How to Handle the Media

When you have to talk with your local media outlets about the issues in your community, you want to deliver your message so it resonates with the largest number of people. Here are three ways to polish and deliver your message.

Crafting the message: Come up with a message. If you are having trouble with this you can work with a media coach or public relations professional. The most popular messages are said on television. They are usually short, colorful analogies. An example of this is when Sarah Palin said the health care bill would result in death panels. It’s a short message that was echoed everywhere.

Polish your delivery: Your message depends on how good you look. If your audience notices a distraction in what you wear, you message won’t be heard as loud. Never go along with a negative question. “Isn’t this going to ruin the environment? DON’T say, “No it won’t ruin the environment! Never buy into a negative question! Instead say. “In fact, we’ve gotten the Sierra Club’s seal of approval…we’ve set aside 100 acres to preserve park and wetlands. You can balance development and environment preservation." Remember to keep your answers short and simple.

Don’t forget your message: You interview only to convey your message. You have to talk about how good your policies are because the reporter won’t do it for you. If the reporter ends the interview with “is there anything else you you’d like to add,” talk about the benefits of your policies or the project you’re working on. That question is an opportunity for you to speak freely about your message.

When you watch the news, which sound bites jump out to you? Do you have any more tips to interviewing for a newspaper or television? We'll answer your questions!

Four Steps to Presenting Compelling Evidence

When you are presenting at a meeting you want the facts on your side. The following four step method will help you gauge whether or not the logic you are using is effective. It will strengthen your point of view and build confidence in your position.

Using these four steps will encourage and inspire community participation and better educate the public on the issues.

To find out more information on how to nail a public meeting visit Community Leadership Project.

Were the four steps useful? How do you usually present information at your public meetings? Does it work?

Rules of Conflict Resolution

If you feel a conflict is going to arise at your next public meeting, the featured three rules will help you find a consensus...

You will be able to:

• Create an increased understanding between you and your audience.
• Renew your faith that your committee can effectively resolve challenges.
• Sharpen your focus to what’s important to you.

Find this video useful or interesting? Visit Community Leadership Project for more information!

Do you think these steps will work? Do you have any more suggestions to have a public meeting run smoother? Leave a comment!

Why Active Listening Works

Have you been to a public meeting and had an argument with one of your constituents and wish you could identify their real problem?

This video unveils the secret of "identifying the red flag" in arguments...

If you like this video, you can find related topics at Community Leadership Project.

Has this strategy worked for you? Do you need more help in heated arguments? We'll provide expert answers from our team of professionals.

Why You Should Use Props in Your Next Speech

As an elected official you’ll have to present to the public or officials. The best way to connect with your audience is to use props such as flip charts, images, videos, demonstrations or other people. Media-training.info had a great blog on props that I wanted to highlight.

(image: syracuse.com)

Props will engage your audience to your presentation: The audience will be drawn to your key points and statistics that you can show through graphs and charts. When people can see your idea through a visual illustration you don’t have to explain every detail. Jeff Dunham is famous for his hilarious comedy routines using dummies as props. Dunham without the dummies is a far different comedy routine than with them. It makes that big of difference!

Prizes and giveaways work excellent: This is best done with a large audiences. This technique opens and fires up your audience. People will always go crazy for free things! The prizes don’t have to be related to your presentation.

Props can be used spontaneously in your presentation: When you are describing your props your audience won’t be focusing on you as much. The props can be a substitute for notes.

Visual images are remembered easier than the words you speak. It’s sometimes easier to use a prop so you don’t have to exhaust yourself explaining a scenario. If you’re unfamiliar with props, use them sparingly then add more if you see more excitement.

Have you had success with props? Are there any downfalls to props? Did we miss anything?

The Power of Recognition

When elected to office you want a great team that will work like a well oiled machine. By recognizing good behavior you can motive your employees and accomplish difficult tasks.

The key points of providing recognition are:

• It’s free
• Good for the bottom line
• Employees want it
• It reinforces what’s working

A Gallup survey found that individuals who receive regular recognition:

• Are more productive
• Rate higher on customer satisfaction surveys
• Increase coworker engagement
• Have better safety records
• Are less likely to leave the organization

Take all this information in community leaders and use it to your advantage!

How often do you recognize your employees? Do you notice if your employees respond well to recognition? As an employee-does being recognized improve your work output?

5 Ways to Deal with Stress

Stress can cause headaches unless you know how to defeat it. “Feel stress — often resulting from the idea that you’ve lost control, which is a common sensation nowadays — and confidence erodes”-BNET. I can relate to this, can you?

(image: Quite Oxymoronic)

1. Keep a stress journal: Everyone deals with stress their own way. Some people drink, smoke, eat, or exercise for example. The best way to find the trigger for stress is to keep track of the negative stimulus. Once you know what causes your stress you can change your reaction. If you can’t keep a journal-write down key words that will remind you of the situations.

2. Learn to say no: Many people cause stress by taking too much on. If taking on that extra project at work or watching the news causes you stress, say no. If time is your concern, slow down. Look at the scenery so you can hear yourself think.

3. Forgive: Part of human nature is to make mistakes. Forgive people and yourself and move on. Anger directed at yourself or other people only causes more stress.

4. Be creative about cost cutting: Compromise is better than layoffs. If you have to cut hours to save money-negotiate a deal with your employees with an option that best suits them. Take a reduction in salary? Work half-time?

5. Find a support network: CEO’s have websites where they can bounce ideas off of one another. Some of the examples are Vistage International, CEO Support Systems, and GovernBest. Networking with nearby business leaders can help relieve stress. It’s important to share feelings with people you trust.

What is your best way to deal with stress? When do you work better-with a lot of stress or without?

The Power of Body Language

Since body language is so important I wanted to include back-to-back posts about it. Body language isn't always the top priority when it should be.

Below is a video from Tonya Reiman about her book. She critiqued pedestrians in New York City by only looking at their body language:

Tonya addressed:

• Position of your feet
• Power position
• Pointing out your best assets
• How to get someones attention
• Intimate zone stance
• Dominance
• Your appearance statement

How aware are you of your body language? Do you try hard to make a good first impression? When you watch a speech, do you notice good or bad non-verbal communication? We'll be happy to answer your questions.

Body Language Critique

If your body doesn't match your words, your audience will catch on. Tonya Reiman, body language expert, was let loose on the O'Reilly Factor to critique politicians in 2006:

Even well versed politicians can't keep a straight poker face all the time. Make sure you don't make similar mistakes.

Have you seen non-verbal mistakes in presentations? Do you think you fidget and have bad non-verbal communication in your presentations? We can help! Leave a comment and we'll get back to you.

3 Critical Things to Do Before Your Next Speech

I found an excellent blog post from Six Minutes (public speaking and presentation skills blog) about how to prepare for your next speech. As a community leader you'll have to make speeches at a lot of different locations. These steps should prepare you for your next event...

1. Study the Venue:

Go to the venue when you are going to speak when there are few people present.

• Be familiar with the speaking area
• Do an audio check
• Plan where you’ll place props, notes, or supplies
• Make sure the audience can see your notes when it is projected
• Plan where to stand to not be in-front of the screen

2. Meet your audience:

An inexperienced speaker will give a presentation without meeting the audience. Don’t make this mistake. You can build rapport when you engage the audience in conversation.

3. Be present and engage in the event agenda:

When possible arrive early to hear other speakers at the event.

• Does their message overlap yours? You can adjust your speech as necessary.
• Does the other speakers’ message complement yours?
• Are there any themes?
• Was there a humorous event that you can incorporate into your speech?
• What is the mood of the audience? If their mood is low, try to pick them up.

These three tips will reduce your nervousness as well as make you more prepared.

Questions? Comments? We’ll be happy to answer your questions to make you a better speaker!

Donald Trump about Thinking Big

The audio is packed full of great details to be successful. Here are the main points:

1. Be thorough

2. Get a momentum going and keep the momentum going

3. Stay Focused

4. Look at the solution and not the problem

5. See opportunity as what it is…an opportunity

6. Know everything you can about what you’re doing

7. Be lucky

8. See yourself as victorious

9. Be smart

10. Never give up

Do you have any more tips to be successful? Do you trouble with any of these statements in business? How many of these tips do you already use?

5 Tips to Win Any Debate

I found a great article by the Prometheus Institute about how to win a debate. This will help elected officials win arguments against their opponents and win the audience over.

1. Respect your opponent:

You most likely won’t be able to change your opponents mind, but you can change the audiences’ mind. If your opponent makes personal attacks against you-it can be to your advantage. It can show that your opponent can’t attack your point, but has to attack you instead. The audience will see what tactics your opponent uses and judge you on how you respond. By respecting your opponent no matter what they say will win you points.

2. Find common ground, and stake a claim on it:

Try to base your arguments off of shared viewpoints of your opponent. This will persuade more of your audience to your side and make it harder for your opponent to argue against you. Some socialists accuse free market supporters of hating poor people, and affirmative action opponents of hating minorities. Some conservatives accuse decriminalization supporters of being in favor of potheads, and opponents of censorship as being pro-immorality.

To find common ground; free-market proponents should explain how economic growth benefits the poor, affirmative action opponents should explain how discriminatory policy hurts minorities, and decriminalization supporters should explain how they support the rights of productive people, instead of people on drugs.

Image: KTAR.com

3. Concede well-reasoned points:

If you are debating a well-reasoned individual you may need to concede a point and offer a stronger alternative. You need to offer a case to why your position if more relevant and beneficial than your opponents. Concessions don’t hurt you and improve the audiences’ perception of you. If your opponent cites an obscure statistic or random study you don’t have to accuse them of being a liar. If your argument is strong you can say, “Even if that were true, it still doesn’t change the reality that…”

4. Don’t confuse passion with hatred:

You can attack an idea of a person has as being stupid without attacking the person. Strive to remain positive in your speech and steer the conversation toward commonalities and solutions.

5. Sometimes the best debating technique is not to debate at all:

The following places aren’t always the best place to debate about politics. Use your best judgment when to discuss touchy issues.

• Workplace
• Dates
• Weddings, funerals, other public events
• Classroom

Do you need help with debating? Have you had a debate and won? Do you need more debate tips? We will answer your questions!