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Five Ways To Be Quotable

Pensive business man with thought bubbles around his head.jpeg

Imagine… your words inspire, enlighten, provoke, stimulate. Imagine… your phone ringing off the hook. The media wants you, customers want you, and investors are interested in you. Media interviews give you an opportunity to demonstrate your company's thought leadership as well as breathe life and personality into your company’s image. They also allow you to reach an exponentially targeted audience quickly. This can be a momentous responsibility, but it is also a momentous opportunity.

Here are five ways to be quotable.

1. Distill a Deep Message

Always be guided by your SOM - Single Overwhelming Message. You may have 101 great things to share, but time and space do not allow 101 messages in a news story. Instead, distill your key message to hit the media's bull's eye and back up your SOM with supporting facts, figures, and examples.

2. Dazzle with Imagery

They say: "A picture paints a thousand words." We say, "The best speakers paint a thousand pictures." The best way to connect is by sharing stories and evoking images and feelings in your listener. When you pepper your talk with examples and customer case studies, you'll inevitably captivate and convince.

3. Shovel Through the Jargon

Never, never launch into a monologue of over-the-top technical terms, jargon, and lengthy acronyms that only makes sense to you. Instead, work on creating succinct sound bites. Remember the "Keep It Simple, Stupid" principle and live by it. As the media or your prospects may not share your deep domain expertise, simple explanations and short sentences will land on grateful ears. Time to toss those extraneous cinnamon-coated words to the wayside!

4. Serve with a Twist

Don't be afraid of controversy. Don't be afraid to take a stand on a contentious industry issue. The media loves colorful personalities, innovators and visionaries who thrive on conflicts. Be aware of its omnipresence and allow it to challenge and motivate you.

5. Warm Up to the Media

Media savviness calls for your in-depth understanding of the media's style, background and story approach. Such knowledge empowers you to offer up the most relevant and substantive stories and quotes. Tailoring your message and nuggets of wisdom and insights to the media's story angle and responding before deadline help the reporter excel at her job and assure the winning over of an eventual ally.

You have a healthy appetite to make news, win over customers, partners, and investors. And the media has an insatiable, never-ending appetite for sound bites. When your phone rings and the media calls, make sure your sound bite is tomorrow's headline!

For a FREE consulting session on becoming quotable, or if you're looking for a sounding board on media relations and marketing, we're standing by for you...

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