If you are in a ranking position at your firm, you may be contacted by reporters occasionally seeking comment for a story. These pointers will help make your interview go smoothly. (A spokesperson requires special training, which is beyond the scope of this column.)

1. Study the issue. Ideally, you'll be given time to research the topic and acquaint yourself with the major details. Through Web searches, e-mails with outside sources and phone calls to others, you can gather important information.

Try to imagine the types of questions you'll be asked, and find the answers. Have notes and printouts at your fingertips, and be ready to refer to or review them. The conversation may be relatively brief--perhaps 10 to 15 minutes--so make sure you can find the particular details quickly.

2. Start off with and maintain a positive tone. Even if you think the reporter will take an adversarial position, begin the conversation in a friendly manner. Answering the phone with, “Oh, hi, how are you?” or “How’s the weather by you?” should set a positive tone. No need to get too friendly—some reporters may resent that, especially if they don’t know you—but you can take advantage of the contact to potentially change a negative perception.

Maintain your composure throughout, even if it appears that you’re being badgered or boxed into a corner. Chances are that won’t be the case. (Unless, or course, your firm is involved in a major crisis. Then it’s time to call in a public relations expert.) The reporter is a business person also, and is simply doing his or her job. Part of that job is to remain detached.

3. Compose your thoughts before speaking. The reporter will probably record the conversation for convenience and accuracy. Print reporters sometimes clean up or paraphrase a comment that is less than perfect. But quotes for broadcast may contain your verbal tics (um’s, ah’s, and er’s, as well as pauses). Practicing your answers in advance helps, but you may still be a bit nervous during the interview. Before answering a question, pause for a couple seconds to compose yourself and your answer. Be sure to speak clearly and at a moderate pace. You’ll sound better on the air.

4. End on a positive note. Thank the reporter for the opportunity to present your side of the issue. If the conversation went well, the reporter may ask to keep you on the list for future contacts. Becoming recognized as a willing subject on a topic can garner you and your firm valuable exposure later.

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“Dispatch advises that the suspect is still on the scene.” So goes a familiar line from a popular TV show.

While 'advise' may be used in this manner, it means primarily to offer advice; that is, recommend or suggest a course of action.

"Our attorney advised us to rewrite our employee handbook."

A more appropriate verb is 'inform'.

"The marketing manager informed his staff that…."

"I was informed of this change…."

"After being informed of the new rules, we decided to…."

Copyright 2007, TRF, Wisconsin

If one is to complain loudly over problems, the old saying goes, one should also give credit when it is due. Such is the case with my recent issue regarding Symantec.

As I mentioned in my earlier blog, I experienced problems renewing my anti-virus program, then in accessing their system so I could retrieve the latest definitions.

For some reason I was unable to renew via the dialog box that opens when you launch Norton. I would click on "renew," and after about a minute or two, the screen would reply that it could not open the page I was requesting. Symantec's system was unresponsive or the page gone; I still don't know which. That's what prompted the
e-mails to California.

Eventually I went to their web site and found a link that allowed me to renew. Well, it took my money anyway. But after charging my credit card, I found that I still couldn't retrieve the latest definitions. As I said the other day, it was as if Symantec's left hand didn't know what its right hand was doing.

Back to their web site I went. After some digging I finally found a page to post a comment. Their system responded with a toll-free phone number and a "Priority Number" for my complaint. Aha! I was finally getting somewhere. But it still took some patience.

I called the Online Support Number, only to learn that she couldn't help me. Wrong department, you see. She transferred me to Technical Support. Ooops, says the next person, gotta send you to Customer Service. Hmmm. Now I'm getting a little steamed. Especially since I have to repeat the details of my problem each time, despite the fact that the customer service person is typing notes as I speak. (Notes which are entered into a file which other employees can read when they access my complaint file.)

Anyway, this person then states that, yep, I have the wrong department again. Back to Technical Support. By this point I'm more than a bit ticked, especially since I have to explain the situation again. But at least this guy seems to know what to do.

And what does he do? Goes into their system and manually renews my subscription. And he did it in about two minutes. Why someone else couldn't figure out the solution I don't know, but at least the matter is resolved. Even if I had to sit on phone for nearly 40 minutes total. (In case you're wondering: Yes, Symantec uses an oversees firm to handle customer service calls. Try it sometime and see if you understand the accents.)

In all fairness, each person who took my call was friendly and sounded empathetic. Each tried to help in his or her on way. Perhaps the final person was really the only one knowledgeable enough to diagnose and correct my problem.

Bottom line: The matter is resolved, my virus definitions are updated, and I'm a happy camper again. At least until January 2008 when I get to try again. Happy thought.

Bottom line #2: Perhaps it's not a good idea to try to renew via their web site. The dialog box apparently is programmed to access a particular page which, if reached successfully, will take your money and update their system. Problem was, I couldn't access that page. Guess I should've tried to find a phone number instead.

What's with Symantec?

First I had a heck of a time trying to renew my subscription. I'd click on the Renew button, there'd be a long pause, and then I'd get the message that the particular page I need is unavailable.

I finally got their system to renew my sub., but now I can't download the lastest virus definitions. Their system doesn't understand that I have renewed: The right hand doesn't know what the left hand is doing.

Several e-mails to them have gone unanswered. And of course, they don't provide a toll-free number on their web site. Apparently they feel they're so good and popular they can afford to thumb their noses at an occasional customer. Guess it's time to find another brand of anti-virus software.