- Email: [email protected]
Effective communications using key messaging
Clinics in Dermatology (2012) 30, 141–143
DERMATOLOGIC DISQUISITIONS AND OTHER ESSAYS Edited by Philip R. Cohen, MD
Effective communications using key messaging Patricia K. Farris MD ⁎ Department of Dermatology, Tulane University School of Medicine, 1430 Tulane Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70112
Introduction Dermatologists have opportunities as communicators that are unique to our specialty. Consumers and patients have a never-ending hunger for information about their skin and how to keep it healthy and beautiful. Accordingly, we are sought after as speakers at medical meetings, for community gatherings, and by the media. In fact, no other medical specialty is so integrally tied to the mainstream media. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, dermatologists generated 1.4 billion media impressions in 2009. Dermatologists may also find themselves interfacing with the skin care industry, where we are valued consultants. In this capacity, we may be called upon to speak at sales meetings, assist with product launches, and participate in press events. And of course, many dermatologists serve as spokespersons for their own skin care lines. It is this “medicine meets mass market” aspect of our specialty that makes it imperative that we are competent communicators. To effectively communicate and educate the public about our specialty, it is important to learn how to develop key messages. A key message is the most important information that you want to communicate to an audience. Your key message should be a compelling clear statement that resonates with your audience. It is the one thing that you
Most of the information in this article was presented by Patricia Farris, MD, director of the “Effective Communications: Delivering Key Messages” workshop at the American Academy of Dermatology's 2010 Summer Academy Meeting in Chicago, IL. ⁎ Corresponding author. Old Metairie Dermatology, 701 Metairie Rd, Metairie, LA 70001. Tel.: +1 504 836 2050; fax: +1 504 836 9795. E-mail address: [email protected]. 0738-081X/$ – see front matter © 2012 Published by Elsevier Inc. doi:10.1016/j.clindermatol.2010.12.001
want your audience to remember about your presentation or interview. Key messaging helps you focus your material and leaves listeners with a take-home message.
Developing key messages that speak to your audience The skill of key messaging can be used in a variety of presentation settings. You should develop key messages for community talks, scientific presentations, and media interviews. Key messaging can be used when communicating with patients and their family members. Key messaging is also an important skill for those who serve in leadership roles on boards and committees. The first step in developing key messages is to determine what you want to communicate and to whom you are communicating. Make sure the message that you choose speaks to your audience. If, for example, you are talking about skin cancer to senior business executives, an appropriate key message might focus on early detection and skin self-examination. If that same subject is being discussed with a high school class, avoidance of tanning beds and use of other methods of sun protection might be a more appropriate key message. In a print interview, consider who the readers might be. How old are they, what sex are they, and what interests do they have that make them readers of this publication? This will help you target key messages that will be appropriate for the readership. For television interviews, speak to the producer booking your interview and try to get as much information about the segment as you can. Is it a lifestyle piece or a medical piece? Who is conducting the interview? What time of day will the segment be aired? All of these items are important and will help you determine who will be in your audience.
142 Table 1
P.K. Farris Three key messages for interviews or presentations
#1 Make sure your main key message is something that is new, exciting, timely, unique, emotional, or relevant to many #2 Your second key message should support your main message with examples, comparisons, anecdotes, or research. #3 Your final key message should include a call to action (a web site, a phone number, etc).
Key message # 1 It is generally recommended that three key messages be developed for any interview or presentation (Table 1). Your main key message is the most important message. It should contain information that is new, exciting, and timely. It may identify a trend, a first-time observation, or a new finding. The main key message should be a brief statement, containing only one or two sentences, and it should take no longer than 10 to 15 seconds to deliver. The most effective key messages are those that give the audience a personal stake in the issue. For example, “Avoiding sun exposure will help your skin maintain a youthful and healthy appearance” is a key message that serves as a call to action for listeners to protect their skin. As physicians, we need to make sure that we avoid medical jargon or acronyms in our message. We are trained to communicate in medical terms and often discuss medical problems in complex terms; and of course, most dermatologic terminology is not familiar to the general public. Instead, use words and phrases similar to what you use to describe conditions and treatments to your patients. Keep it simple, speaking in easily recognizable sound bites and sticking to the basics. When developing your main key message, take into consideration how you want to focus your presentation or interview and who is in your audience. Using acne as a subject, consider the key message, “Acne is the most common skin disorder in the United States, affecting 40 to 50 million Americans.” This is a compelling key message that speaks to the pervasive nature of this condition. “Acne is a common skin condition that is psychologically devastating to those who suffer with it,” is a compelling key message that gives the audience an emotional stake. It also has an implied call to action, making one feel compelled to help those around them who suffer with acne. Although both key messages could be used in a presentation on acne, the direction of your presentation after each of these messages would be very different.
and statistics. This helps to establish your credibility as a source and gives credence to your main key message. The American Academy of Dermatology's (Academy) Key Messages booklet is available to all members and serves as an invaluable resource on a variety of subjects. This guide contains useful facts, statistics, and study findings. If, for example, your interview is on new therapies for psoriasis, your second key message might be “The cost of treatment associated with psoriasis was $1.2 billion in 2004.” Statistics such as this can be found in the Key Messages booklet, which is available online in the Academy's Member Media Relations Toolkit at www.aad.org/members/media. This toolkit also contains tips for media interviews, talking points on important topics, and customizable press materials for reaching out to local media and raising your practice's profile. In addition, journalists and audiences love patient stories and anecdotes. These real life stories add a human component to your presentation, giving the audience something to which it can relate. In view of patient privacy, stories should never include any identifying information. Phrases such as “in my practice” allow you to use a patient and practice anecdotes without giving specific information. In a talk or interview about the safety of nail salons, for example, you might say “In my practice, I advise my patients to bring their own tools to the salon to avoid cross contamination.” Or, “I have seen several patients in my practice who have developed nail infections after having manicures in a salon.” These patient vignettes make it real for your audience.
Key message #3 The final key message should be a call to action for listeners. It may be something as simple as visiting a web site for further information or a call to action like, “See your dermatologist.” “Learn more about this condition and treatment options through the American Academy of Dermatology web site at www.AAD.org,” is an excellent third message. You need to stay positive in your call to action message, focusing on what the audience can do, not on what they cannot do. In an interview on warts, for example, your third message might be “if over-the-counter wart treatments fail, see your dermatologist, who can offer you many effective treatments.” This is preferable to a key message like, “don't bother with over-the-counter treatments because they usually don't work.”
Bridging phrases Key message #2 Your second key message is designed to back up your main key message. This message should contain facts, anecdotes, or a patient example. Use studies, research, facts,
In an interview or talk, invariably somebody will ask a question that gets you off track. It might be a question totally off the subject or something that will lead your discussion into an unexpected or even undesirable direction. Bridging
Effective communications using key messaging phrases are important phrases that can bring you back to your key messages. In the event of an unexpected question, you can give a brief answer to that question and then use a phrase like, “As I was saying” or “let me point out again” as you bridge back to your key message. You do not necessarily have to answer an unwanted question. You can dismiss the question as off topic or not relevant to your discussion. In this case, you might say, “That is an interesting question, however, it might be more appropriate to discuss that another time. So, as I was saying,” using a bridging phrase to get back to your key message. Do not be surprised if the interviewer asks the unwanted question again. This is actually quite common. Do not feel obligated to entertain the question even at a second request, but it is important to dismiss it diplomatically.
Staying focused The best way to stay focused is to be prepared. Reporters are trained to ask the questions who, what, where, when, and why. You should anticipate the most negative and skeptical questions because reporters like controversy. If you are conducting an interview on vitamin D and sun exposure, make sure you research both sides of the issue. It is prudent to review papers, studies, and books that oppose your view. It is always nice to be able to say that you have read the study or book and disagree with its conclusions. Your comment would then be backed up by facts, statistics, and studies. The best way to treat an interview is like a conversation, making it friendly and personal. When answering a reporter's question, it is important that you are always totally honest. If you do not know the answer to the question, just say so. Tell the reporter that you will get back to him or her with the answer, a follow up e-mail, or a resource. In a print interview, long periods of silence will often occur while the reporter is taking notes. It is important not to feel obligated to fill the silence. Once you have made your point, pause and wait for the next question. You have to assume everything you say in an interview will be quoted and that nothing is “off the record.” Listen to each question before responding. If you do not understand a question, ask the reporter to restate the question for clarity. As an interview is concluding, make sure that you were understood. Feel free to ask the reporter to recount what is in the notes to make sure it is technically correct. After print interviews, a fact checker may contact you to verify your quotes. This gives you an opportunity to make final edits and make sure you are not misquoted. Although many publications will check facts, don't count on it. This practice is often used for magazine interviews but is rarely used by newspapers. E-mail interviews are becoming more common today. Often the writers will ask you to answer by e-mail and
143 follow-up with a phone interview only if there are questions. You can use the principles of key messaging in e-mail interviews to focus your answers. It is not uncommon for writers to simply copy and paste answers from an e-mail, so it is imperative that you consider your answers carefully. Finally, no matter what question is asked of you, never say “no comment” without an explanation. If you do not want to comment on a subject, you need to explain why. Perhaps you are not an expert on that subject or it is just not relevant to the discussion. A diplomatic way to handle this situation is just to say, “I am not prepared to comment on that subject at this time,” and then bridge back to your key message. Remember: skilled communicators can always turn a question they do not want to answer into an opportunity to communicate their key messages. Dermatologists can practice key messaging and bridging skills at the Academy's Annual and Summer Meeting in the “Effective Communications: Delivering Key Messages” workshop. Attendees have the opportunity to participate in mock media interviews designed to challenge participants to stay focused while delivering their messages. More information on these courses can be found in the meeting program books or by e-mailing [email protected].
Acknowledgment Missy Lundberg and Kara McFarland of the American Academy of Dermatology Communications Department assisted in reviewing this manuscript. Patricia K. Farris, MD, is a clinical assistant professor at Tulane University School of Medicine and in private practice in Metairie, Louisiana. She is known for her expertise in the treatment of aging skin and for her interest in the science behind cosmeceuticals. She enjoys consulting with cosmetic and pharmaceutical companies, where she lends her expertise in new product development and evaluation of skin care products. Communications is a passion for Dr Farris. She received two presidential citations from the Academy for her outstanding efforts in communications. She is a past chairman of the Communication Council for the Academy and the Communications Committee for the Women's Dermatologic Society and is past chair of the Media Relations Task Force for the American Society of Dermatologic Surgery. She serves as director for the American Academy of Dermatology's course on Effective Communications and Key Messaging, where she teaches other dermatologists how to conduct media interviews. Using her own skills in communications, Dr Farris has appeared in more than 200 health-related television segments on dermatology and is a regular featured guest on New Orleans' number-one rated Morning Show on WWL-TV (CBS). She serves as spokesperson for the American Academy of Dermatology and has been quoted extensively on a variety of topics related to dermatology. In her next life, she would like to follow in the footsteps of her grandmother and study acting.
Please submit contributions to the section to Philip R. Cohen, MD. E-mail address: [email protected].
DERMATOLOGIC DISQUISITIONS AND OTHER ESSAYS Edited by Philip R. Cohen, MD
Effective communications using key messaging Patricia K. Farris MD ⁎ Department of Dermatology, Tulane University School of Medicine, 1430 Tulane Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70112
Introduction Dermatologists have opportunities as communicators that are unique to our specialty. Consumers and patients have a never-ending hunger for information about their skin and how to keep it healthy and beautiful. Accordingly, we are sought after as speakers at medical meetings, for community gatherings, and by the media. In fact, no other medical specialty is so integrally tied to the mainstream media. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, dermatologists generated 1.4 billion media impressions in 2009. Dermatologists may also find themselves interfacing with the skin care industry, where we are valued consultants. In this capacity, we may be called upon to speak at sales meetings, assist with product launches, and participate in press events. And of course, many dermatologists serve as spokespersons for their own skin care lines. It is this “medicine meets mass market” aspect of our specialty that makes it imperative that we are competent communicators. To effectively communicate and educate the public about our specialty, it is important to learn how to develop key messages. A key message is the most important information that you want to communicate to an audience. Your key message should be a compelling clear statement that resonates with your audience. It is the one thing that you
Most of the information in this article was presented by Patricia Farris, MD, director of the “Effective Communications: Delivering Key Messages” workshop at the American Academy of Dermatology's 2010 Summer Academy Meeting in Chicago, IL. ⁎ Corresponding author. Old Metairie Dermatology, 701 Metairie Rd, Metairie, LA 70001. Tel.: +1 504 836 2050; fax: +1 504 836 9795. E-mail address: [email protected]. 0738-081X/$ – see front matter © 2012 Published by Elsevier Inc. doi:10.1016/j.clindermatol.2010.12.001
want your audience to remember about your presentation or interview. Key messaging helps you focus your material and leaves listeners with a take-home message.
Developing key messages that speak to your audience The skill of key messaging can be used in a variety of presentation settings. You should develop key messages for community talks, scientific presentations, and media interviews. Key messaging can be used when communicating with patients and their family members. Key messaging is also an important skill for those who serve in leadership roles on boards and committees. The first step in developing key messages is to determine what you want to communicate and to whom you are communicating. Make sure the message that you choose speaks to your audience. If, for example, you are talking about skin cancer to senior business executives, an appropriate key message might focus on early detection and skin self-examination. If that same subject is being discussed with a high school class, avoidance of tanning beds and use of other methods of sun protection might be a more appropriate key message. In a print interview, consider who the readers might be. How old are they, what sex are they, and what interests do they have that make them readers of this publication? This will help you target key messages that will be appropriate for the readership. For television interviews, speak to the producer booking your interview and try to get as much information about the segment as you can. Is it a lifestyle piece or a medical piece? Who is conducting the interview? What time of day will the segment be aired? All of these items are important and will help you determine who will be in your audience.
142 Table 1
P.K. Farris Three key messages for interviews or presentations
#1 Make sure your main key message is something that is new, exciting, timely, unique, emotional, or relevant to many #2 Your second key message should support your main message with examples, comparisons, anecdotes, or research. #3 Your final key message should include a call to action (a web site, a phone number, etc).
Key message # 1 It is generally recommended that three key messages be developed for any interview or presentation (Table 1). Your main key message is the most important message. It should contain information that is new, exciting, and timely. It may identify a trend, a first-time observation, or a new finding. The main key message should be a brief statement, containing only one or two sentences, and it should take no longer than 10 to 15 seconds to deliver. The most effective key messages are those that give the audience a personal stake in the issue. For example, “Avoiding sun exposure will help your skin maintain a youthful and healthy appearance” is a key message that serves as a call to action for listeners to protect their skin. As physicians, we need to make sure that we avoid medical jargon or acronyms in our message. We are trained to communicate in medical terms and often discuss medical problems in complex terms; and of course, most dermatologic terminology is not familiar to the general public. Instead, use words and phrases similar to what you use to describe conditions and treatments to your patients. Keep it simple, speaking in easily recognizable sound bites and sticking to the basics. When developing your main key message, take into consideration how you want to focus your presentation or interview and who is in your audience. Using acne as a subject, consider the key message, “Acne is the most common skin disorder in the United States, affecting 40 to 50 million Americans.” This is a compelling key message that speaks to the pervasive nature of this condition. “Acne is a common skin condition that is psychologically devastating to those who suffer with it,” is a compelling key message that gives the audience an emotional stake. It also has an implied call to action, making one feel compelled to help those around them who suffer with acne. Although both key messages could be used in a presentation on acne, the direction of your presentation after each of these messages would be very different.
and statistics. This helps to establish your credibility as a source and gives credence to your main key message. The American Academy of Dermatology's (Academy) Key Messages booklet is available to all members and serves as an invaluable resource on a variety of subjects. This guide contains useful facts, statistics, and study findings. If, for example, your interview is on new therapies for psoriasis, your second key message might be “The cost of treatment associated with psoriasis was $1.2 billion in 2004.” Statistics such as this can be found in the Key Messages booklet, which is available online in the Academy's Member Media Relations Toolkit at www.aad.org/members/media. This toolkit also contains tips for media interviews, talking points on important topics, and customizable press materials for reaching out to local media and raising your practice's profile. In addition, journalists and audiences love patient stories and anecdotes. These real life stories add a human component to your presentation, giving the audience something to which it can relate. In view of patient privacy, stories should never include any identifying information. Phrases such as “in my practice” allow you to use a patient and practice anecdotes without giving specific information. In a talk or interview about the safety of nail salons, for example, you might say “In my practice, I advise my patients to bring their own tools to the salon to avoid cross contamination.” Or, “I have seen several patients in my practice who have developed nail infections after having manicures in a salon.” These patient vignettes make it real for your audience.
Key message #3 The final key message should be a call to action for listeners. It may be something as simple as visiting a web site for further information or a call to action like, “See your dermatologist.” “Learn more about this condition and treatment options through the American Academy of Dermatology web site at www.AAD.org,” is an excellent third message. You need to stay positive in your call to action message, focusing on what the audience can do, not on what they cannot do. In an interview on warts, for example, your third message might be “if over-the-counter wart treatments fail, see your dermatologist, who can offer you many effective treatments.” This is preferable to a key message like, “don't bother with over-the-counter treatments because they usually don't work.”
Bridging phrases Key message #2 Your second key message is designed to back up your main key message. This message should contain facts, anecdotes, or a patient example. Use studies, research, facts,
In an interview or talk, invariably somebody will ask a question that gets you off track. It might be a question totally off the subject or something that will lead your discussion into an unexpected or even undesirable direction. Bridging
Effective communications using key messaging phrases are important phrases that can bring you back to your key messages. In the event of an unexpected question, you can give a brief answer to that question and then use a phrase like, “As I was saying” or “let me point out again” as you bridge back to your key message. You do not necessarily have to answer an unwanted question. You can dismiss the question as off topic or not relevant to your discussion. In this case, you might say, “That is an interesting question, however, it might be more appropriate to discuss that another time. So, as I was saying,” using a bridging phrase to get back to your key message. Do not be surprised if the interviewer asks the unwanted question again. This is actually quite common. Do not feel obligated to entertain the question even at a second request, but it is important to dismiss it diplomatically.
Staying focused The best way to stay focused is to be prepared. Reporters are trained to ask the questions who, what, where, when, and why. You should anticipate the most negative and skeptical questions because reporters like controversy. If you are conducting an interview on vitamin D and sun exposure, make sure you research both sides of the issue. It is prudent to review papers, studies, and books that oppose your view. It is always nice to be able to say that you have read the study or book and disagree with its conclusions. Your comment would then be backed up by facts, statistics, and studies. The best way to treat an interview is like a conversation, making it friendly and personal. When answering a reporter's question, it is important that you are always totally honest. If you do not know the answer to the question, just say so. Tell the reporter that you will get back to him or her with the answer, a follow up e-mail, or a resource. In a print interview, long periods of silence will often occur while the reporter is taking notes. It is important not to feel obligated to fill the silence. Once you have made your point, pause and wait for the next question. You have to assume everything you say in an interview will be quoted and that nothing is “off the record.” Listen to each question before responding. If you do not understand a question, ask the reporter to restate the question for clarity. As an interview is concluding, make sure that you were understood. Feel free to ask the reporter to recount what is in the notes to make sure it is technically correct. After print interviews, a fact checker may contact you to verify your quotes. This gives you an opportunity to make final edits and make sure you are not misquoted. Although many publications will check facts, don't count on it. This practice is often used for magazine interviews but is rarely used by newspapers. E-mail interviews are becoming more common today. Often the writers will ask you to answer by e-mail and
143 follow-up with a phone interview only if there are questions. You can use the principles of key messaging in e-mail interviews to focus your answers. It is not uncommon for writers to simply copy and paste answers from an e-mail, so it is imperative that you consider your answers carefully. Finally, no matter what question is asked of you, never say “no comment” without an explanation. If you do not want to comment on a subject, you need to explain why. Perhaps you are not an expert on that subject or it is just not relevant to the discussion. A diplomatic way to handle this situation is just to say, “I am not prepared to comment on that subject at this time,” and then bridge back to your key message. Remember: skilled communicators can always turn a question they do not want to answer into an opportunity to communicate their key messages. Dermatologists can practice key messaging and bridging skills at the Academy's Annual and Summer Meeting in the “Effective Communications: Delivering Key Messages” workshop. Attendees have the opportunity to participate in mock media interviews designed to challenge participants to stay focused while delivering their messages. More information on these courses can be found in the meeting program books or by e-mailing [email protected].
Acknowledgment Missy Lundberg and Kara McFarland of the American Academy of Dermatology Communications Department assisted in reviewing this manuscript. Patricia K. Farris, MD, is a clinical assistant professor at Tulane University School of Medicine and in private practice in Metairie, Louisiana. She is known for her expertise in the treatment of aging skin and for her interest in the science behind cosmeceuticals. She enjoys consulting with cosmetic and pharmaceutical companies, where she lends her expertise in new product development and evaluation of skin care products. Communications is a passion for Dr Farris. She received two presidential citations from the Academy for her outstanding efforts in communications. She is a past chairman of the Communication Council for the Academy and the Communications Committee for the Women's Dermatologic Society and is past chair of the Media Relations Task Force for the American Society of Dermatologic Surgery. She serves as director for the American Academy of Dermatology's course on Effective Communications and Key Messaging, where she teaches other dermatologists how to conduct media interviews. Using her own skills in communications, Dr Farris has appeared in more than 200 health-related television segments on dermatology and is a regular featured guest on New Orleans' number-one rated Morning Show on WWL-TV (CBS). She serves as spokesperson for the American Academy of Dermatology and has been quoted extensively on a variety of topics related to dermatology. In her next life, she would like to follow in the footsteps of her grandmother and study acting.
Please submit contributions to the section to Philip R. Cohen, MD. E-mail address: [email protected].