Public Speaking

In the field of PR, as in most professional fields, public speaking is one of the most important aspects of being professional.  Knowing how to speak well in public is a skill than can greatly help a person their career.  I would like to share some tips that I have found to help me in my public speaking. 

#1 Be prepared.  Nothing is worse than going into a speech unprepared.  This can lead to an unorganized speech that does not hold the attention of the audience.  Everything runs smoother in a speech when the speaker is prepared for what he/she is presenting.

#2 Know your audience.  It is very important for a speaker to know who they are speaking to.  A speaker wouldn’t want to speak about something that would relate to a younger crowd when speaking to an elderly crowd. It is important to relate to your audience so you can connect with them.

#3 Dress to impress.  It is very important to look the part when you are speaking in public.  Appearance is the first thing people will notice about you.  Make this first impression count.  It may make or break your speech.

#4 Speak up.  Having a clear voice is important during a speech.  Make sure to speak loud enough that everyone can hear what you are saying.  If you put a lot of time into the speech then you want people to hear what you are saying.

#5 Make on outline.  DO NOT read your speech word for word.  This can be a huge turnoff while listening and it can seem very unprofessional.  Make a shell of a speech and go off that.  In doing this, you can sound more impromptu and professional.

#6 Be passionate.  Be passionate about what you are speaking about.  Even if you are not originally interested in the topic you have to train yourself to be.  This will make it much easier to learn about the topic ad present a quality speech.

#7 Use PowerPoint in Moderation.  Don’t put your whole speech on PowerPoint slides.  If you are using PowerPoint make sure to put only a few words on the screen.  Also, don’t use too many pictures and keep the font away from the extreme looks.  Only refer to your PowerPoint.

#8 Practice.  I have found practicing can be one of the most helpful things when preparing for a speech.  The more times you recite the speech the more smooth it will go.

#9 Be genuine.  You will never connect with a crowd if you can’t make them think you are genuine about what you are talking about.  This can be key in persuasive speeches.

#10 Relax.  It can be very scary speaking in front of people, but remember its just a speech.  Don’t let the fear grip you.  Think of something that calms you and attack the speech with everything in you.

Corporate Responsibility

Corporate Responsibility-  meeting the expectations of stakeholders beyond philanthropy and legal compliance.

Who are stakeholders?  They are customers, employees, and investors.  They also can be media, policymakers, and international organizations.

Best practices of Corporate responsibility.

1. Demonstrate responsibility.
2. Get the facts.
3. Engage the critics
4. Earn credibility
5. Be transparent.

To name a few……

Source: Reputation Management

A Look at Crisis Communication

After speaking with many public relations professionals I have found that there is no typical schedule, week, or even a typical day.  I have found that there is one thing that a PR professional can count on is dealing with crisis situations.  This is something that a PR professional has to prepare for and something they have to react to very quickly.  Responding quickly is not enough.  The response that is given is most likely going to be scrutinized, so the response must be correct. 

There are many things to do during a crisis and also many things not to do in a crisis.  The way a PR professional handles the crisis will reflect on the company. 

When a crisis happens the story must be told.  Do not stay silent.  There is a really good reason for this.  If you don’t tell the story somebody else will.  The media will speculate on your “no comment” response and put words in your mouth.  The next thing is to tell the “whole” story immediately. 

Do not let the truth leak out slowly because this will cause problems for you and your company down the road.  It will look like you were withholding information from the media and this makes companies look bad.  Let the publis know that you have given them all the information you know at the time and that you will inform them on new information as soon as you are aware.

So to recap my points:

Tell the whole truth.

Tell the whole truth fast.

Don’t withhold information.

Don’t lie.

If you prepare for a crisis it will not be a way to avoid them.  Crisis is a real part of public relations and it is something that you will have to deal with on a regular basis.

This is just some information I have come across during my studies.  I hope it helps.

Crisis Communication

There are things to do and things not to do when a crisis happens in the world of PR.

Don’t: 

1. Ignore the problem
2. Tell half-truths
3. Over-confess
4. Shoot the messenger

Do:

1. Tell the whole story.
2. Tell the whole story fast.
3. Tell what you are going to do to solve the problem.
4. Control the message (don’t let the media control it for you).

One thing you can do before a crisis is prepare, prepare, prepare.  You don’t know when a crisis will strike or how it will strike, but one you care be sure that it will.

Source:  Reputation Management