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How to Be a Corporate Spokesperson: and get PR for yourself, your product, your service or your cause
Copyright © 2002 - 2010 by Susan Harrow. All rights reserved.
1. Be a Fluid Conversationalist.
This is the number one requirement. Not only do you need to
know how to make a point with panache, but you need to stay
on your talking points and have the social skills of a
diplomat. Graciousness comes in a close second. Corporations
are looking for people who would make them proud under any
circumstance no matter how ugly. I have one client who can
charm anyone. She is a former salesperson and sales trainer
who told me that during a cold call the potential client
started insulting her company and swearing liberally. Once
he finished his tirade she laughed and said, "Glad we got
some of your objections out of the way," and went on to make
the sale. Another one of my clients feels like she must
memorize her talks and all of her sound bites, and doesn't
want to say anything that isn't refined. While it may be
appropriate for her lifestyle and field it's a no go for
this job.
2. Have Mental Toughness.
One CEO was being interviewed for ABC's 60 Minutes. The
hosts were trying to get a rise out of him and asked him an
inflammatory question--the same one twenty times. The twenty
first time he lost his top. Which take do you think 60
minutes aired? While you may feel that holding his temper
for 20 takes is pretty good, it's not good enough. You're
not only representing yourself, you're representing an
entire corporation and it's your job to bring only good will
to them.
3. Feel Comfortable in Your Own Skin on TV.
On TV physical comfort is essential. You need to be able to
laugh at your gaffs and handle anything that comes your way.
Be ready for people to say off the wall things to you. If
you're not physically comfortable in your clothes, the way
you look and feel, that impinges on your ability to banter.
The audience can tell immediately and it reflects on the
product you're promoting. NOTE: You are never allowed to
promote a product on national TV shows as doing so may
conflict with their advertisers.
4. Get Your Feet Wet by Doing Multiple Clients.
Experienced corporate spokesperson and author of several
best-selling books, Stacy DeBroff, says that often media
companies put together a group of 4-6 clients who want
product promotion. Since their "sponsor" doesn't represent
one corporation, they can use someone less experienced.
Doing a satellite media tour for a group of products is a
great way to get started. The downside is discussing all of
those products in one show. You need to be pretty nimble to
mention 4-6 products in a few minutes. The upside is you get
to start dipping your feet in the profitable waters of
corporate sponsorship.
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Susan Harrow, CEO of
http://prsecrets.com, is
a top media coach, marketing strategist and author of
Sell Yourself Without Selling Your Soul® (HarperCollins),
The
Ultimate Guide to Getting Booked on Oprah, and
Get a 6-
Figure Book Advance. Clients include Fortune 500 CEOs, bestselling authors and entrepreneurs who have appeared on
Oprah, 60 Minutes, NPR, and in TIME, USA Today, Parade,
People, O, NY Times, WSJ, and Inc. |
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