Speak Your Mind - Fiercely

Speak Your Mind—Fiercely

Capture that confidence. It sells, it mesmerizes, and it makes people appear larger than life (well, in the press, anyway). Producers always tell us they need to “see” an air of confidence for on-air types. Confident guests make for great TV. And great TV means you get called back. Face it: You’re available, you’re good, and you know the way to the studio! And confident folks say the unexpected, they swagger, they aren’t afraid to rock the boat, and they get their point across.

Oh, and do we have to say it? They’re not boring.

During the summer of 2000, a site that started off as the hobby for Web programmer Philip Kaplan became a media darling. Philip registered the URL www.Fucked_Company.com as a lark to track the downfall of digital companies for entertainment. Word of the website spread like wildfire from cubicle to cubicle, and the media picked up on the hype.

Suffice it to say that any website bent on telling readers about those who were once rich and famous and who were now getting “theirs” was going to be popular in the wayward year 2000. But initially Philip’s interviews bordered on disastrous. He was visibly shaken on camera; his nervous twitches, lack of focus, and overall awkwardness scarred his performance.

After a few practice runs, though, Pud, as he is nicknamed, began to realize that what journalists wanted most were those secret tips he was receiving from thousands of followers. They wanted information that he had; that was his power. Philip began to feel more secure in his skin, and his comments became wittier. Plainly, before everyone’s eyes, he started to gain control of the conversations. The more his performance improved, the more producers called him to appear as that day’s guest.

Fully aware of what the coverage was doing for his website traffic and personal profile, Philip took his on-air persona to the next level. After a few trips to Versace, he began dressing like a boardroom rock star. To put it mildly, the media couldn’t get enough. He was everywhere, from CNN Moneyline to the cover of Inc. to MTV. His newfound confidence made him the star—the media all wanted a piece of him!

But you may be surprised to learn that Philip wasn’t parting with particularly provocative data or even shedding light on something his readers didn’t know. The truth is, dying dot-coms were stale before the message ever got to the media. The real point is that he got coverage because he was completely confident in himself, and nothing was going to stop him from showing off!

Confidence, although artificial at first, eventually breeds a real sense of self. Like most things in business, media relations are about sales. But you’re not just selling products to viewers and readers: You’re selling yourself to the media, too. Journalists and producers want and need strong personalities every day—people who have answers and drip with confidence. Self-assured people become confidants to journalists, who feel that those with confidence, whether learned or innate, are also secure enough to say what they’re thinking, not what they think people expect them to say.

As we said earlier, you’re the expert at what you do; that’s what got you the interview in the first place. Speak your mind, fiercely. Have no fear. This is not speaking in front of a crowd. It’s speaking to an audience of one. No matter how outlandish your statements might sound, if you believe it, that’s all you need. Confident delivery automatically gives any statement a certain amount of credibility. And since that’s what the press wants, give it to them. They’ll come back for more. And more.

Being a big personality in the news makes even the most cynical people notice, especially producers and reporters who have seen you. You’ll find that your swagger will pay off. Once you have more confidence in yourself, the press will, too.

Okay, you’re raring to go, and you’re ready to face the cameras, or at least a journalist or two. Now you’re going to learn how to give a reporter a “dy-no-mite!” interview, la Jimmy ‘J. J.’ Walker from the TV show Good Times.