While reading articles and blogs about the Presidential race and the YouTube debate held on Monday, I came across an interesting blog post by the Washington Post.
Background Info: The Washington Post’s Chris Cillizza asked, "Is the media in America "just missing the boat" on the Obama craze?"
There were a few responses to this question posted by the Washington Post. Here is one that I think applies to public relations.
"One thing that the mainstream media always misses: The fact that people can tell a scripted answer from a genuine answer. That’s why Barack Obama comes across as the more genuine candidate in these debates. He may not be as polished as say Hillary Clinton, but regular folks can tell what is real and what is scripted."
The Big Deal: When preparing to talk to the media, clients, shareholders, etc. it may be more important to have general responses memorized rather than canned responses. It will show more charisma and competence.
This also applies to answering questions after a presentation. Yes, it is good to predict questions that you may be asked. However, you may want to try to address those in your presentation or have a general theme for the response and come up with the exact language "on the spot". It will add to your organization’s, team’s or company’s credibility.
