Dealing with the Media and Public Speaking

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There are four (4) audience responses: Like, Dislike, Neutral, and "Feel Sorry for You." There are also four (4) weapons of a communicator to make them "like" you! They are your: Mind, Face, Body, and Voice. (See the chart, "Using the four "Weapons" of a Communicator Effectively.)

There are three (3) points of view in any audience:

Your Information Must Always Be:

Tools to use with a negative interviewer. Say:

• "Let me clarify a misunderstanding...."


• "Let me tell you something...."


• "Let me finish what I started to tell you...."


• "_____, you didn't let me finish what I started to tell you...."

Never say: "No comment." Or, "I don't want to talk to you."
Answer the question that was asked, BUT answer it from your point of view!

"Communication should be an intellectual act of love. If you 'make love to your audience,' they're going to love you."

The Neutral Face*	The Open Face

Breathing. Most important thing I teach is how to breathe! Proper breathing involves the use of the diaphragm. It should move down and out! Don't leave this meeting without learning how to breathe. You control your blood pressure, heart and pulse rate better through proper breathing. When you lie on your back to sleep, this is how you breathe normally. It's the greatest health tool there is.

I have a couple of books which review proper breathing techniques. They are Winning at Confrontation and Testifying with Impact. I wrote these for the U. S. Chamber of Commerce, Washington, D.C. Both have a section on how to breathe.

Talk with your face and your body as well as your voice.

Not everyone will love us! You might work toward and on it, but don't expect that.

Avoid outright denials. You don't run out of a burning building and say, "What fire?" Tell them you'll find out what and tell the interviewer; tell them about the many (years) of good things that have preceded this (negative issue).

Don't hurry too much! Stress takes its toll. Start your breathing right before you get up to speak.

Manuscript Speeches. If you use a manuscript, see the sample sheet. Some pointers with manuscript speaking:

Use short sentences! Those sentences that you can read as you look down in a pause are those to use. You then can deliver your speech to the audience, not the podium!

Don't be afraid to pause. When you stop, you give the audience time to digest what you've said.

Eye contact forces you to be more dynamic! Eye contact is the most misunderstood speaker's tool of any!

When being interviewed on camera, the convention of the theater is to look like you're talking to the person talking to you the interviewer. (This says not to talk to the camera but the interviewer in this setting.)

When using visual aids, talk to the audience, not the slide, etc.

Make your closing statement the ending, not "Thank you!" This destroys your ending. It's a bad habit because we really don't know how to get off the stage.

Finally, write for the ear, not the eye when you prepare to speak.

Arch Lustberg, Communications consultant
Arch Lustberg Communications, Inc.
1899 L. Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20036
Phone: (202) 833-4343

Page # (a must)

Symbol for keeping an "Open Face": Remind yourself. ENJOY! SHHH! (Mood) (Voice) 1/3 to 1/4 Page of White Space (IN THIS AREA, WRITE NOTES TO GUIDE YOU)

SPOKEN TEXT (Area in which you write your text)   (Area approximately 6" wide by 7 1/2" tall)       USE AN ORATOR (Large Font) ELEMENT! * Double space the lines. * Triple space the paragraphs. * You might make each sentence a new paragraph.         IMPORTANT: * Each page must end with a period. PERIOD.