Page 250 - Executive Warfare

EXECUTIVE W ARF ARE

while you are answering one question, anticipate the follow-up question
because that is the question to be concerned about.
Avoid press conferences unless you have to have one in order to deal
with a really bad story or to make an important announcement. Believe
it or not, reporters are human, though I’m sure that there have been clin-
ical studies to the contrary. The stories about you will be much more pos-
itive if you develop relationships with reporters individually.
It’s also important to understand that your press will never be 100 per-
cent positive. The truth is that if you are getting really good press, some
reporters will be contrarians just to stand out from the crowd.
Make your own decisions about which reporters to meet with.You can-
not depend solely on your public relations people, who are generally
working hard to ensure that there is
never a single piece of negative public-
IF YOU ARE ity about you. But the truth is, even
GETTING REALLY when you know a piece is likely to be
GOOD PRESS, negative, you can’t keep it from being
SOME REPORTERS written just by refusing to give a
WILL BE reporter access. And if you allow the
CONTRARIANS interview, you may influence the cover-
JUST TO STAND OUT age for the better. Let’s admit, that’s
FROM THE CROWD. human nature. It’s much easier to be
nasty about someone you haven’t met
than someone you have.
I can remember one columnist who every few months would write
something negative about me. If he couldn’t attack the performance of
my organization, he’d find a way to attack me personally.
I’d never met him. But finally, I called him up. “This is the jerk you’ve
written badly about,” I said.
“Which one?” he laughed.
I told him, then added, “I would like you to buy me a drink.”
“Why should I do that?”

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