Filed under: Ironman Hawaii, Natascha Badmann, interviews, media, media training
I love Natascha Badmann. She’s the 40-something, six-time winner of the Hawaii Ironman and one of the best triathletes in the world. Her interview with www.ironmanlive.com is old news now, but one section of it is so good I have to mention it. German is her native language, yet she comes up with a great analogy in English and expands upon it better than many native English speakers could.
The Hawaii Ironman Championship is like chocolate cake, she says. If you cross the finish line you get a piece. If you win, you get extra cream. She goes on to use the analogy in a couple more answers. Great stuff Natascha! It’s memorable and unexpected (triathlons and chocolate cake?) It emphasizes the joy and accomplishment of finishing this awesome endurance event, quite aside from winning. And everyone can relate to it.
Analogies work. Find a good one and it’ll bring your interview to life. Make sure your media trainer has the skills to help you create analogies that work for you. And don’t go into an interview without practicing them first — out loud.
Natascha had a bad crash in the bike portion of the race this year and had to drop out. No chocolate cake, no cream. But we’ll be looking for her in 2008. And I’ll be there volunteering as a bike catcher! There’s no better way to see the race up close.
Filed under: 60 Minutes, Lesley Stahl, Sarkozy, interviews, media, media training
I was in a Paris hotel room early Monday morning, getting ready for my flight back to the US. The TV was tuned, of course, to CNN International and suddenly there he was, Nicolas Sarkozy, the new President of France, sparring with Lesley Stahl in a “60 Minutes” clip.
Lesley asked him about his wife, Cecilia, who announced divorce proceedings this week. He objected, gave an abrupt reponse and ended the interview by ripping off his ear piece, slapping Lesley on the shoulder, and walking off the set saying “bon courage” (what’s he trying to do, out-courage Dan Rather??) Lesley’s jaw dropped. So did mine. Good PR for “60 Minutes”, not so good for Sarko.
The words he used to respond to the Cecilia question were appropriate “If I had anything to say, I certainly wouldn’t do so here.” But his angry body language and petulant behavior got him into trouble. Sarko, no matter how hard the interviewers push, you gotta leave the angry-husband stuff at home, keep your cool, and behave like a President. That means keeping those emotions under control and making sure your body language doesn’t betray you.
He shouldn’t have been surprised by the questions — the French tabloids were buzzing all week with stories about him and Cecilia. And if his publicist didn’t warn him about “60 Minutes” tactics, he needs to hire a new one. We’re clearly going to see a lot more of this pro-American French leader. We’ll see how he does in interviews in the coming weeks. Let me know if you catch one.
Shirley Katz has improved! This is the woman from Medford, OR, who is doing a round of national media interviews this week to plead her case – she wants the Medford school where she teaches to recognize her second amendment right to carry a concealed weapon to school.
Her “American Morning” interview on CNN Wednesday was pretty pathetic. Last night on “All Things Considered,” she sounded stronger. She also had more grist for her mill! The Cleveland High School shooting. Very convenient! So she focused on school security. Shouldn’t schools hire more security staff and just be safer all around, she reasoned? A great way of bringing a hot news item to her existing message, but it seemed to confuse the issue, not strengthen it.
What’s her message, really? School safety? 2nd amendment rights? Or the pressing need for women to protect themselves from abusive men? Each of these issues is huge. So it’s not working for her to throw all three of them in her media message.
As she describes it, her husband (or is it ex-husband?) is out to get her, and she wants to feel safe in case he comes busting through the door with an Uzi. Fair enough. But it’s a bit disingenous to hang her hat on the 2nd amendment. If it wasn’t for her ex-husband, would she be interested in the right to bear firearms? I doubt it.
She’s scary too. When asked if she would be willing to fire the gun if an armed assailant charged into her classroom, she said yes. Absolutely! No qualms! Even if it was a kid! My compassion for her as an abused woman evaporated as soon as she said that. Maybe it’s because I’ve never been an abused wife, but from the point of view of reaching a general audience, you’re stirring the pot, Ms. Katz, but not in a convincing way. I’m not buying your argument because I don’t think you believe it. It’s coming from the mouths of the Oregon Firearms Foundation, the organization that’s paying for her campaign.
If you choose to have them represent you and pay your legal bills, admit that up front, touch on the 2nd amendment issue, then throw all your weight behind your most honest message — the fear and the danger that you and so many women in our society face at the hands of men who abuse them. You need America to feel your pain. Right now, we don’t.
Filed under: 60 Minutes, Joel Osteen, Ron Noble, interviews, media, media training
Crying appears to be the latest interview technique used by Powerful Men, based on two recent “60 Minutes” interviews. Last week it was Ron Noble, Secretary General of the international law enforcement agency, Interpol. This week it was ‘America’s favorite preacher’ Joel Osteen. Let’s call them the Tear Guys.
Noble shed tears when telling Steve Kroft how difficult it is to convince the U.S. that Interpol can help capture terrorists and other criminals whose activities cross international borders. He wiped his eyes and asked Steve for a moment to compose himself. Cut. Regain composure. Continue.
Osteen got all choked up when telling Byron Pitts how hundreds of people credit him with changing their lives for the better. He ducked out of frame for a second, buried his face in his hands and wiped his eyes with a tissue (conveniently provided by a nearby publicist?) before continuing the interview.
Let’s assume the tears were unplanned. Do they help or hinder Noble’s and Osteen’s image with influencers, decision-makers and the general public?
Osteen’s answers before and after the tears were clear and direct. He drove the interview effectively, stuck to his message, and didn’t get sidetracked by challenging questions.
Like other successful preachers, he knows how to reach people on an emotional level. This was evident in clips of him preaching to his flock of thousands, some of whom were in tears themselves. So I wasn’t surprised by his “60 Minutes” emotionality, but I wasn’t warmed by it either. It may endear him to his flock and his book publisher, but it made me suspicious of his motives even if the tears were real. Because it’s the impact those tears have on the viewer that counts, not the motive behind them.
Noble is in law enforcement, a male-dominated profession characterized as tough and unforgiving. He came across as honest, intelligent and driven. His passion for his job was evident, but still the tears were a surprise. Kroft later explained in voice-over that Noble’s tireless dedication and travel schedule led to sleep deprivation. Was this why he cried? Could be. Again, all the viewer can react to is what’s on the screen.
It would be interesting to know how Noble’s Interpol colleagues and the heads of other law enforcement agencies reacted, but for me, Ms. General Public, his unexpected tears worked. I had already warmed to him and understood his point of view and his frustration. And unlike Osteen, he looked uncomfortable when the tears appeared. He tried manfully, if unsuccessfully, to continue the interview without cutting away.
This column is about interviewees, not interviewers, but I can’t end without saying that Kroft and Pitts did a great job. They know what to do when faced with Man Tears. Go easy for a moment, don’t risk losing the interviewee, ask what prompted the flow, and try to delve deeper into the man and what makes him tick. I can’t wait for next week’s “60 Minutes” to see who’s next in the Crying Game.
