Three weeks ago, Steve Jobs unveiled the iPhone at the annual Macworld conference. Everyone knew a phone was in the works at Apple; yet Jobs and the Apple developers still managed to exceed the hype.

Apple has perfected the art of perfecting. It didn’t invent the personal computer; it did give us the Macintosh, the first PC with a user-friendly interface. It didn’t invent the MP3 player; it did give us the iPod. And it didn’t invent the cell phone; it will soon give us the iPhone.

How did Apple manage to create a sense of wow! with each of its products?

• Obsession with style. Apple consumer products are works of art that strike a perfect balance of functionality and style. And they come in really cool packaging.
• Revolutionary features. The Macintosh introduced PC users to the graphical user interface, which made the computer much easier and intuitive to use. The click wheel simplified the iPod’s controls. The iPhone features a button-less touch display.
• Ability to tap into the cultural zeitgeist. At the right time, Apple managed to elevate the personal computer, MP3 player, and the cell phone to a place they have never been before.

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Many executives fear interviews with reporters like they fear an audit. More than anything, they fear they will be misquoted or have their words taken out of context. Assumptions about the interview are the culprits in most situations. Let’s take a look at the most common assumptions and how to overcome them.

Assumption #1: The reporter’s goal is to get a salacious quote. The reality is that reporters want facts and perspective on a particular story. They would also like to have a pithy, relevant quote to give the story personality. You want to sound professional and say something that helps accomplish a goal for your company (e.g. showing concern in a crisis, presenting your side of the story, clearing up misinformation, etc.).

Both you and the reporter can accomplish your goals when you keep your answers concise and on point. The reporter will be able to record what you say word for word (thus avoiding misquoting) and you will say only what you want to see in print.

Assumption #2: The reporter is your audience. Your audience is really whoever will read (print) or see (broadcast) what you say to the reporter during the interview. Speaking to them rather than the reporter will help you formulate key messages and stay on topic.

This approach is especially helpful when the story is potentially negative to your organization. It helps you remember that the reporter is someone trying to explain the issue for a broader audience rather than the personification of the negative issue. Your side of the story becomes more powerful when you speak to the broader audience rather than viewing the reporter as the issue itself.

Assumption #3: An interview is a conversation with a reporter. A conversation is an informal exchange of information. The informality allows us to express our views, argue points, and seek clarification.

By contrast, an interview is focused and controlled. The best interviews happen when you have a specific goal in mind and know exactly what you are willing and not willing to discuss in the interview. This principle helps you to avoid rambling answers or backtracking, which are two of the most common mistakes in an interview.

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Next time you have to write a title for a PowerPoint slide, try writing a book title for the information on the slide. Good slide titles not only grab our attention but they also frame the content you are about to discuss. Book titles provide great examples, like the example in What We’re Reading below.

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Bad things happen to good companies all of the time. When the big crisis strikes, nothing will be more important to your chances of survival than the level of trust between you and your key audiences like employees, shareholders, clients, and even the media.

Trust is much like a bank account. You make deposits and withdrawals over time. The greater the overall balance, the more reserves you have to draw on when you need them.

From time to time, it’s good to check your balance in your trust accounts.

1. Who are your four or five key audiences right now?
2. What is the balance of your trust account with each of these audiences?
3. Was your last transaction a deposit or a withdrawal?
4. How does the balance compare to this time last year?
5. What can you do right now to improve the balance with each?

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www.squidoo.com/org20

The 59 Smartest Orgs Online showcases the best non-profit websites around the world. The project’s organizers chose these websites "for their excellence in online storytelling…[and] willingness to engage their constituents far beyond asking them to dig into their pockets." Check out The Research section at the bottom of the page where the authors show the questions they used in formulating the list.

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Freakonomics by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner

Freaknomics is a groundbreaking collaboration between heralded economist Steven Levitt and journalist Stephen Dubner. Through forceful and colorful storytelling, they show that economics at its root is the study of incentives – how people get want they want, or need, especially when other people want or need the same thing.

Levitt and Dubner defend four basic notions:

• Incentives govern life
• Conventional wisdom is often wrong
• Dramatic effects often have distant, even subtle, causes
• Experts sometimes use their "information advantage" to pursue private agendas

Freakonomicis is an engaging work, full of both insights and surprises. Some chapters concern life-and-death issues: "Where have all the criminals gone?" Others have a freakish quality: "What do schoolteachers and sumo wrestlers have in common?"

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