PR Training = Life Training

During one single day of PR training, I absorbed four lessons that I applied over the next 20 years of my career. And, more surprising, in my personal life as well.

I am definitely not a PR professional. Instead, I’m a computer programmer whose career took 17 left turns before becoming the global advertising lead at Oracle for a dozen years.

As a product marketer for a business technology offering — I was sent for a full day, intensive, one-to-one crash course attempting to stop me from putting my big foot in my mouth. And maybe even deliver our message.

The training team was led by Lee Zeidman, a former producer for iconic television news magazines (think ‘60 Minutes’ in the US).

CEOs Always Look Guilty (or… The Default Smile)

According to Zeidman, the goal of a TV news magazine is to get the CEO of an embattled corporation to appear on camera. Why? Because it doesn’t matter if that CEO is Mother Theresa in disguise… they are going to look guilty.

The big reason surprised the hell out of me. The CEO is probably a man and he’s probably well over 50. As men age, their cheeks sag and form jowls that impart a permanent scowl. Stick them under bright camera lights and they will look guilty no matter what they say (or what they have done).

While I was barely 30 years old at the time, I was put in front of a camera for an exercise. I was told to start with a blank face – no emotional expression. Then, with the camera rolling, I was told to slowly start smiling, increasing little by little, and keep going until I was grinning like a freaking idiot. Then reverse the progression – dialing it back down slowly to a resting face.

Then they played the result back to me. The big lesson is that when you think you’re “grinning like a freaking idiot”, you are actually displaying a surprisingly natural warmth. And that warmth is how your message will land with your audience.

Zeidman also tried to teach me a “Default Smile”. The idea was to create a resting expression that brought just a touch of warmth to the corners of your mouth – overcoming the natural grumpy look. I failed (my wife called it my constipated face).

Journalists Are Seldom Experts

Another lesson was that good journalists are excellent communicators – but rarely subject matter experts. 

As an experiment, choose a topic in which you are an expert. Now go read articles written for mainstream publications that address that topic. Given your expertise, how many of those articles delivered real insights? And how many had outright factual errors?

Often, articles are assembled simply by interviewing someone who is pro-X and someone who is anti-X. The article then shares the two perspectives side-by-side without analysis or judgment. Analysis requires a true expert – someone who is probably a terrible communicator!

PR training taught me the value of thoughtful, in-depth, patient journalism. It taught me the difference between “news” (what happened today without larger context) and “truth” (the larger reality).

Bridging Negatives to Positives

This old-school PR training taught me to bridge from difficult questions to the messages I wanted to deliver. Once you understand the technique, you’ll never listen to a politician the same way again. 

In preparing for an interview, make two lists.

The first list contains the key messages that you hope to deliver through the article (remembering that your audience is not the journalist… it is their readers). 

The second list contains questions that you are afraid to be asked. The toughest questions you can imagine.

As an example, let’s imagine you are introducing the first version of the Tesla Model S in 2012. The key messages to communicate might include:

• 265 miles of range before recharging (95% of daily trips are less than 40 miles). 
• Zero to 60 mph in 4.6 seconds (matching gas-guzzling German luxury cars).
• Completely rethinking the automobile (knobs and dials replaced by 17” display, both a trunk and a “frunk”, etc.)

And the questions that could trip us up might include:

• Surveys show people won’t buy an electric car because of “range anxiety”. Are you saying their stupid?
• Who is going to buy a US$100K auto from a California startup that could be bankrupt next month?
• Are Americans men ready to give up their love for the rumble of a V8 engine?

Now practice bridging from the tough questions to delivering your key messages.

• “Are Americans stupid to worry about being stuck on the side of the road?” >> BRIDGE >> “In the US, 95% of daily trips are less than 40 miles. Our new Model S has a range of 265 miles.”
• “Who is going to risk $100K on a start-up?” >> BRIDGE >> “After decades of stagnation from established car behemoths, it took a startup mentality to completely rethink what an automobile could be. For example, …”
• “Do you think any real man is giving up his thundering V8 engine?” >> BRIDGE >> “This Tesla goes from zero to 60 in just 4.6 seconds. And that power is immediately available as soon as you step on the accelerator. You’ve never had so much fun saving the planet.”

Zeidman wrapped up these lessons with a story about Henry Kissinger. When introduced to the White House press corp as the new Secretary of State, Kissinger stepped up to the microphone. In his thick Germanic accent, he asked, “Does anyone have questions for my answers?”

And that’s a lesson I’ve always carried with me. Listen to our politicians baldly ignoring the tough questions and bridging to their talking points. 

(Another key lesson was to never try this bridging technique with my wife)

“I Don’t Know” is a Valid Answer

The last PR lesson is that, “I don’t know” is a valid answer. When talking with a journalist, the next line will be, “But I’ll find out. What is your deadline?”

In everyday life, “I don’t know” is almost universally valid. The only rare exception is when a listener is asking a question with the intent of embarrassing you (for example, a work colleague trying to embarrass you in front of your boss).

Outside of that narrow case, everyone around you will appreciate a no-bullshit response.