live tv

They’ll love your snow stories

Have you ever met a really BORING person?

Been on a first date and wondered how someone could really be that bland?

Are you sitting in a Zoom meeting right now listening to a person go on and on… about nothing?

Or worse… are you afraid you might be that person?

The best piece of advice I give thought leaders I work with before they do a media interview or speech is:

Have a relatable story.

You MUST have a story people can relate to if you’re going to attract people to you, speak in public, or if you’d like to sell your brand by using the media.

No producer or writer is going to publish a story about your grand opening or sale.

But if you have a story, like you’re donating 40% of opening day profits to a charity that’s in the news… or there’s something special about the owner… you have a much better chance.

Numbers are great – but stories are even better.

You may have a great success story at your company. Numbers are way up. Bosses are happy.

The way to break through to an audience and show what those numbers really mean is to tell a story. Explain what those numbers mean.

Talk about how many people you were able to hire because numbers are up. Highlight a person you hired and their family.

You need a compelling story of human interest.

Remember: the media has a job to do.

They need to make sure their audience watches, reads, sticks with them even after a commercial, learns something and keeps coming back for more.

All you need to do is learn a few tricks to do it the right way.

Here are a few quick thoughts I shared on YouTube.

And think about how a story connects you to people in your day-to-day Zoom meetings.

I was on a call with an exec of a Fortune 100 company last week.

He showed up in a baseball cap and a hoodie.

Not his normal wardrobe.

He told me he had just finished shoveling his wife out of the driveway.

And then he drove her to work.

She’s a nurse.

At that moment, I knew I wanted to work with that exec – and I even happily altered my price when we negotiated my contract.

Give your audience an authentic story that makes them feel something and you’ll have a better chance of seeing your story in the media.

They may even become open to negotiating their prices because they just like you.

P.S. Creating a story that stands out is the critical component needed to grow your business or practice and ensure you get an ROI on your time and energy. I shot a YouTube video on this. Check it out here.

P.P.S. I created a training for healthcare professionals who need to discover their message and story, deliver it clearly, succinctly, and confidently, and present in a way that intrigues, entertains and keeps the audience’s attention. Share it with your friends in healthcare. Check it out even if you’re not in healthcare. The tips and tricks are universal. Click here to learn more.

P.P.P.S. Whenever you’re ready… here are three more ways I can help you build your brand, own your voice, and stand out:

  1. Want more tactical advice you can implement today? Check out my blog here for great articles, stories, and lessons I’ve shared over the years.
  2. Looking for one-on-one coaching or a consultation with me? Schedule a complimentary call here to speak to our team about how we can help you.
  3. Follow me on Instagram here for more media and public speaking tips, videos… and a little fun.

Are you prepared for a Peloton-style crisis?

The Peloton crisis got me thinking…

What if something terrible happened to you?

Every organization is vulnerable to a crisis. On many levels.

If you ignore it – it doesn’t disappear.

An employee sends out a racist tweet. You lay off workers. Your CEO gets in a car crash. There’s video of an employee doing something illegal. Or your product kills someone in a popular TV show.

Maybe it’s not even your crisis – but a vendor or client of yours is having a crisis.

The media calls.

You need to answer them. And release an internal statement, or even better, a video.

You don’t know what to do or say.

There are three rules for crisis management to remember:

  1. Acknowledge the issue
  2. Take responsibility quickly (think Extreme Ownership Jocko Willink style)
  3. Overcorrect

The good news is, this is easier if you prepare.

So how do you prepare for the unexpected?

  1. Brainstorm for any possible crises that can affect your organization. Once you identify the possibilities, you will see there are steps you can take to prevent certain ones from happening. Do so.
  2. Identify your crisis team. Who are the people the team will look towards for guidance?
  3. Choose and train your spokesperson. This is BIG. Make sure the spokesperson is trained for a crisis and knows how to stay on message even while managing the hardest questions. Outline which spokesperson, if more than one, is handling which news outlet i.e. local and national news outlets, social media, newspaper, etc.
  4. Notification and monitoring. How are you going to notify employees, stakeholders, and the public?
  5. Develop your crisis messages. When everything hits the fan, having this mapped out will be hugely beneficial when time is of the essence.
  6. Assess and adapt messages. When the crisis is on… assess and adapt to the situation in real-time.
  7. Post-crisis: inspect. After the dust has settled, inspect how your team and organization handled the crisis and determine what could have been done better and faster.

The basic steps of effective crisis communications are not difficult, but they require work in order to minimize the damage.

The impact on your financial and reputation’s bottom line will be more severe if you do not plan.

Employees and other stakeholders won’t know what’s happening and will become confused and angry.

Your organization will be perceived as inept and possibly criminally negligent.

The media crisis will last MUCH longer.

Preparedness is KEY.

P.S. I just gave you a brief rundown of what to do in a crisis, but if you are really serious about crisis preparedness, check out this video where I go into more detail.

P.P.S. I’ve created a special program just for healthcare professionals who need media training so they can confidently show up on camera, attract more patients, move up in their careers, and let their expertise shine. If that is you or you know someone who can benefit from this, Learn More Here.

P.P.P.S. Whenever you’re ready… here are 3 more ways I can help you build your brand, own your voice, and stand out:

  1. Want more tactical advice you can implement today? Check out my blog here for great articles, stories, and lessons I’ve shared over the years.
  2. Looking for one-on-one coaching or a consultation with me? Schedule a complimentary call to speak to our team about how we can help you. Schedule your call here.
  3. Follow me on Instagram here for more media and public speaking tips, videos… and a little fun.

Don’t Do What This SNL Comic Did on TV

Picture courtesy of NBC

Did you watch the summer edition of Saturday Night Live’s Weekend Update?

I missed those guys. With Russia, North Korea, Scaramucci, other White House staffing changes, immigration… they had plenty of material.

What was NOT funny, was how Leslie Jones’ assistants, producers, and other staff let her down. Do NOT let this happen to you on TV or on stage:

Later today on my Facebook page, I’m talking about one thing that can turn off a customer or the group you’re speaking in front of today, tomorrow or next week. Find out now before you BLOW IT.

You may have no idea you’re doing it… and people could be cutting meetings short with you because of it. I’ll break it down for you on today’s LIVE training.

See you soon! (And don’t forget your deodorant checks.)


Kathryn Janicek | Media Coach, Producer, Public Speaking Trainer
Kathryn Janicek is a three-time Emmy Award-winning television producer with 20 years of experience working in newsrooms across the country. Kathryn coached talent, producers, and writers before switching her focus on helping entrepreneurs and corporate executives. Now, based in her home city of Chicago, she is a much sought-after media coach and public speaking trainer who will help you produce the best YOU. Click HERE now to book a complimentary 30 minute consultation with Kathryn!

What NOT to Do When You’re on TV or Speaking in Public

Picture courtesy of CBS This Morning

 

When I’m watching TV news, my ears always perk up when I hear real estate or investing stories. The other day, I was watching CBS This Morning while running around the house.

We just purchased a house and we’re in moving mode packing and interviewing renters to live in our other place, so this story on TV particularly caught my attention.

The mayor of Reno, Nev-AA-da (she went on and on about how to properly pronounce Nevada) was on talking about the growth there, housing prices and why people were attracted to the area.

I was listening without watching – but became annoyed and distracted by something during the interview. I no longer was hearing what she was saying. Instead, I heard this clanging.

I tried to tune it out – but I couldn’t.

It was this… can you hear it?

At first, I thought it was her jewelry, but when she came back on camera, I saw it wasn’t a jewelry issue. I coach all my clients NOT to wear “loud” jewelry on camera or on stage. Not loud as in color – but loud as in banging up against your microphone. It’s very distracting.

But after they took another wide shot of her and the anchors – I could see it was her rings banging up against her coffee mug.

Lesson learned: don’t make movements that make noise and compete against your own voice. You want your audience to hear YOU and not your clothing, jewelry or shoes shuffling on the ground. Whether you’re on TV, speaking at a podium, or across the table from your executives in the boardroom, it’s your CONTENT we want them to remember — not the banging of your rings against a coffee mug.

Want to hear more? Check out what I shared live on Facebook, then be sure to follow my page for daily posts with timely news and tips. Make sure to like the page today so that you don’t miss the next live Q&A!


Kathryn Janicek | Media Coach, Producer, Public Speaking Trainer
Kathryn Janicek is a three-time Emmy Award-winning television producer with 20 years of experience working in newsrooms across the country. Kathryn coached talent, producers, and writers before switching her focus on helping entrepreneurs and corporate executives. Now, based in her home city of Chicago, she is a much sought-after media coach and public speaking trainer who will help you produce the best YOU. Click HERE now to book a complimentary 30 minute consultation with Kathryn!

Are you ready to go live on TV twice in one morning?

Picture courtesy of WCIU TV

It’s live TV. A lot could have happened.

More U.S. missile strikes in Syria.

A major storm on the day of the Chicago Cubs home opener (actually, it’s pouring here in Chicago as I write this, but it should clear up in time for the first pitch).

You can spend weeks, even months preparing your talking points and building relationships with your favorite TV shows to get your story on the air. After all that work – you’re cancelled.

Breaking news can take over your TV segment, leaving you to pray you’re rebooked in the future. It happens all the time.

Something else can happen. Something amazing.

Someone else can cancel or not show up in time — and the producers are left with time in the show to fill.

You’re there and you’re ready to go on again. Yes… you’re going live on TV again. Twice in one morning. More free advertising for your company. Would you want that kind of TV coverage?

Lots of people would be freaked out trying to figure out what in the world they’ll talk about. They don’t prepare for this kind of opportunity.

But you’re ready – prepared for anything.

That’s what happened this morning.

Here’s a live look behind the scenes inside the Chicago TV studio this morning:

I set this segment up for the wine company, Cellar Angels, based in Chicago.

This is exactly why I coach my media clients to be ready for anything. You never know what will happen in live TV – but since I’ve been a TV producer for 20 years… I have a pretty good idea how to deal with anything that will come your way. It’s why I’m successful as a media trainer.

Cellar Angels partnered with the nonprofit, Illinois Patriot Education Fund. I’m on the charity’s advisory board and look for media opportunities to promote them. We raise money so members of Illinois military families can go to college. Here’s how to donate.

Illinois Patriot Education Fund

Thank you to the producers at WCIU TV for booking my segment this morning. Here it is if you’d like to watch it. The producers are total pros. When the other segment was cancelled – the segment producer moved quickly and effortlessly to get my guests back on set ready to go live. Thank you… you know who you are 😉

Are you ready for YOUR story to be on TV? Book your free consultation with me here. As your media coach, I’ll help you craft your story to make it newsworthy.

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