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How to Not Be Like Kamala

The motto “Keep It Simple, Stupid” is helpful to remember as you’re asked to break down complex issues to a broad audience. But as Vice President Kamala Harris frequently reminds us, you can be too simple and compromise your message. Or worse, insult your audience.

But it doesn’t have to be this way. Here’s how DMG recommends you prepare for your big moment — speech, spontaneous Q+A session, TV hit — without compromising your message or losing the audience:

#1 — Prepare in advance.
No one is a natural behind the mic. It’s true that some people are better at it than others, but those who make it seem “easy” have prepared in advance. You’ll notice that the VP makes her biggest mistakes when she’s speaking off-the-cuff. Knowing what you want to say and having a fallback phrase or talking point to come back to if you start to lose your train of thought can prevent a situation like the VP’s viral “passage of time” clip.

#2 — Practice out loud.
Once you’ve finalized your speech or talking points, practice saying the words out loud and without notes. If the final version of what you plan to say doesn’t allow you to use notes, then you have to practice without notes. You’ll find that when you practice out loud, you’re better able to internalize the content which results in a smoother delivery.

#3 — Hire DMG!
We help prepare people all the time for keynote speeches, townhalls, TV hits, panel discussions, etc. Each format has different rules and requires different speaking skills, and so we work to prepare our clients as best as possible by talking through all of the verbal, vocal, and visual considerations. Yes, there are tips and tricks to delivering a good message and then staying on message when you’re asked questions you didn’t anticipate, but what it ultimately comes down to is preparation and practice.

How to talk about the ERA

In February, the House of Representatives voted to reconsider the Equal Rights Amendment. And just this week, FX is set to launch a mini-series detailing conservative activist Phyllis Schlafly’s fight against the same in the 1970s. For these reasons, it’s a timely issue to message.

But it’s also a tricky issue to message because arguments in favor of the ERA are highly politicized and emotionally-charged.

Here’s how we suggest you talk about it, with the help of the Independent Women’s Forum:

#1 — Start with common ground.
Even though we don’t support the ERA, we agree that women should be treated equally under the law. The good news is: women already enjoy equal treatment under the law as it’s illegal to discriminate based on sex. But you first have to state that equal treatment of women is important to you BEFORE you transition to why the ERA is bad legislation so people don’t immediately dismiss your argument.

#2 — Use examples to show that erasing sex distinctions is harmful to women.
A provision of the ERA is to erase sex distinctions, which is harmful to women. Examples abound and will help you make this point — “separate restrooms and locker rooms in public schools; the military draft for males; Social Security spousal benefits; the Department of Agriculture’s Women, Infants, and Children program; the Violence Against Women Act; grants for girls’ STEM training; and more.” Women would lose these benefits in the name of “equality” if the ERA becomes law, meaning we would be less safe and less free than we are today.

For more information about the ERA and why it’s harmful to women, check out the Independent Women’s Forum policy focus here.

How to develop talking pts

Talking points get a bad rap because people assume talking points = scripted. But in reality, well-developed talking points = preparation. And the reason you want to prepare is so you’re able to control the interview by communicating your message regardless of the questions asked.

Below are a few tips to help you develop the best talking points for your message:

#1 — Condense. The more you know about a topic, the more difficult an interview will be because there is so much you COULD say. The trick is to determine what two or three points best sell your message to the intended audience – what do they care about? – and then physically write them down.

#2 — Don’t memorize. Once you determine the two or three points you want to make, it’s important to NOT memorize them. You’ll sound rehearsed if you try. Instead, create bullet points to summarize your talking points. You’ll stay on message and you’ll sound conversational as you allow words and phrases you’d naturally use to fill the gaps.

#3 — Internalize. Now that you’ve written out your talking points and understand how each can be summarized into bullet points, it’s time to practice out loud. You’ll find that your ability to remember and deliver your talking points is much easier when you’ve taken the time to not only write down what you want to say but to also say it out loud.

(Photo Credit: Career Employer)

How to win the mental game

Nailing a media interview is equal parts technique and mental game, but more attention is often paid to the importance of mastering what you say and how you say it rather than your mindset before and during the interview.

We’re here to say that your mindset matters and will absolutely determine an interview’s success. So, before you put all your effort into mastering talking points, body language, and facial expressions, it’s worth your time to develop the right mindset.

Here are three ways to do so:

#1 — Realize perfection is a process
Your first few interviews probably won’t be great, and that’s ok. There is a learning curve everyone has to face, but the one obstacle that will keep you from making progress is fear. You have to allow yourself to be human, make mistakes, and learn. A good perspective to keep: if you’re speaking about an issue you believe in, the worst that can happen is you’ll think about how you *could’ve* made the point better, but you won’t ever regret making the point.

#2 — Don’t be afraid of the media
A media interview IS NOT a battle of wits between you and the reporter. It’s your job to acknowledge the question asked and then immediately pivot to your talking point. If helpful, think of the reporter as a facilitator. They are there to fill air time and ask questions. It’s up to you whether the discussion is meaningful.

#3 — Always speak to the audience
Consider who you’re speaking to and what you want them to know regardless of the question asked. People are tuning in to hear from you and get your perspective on an issue, so give them your perspective.

For the People Act

Though most Americans agree it’s wrong to punish someone for sharing their viewpoint (as free speech is highly valued and continually fought for), House Democrats are trying to codify this type of discrimination into law. 

The euphemistically named “For the People Act” will make its debut on the House floor this week, and if passed will expose the names, addresses, and other personal information of every American who generously donates money to an organization, cause, or campaign. 

Though most Americans agree it’s wrong to punish someone for sharing their viewpoint (as free speech is highly valued and continually fought for), House Democrats are trying to codify this type of discrimination into law. 

While the name of the bill (“For the People”) suggests helpful legislation to stop corruption and expose how money is spent in politics, it actually does something far more dangerous — it makes every American a target.

For this reason, it’s important to speak up and out about it. Here are a few suggestions:  

  • A great line to use: “Transparency is for government, privacy is for people.”
  • You can emphasize that you’re actually fighting for the people they claim to be fighting for: “No American should be forced to have their name put on a list for simply making a donation.”
  • And if you want to make a comparison: “Passage of this legislation is like asking every American who donates money to wear a bumper sticker for the cause.”   

Every day we hear stories about discrimination on social media, violence on college campuses, and harassment on street corners if you openly support a cause someone deems “wrong.” Allowing passage of the “For the People Act” will only increase the frequency of intimidation for those who choose to show support with their pocketbook.

How to talk about the caravan

As the caravan slowly makes its way to the U.S. border, it’s important we talk about it not in hyperbolic terms but factually and carefully. The media and politicians have promoted a narrative that makes doing so difficult — if you attempt to deny or counter their talking points, you risk being labeled heartless, racist, ignorant, etc.

But you have the power of proof (over opinion) to lean on. A great resource to use is this report by an MSNBC correspondent:

Here’s the key takeaway — “The truth is, the majority of the people that are in this caravan, especially outside — if we can make our way all the way over there, we’ll show you the majority of them are men…From what we’ve seen, the majority are actually men and some of these men have not articulated that need for asylum.”

His report is directly opposed to the narrative promoted by the media and politicians, but his example reveals the truth. We suggest you use it to your advantage when confronted by questions about the caravan. It’s more important now than ever to make sure we have and promote the facts, which you can do via examples.

BEWARE: Early Voting

The media are hungry for predictions ahead of midterms, and they have their sights set on early voting. But as we’ve warned (here and here), making a prediction leads nowhere good. The safe play is to answer the prediction question by pivoting to what’s more important.

Here’s what we mean:

Q: Voter turnout for early voting is high at 8.1 million and counting, with more Republicans casting ballots than Democrats. Does this mean the “blue wave” is receding?

A: “The high voter turnout is interesting, but it’s too early to make a prediction about results and the “blue wave.” No matter which party controls Congress post-midterms, the issue we need to focus on is <insert talking point>.”

Acknowledge the high voter turnout but refuse to make a prediction. The more substantive answer will pivot to a pressing policy issue. And if they push you to make a prediction, push back by explaining that early voting numbers don’t give us the data we need to make an accurate prediction. Sure, it’s interesting that a lot of people have turned out, and that a larger number of Republicans have cast votes, but there is no guarantee that a registered Republican voted for Republicans.

EXCEPTION: If you’re working on a campaign, you have to predict that your candidate will win. No matter how unlikely it seems, a victory is always the right (and expected) prediction.

The perfect gift for the busy media star in your life.

Know someone on your Christmas list who will benefit from on-the-go media training? Then gift them a Clip Critique!

A Clip Critique is a review of a recent radio or TV interview that covers all the important points in your verbal, vocal, and visual (if applicable) delivery.

We’ll also include tips and tricks to achieve more polished talking points, interview prep techniques, and body language advice.

The best part?

This can all be done via email. After we receive a link to the interview, we will write up a critique and send it back. This process is simple, comprehensive, and it requires no in-person time for you or the recipient.

The best way to improve is feedback and practice, and we know you want the best for your loved ones. So, give the busy media star in your life the gift of a Clip Critique this holiday season.

TUESDAY TIP: “Anything else you’d like to add?”

You prepped for your print or taped TV interview, nailed the sound bite in your first response, and handled the tough questions with ease.

Great job! But the interview isn’t over.

Just as the reporter/host is about to wrap up, they ask you one final question:

Q: “Anything else you’d like to add?”

Here’s what you DON’T do:

A: “No. I think that’s all.”

Most guests are just glad to field questions without making any mistakes, and are perfectly fine to let the interview end. But why play defense when you can play offense?

Here’s how you handle the, “Anything else you’d like to add?” question:

Q: “Anything else you’d like to add?”

A: “Yes. <Insert sound bite>.”

This is the media interview version of a mulligan.

Take this time to repeat your sound bite – the one thing you hope the producer chooses as your on-the-record-statement. By doing this, you increase the chances that the news package will include the most important information, and you want to take advantage of every opportunity to make sure that happens.

B²: Rubio’s Talking Points

On Saturday night, Marco Rubio quickly became a study in what not to do.

In four minutes, Rubio repeated the same answer (almost word-for-word) THREE times. Not only did he make it obvious that the line was prepared and rehearsed, but he played into the narrative that Chris Christie had developed for him of “the memorized 25-second speech.”

True. DMG recommends you prepare talking points for every interview so you can block and bridge to each regardless of the question. But the pivot should always be natural. If you expose the technique, you fail to deliver. It’s a fine line between preparation and canned response. But it’s also possible to walk it. So, what could Rubio have done?

Good thing it’s Tuesday, B² day.

Christie’s attack: “I like Marco Rubio, and he’s a smart person and a good guy, but he simply does not have the experience to be president of the United States and make these decisions…”

Rubio’s : “Well, I think the experience is not just what you did, but how it worked out. Under Chris Christie’s governorship of New Jersey, they’ve been downgraded nine times in their credit rating… But I would add this. Let’s dispel with this fiction that Barack Obama doesn’t know what he’s doing…”

Christie’s continued attack: “There it is. There it is. The memorized 25-second speech.”

Rubio: “<address the attack and call out its inaccuracy instead of repeating the Obama talking point>.”

You can B² (block and bridge) an attack ONCE. And only once. If the attack comes back at you a second time, you must respond to it. In politics, the name of the game is authenticity, which can translate to thinking on your feet mid-attack. Continually dodging an attack implies the opposite. If Rubio had followed DMG’s rules, headlines the next day may have told a different story.