Media Tips from MS&L
One way ASHI promotes the ASHI Experience and ASHI Inspectors is to provide chapters and Members with information on how to market themselves. A full-scale marketing plan for a home inspector might include purchasing advertising space, using direct marketing techniques and launching a public relations campaign. To help you with the public relations piece of the plan, Manning Selvage & Lee, public relations consultants, offers the following tips for understanding the media.
Perhaps intimidating in breadth, the media are nothing to shy away from. Proper training and a working knowledge of the industry can prepare you for a successful interview and help you develop long-standing relationships with members of the press in order to support not only your own business, but also your affiliation with ASHI, to give you a competitive edge in the marketplace.
Understanding the media
Modern media spans far beyond daily newspapers and newscasts. This section will provide an overview of who the media are and what they are after.
What’s out there (as of 2001):
- 13,019 magazines
- 1,408 daily newspapers
- 7,594 weekly newspapers
- 1,660 television stations
- 13,021 radio stations
- “New media”: Countless news Web sites/Satellite radio
Media: What’s the Difference?
Print
- Format allows reporters to dig deeper and tell more of the story.
- Least immediate medium
Television
- More immediate than print and the most visual of mediums.
- Needs the 5-10-second sound bite.
Radio
- The most immediate format also can be the shortest (if not a talk/call-in show). Two- or three-sentence stories not unusual.
- Needs the 5-10-second sound bite.
Web
- Can be more detailed like print and more immediate like radio.
- Still broadening capabilities.
What drives the media?
The ultimate media motivator is to be the first to report a story, or to have the most unique angle. Equally important is meeting demanding deadlines without compromising details or accuracy.
Who does what?
Believe it or not, editors and producers are different from reporters. It’s often the editors and producers who determine what stories will get coverage. They then assign reporters to gather the information and compile the story. (Niche reporters have slightly more leeway than general assignment reporters in determining coverage).
A cooperative media relationship is a two-way street
When dealing with the media, ask yourself: How can you help them? Maybe you can help by providing a unique story angle. Every interview is an opportunity to tell your story and to get your messages across.
An interview is much more than a verbal ping-pong game of questions and answers – it’s an opportunity for you to deliver key messages to a highly targeted audience. Remember that while you do not officially represent or speak for ASHI when giving local interviews, you are representing yourself as being affiliated with ASHI, as well as representing your own company to the public. Therefore, when the opportunity arises for publicity, use the following tips to help you gain control of an interview and to assist you in developing a positive net impression.
What is a net impression?
The net impression is the ever-fluid public perception of you and your organization; in a nutshell, it is your reputation or image. The embodiment of the personal relationship between you, your organization and your important audiences, the net impression affects peoples’ preferences and choices on issues, products and/or services.
What is a key message?
A key message is a statement you’d like the audience to remember after your interview.
ASHI has several current key messages such as the following:
- The American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI) is the oldest and most respected non-profit, professional organization of home inspectors in North America. In fact, 2006 marks ASHI’s 30th anniversary.
- 6,000+ members strong, ASHI’s mission is to meet the needs of its membership and promote excellence and exemplary practice within the home inspection profession.
- ASHI’s Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics are the industry standard. Choosing an ASHI Inspector is a homebuyer’s best assurance he or she has hired a professional with proven qualifications and professionalism.
- ASHI’s Web site, www.ashi.org, is the definitive resource for inspectors, consumers, real estate professionals and the media. Visit ASHI.org for a personal audio/virtual home inspection, to locate a home inspector in your area or to rate an inspection performed by an ASHI Inspector.
- Only an ASHI Inspector can deliver The ASHI Experience – a technically sound home inspection that emphasizes customer safety and education.
- For more information on ASHI, what to expect from a home inspection or how to find a qualified home inspector, call 800-743-2744 or visit the Web site at www.ashi.org.
What is the ideal answer structure?
Ideally, for each question there are four answer components: the answer, the bridge, the premise statement and support. Here’s a guide for answering each question completely and, if adhered to, will help you control the interview.
Answer
The most obvious of the four components, this step is where you satisfy the interviewer’s immediate need and provide the information he or she is seeking. Always be truthful, even if that means admitting you do not know the answer. While you can’t change the facts, remember you can change the tone in which they are presented.
Bridge
A bridge is used to segue from your answer into the key message you’d like to impress upon your audience. The bridge should be a natural transition from one topic to the next. Below are some examples:
- “Yes/no… (the answer), and in addition to that…”
- “…let me explain what I mean by that…”
- “I’m not sure of that answer, but what I do know is…”
- “…what most people may not know is…”
- “…what we believe to be the most important here is…”
- “…let me put that into perspective…”
- “…interestingly enough…”
Premise statement
The premise statement is your key message. It’s what you ultimately would like the audience to take away from the interview. To ensure that it’s getting across, you must repeat the premise statement/key message often. For example:
- ASHI is the oldest and most respected non-profit, professional organization of home inspectors in North America.
Support
Hard evidence should be used to reinforce the premise statement. Examples of actions or facts lend credibility. For example:
- 2006 marks ASHI’s 30th anniversary.
- ASHI’s Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics are the industry standard.
These are the principles ASHI uses to promote the Society and its Membership. They will serve you well as you promote yourself, your business and your profession.
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