Please Rate Me? No, Thank You

By Susan Tomai 

I understand that airlines, hotels, retailers and other product and service providers want their customers’ feedback – but enough is enough. Every time I take a flight, spend the night in a hotel or buy something at the supermarket, I get “Do you mind taking a moment to answer some questions so we can improve our customer service?’ or  “Please rate our product!” or “Did you like our employees? Were they helpful?” etc. It’s annoying. And call me a cynic, but I’m not quite sure it’s really so much about “improving my customer experience” so much as it’s about trying to increase profits. And even worse, sometimes I get a “reminder” e-mail when I don’t respond, saying something like “Did you forget us?” No, I didn’t. Give me a break.

How’s this for an idea? Let’s have a lottery where only the winners, let’s say three big retailers a year, get to ask you for feedback.  This would limit the endless barrage of feedback requests to which I have now become immune. In fact, as a result of this overkill, my answer now is always “No Thank You” or “Delete.”

As I wrote this, I took a break and checked on CNN.com, which has a new online format.  But before I could even digest said new format, a box popped up asking me how I liked it! Of course, I checked the “x” to make it go away.

There was a time when feedback was directed mostly to my kids on the playground, shouting from the bleachers at a basketball game,  or reviewing a report card.  But all these needy organizations pelting us with their constant requests are becoming needier than any child – and frankly my dear, I don’t  give a damn. I’m already needed enough.

The “Stare-Down”

By Susan Tomai

The remote or “satellite”-style TV interview presents a unique set of challenges. Rather than looking into the eyes of an interviewer a couple of feet away, the interviewee must stare into the camera lens and hear the questions of the interviewer (who may be 1000 miles away) through an earpiece while delivering the key messages.  To put it mildly, this can be disorienting. So the objective is to maintain steady and confident eye contact with the camera and to tune out all distractions. Pretend you’re Clint Eastwood - the king of eye contact - and there’s a fistful of dollars waiting for you.

The conclusion of the interview can be particularly difficult, since there is an overwhelming temptation to exhale a tremendous sigh of relief, rip off the mike and run. Instead, the interviewee should remain calmly seated in the chair, maintain steady eye contact with the camera, and deliver what Oratorio calls “The Stare-Down.” In other words, after you’ve delivered your final point, just maintain a pleasant expression and look into the camera until the studio producer or videographer tells you are “clear.” Remember, the camera and the microphone are always on – and it’s essential to end the interview on a strong note.

Good Things Come To Those Who Bait

In a live interview, if you want the reporter to ask you the questions you want to be asked - then reel the reporter in. In other words, don’t just deliver answers to the reporter’s questions.  Offer up a an enticement answer, a “hook”  that leads the reporter to ask your planned/desired follow-up question.

For example:

YOU: "But that's just one example of the incredible things we've seen in our research." 

REPORTER: "Really? Such as?"

YOU: "Well, for instance..."

Dangle the hook,  cast your answers to elicit the desired follow-up question, and use the proper bait.

But She's Not Answering The Question! - Updated

By Susan Tomai

We wake up, check our smart phones, turn on the TV and maybe still collect the paper on the stoop. Instantly we’re bombarded by corporate spokespeople and politicians who obviously don’t give direct answers to certain questions from journalists.  Is that OK?  Sometimes.

For those of you who really listen, a spokesperson not answering the question is frustrating. But in a society where multitasking and limited attention spans are the norm, some spokespeople know they can get away with it because many of us don’t listen that closely.

Still, it doesn’t have to be an either/or situation – and the answer lies in what we call the “Touch and Go” technique. Rather than completely avoiding a question, the more credible spokesperson does better to briefly “touch” upon the question and then quickly “go” to an established message, without repeating the reporter’s words. The brief acknowledgement of the question is a more credible approach than simply ignoring the reporter.

Be a Storyteller in Your Media Interviews, Presentations and Speeches

By Susan Tomai When I was a kid in Mrs. Murphy’s second grade class in Glen Rock, New Jersey (a town that literally has a huge rock in the glen), like every other kid, I couldn’t wait for the final bell to ring so I could go outside and play. I wore a crisp white shirt, plaid uniform and knee socks. I sat at my desk and tried hard to be interested in every lesson, but I was often bored by all the numbers and dry information. Then one day we had a substitute teacher - Mrs. Rizzuto - and everything changed.  She told us stories, showing us pictures and playing music.  The day flew by. I had to be pried out of my desk to go home. I wanted to know more. You can do that for your audiences.  In our training sessions, we show you how to tell meaningful stories that will help your audiences to remember, learn from you and link back to your brand. Numbers and statistics are obviously important in some presentations, but never overwhelm your audience – and be a storyteller.