What you say is only the tip of the iceberg. Whatever you say, there will always be something resonating, something that is mightier than words, and that is your relationship to your audience. And like all relationships, this one, too, is about emotions. It’s emotions that let us engage our audience – or conversely, that can turn our audience off.
If all we focus on is the facts we report, then all we’re focusing on is the tip of the iceberg, and that means we might be heading for a shipwreck. So think first about your audience’s state of mind. What are they expecting of you? What are they wishing for? What are they fearing?
Today, TV talkshows is where the news is made, and that is they are the place where your point of view is assured maximum public attention. Of course, being on a panel takes some assurance. But that’s easier to learn than some of us might think. Also, what is more important is simply preparation. More than for any other public appearance, you need an agenda for a talkshow, that is to say, you will need to form an idea of what you would most like the public to take away.
Ever feel jealous when watching people speak on screen? Ever wondered how they got perfect? Well, there’s a small number of rules that you can follow, and if you do, well, you won’t become a pro immediately, but you will sound a whole lot better and that, in turn, will make you feel more at ease in front of a camera. You see, it’s a virtuous circle: the better you feel, the better you look, and so on.
When you speak before a camera or a live audience, you need competence, but you also need emotional presence. Fortunately, this is something you can help bring about by the way you write. Remember that if you work in a large organization, you will probably be doing most of your day-to-day communication in writing. This means that when you speak on behalf of your organisation, it’s written language that will mark your speech. Written language, however, will sometimes strike us as sounding strange and lacking in emotional expression. To sound authentic, make a point of writing for oral delivery.
Crises are neither good nor bad. The true sense of the word is that it is a decision situation. Best to view it as an opportunity. When your organization becomes caught up in a crisis, you’ll need good communications skills and above all – empathy.
Three sure-fire ways to make a crisis worse is stonewalling, salami tactics and passing the parcel.
You know the three-second rule, the one that says that it takes all of three seconds for us to decide whether we like or dislike someone we just met. Well, that rule applies to the camera, too. So be positive. Make sure you get the good news out first. Of course, that’s going to take some preparation. Never try to improvise good news! On camera, that’s a recipe for disaster. Take care to decide what is your most important piece of news. Then, formulate it, and make sure your tone is positive.
