Binge-Watching: Four Keys to Success

In the pre-DVR era, I used to videotape sporting events to watch at a later time. During those tenuous hours between recording and viewing I walked on egg shells for fear I would unwittingly discover the game’s outcome. Friends had to be avoided for fear of a score leak. Newscasts? Verboten! I went radio silent until I saw the time-shifted game for myself.

Now, media goes with us, and so do the games. However, I still walk on egg shells and the reason can be summed up in two words: “Breaking Bad.” As I binge watch my way through Season Four, every day is a minefield through which I tip toe, leaving the smallest footprints this side of Al Gore.

So far, I have been successful. Outside, it’s 2013, but in my media mind it’s still the summer of 2011 and the fourth season of “Breaking Bad” is as fresh as the coffee I gulp to stay up and watch “just one more episode.” But my success has been no accident. It takes sharply-honed avoidance skills to win at this game. So no matter what your binge du jour, here are a few tips to help keep you in the dark.

Declare Your Intentions
If you are binge watching an old show, make sure your friends, family, associates, mail carrier and everyone in between knows what you are up to. You can offer those closest to you rewards for their spoiler-keeping abilities. Dinner, drinks, maybe both. Conversely, if you are in a position of power, threaten those around you who might let the odd plot twist slip. If my college students tell me anything more specific than “Sklyer is a bitch,” they know they will fail.

Hold Your Tongue
There’s a reason certain TV programs are called “water cooler” shows. People love to talk about them. Discussing your binge passion with others, no matter how tempting, is an invitation for disaster. Go about your business. Draw no attention to your secret life. As the Pollo Man says, “hide in plain sight.”

Be Like the Ostrich
We are exposed to thousands of messages a day, and only a handful of them come from people we know. Not only is Big Brother watching; he’s talking too. And he is intent on tipping off your binge storyline. Web sites, TV commercials, morning radio zoo crews and award shows are only a few of the outlets you need to avoid during your watching period. Put your head in the sand and avoid them all. Period.

Hyper-Binge
The longer it takes you to finish your viewing, the more likely someone will divulge sensitive information. Therefore, reduce your spoiler window and watch as much as you can as fast as you can.

In short, the successful binge watcher is an anti-social creature who must put a good chunk of their life on hold in order to scratch their viewing itch. Is it worth it? You bet. And if anyone ridicules you for obsessing over a season of television that has long past, just channel your inner Heisenberg, look them in the eye and say “Over? It’s not over until I say it’s over.”

Cell Phones are Bad for Business

I just got back from a trade show and, despite the hopes of the event organizers, here is my main takeaway: Cell Phones are Killing Your Business.

This event had about 150 exhibitors. At any given time, maybe one third of them were engaging attendees (which is the whole purpose of a trade show). To my shock (but alack, not surprise), about half of the people working the other tables were sitting there texting. OK, maybe they were checking emails, but you get the point. You can’t engage customers with your nose in your phone!

If I were to approach these people and ask why they were wasting their time and money (after all, they could text at home for free), I imagine they would make the following excuses…to which I offer some winning alternatives.

Them: I only text when there is on one at my booth.
Me: Guess what? If you keep texting no one will visit your booth. It’s Nonverbal Communication 101. Make eye contact. Smile. Engage!

Them: I was checking in with my boss.
Me: Your boss can wait. You have a limited window of opportunity at this networking event. Use it before it closes. Your boss will be there later. These people will not.

Them: There’s nothing else to do.
Me: Why not stand up (chairs, like cell phones, should be left in your car) and talk to the people at the booths near yours. Introduce yourself. Ask how business is. Learn something.

Yes we need to stay connected. But there is a time and a place, and the few hours you have to engage potential customers on the floor of a trade show is not one of them.

Job Interview Tip: Anticipate

When teaching the art of impromptu speech, one key point always surprises both media training clients and public speaking students: Anticipate. The idea of anticipating an impromptu speech, after all, seems like an oxymoron.

To stress my point, I use a job interview scenario. Something most everyone can relate to and a skill at which we all wish to excel. Follow these simple tips and you’ll do just that.

Make a List
While there is a current HR trend towards unique interview questions, I still believe that most interviewees can guess about 80% of the questions they will be asked. Pull out a pen and paper and start thinking.

Craft Your Answers
You know that list you just made? Review it and map out your answers. Think them through and couch them in terms that will resonate with your audience (the interviewer). Trust me; nothing feels better than being asked an interview question that you already know the answer to. A positive byproduct of this is that you will exude confidence, which makes you an even more appealing candidate.

Speak Up
Don’t simple think through your answers, speak through them. Practice your delivery out loud several times and listen to how you sound. This extra step will go a long way toward improving your interview image.

Mind the Gap
Early in his working life, a friend of mine decided to follow his heart’s desire to be an actor. For 18 months, he lived off his savings, took classes, went to auditions and even landed a few roles. Still, he realized the actor’s life was not for him and returned to the corporate world. I admire him for following his dream, but I can’t forgive the fact that he didn’t anticipate that he would be asked about the one and a half years “missing” from his resume. Instead of stumbling through an apologetic reply, some preparation could spin this gap into a self-enhancing journey that makes him a better person today.

Remember, the next time you think you will be asked to speak impromptu, the preparation is in the anticipation.

Boost Your Pitching Success Rate

Play-off baseball is here and once again we are reminded that even the best hitters in the game fail seven out of 10 times. When it comes to pitching stories, what is your batting average? More important, will your client call you a superstar if you connect one-third of the time?

One way to boost your average is to have a better relationship with the people you are pitching. One way to get that better relationship is to talk to them even when you are not selling.

No one thinks of the person that calls them only when they need a favor as a friend. That’s not a relationship; it’s a one-way street. But the person that calls just to say “hi,” even when they don’t want anything in return, well…that’s a relationship.

Here are a few tips to help you increase your average.

Notice Their Work
Read stories by the people you are pitching, especially the ones that aren’t yours. When you see one you like, call the reporter and tell them so. You’ll be surprised how shocked they’ll be that you have no ulterior motive for calling.

Keep it Brief
Follow the first tip, but, just as if you were pitching, be considerate of the reporter’s deadlines and time restrictions.

Stay Upbeat
Having a relationship doesn’t mean that you’ll place every story you pitch. Take rejection well. Remember, it’s a marathon, not a sprint.

PR is all about relationships and calling people even when you are not selling is a great way to start. It won’t happen overnight, but as the poet Josiah Gilbert Holland wrote, “That which grows slowly, endures.”