“There is no reality…only perception.”
Understanding that “Life Law” from TV guru Dr. Phil is really the Holy Grail for you to succeed in the media. And it helps explain why it’s so important for you to have a media strategy.
Check out those people (such as Dr. Phil) who are extremely successful in using the media. All of them are experts in what I call “framing the debate”– they know how to deliver their message so their audience sees what they want them to see. They create a perception that becomes reality.
President Obama– a pretty darn good media player himself– is now trying to do that in his battle with the GOP over raising America’s borrowing limit so the government can pay its bills. In his final first-term news conference, the President warned Republicans not to risk government default, saying “We are not a deadbeat nation.” Tying the United States to the term “deadbeat” really frames the debate– average people might not understand all the nuances of the “debt ceiling,” but they know what a “deadbeat” is…and America certainly shouldn’t be one. Mr. Obama is creating the perception that GOP tactics would be responsible for America becoming a “deadbeat”– a powerful negative image. I would expect as we get closer to the February debt ceiling deadline, we will hear the President and his allies using the term “deadbeat” more and more often in an effort to win public support for their position.
Framing the debate is not trickery or anything disingenuous, it’s a talent that media stars use to help their message stand out. And that’s what you want to do. So how do you achieve it?
That’s where your media strategy comes in. What is your unique story? How do you present it in a way that stands out? What’s the best way to deliver it? You need to answer these kinds of questions and more BEFORE engaging in any sort of media interview or event. Know what you want to say and how. The great communicators always do.
If you prepare and execute your strategy properly, you, too, can create a perception that the public will see as reality. When you do that, you are well on your way to successfully getting your message out in exactly the way you want.
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