8-Article
Readthe article. Now develop your response for a crisis or risk situation in your organization or field.
Identify the stakeholders who will receive the messages, potential stakeholder questions and
concerns, key messages, and supporting facts. Explain the best course of action when previous
communications have been misunderstood or when communications are interrupted. Within your
homework assignment, integrate a message map matrix like the one that is mentioned in the
Frohlichstein (2003) article.
Please begin your assignment with an introduction. The title page and reference page are not
included in the minimum two-page (500 word) requirement. APA rules for formatting, quoting,
paraphrasing, citing, and listing sources are to be followed. Your paper must contain at least two
references.
MEDiA REiJ^TiONS • MEDiA TRAINING
Follow Me: Message Maps Lead The Way To Better
Media Interviews
By Tripp Frohlichstein
Frustration would be the best word to describe
the mood of a particular CEO a few years ago. His
media trainer had filled him with messages to get
out during an interview. “Get to one of your three
key messages and you’ll be fine,” he was told, “it
doesn’t matter what the question is, just get to your
message.”
Unfortunately, an excellent reporter — one
who paid attention to his answers — would inter-
view this CEO. The CEO was skewered for not
answering the questions as asked. He got confused
as to which messages were appropriate to use and
when to use them.
At about that time, I had begun suggesting to
clients that having one message—the one point to
get across — was an easier way to handle inter-
views. 1 asked, “What is the single most important
message you want to communicate?” There is less
confusion in the minds of people, whose main job
is running a company or department, not commu-
nicating with reporters.
1 also recommended (and stil! do) not to push
(or bridge) to the message if it wasn’t appropriate.
But the question remained: “How do you
develop your message and then how do you sup-
port it — all the while keeping it simple?”
Teaming with George Stenitzer, then
Ameritech PR executive and award-winning annual
report developer (now with Teliabs), the idea of a
message map was born.
Instead of a linear list of talking points, this lit-
erally puts all the talking points on one page — and
in a map format, with all “roads” leading to the
central message or “home base.”
Now, I travel the country consulting with PR
agencies to help their clients develop simple, easy-
to-use message maps that are useful tools to refer-
ence in any type of interview situation.
Developing The Message
It’s easy to say “get your message out to the
audience.”
The trouble is, most groups do not know what
their message is, and some spend millions of dollars
trying to flesh it out.
It reaiiy is much simpler than that, and cer-
tainly less expensive. By considering the specific
audience you want to reach and the needs of that
audience, you can zero in on your overall message.
In a majority of cases for a company, your mes-
sage will be concem for the customers and how the
company is helping them. It’s that simple.
Sometimes, the shareholder, employee, or
community is the focus of the message. However,
you will find that by focusing on concem for the
customers, the needs of the shareholders are, in
tum, usually met.
Home Base
Having a home base is the key to effective com-
munications.
The first thing you must do before an interview
is to know what that home base is. Home base is
your main message, your single most important
communication objective (e.g., serving the cus-
tomer).
Knowing and communicating your home base
is the most important factor in conducting a suc-
cessful interview.
A question from a reporter is merely a starting
TACTICS/MAY 2003
point—you don’t evade or avoid it. You answer it.
Then, when appropriate, you move on to discuss
your own objectives and ultimately reach your
home base.
A typical home base is “we care about our cus-
tomers.”
Positive Points
To just have a home base is not enough. Any
company can say it cares about its customers, but
can this be proven? Many times it cannot.
A reporter was talking with one company exec-
utive who proudly pointed out that his company
listened to its customers. The reporter then asked
what changes had been made as a result of that cus-
tomer input. The executive was stumped.
You need to develop positive points, or primary
messages that support your home base. Like the
home base, they are more qualitative in their
nature yet still support the main message. If home
base is “we care about our customers,” a positive
point might be “we listen to our customers” or “our
employees are skilled (which helps customers get a
better product).” It is a sub message that adds credi-
bility to your home base.
Most interviews should use no more than three
positive points (although you may have many
more) to support home base.
Positive Proof Points
Positive points still aren’t enough. You also
need positive proof points. These are quantitative
facts that prove your statements to be true. While a
home base and positive point is “we care about our
customers and we listen to them,” the positive
proof point could be “we’ve added illustrations to
our instruction manuals because customers said
more visual support was needed to learn equip-
ment operations.” Another proof point for this
home base might be that “when calling a customer
service operator, your call is usually answered
within four rings.”
A few more examples of positive proof points:
We have expertise
Product reliability
Competitive pricing
POSITIVE PROOF
POINT
Average length of
employee service
Product warranty or
guarantee
Price comparisons or
reductions
Assuring delivery quality Use of protective
packaging
Excellent customer service 24-hour toll-free
product support
In establishing positive points, you should
search for distinguishing points as well. For exam-
ple, some companies might offer support services
during normal business hours. Yours might be the
only one offering weekend support, along with live
operators, making that a distinguishing point.
Distinguishing positive points also may be “hot
buttons” for the audience. Although others may
offer similar positive points, it is important that the
audience knows that you have them too. It might
be, for example, that while fairly common, a vol-
ume discount is important to customers. If so, it
belongs on the map and in the interview.
• Positive, proof, and distinguishing points are
often difficult to find. Remember, in searching for
positives, “what is routine to you is not routine to
me.” What this means is that something you do
regularly may not seem worth mentioning to the
customers or your audience. In fact, it might be fas-
cinating to the outsider.
One man tells the story of his father, a former
telephone company lineman. It had been a stormy
night in Oklahoma. His father had been out all
night in the storm repairing phone lines. When he
completed his overtime shift, and showed up at
home, his son told him how much he admired
what he had been doing. His father, unimpressed,
simply told his son that this was his job to do, and
it really was no big deal. Sure, no big deal, to him,
anyway. To the son and others outside the situa-
tion, it was an admirable feat.
So when developing positive points, you must
look at things as an outsider might. Positive points
must also pass the “who cares?” test.
If an automobile dealer tells you the car you are
looking at was delivered to the car lot by train, you
probably couldn’t care less. However, if that fact is
important, it is incumbent on the dealer to explain
why (such as “you’ll get more life from the engine
because the car wasn’t jostled on the highway”).
Message Maps
The most effective way to present your message
effectively is with a message map. This combines
your home base and positive points in a way that is
easily understood. This applies to both you and
your audience. If you see how various points are
interrelated, it will be easier to explain to a listener.
A message map is similar to a road map in its
function. It points you in the direction you want to
go (home) and tells you how to get there.
Constructing a rnessage map is a positive experi-
ence for participants. Instead of detailing what you
are failing to accomplish, you focus on the positive
side of what your organization is doing. The chal-
lenge is to find all the things you are doing right.
When complete, the diagram will resemble an
airiine hub and spoke map. All routes lead home.
From the central message, or home base, one spoke
may focus on how employees help customers, and
another focuses on the product line, another
focuses on the customer service, and another may
look at cost.
Message maps can be used to develop answers
to questions from customers, the media, sharehold-
ers, colleagues, and just about any other stake-
holder. A message map can also help organize
marketing brochures and help plan a speech. A
master message map may be extensive. After devel-
oping it, use only the parts you need for any given
situation.
Based on a sample message map, here are some
questions and answers.
Reporter: Tell me about your conipany.
Executive: Our goal is to serve our customers.
We do that with a wide variety of products, excel-
lent quality and superior service.
MEDIA REL^TiONS • MEDiA TRAtNiNG
“Who’s That Talking In My Earpi«:e?”
The Art Of Doing A Remote Intervi ew
By Shirley Brice
It’s one of the hardest types of television inter-
views to do. Known as a debrief, talk back or remote
live shot, the person being interviewed sits in a
remote location, with only a camera and an earpiece
— no human contact, nothing to react to except a
voice. You’re not talking with a “live” person —
you’re speaking to a camera. The experience can be
unsettling if you’re: not prepared.
If you have a client being interviewed in this sit-
uation, how do you prepare them to be at ease and
to sound conversational?
“Act as though; you are in the same studio with
the people who are interviewing you,” Edwin Meese
III, former U.S. attorney general, tells Tactics.
Meese, who served in the Reagan administra-
tion, now works at the Heritage Foundation in
Washington, D.C, and regularly appears on many
network news programs. “The most frustrating
thing is when you have other people in a debate sit-
uation or discussion and people talk over each
other,” he says.
National talk shows and network newscasts rely
heavily on live remotes. They provide another
visual dimension to a program. “We can come to
you — you don’t have to come to us and our stu-
dio,” says Steve Sanders, news anchor for WGN-TV
in Chicago. “Oftentimes, the interview is more
relaxed if they’re in a setting they’re most comfort-
able with,” says Sanders.
So, how do reach that comfort zone without
having a person to look at?
Remember, it’s only a conversation. Try to focus
on this point before the interview begins. There are
plenty of mechanics to deal with in a live remote;
but the bottom line is that the audience only sees it
as a conversation.
Focus on the camera. Keep your focus con-
stantly on the camera lens, even when you think
the interview is over. You’ll get the “all clear” from
the producer when it’s safe to look away. If you need
a break during the interview, look down and slightly
to the side. In the training business, this is called a
reflective glance down and it’s something we all do
in normal conversation.
Ignore distractions. Don’t be distracted by the
technology in a live remote. There might be a lot
going on in the background — a producer on the
phone or a photographer speaking on a headset. Try
to block out distractions and focus only on the
interview.
Ask about video/audio delays. With foreign
remotes, there might be a slight audio delay because
. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld has an earpiece fit-
ted in preparation for a remote interview with CNN.
of satellite technology. In that case, complete a
thought and then wait for the next question.
Generally, with live remotes done in this country
you’ll have real audio in your earpiece, which
means there shouldn’t be a delay. Most live remote
crews will also provide a video monitor but, since
most stations use a delay, it’s best to keep the moni-
tor off.
Double-check your earpiece. Before the inter-
view starts, make sure you clearly hear the anchor or
producer. Most earpieces or IFBs (interruptible fold
back) can be easily adjusted. During the interview if
you lose audio, simply end your comment and wait
for the producer’s cue.
Keep body language open. Before you go on,
make a mental note of your body language. Are
your hands tightly clasped or arms folded? Start ges-
turing even before the interview begins. This creates
more facial expressions and verbal emphasis.
Relax beforehand. Close your eyes for 30 sec-
onds and totally relax your mind and body. If you’re
anxious, focus on how successful the interview will
•tum out. Visualizing builds confidence and takes
away jitters.
Keep answers concise. Short and compact
answers work best. News anchors detest long-
winded responses and industry jargon.
Take chances. Producers look for colorful
sound bites—something that might make news on
another broadcast. They want a lively show, not
some formal presentation. If you feel like reacting,
go right ahead. There are no fast rules in television.
Natural, spontaneous reactions work the best.
Stand your ground. If you’ve got a fellow guest
who interrupts, stand your ground and politely say,
“I want to finish my point.” Some interviewees and
hosts will try to control the interview by interrupt-
ing.
Do your homework. To avoid surprises, pump
the producer or booker prior to the show for a gen-
eral outline of the interview. They probably won’t
give you specific questions but should provide gen-
eral parameters.
Bridge to your message. Have several distinct
sound bites in mind before beginning. When
answering questions, bridge to your message by
using expressions such as, “That brings u p . . . ” or
“Another issue…,” Answer questions fully but
don’t feel obligated to reveal company secrets.
When you are posed with a sticky question quickly
bridge to one of your main points.
Mistakes? No big deal. Everyone makes mis-
takes in normal conversation. If you find yourself
stumbling on air, slow down and let those mistakes
roll off. Don’t beat yourself up.
There’s an old broadcast expression, “Television
is not brain surgery.” It certainly isn’t an exact sci-
ence —there are no fast and hard rules. Yet, some
general principles apply that can either make or
break a live remote. Remember, it’s only a conversa-
tion with another human being. Trust your
instincts and let those natural conversational
nuances come out. #
Shirley Brice spent nearly 10 years as a
television anchor and reporter. For the
past 16 years, she has worked as a broad-
cast consultant, talent coach and media
trainer. She works with a variety of
clients — individual broadcasters, televi-
sion-station management and corporate
executives. She can be reached at
Brice@lalentTrainers.com.
Message Maps
Continued from Page 20
Reporter: Tell me about your company.
Executive: Ou r goal is to serve our customers.
One way we do thi^t is through our wide variety of
products. For example, product A is lightweight
while product B is versatile. Our customers expect
that ldnd of choict,’ and we make sure they get it.
Reporter: Tell m e a b o u t y o u r c o m p a n y .
Executive: Ou r goal is to serve our customers.
One way we do that is by having excellent employ-
ees atpur company. In fact, the average employee
has 12 years of experience, meaning they’ll get the
job done right and quickly the first time. We keep
those ernployees by offering good pay and excel-
lent stock options. In the end, happy employees
mean happy customers.
All three of those answers were easy to come by
given the map and the general nature of the ques-
tion.
Sometimes, the questions are more specific.
Again, the map will lead the way. An example:
Reporter: Do y o u inspect t h e p r o d u c t ?
Executive: Yes, three times before it will be
offered for sale. And those inspections are working.
The average life span of the product is seven years
and only one out of every 75 products we make
needs major repairs after five full years. This is all
part of our commitment to quality, which is what
our customers expect.
In the end, using a message map helps you con-
trol most communication situations by helping
you know what to say while reaching your audi-
ence with what they want or need to hear in an
honest, straightforward fashion. t0
Tripp Frohlichstein is a media and pre-
sentation trainer based in St. Louis with
nearly 30 years of experience as both a
news executive and media consultant. He
can he reached at trliCa’aoI.coni
TACTICS/MAY 2003
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