’ll point it out, embarrass you, and then hang up.–John Kobylt, host, KFI, Los Angeles

ٱ First off, a guest needs to get it–that is, a guest needs to realize that radio is an intimate, one-on-one medium. You’re not standing at a podium talking to an assembled audience. You’re talking to a host, and being listened to by one audience member at a time. Guests need to listen too, to figure out what the host needs from them. Guests also need to realize that talk radio is entertainment. That doesn’t mean that they need to be something they are not. But if they aren’t entertaining, the host isn’t going to want to have them on very long, won’t have them back again, and won’t recommend them to others in the industry.

One guest who stands out on our station is a local attorney by the name of Joe Friedberg. He understands that a host wants smart and honest answers, little or no spin, natural, entertaining conversation, a sense of humor, and a wonderful ability to explain the complex in entertaining, understandable terms. Ann Coulter also comes to mind. She might not always pass muster on the spin criterion, but she is entertaining, strong in her convictions, and good at explaining her points without sounding like a boring college professor.–Joe O’Brien, program director/host, KSTP, Minneapolis/St. Paul

ٱ I treat guests the same way I treat callers to my show. That is, the guest and I engage in a conversation for the purpose of informing and entertaining the audience with pacing and content sufficiently strong to stimulate further callers and development of the topic(s). Whether it has been John Lott on gun control or Arnold Schwarzenegger on running for governor, guests (just like callers) last only so long on the air as they continue to stimulate me through interesting information provided in an entertaining way.–Roger Hedgecock, host, KOGO, San Diego

I hope you found the words of these professionals helpful. Use them as a guide to help you tackle an interview or understand why a particular interview did or didn’t go as planned. My own advice on being a great guest? Trust your instincts; never forget who’s listening, and do everything you can to make the interview entertaining.

Roberta Gale has appeared on the radio in every part of the country during the past 22 years. Her programs have aired nationally on Westwood One radio Networks and ABC Talk Radio Network. President of Roberta Gale Media Coaching, which provides media training to authors, experts, spokespeople, and businesses, she can be reached via www.robertagale.com. A version of this article also appeared in Talkers magazine.  Roberta's website http://www.robertagale.com

If your story is hot or timely, and various media outlets are pursuing you, by all means, use that interest to your advantage. Inform the media outlets that there are others interested and that you need to make a decision as soon as possible. Try to negotiate the best coverage you can. But, even in that situation, you never want to threaten the media.

If you can convince the media that you have an interesting story that meets their needs and that you are an expert in the field, the media will feature you. Those are your primary objectives. You can threaten, scream, cry, and badger the media, but all you are going to do is alienate them. Plenty of people do these things every day. Of course, you'll never see them in the media.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2008
For further information visit:
www.AnthonyMora.com

There may be times that you're just not going to be able to accommodate the media's schedule. There are going to be some interviews that you'll have to miss. But only miss an interview if it's completely unavoidable - the plague, an alien invasion - you get the picture. You may be annoyed, and you may be angry, but if you can possibly arrange your schedule so that you can make the interview, do it. The press isn't purposely trying to inconvenience you. You wouldn't believe the amount of times that an editor or producer has to switch from one story to another on a moment's notice. A million things can come up, a fire, an international breaking story, a Presidential speech, any number of stories are going to preempt you. This is just the nature of the business. It happens all the time.

It does you no good to take your anger out on the interviewer or the producer. It was not done to harm you. The decision was circumstantial. Always keep your objective in mind. Your objective is to build your business, to create success through media exposure. And you're going to accomplish your goal by reaching as many people as you can. Your objective is to do those interviews, not to alienate the press. Remember, press begets press. Every interview you do is helping to pave your way to greater success.

For further information visit:
www.AnthonyMora.com