Category: Public Relations News

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This is Tip No. 114 from The ABCs of Strategic Communication by M. larry Litwin, APR, Fellow, PRSA and is available on www dot larrylitwin dot com.

The “elevator pitch” is a short description about your company that
you can convey in the time it takes to ride an elevator. And not an
elevator in a skyscraper, either.Your elevator pitch must be clear
and concise and show that you understand the core aspects of
your business.
Because it must be short, you have to decide what facets of your
company to leave out.Often, these can be the things you’re most
excited about – a new technology, a great location, outstanding
customer service, etc.
But if they’re not central to the core or success of your business,
they don’t belong in an elevator pitch.
You should touch – very briefly – on the products or services you
sell, what market you serve, and your competitive advantage.
You must be brief and clear.Unless you’re in a highly technical
field, your neighbor or grandmother should be able to understand
your business well enough to describe it to someone else. After all,
you want grandma marketing for you too, don’t you? People you
meet need to quickly understand the nature of your business if
you want them to send business your way.
Make sure your employees, investors, even vendors know your
company’s elevator pitch. Have your employees practice your company’s
elevator pitch so they’re able to network for you as well.
It’s often a good idea to use an analogy, especially if you’re in a
new or difficult-to-grasp field.“We’re the Google for car buyers” is a
good shorthand way to say that you’re trying to create a search
engine for people wanting to purchase an automobile.
Think in these terms (sort of like a mission statement):
• This is who we are;
• What we think about ourselves;
• What we want to do;
• Why we deserve your support
You’ll find you use your elevator pitch often – in e-mails to
prospective customers and investors, to introduce yourself at
organizational meetings or when running into an old friend at a

ballgame.Who knows? You may even use it if you meet a potential
customer in an elevator.
So go out and find a three-story building with an elevator, ride up
and down and practice your pitch.That way, you’ll be prepared the
next time some one asks you,“What do you do?”
Rhonda Abrams – Gannett News Service
M.Larry Litwin, APR, Fellow PRSA – Author – The Public Relations Practitioner’s Playbook

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From Litwin’s The ABCs of Strategic Communication Tip No. 224. Be sure to visit larry litwin dot com for more on The ABCs and Litwin’s newest The Public relations Practitioner’s Playbook for (all) Strategic Communicators.

Public speaking is many people’s number one fear.These tips should help:

• Determine whom your audience is and what you want to say to them.

• Research your topic and find out what people want to know about it.

• Outline what you want to say.

• Practice your presentation – in the room where you will be giving the speech,if possible.Tape the rehearsal and play it back.

• Shortly before your presentation,make sure the equipment and props are ready.

• Take a short,brisk walk before your presentation. Breathedeeply and slowly. Drink water.

• Have confidence you will do well.

Mayo Clinic Healthquest

For more, check out Litwin’s The ABCs.

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An FYI moment —

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By Catherine Conlan
Monster Contributing Writer

Buyer’s remorse is never fun, but it’s particularly painful when it comes with the time and cost of getting a college education.

To help you avoid this stinging regret, PayScale has ranked the majors college alumni recommend least. If you have your heart set on one of these, you don’t necessarily have to change course — just do your research on job prospects so your dreams aren’t dashed after graduation day.

1. Anthropology (average starting salary: $36,500)

According to PayScale’s data, 35 percent of anthropology majors wouldn’t recommend it to current students.

“People typically regret majoring in anthropology because they have a preconceived notion that there is a direct and specific job title perfectly correlating to it,” says training and development consultant Farrah Parker. “Instead of recognizing the broad spectrum of careers that they can pursue, they focus on their inability to find a career with an exact reference to their major.”

Anthropology majors could consider work in community organizations or government, for example, or combine the major with others to make themselves more marketable.

2. History (average starting salary: $39,700)

This major is recommended by only 33 percent of its graduates. Many history majors go on to work in academia, or may find jobs with government agencies, libraries or organizations dedicated to the period they studied.

Parker says it’s important for graduates to keep their options open after graduation. “People with narrow definitions of career paths find themselves regretting majors,” she says. “However, those who recognize that the workforce is full of positions that require expertise outside of what may be formally listed in a course catalog find themselves in a perfect position to brand their college major in whatever manner they see fit.”

3. Visual Communication (average starting salary: $37,300)

Only 29 percent of visual communication majors would recommend this to students. Majoring in visual communication may involve creating artwork, learning about ad design and public relations, and studying layout. Graduates may go on to work in media, advertising, public relations or other fields.

4. Social Science (average starting salary: $37,300)

PayScale found 28 percent of social science majors would recommend the major to students.

“I am a former social science major who has since advised against it,” says recruiting consultant Sarah Merrill at Atrium Staffing. “I won’t say that you don’t learn anything from a social science major, but you certainly don’t learn practical knowledge that can be applied to a wide range of jobs.”

“When I talk to students now I advise them to think about what they can actually use in the future — courses on personal finance, marketing, business,” she explains. “There was a course offered at my university on business writing that I have heard was the hands-down most useful course ever taken because of a whole section on email etiquette.”

5. Journalism (average starting salary $38,100)

Only 27 percent of journalism graduates would recommend the major. Difficulties facing print media and the time it takes to break out of entry-level positions can be downers for grads. People with journalism degrees can also end up in marketing, sales, academia or other jobs if they decide to leave the newsgathering business.

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From The Public Relations Practitioner’s Playbook for (all) Strategic Communicators: Bill Jones’ 10 Commandments of Crisis Communication* (J. William Jones – Corporate Public Affairs – PECO (now retired)

1. Perception is reality. If your audience thinks it is, it is.

2. Response is control. The community wants access to information, and
no crisis is unmanageable if you give clear, cool facts.

3. Information is power.

4. Credibility is survival.

5. Body language is crucial. If you behave like you have something to
hide, people will think that you do.

6. Calmness is essential. Unflappability is your best asset. Always act
knowledgeable and calm.

7. Give a confession. The public and the media want a confession; so
don’t be afraid to admit mistakes.

8. Tell the franchise what happened. It is in the best interest of the
community to keep them informed.

9. Preparation is 99% of success.

10. Out of every crisis comes the chance to “build a better mousetrap.”
From every crisis there are major lessons to be learned.

11. Pray like hell that you never have to handle numbers 1 through 10!

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Chapter 14 in the newest edition of The Public Relations Practitioner’s Playbook for (all) Strategic Communicators is devoted to crisis communication. Here is just a snippet of what you will find:

Hindsight is 20-20. But one thing has been proven time and again; the lesson
to be learned when dealing with a crisis is to adopt a philosophy similar to
that of Delahaye Medialink Worldwide headquartered in Portsmouth, New
Hampshire.
• Don’t duck the issue – Every time a company tries to “stonewall” or
deny the story, the media will gather information and print or air it.
Companies that take a forthright approach to their crises reduce
publicity almost immediately.
• Take responsibility – It is important to accept responsibility
immediately and offer to fix the problem. Take a page from Johnson &
Johnson. In the midst of tragedy, while it searched for a cause, J&J
yanked all Tylenol products from store shelves worldwide, instructed
consumers to flush any they had at home down the toilet and offered
replacement products with or without proof. That’s the kind of
decisive action that must be taken.
• Cover all bases – In the Tylenol tragedy, J&J removed its product
from store shelves and warehouses nationwide, absorbed the losses,
eventually developed an improved product with several safety devices
on the packages and offered consumers “gift certificates” for any
product they disposed of. Simultaneously, J&J, through its corporate
public relations office, cooperated fully with the news media (using a
single spokesperson).
• Offer to make good on broken promises – During alleged “profiling” of
minority drivers on the New Jersey Turnpike, Gov. Christine Todd
Whitman promised to correct it. When it became apparent that wasn’t
happening, she called for the resignation of the state police
superintendent. (He sued the state and governor for forcing him out of
office. The courts found in favor of the governor.)
• Measure results – Monitor the news media. Press clipping services are
more efficient than ever. This is also a wonderful opportunity to tap
your key communicators (feel their pulse) to help determine whether
your approach is on course. Kathryn Paine of Delahaye Medialink
Worldwide, reminds us, “In a crisis, the goal can never be to squelch
negative coverage completely. Rather, it must be to shorten the life
span of the bad news, to minimize those messages you don’t want to
see in print and get as many of your key messages out there as
possible.

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The following tips come from Chapter 14, which contains the latest effective crisis communication techniques.

• Put the public first
• Take responsibility
• Be honest
• Never say “No comment”
• Designate a single spokesperson
• Set up a central information center (staging area)
• Provide a constant flow of information
• Be familiar with media needs and deadlines
• Be accessible
• Monitor news coverage and telephone inquiries
• Communicate with key publics

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More on crisis communication from the newest edition of The PR Playbook available from www larry litwin dot com and elsewhere. We will try to include some of the latest in each week’s blog. This week’s topic is “crisis communication.”

Considerations Your Single Spokesperson Must Keep In Mind (During A Crisis)
• Do your homework
• Be accessible
• Be prompt and dependable
• Avoid being pushed into easy solutions
• Accept responsibility
• Be responsive, forthright and show compassion for victims and their families
• Bluffing an answer is not acceptable – wait until you have the correct information
• Speak and write your information clearly
• Be prepared to respond to incorrect information
Get Down to Basics
When a crisis breaks, first, before anything else, gather the facts. Once you have the facts, determine which changes must be made in the strategic plan to best manage this particular crisis. Communicate your plan, first internally, then externally.
Seek feedback.
Evaluate your plan.

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We are excited to continue carrying information from the newest edition of The PR Playbook  available from www larry litwin dot com and elsewhere. We will try to include some of the latest in each week’s blog. This week’s topic follows last week’s on “crisis communication.”

Successful Crisis PR Depends On Planning And The Practitioner’s Mindset. Needed Are:
• A strategic communication process in place.
• Support from senior management.
• Communication with the chief PR officer or someone with direct access to senior management.
• Good relations and credibility with the news media.
• Effective internal communication.
• Strong peer relations, especially with attorneys.
• Ability to “fly the plane” so to speak.
Source: C. Fernando Vivanco, Boeing Airline, and Kathleen L. Lewton, Fleishman-Hillard, Inc.

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