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SOME SIMPLE ADVICE PERIODICALLY UPDATED
Misquoted in your local paper?
A human resources professional recently asked how to ask for a correction after she was misquoted by her local newspaper. My response to this common question, via LinkedIn, was based on my own experience in the newsroom:
"I recommend you ask nicely once for a retraction or, even better, a story update (can you find another news nugget to entice them with?) that also CLARIFIES your position, placed in the same general location in the paper as the original story. (THAT is an important element to your request, as is saying you're wanting to 'clarify (your) position' vs. correct the reporter's misquote.)
"If that doesn't work (few reporters like to admit they got a quote wrong, unfortunately), then you can stop being so nice about it. Go to the editorial board and let them know you'll be sending a letter to the editor better explaining your position (OR correcting the misquote) and you would appreciate their weighing publishing the letter heavily in light of your challenge to the facts in the news story. THAT is hard for them to argue against (and likely will get you the first solution, because the reporter will have been a bit humiliated by the editorial board)."
Don't rely on Spell Check!'
That's what I consistently tell my business communications students at Georgia State University. Microsoft's Spell Check tool doesn't catch enough mistakes to depend on it solely. Even worse, it often indicates that something is in error when, in fact, it's correct. And "it's" is one case in point. Your best bet (short of having Elements of Style right beside your keyboard)? Google the word or phrase in question along with "style" or "how do I?" or "which is correct?" and you'll get helpful responses from fellow Internet users. And remember: when in doubt, check it out.
Does that make sense to them, or just to you?
A multiple-office company with headquarters in Atlanta identifies its department responsible for winning business from companies who might use the services of more than one of its offices as its "National Business Development" group. But whose national business is it developing? Rethink those monikers and put them in the customers' perspective – not your own. How about "Multi-Location Services?" It will mean more to the customer but all the same to you. (My theory is that this is one reason women take longer to shop than men. Men's clothes are arranged by sizes; women's, by makers. Women, therefore, have to go through the store's entire clothing stock just to find their own size in each maker's selection!)
Do you have a complex subject to communicate?
White papers provide the best way to explain complex topics to your target audience. They shouldn't be promotional in tone but rather educational. They let you walk your prospective clients through the layers of issues that often get in the way of their making a sound decision to engage with you.
Getting a lot of job applications? Here's what NOT to do.
People talk. Because they Twitter, poke, Tube and Face-off, their word of mouth can kill your image. Establish a system for responding to those job applicants in a kind and encouraging manner. NOT responding is not an option; it's a missed opportunity to reinforce your message. Applicants know you can't hire everyone who applies for a position. But they don't know why you can't simply be nice about it and they'll share bad experiences with others, and with a vengeance.
Newspapers are hurting. But their pain isn't necessarily your gain, right?
Hire a public relations professional who knows the media and what they're looking for, particularly now that they're facing a tremendous budget pinch. By understanding the right angle for your story and the right way to pitch it, SAM works to help the media do their job while accessing for you the kind of news coverage that wins your company credibility as well as an audience.