Positive media exposure can help increase a company’s visibility and reputation potentially leading to increased sales and profitability.

Media relations is a vital tool in the marketing strategy of any business. This takes planning and must be tied to your company’s business plan.
One way to get your good news story told is to give media interviews. To prepare for a proactive media interview I recommend the following:

• research the most appropriate media outlet to pitch your story
• become familiar with the news outlet and the reporter
• identify the goal of the interview. Is it to inform, educate, engage, influence, or inspire?
• develop your main message or theme – think of it as the headline of the story
• prepare up to three supporting points to illustrate and validate the main message including background information, data, anecdotes
• define who you are talking to and write your main message with the audience in mind
• anticipate and prepare for likely and dreaded questions media may ask
• practice, practice, practice

Marielle offers media programs to help her clients tell their organization’s story with confidence and be more in control of the media interview. For more information go to www.redworkscommunications.com

Marielle Gauthier, owner and principal of Redworks Communications, is an accredited business communicator with 15+ years of experience in media relations and strategic communications planning. She is also a certified Neuroleadership / Results Coach helping her clients change their thinking to create positive and powerful changes in both their personal and professional lives.

A ‘goal worth going for’ will truly change your life because it will change how you feel, think and act on a daily basis. This goal will focus on the core issue, be visionary, inspiring, challenging, achievable, snappy, positive and measurable. Does this sound exciting to you? Are you ready to change your life? If so, read on!

Define the core issue
To have real change in your life you need to define the core issue behind why you want to achieve a certain goal. For example, you may want to quit smoking which is a great goal, however, go one step further and write down everything you are thinking of or feeling about in this area – too expensive, my spouse doesn’t like it, my doctor told me to quit, second hand smoke exposure, I want to play soccer with my grandchildren, and the list goes on until you can’t think of anything else. Then by process of elimination, identify the issues that would have the least impact within this area at this time leaving you with the core issue that would have the most impact for you if achieved.

After doing this work you may see that what is most important to you is being able to play soccer with your grandchildren. The focus of the goal then becomes ‘playing with your grandchildren’ and the real reason you want to achieve the goal rather than the goal of ‘quitting smoking.’ By getting to the core issue, the goal will make you more passionate and determined with achieving it because there is so much more at stake – your health and your relationship with your family.

Visionary and Inspiring
David Rock, author of Quiet Leadership and founder of the Results Coaching System, says “you want to develop a goal that is visionary and inspiring to pull you forward and draw the best out of you.” This is a goal you never thought possible. It’s a dream you never dared to follow through with or even something you gave up on perhaps because of life circumstances. Questions that may help you develop a visionary goal are: What else would I like to achieve in my work/business or personal life? What have I always dreamed of doing? What would I like to be doing differently?

Challenging yet Achievable in 90 days
You want a goal that is challenging. In fact, you’re not even sure how you’re going to achieve it – you just sense and know that it will work out if you commit to doing the work. This will help you stretch yourself by thinking and doing things differently then you normally would. You want to grow yourself by making new personal discoveries, learn new skills and even develop new habits.

The goal, however, must be achievable within a 90-day period and you need to truly believe that the goal can be achieved within this time period. David Rock states that, “90 days is enough time to really make an impact on people’s lives, but short enough to maintain motivation and excitement.” If you don’t truly believe that the goal is achievable then you won’t be committed or serious about doing the work.

If you think the goal is too big then break it down into smaller chunks that can be realistically achieved. Once you have achieved the first goal, then work toward the second, and then the next, ultimately working your way to achieving your ultimate goal. E.g. If your goal is ‘to be debt-free’ but you owe $10,000 in credit cards and you have a mortgage of $100,000, then don’t set yourself up for frustration, for being overwhelmed and possibly even failure. Rather set another goal to, ‘pay off one of my credit cards” or “reduce my mortgage by 5%.” These goals are more achievable within 90 days and then you can develop another goal to chip away at the debt level and eventually reach your ultimate goal of being ‘debt free.’

Make it snappy!
Remember that the goal statement you write is your motivation for change and you’re going to be repeating it often during the next 90 days. So keep the goal statement short, snappy and memorable using around seven words.

If you’re visual, use a visual element in the goal statement. If the visual statement has an emotional context then that is even better. E.g. ‘credit cards at zero,’ ‘to break ground,’ or ‘fit into my favourite jeans.’

Needs a Measure
The goal needs to be measurable otherwise how will you know you have achieved, or are close to achieving your goal? The measure is accurate and objective and can be related to: a time in your life, ‘to be as fit as I was in my 20’s’, a numeric scale ‘5 new clients’, or a physical outcome, ‘to have as much energy as my daughter.’

Lastly, develop a plan of action made up of small and manageable steps and you will attain your goal before you know it! So dream big and stretch yourself into a new life!

Marielle Gauthier, is a certified Results Coach. She facilitates the client’s journey to identify and reach personal and professional goals, create new habits, develop new ways of thinking and maximize their full potential . She can be reached at marielle@redworkscommunications.com or phone (306) 955-3205.

I am now in the exciting new world of entrepreneurship owning my own communication consulting and personal coaching business. It has been quite the journey so far learning about what I need to know and do to start the business off on the right foot. As time permits, between running the business, acquiring work and doing the work, I will blog about the ups and downs of  being in business as well as provide you with useful information on communication and coaching. Talk to you soon.