The PR Breakdown with Molly McPherson

Whether you work as a public speaker or occasionally find yourself giving a speech in front of a room, there is an outcome you are likely trying to achieve:  Persuasion ? Sales ? Inspire change ?  At the end of this episode, I promise you that the next speech you make in front of an audience or speak for a live video presentation will be the best you have ever made. Allison Shapira, author of Spea...

Whenever there is a crisis, there is often the truth, and then there is the story we hear.  Managing a crisis in the age of social media isn't easy, especially when there are so many people with an opinion and a Twitter account.  To get it right means you need to respond in a manner that makes it go away. Fall into this trap that so many people ensnarled in a crisis do, and you'll never...

Power outages and no running water have left Texas and other parts of the South reeling from the effects of a deep freeze in mid-February that has created a huge communication need for services that meet the most basic needs. The recent natural disasters have shown that social media is an integral part of the crisis response. When leadership and communications work together to plan the right respo...

Just found out your dear friend or family member was giving a scary diagnosis? Do you not know how to deal with it? Wondering how to respond? This episode is here to help. A deeply personal episode about how to respond to a friend or loved one who has recently been diagnosed with a shocking and serious diagnosis. Although there may not be a set script for the best words to say to a friend or loved...

The first day of February opens a month that offers many opportunities to acknowledge the achievements and struggles of this group, both past and present. In this episode, why many companies and organizations may choose to overlook this important communication opportunity in February, and the potential negative impact if they do not.  A must-listen for communicators who are struggling how to appro...

Sometimes the hardest part of dealing with a bad news story for communicators, is dealing with a boss whose opinions or behavior become the story. In an episode inspired by the recent story of the CEO of a restaurant group wading in on the 2020 election results with disastrous results, Dr. Abby Medcalf offers a guide for people who need to navigate complicated situations with a difficult boss. Fro...

Is there anything worse than having to deliver a message to someone when you know they don’t want to hear it? Not only is it one of the most dreadful conversations you can have, it can also lead to permanent pain if not handled properly. On this episode of the podcast, how to deliver bad news and not be left in a position where the recipient wants to shoot the messenger - you. Whether in an offici...

There does come a point when someone’s behavior puts them in a place of no return when it comes to the acceptance of the public. But where is that line? And who draws it? Was it wrong to attend President Donald Trump’s speech on the National Mall, in Washington, D.C. on January 6th? Did a person cross the line if they climbed the steps and crossed the threshold of the U.S. Capitol?     One of my f...

There were a lot of questions surrounding the storming of the U.S. Capitol last week. Of the many—what should my company say, if anything, about the events in Washington, D.C.?   My guest, Anthony Hayes, sets out a strategy for how executives can respond to any political or social issue without experiencing the backlash.  Anthony Hayes has spent more than 15 years in communications, crisis and iss...

After Hilaria (ahem, Hillary) Baldwin became the subject of a huge, trending news story during one of the slowest news weeks of the year—she and husband Alec needed a solid response plan.  One course of action, of course, would be to admit that she has misrepresented herself over the past decade by faking a Spanish accent, and then take an extended break from Instagram.  The other—fight back. Turn...

The third part of a series on the best communication tactics during COVID-19, these are episodes I am replaying that are still relevant today as they were in the spring of 2020.* I have assembled a group of savvy professionals working in crisis and risk management, public relations, strategy & planning to offer their take on how to communicate for COVID-19, still!  *Except for the mention of p...

The second part of a series on the best communication tactics during COVID-19, these are episodes I am replaying that are still relevant today as they were in March 2020. The focus is on leadership during the pandemic. Even months later, it's easy to spot the leaders who get how to lead in public, and the ones who are missing the mark.    Here are seven different tactics leaders can use to bu...

Communicators who have been responding to the outbreak of the coronavirus since last spring know how stressful it can be to write the content about your organization's ongoing response.   I hear you.  That is why I launched the COVID 19 communication series at the end of 2020 to recount episodes from the first months of the pandemic that still provide valuable insights and tactics that can be...

Knowing how to respond when a friend mourns the loss of a loved one can be confusing.  People struggle to find the right words to say or to the right thing to do to help a friend cope with grief. Many do not know how to help ease the burden of grieving, especially with quarantine restrictions imposed by the pandemic.  This episode is for the person who wants to understand what to say, what to do,...

A holiday primer for sending a holiday card on behalf of your business—the 2020 edition.  Should you send a holiday card this year? Do you send a Christmas, holiday, or E-card? And Hanukkah and Kwanza? Who to send a card to, where, and what to say.  Plus, easy-to-remember, easy-to-apply tips for getting through a task that many of us put off every year.  Don't forget to download your holiday...

We’re all over-talkers. But not knowing when to shut up can lead to bigger problems.  In this episode Molly shares the importance of knowing when to stop talking in a discussion, argument or negotiation so that you don't create an undesirable outcome for yourself. Plus, an easy-to-follow method for how to do it. Listen + Subscribe Spotify or Apple Podcasts   © Molly McPherson 2020

According to this week’s guest, the British royal family has the greatest long-term brand of any organization.   Hard to argue with public relations strategist Julia Angelen Joy. Not only is she an ardent follower of the Windsors, she is also a fan of Netflix drama, The Crown . That’s where I come in. When I read Julia’s blog post, 16 Royal PR Lessons , I knew I needed to bring her on the podcast...

The hottest social media app on the market has exploded amid growing frustration over the alleged censorship of pro-conservative posts by Facebook and Twitter. So what is Parler about and who is using it? Listen to hear everything you need to know about the social media platform and whether it is the right place for you.   Listen + Subscribe Stitcher or Apple Podcasts © Molly McPherson 2020

An estimated 161 million Americans took the polls—either by mail or in-person—to elect a president. What happened after that was a week of division and confusion. One president-elect is declared, the other says, "Not so fast. Even in a competitive election, there was one winning strategy that struck me when it came to creating a wave of support for selling your next product, idea, or campaign...

According to my guest, there are no natural-born experts when it comes to dealing with the media. Even the legends need help speaking in front of the camera.  Why is it then, that so many people who are in a position to speak with the press about positive media coverage, dealing with a contentious issue, or managing a full-blown crisis, choose not to receive the training to help them put their org...

In an interview that made headlines last week, 60 Minutes correspondent Leslie Stahl asked President Trump, "Are you ready for some tough questions?" Whether he was or not, viewers will never know because Trump left the interview. Learn how to build the architecture behind the perfect PR response to stay one step ahead of, rather than behind, a story about your organization. Public opini...

During the recent confirmation hearings, Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, asked Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett to show the notes she was working from while answering questions for the past few hours. She held up a blank block of notebook paper and said, “Just a letterhead that says United States Senate.”  Now that’s memorization!  On this episode of The Confident Communications Podcast, how to...

If you watched the first presidential debate in 2020, you may have felt like you were watching history - a train wreck of historic proportions. For 90 minutes President Trump repeatedly interjected and clashed with former Vice President Joe Biden. When it was Biden's turn to speak, he vacillated between exasperated smiles and astonished dismay. What may have appeared to look like a chaotic me...

With the rising demand for transparency from the public, organizations and their leaders are learning the importance of interacting openly and honestly with their stakeholders. The leaders and organizations who interact openly and honestly with the media and the public, will be rewarded with trust and credibility. Similarly, those who try to mislead and deceive will find themselves in a hole fille...

Everyone makes mistakes. However, not everyone admits to making them, and that can lead to much bigger problems.  Talk show host Ellen DeGeneres used the opening monologue of her season premiere to address her role allegations of a toxic production environment at the daytime series in her opening monologue. It was time to admit a mistake.  Learn five maneuvers to help create an architecture for ge...