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As Wendy’s has found out, a crisis often can be caused by an outside party bad intentions. But, how it’s handled by the organization usually is the lasting impression. And Wendy’s has been heralded widely for its handling of the recent allegation by a Las Vegas woman that she found a finger in her chili from one of the chain’s San Jose, CA, restaurants.
The customer was arrested on April 22nd and Fox News business maven Neil Cavuto interviewed Wendy’s senior vice president, Denny Lynch. The questions were not softballs; Cavuto tried to get Lynch to speculate, answer "what if?" Lynch didn’t take the bait. He responded on his terms, staying on message. It’s an impressive job.
Click here to see the Lynch interview. (Flash Player)
The Buried Sound Bite
It’s easy to get caught up in the flow of a news interview and drawn into a conversation. Interviews have all the characteristics of conversations except for one major difference: conversations usually are not edited for quotes that are then disseminated through the media.
Reporters are listening for quotes, or sound bites. They need you to get to the point and then, if needed, give them the details.
After November’s election, and not long before she left her job as CEO of Hewlett–Packard, Carly Fiorina was interviewed by Fox News Channel’s Cavuto about her position on outsourcing…a pretty sensitive issue, you may recall, during the last election season.
Articulate and in control, Fiorna had some very strong and well thought out things to say. As you watch and listen, what is the sound bite you would use if you were editing this video? Then, play the one we selected and see if you agree.
Click here for Carly's actual response. (Flash Player)
Click here to see how we think she should've begun her answer. (Flash Player)
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