Honesty,the,Best,Policy,Especi marketing Honesty is the Best Policy -- Especially When It Comes to De
Automation technologies represent a fundamental aspect of any modern industry. The major types of industrial automation solutions, such as DCS, PLC, SCADA, and MES, are used on a large-scale in process and discrete industries.DCS technologie Awhile ago, I got an email from one of the "gurus" I follow and it shocked me. The gist of it was this person wanted to trade services for a household item.To say it floored me would be an understatement.What was worse was a few days later t
As a child growing up in Chicago, my friends and Iwould often yell at each other, "Cheaters neverprosper!" if we thought someone was playingunfairly on our Catholic school playground. In thebusiness world over the years, I've learned thatthere's a lot of truth in that statement. Cheatersdon't always succeed in business, and while we'reon the subject, liars are always discovered. We've seen these lessons played out a lot lately.The newspapers have been flooded with commentaryabout a former New York Times reporter and thepoor conduct he displayed by purposely filinginaccurate stories. While his actions have cast avery negative light on the journalism community asa whole, causing many business owners to wonder ifthey've been treated fairly by the media in thepast, it's important to note that unscrupulousreporters represent just a few "bad apples" in avery large barrel. Most journalists possess greatintegrity. It's their job to search for the truthso if you're a small-business owner ready to tellyour company story, honesty is still the bestpolicy - especially when it comes to dealing withthe press. So why do people lie to the press in the firstplace? You'd think that the most obvious answerwould be because they have something to hide. Inactuality many times lies are told inadvertently.Here are common examples and the ways in which toavoid these mistakes before it destroys yourreputation: · Not knowing what to say when a reporter phones.Two examples come to mind. First it's always toughbeing a business owner because sometimes crisesarise. When they do surface, it's difficult toknow what to say to anyone, let alone a reporter.Second, it can be equally difficult to conductinterviews with the press if you're either a newbusiness owner or you've only had limited exposureto media interviews. In either case, it's simplyunnecessary to lie, because if you know yourselfand your business inside out, then you will haveplenty to say. When in doubt about a question, askthe reporter to clarify then give the straightestanswer possible, and only elaborate if you feelcomfortable doing so. Perceiving your company story to be boring. Neverembellish your company story. Remember that inaddition to the basic facts about your company,it's the little tidbits that seem unimportant thatcan actually peak a reporter's interest. Not knowing how to respond to the reporter'squestions. There's no shame in not knowing ananswer. The reporter will respect your honesty,and by doing so, your story placement can still besecured - as long as you make it a top priority tofind the answers to the questions and deliver themto the reporter immediately. Lack of preparation before the interview. Do alittle research on the reporter prior to theinterview by reading past articles. Then try toanticipate the types of questions that reportermight ask, and prepare truthful answers for them.It's fine to ask the reporter what the story topicwill be before doing the interview. Thatinformation will also give you some additionalclues about the story's tone.If you don't believe me, then take advice fromveteran CBS News anchor, Dan Rather. He says whendoubt as to how you should answer a reporter'squestions, there is four acceptable answers: 1. I know that answer, and I will give it to you 2. I don't know the answer, but I will try to findit and give it to you 3. I know the answer, but I'm not going to tellyou 4. I know the answer, but I'll have to kill you ifI tell you. The last one, of course, is a joke, but you getthe idea. Next month's topic will cover what youshould say once the media calls. Until then followplayground rules and never lie to the media -period. There is no profit in doing so, and you'llonly end up hurting yourself and your company'scredibility. Always tell the truth, even if thetruth turns out not to be all that interesting.
Honesty,the,Best,Policy,Especi