The following article appeared in the November 2009 issue of "IndUS Business Journal"
Make moves to raise CEO's profile
by Ed Barks
It may be hard to believe in this era of economic turbulence, but some occupants of the corner suite refuse to acknowledge that communicating with their publics is more vital now than ever. Some executives even practice avoidance in the midst of these tough times.
Superior CEO communications skills are essential if your company hopes to avoid public embarrassment and achieve success. That is hardly a shocking revelation. But let us take matters one step further by asking a crucial question: How can you encourage a reluctant CEO to sharpen his communications edge?
Bolster Lifelong Learning
Some executives exhibit misplaced confidence in their ability to deliver a magnetic message. The “know-it-all” CEO has no interest in lifelong learning with regard to those invaluable communications skills. When the idea of sharpening their skills is raised, they censor the issue with a clever comeback like, “I‘ve already done media training.”
Such reluctance can mask insecurity. How can you overcome that lack of self-confidence? Try these approaches I use with my clients in communications training workshops:
- Forge respect right from the start.
- Maintain an assertive yet diplomatic demeanor that positions you as a trusted advisor, not a hired hand.
- Let your (probably) hard-charging CEO be the star of the show by encouraging him to help guide others in your organization.
- Assess whether you have the skills to advance your CEO’s knowledge with regard to public speaking and media relations; if not, hire a consultant who does.
Allow me to focus on that last point for a moment. Every executive needs frank advice in order to achieve communications success. In the extreme, you might be dying to tell your boss to ditch that unsightly toupee or to stop using his favorite yet trite catch phrase. You also might be dying to keep your job, and fear that delivering such critical advice might cost you your daily living. In that case, it becomes your job to find an expert capable of conveying that news.
Opportunity Abounds
There are innumerable forums that can make or break a CEO: A speech to an audience filled with important customers, an interview with a reporter from a leading publication, a presentation to the board of directors, a talk presenting research to a professional society, testifying on Capitol Hill or before regulatory bodies, and a new product launch, to cite a few examples.
You can position the need for lifelong learning by telling your boss that he is nurturing an increasingly high public profile, particularly if your company is involved in an industry that is targeted for federal stimulus funds.
How can you begin to persuade the reluctant CEO to follow the route to improved communications performance? He or she no doubt has your company’s health in mind first and foremost. Leverage that organizational commitment to your advantage by explaining that improved verbal communications efforts can help:
- Gain an edge on the competition.
- Reduce the likelihood that your next media campaign will fail.
- Position your organization front and center in the minds of the public.
- Raise the odds for a successful new product launch.
- Prevent your rivals from stealing customers.
- Prepare for a crisis situation.
- Save time by hammering out key messages in advance.
- Avoid a sleepy media profile by going beyond the trade press to high-profile outlets such as The New York Times and CNN.
- Increase retention by offering lifelong learning opportunities to senior members of the executive team who interact with the public or press.
Let us zero in on a dozen specific recommendations that can enhance your CEO’s capabilities.
Media Opportunities
- Target your opportunities carefully. It will do you little good to snag an interview for your CEO with a local newspaper if your target is national in scope. Similarly, even The Wall Street Journal may be a waste of energy if your primary market is Peoria.
- Understand which type of media best suits your CEO and, as much as possible, play to those strengths. Does she perform best on radio? TV? General circulation publications? Trade journals?
- Deploy your CEO for key interviews. Vice presidents, product managers, sales directors, and others can handle many media assignments.
- Insist that everyone who interacts with reporters receives media training, which should serve to reinforce your message and sharpen interview skills.
Public Speaking Opportunities
- Target your audiences carefully. When should your CEO speak to customers? Policymakers? Professional associations? Community forums?
- Position your CEO as an opinion leader. Proactively pursue speaking opportunities in your community and within your industry that raise his profile. You don’t necessarily need to aim for a National Press Club luncheon to achieve a measurable impact.
- Make sure speeches are rich with your main messages.
- Block a chunk of your CEO’s time routinely and practice Q&A with her. Emphasize the wisdom of using your messages to respond to each question. This is critical, for many presentations collapse when the questions begin.
Public Policy Opportunities
- Leverage your CEO’s legislative or regulatory testimony so it resonates outside the walls of the hearing room. Circulate it to your employees, customers, and the media, and reference it in speeches.
- Know the policymakers you are petitioning. Which lawmakers or regulators favor your stance? Which oppose it? Which are sitting on the fence?
- Sharpen your oral statement to a fine point. You likely will have approximately five minutes to state your case. Squeeze the most into every second.
- Insist that your public relations team draft your oral statement separately from your formal, written testimony. Common sense dictates that the communication experts are your best writers.
Companies that hope to make it through the current economic malaise realize that their CEO’s ability to communicate plays a large role in their success. Solid organizations are always alert to lifelong learning methods and media training opportunities to sharpen the boss’ communications edge.
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Ed Barks works with corporate and association executives who need a magnetic message and sharp communications skills, and with public affairs and public relations consultants who counsel their bosses and clients. He is the author of The Truth About Public Speaking: The Three Keys to Great Presentations and President of Barks Communications. He can be contacted at (540) 955-0600 or ebarks@barkscomm.com.
© 2009, Edward J. Barks. All rights reserved.
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