The PR Breakdown with Molly McPherson

Latest Episodes:

106: The Art of the Great Media Interview with Warren Weeks Nov 03, 2020

Show notes

According to my guest, there are no natural-born experts when it comes to dealing with the media. Even the legends need help speaking in front of the camera.

Why is it then, that so many people who are in a position to speak with the press about positive media coverage, dealing with a contentious issue, or managing a full-blown crisis, choose not to receive the training to help them put their organization in the best light possible?

Listen to this week’s guest, Warren Weeks, tell you why he is Canada's most in-demand media trainer.

You can find Warren Weeks on Twitter @warren_weeks or his website www.mediatrainingtoronto.com.

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105: The Trick to the Perfect Response That Stops a Crisis Oct 27, 2020

Show notes

In an interview that made headlines last week, 60 Minutes correspondent Leslie Stahl asked President Trump, "Are you ready for some tough questions?" Whether he was or not, viewers will never know because Trump left the interview.

Learn how to build the architecture behind the perfect PR response to stay one step ahead of, rather than behind, a story about your organization. Public opinion moves fast nowadays, especially on social media, which means if you don't know the risks to your organization that can lead to a crisis, you may be worse off than Rudy Guiliani in a Borat film.

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104: How to Memorize a Speech in 7 Easy Steps Oct 20, 2020

Show notes

During the recent confirmation hearings, Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, asked Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett to show the notes she was working from while answering questions for the past few hours.

She held up a blank block of notebook paper and said, “Just a letterhead that says United States Senate.”

Now that’s memorization!

On this episode of The Confident Communications Podcast, how to memorize your next speech and know it cold in 7 easy steps. It may not get you through days of confirmation hearings, but it can certainly help.

Mentioned in the episode

Orai.com - Master the Art of Public Speaking

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103: 3 Signs Someone Is Trying to Bait You (and How Not to Take It) Oct 13, 2020

Show notes

If you watched the first presidential debate in 2020, you may have felt like you were watching history - a train wreck of historic proportions. For 90 minutes President Trump repeatedly interjected and clashed with former Vice President Joe Biden. When it was Biden's turn to speak, he vacillated between exasperated smiles and astonished dismay.

What may have appeared to look like a chaotic mess, was likely a part of a master plan - at least by one of the candidates.

Donald Trump was creating a controlled chaos by repeatedly baiting Biden and debate moderator Chris Wallace.

The crosstalk was more a cross between negotiation and intimidation in the form of baiting. It's a manipulative strategy that provokes an angry, aggressive or emotional reaction from another person. Someone can take the bait in a media interview, business negotiation, relationship - and yes - even a debate.

Listen to three characters that someone is trying to bait you, and what you can do to stop them dead in their tracks.

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102: Truth or Trumped-Up? A Hospital Visit Leads to a Lesson in Transparency Oct 06, 2020

Show notes

With the rising demand for transparency from the public, organizations and their leaders are learning the importance of interacting openly and honestly with their stakeholders. The leaders and organizations who interact openly and honestly with the media and the public, will be rewarded with trust and credibility. Similarly, those who try to mislead and deceive will find themselves in a hole filled with negative press and public opinion, from which they will find it difficult to emerge unscathed.

This episode is a 24-hour glimpse into President Trump’s visit to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and the swirl of confusion that resulted from conflicting reports from Trump’s own chief of staff and press briefings led by his physician.

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101: How to Admit Your Mistakes: The Ellen DeGeneres Apology Sep 29, 2020

Show notes

Everyone makes mistakes. However, not everyone admits to making them, and that can lead to much bigger problems. Talk show host Ellen DeGeneres used the opening monologue of her season premiere to address her role allegations of a toxic production environment at the daytime series in her opening monologue. It was time to admit a mistake. Learn five maneuvers to help create an architecture for getting you through the sometimes brutal process of admitting when you are wrong.

Mentioned on the podcast: How to Apologize During a PR Crisis: Why Ellen DeGeneres Kept Quiet (And Why You Shouldn't)
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100: My Love Letter To Communicators Sep 22, 2020

Show notes

This episode, my 100th, is my treatise for helping communicators do their job in the crazy age of media mayhem. For over two years I have been sharing my advice and experience from the front lines of my client work to help other communicators and PR people become self-confident in their professions.
From crisis management to social media wins and fails, this weekly podcast is my commitment to help you communicate better, smarter, and more confidently in a time when it is confusing and stressful.

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99: Learn How to Create a Memorable Quote Sep 15, 2020

Show notes

You know a memorable quote when you hear it. You see it published repeatedly or going viral on social media, you have a quote for the ages.

We are weeks into a global pandemic and there are multiple heads of organizations attempting to make their mark on this historic moment.

How will they succeed?

In this episode, you’re going to learn how to create a memorable quote plus hear examples of memorable quotes throughout history.

[4:31] 1: Write like people actually talk.
Learn how to be conversational while leaving out the unnecessary filler language.
[7:29] 2: Use memorable language.
Find out how to use your words to help paint a picture.
[8:52] 3: Avoid the hype.
Lose the hyperbole and focus on the facts.
[9:53] 4: Skip the jargon.
No one wants to burn calories struggling to understand your acronyms.
[11:38] 5: Fancy facts.
Sprinkle storytelling to add depth to the story.
[13:12] 6: Use this grammar style to attribute a quote.
Certain styles lend themselves to speaking; others to writing.
[14:02] 7: Consider the appropriate tense.
Different word choices should be used for something that has just happened vs. something that’s more timeless.
[15:33] 8: No fake news.
Keep it real; avoid the bias.
[16:58] 9: Boil down your big idea.
Here’s how you can make your message more shareable.

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98: How to Be a Confident Public Speaker with Gina Razón Sep 08, 2020

Show notes

Given that an estimated 75% of people suffer from fear of public speaking, it is safe to assume that most people, when asked, would say that they want to become more confident in their public speaking.

This means there will never be a shortage of speakers who need a tip or two to calm their nerves when speaking in front of a crowd. The pandemic may have put a pause on in-person presentations, but the ease of virtual presentation means more people are being asked to speak on-screen, often the case, in front of large numbers of people.

On the podcast, revisiting an earlier conversation with public speaking and voice coach Gina Razón.

Why the voice is a tattletale for your confidence and exactly what speakers do when they’re not as confident or as prepared as they’d like to be when they speak.

97: 5 of the Best-Worst PR Excuses from the Week: The rhetoric behind the response Sep 01, 2020

Show notes

*Jerry Seinfeld voice* What's the deal with all these lame excuses from people??!!

The last weeks of August 2020 were far from sleepy and dull. From the DNC to the RNC; from Jerry Seinfeld to Jerry Falwell, Jr. - what a week for people speaking their minds about the heated issues of the week. On the podcast, the best/worst excuses we heard from the week from people and organizations that landed in hot water. What they said and the likely strategy behind the response. Denial, shift the blame, bolstering, minimization, mortification, transcendence, and attacking the accuser. Response strategies to lessen the blow to a reputation. Mentioned on the podcast:

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