Tech PR – The Power of “Negative” Thinking
Posted on Saturday, November 21st, 2009
Years ago I interviewed motivational author Wayne Dyer. I found him incisive, pragmatic, brilliant and at one point irascible — like CEOs I’ve known and admired. It was such a welcome contrast to his warm, fuzzy public persona that I quickly liked the man and forgave him his books.
Although Dyer didn’t launch the movement, for many he embodies the cult of positive thinking so superbly lampooned in Barbara Ehrenreich’s “Bright-Sided: How the Relentless Promotion of Positive Thinking Has Undermined America.” Ehrenreich finds “there is no kind of problem or obstacle for which positive thinking or a positive attitude has not been proposed as a cure.” She has no beef with feeling good. Her targets are those who substitute “mind over matter” for Reason. To Ehrenreich, it’s fine for Deepak Chopra to tell fourth stage cancer patients that positive thinking will improve their quality of life. But offering them the false hope that thinking will add a single day to their lives is, to Ehrenreich, a lie or worse — an all-too-convenient way to gloss over and minimize their very real life crisis. Equally appalling: the motivator’s mantra that we “attract” negative outcomes by thinking about them. Try telling those who are ill, unemployed or both that it’s their fault for “holding the wrong thoughts.”
If you doubt the negative potential of positive thinking, remember that it was mindless confidence in Wall Street that led to the financial meltdown of 2008.
Ehrenreich’s ideas are anathema to many in America, where we associate optimism with “the good” and relentlessly cleave to a positive outlook. But in abandoning the intellect for dogma of any kind, we give up something far greater: the truth. PR, in that case, is mere propaganda.
I, for one, refuse. Whenever some giddy optimist asks my advice on a project he or she claims “will change the world and introduce a new paradigm,” I put it to the test with 13 questions:
- What is the core news story, in 10 words or less?
- How does this news “move the dime” on what you’ve already done?
- How exactly is it new, different or better than what anyone else has done before?
- Can you prove your claim with independent third party analysis?
- Can you support it with customer testimonials?
If the answers validate the news, I proceed to the next 8 questions:
- Has any journalist covered this or kindred topics before, and if so, who?
- Was the coverage positive? Then these are the top media targets.
- Do any analysts or journalists have a known bias against the news topic, and if so, how will we deal with them?
- Does the planned announcement date overlap with any major industry event like a trade show? There is little point in making a major announcement when key press are out of their offices. If the announcement date is set in stone and conflicts with a show, it might be wise to attend the event, issue the release there and hold interviews on-site.
- Does the announcement date bump up against any other potential conflicts, e.g., major holidays, earnings announcements of competitors (particularly larger ones), or the SEC “quiet period” surrounding your company’s own quarterly financial statements?
- Will the spokesperson be available for interviews on the day of the announcement, and just in case, are there back-up spokespersons to handle overflow interviews?
- Are the spokespersons media trained, i.e., when you put them in front of an analyst or journalist, will they know how to comport themselves?
- What is your contingency plan if management pulls back from the announcement after it’s already out and TV crews are lined up outside for interviews. (Happened to me once.)
Many a Pollyanna has exited such sessions deflated and convinced I’m the PR equivalent of “Dr. No.” Others cut me off at Question #2, angry that I would dare challenge their idea. “You are so negative!” is the usual charge. Not true. I’m as upbeat as they come. I just ask the tough questions up-front. A realistic approach based on honest appraisal of the facts always puts me in a positive frame of mind. Thank you for reminding us all, Barbara!
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