Having spent 20 years as a network news producer and another ten years in the field of public relations, I’ve noticed that one quality makes all the difference when it comes to engaging an audience – passion. I believe that every one of us is passionate about something (even if it’s our favorite sports team), but the individuals I’ve met who have heroically confronted unexpected tragedy and then emerged with a passion to make a difference in the lives of others are able to connect with audiences in a powerful and unforgettable way. One friend who fits this description is my Connecticut neighbor Scarlett Lewis, who lost her six-year-old son Jesse in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting tragedy in Newtown three years ago. We’ve all seen the television coverage of that terrible incident, and it would be completely understandable if Scarlett, and every other person in Newtown who lost a child or loved one that day, simply withdrew from the world, feeling incapable of ever again experiencing happiness or joy, but that’s not the choice that she made. Instead, Scarlett – in honor of her son Jesse, and with the help of her impressive 13-year-old son J.T. – has found the strength and courage to speak to countless groups throughout the U.S. and internationally about the importance of choosing thoughts of love and forgiveness, rather than those of hate and anger.
Having known Scarlett for nearly three years now, I’ve learned a number of lessons from her about connecting with an audience and moving them to action – and I’d like to share three of those lessons with you here.
Lesson #1: Be Vulnerable. It would be easy to retreat behind closed doors, especially having experienced the unimaginable pain and suffering of losing her child in such a violent way. Instead, Scarlett is unwavering in her belief that her son Jesse would want her to share the message of “choosing love” with others – and impacting the lives of countless strangers in this way is indeed a beautiful legacy. When we allow ourselves to be vulnerable in communicating our message to others, they have no trouble recognizing that an authentic and heartfelt message is being shared with them. As a publicist, I can assure you that this approach generates a very different response, compared to most messages delivered by the news media and what we routinely hear from politicians and other leaders. It’s a breath of fresh air, and is much more deeply appreciated.
Lesson #2: Paint a Picture. Stories that engage the imagination of an audience have a unique power. There are many important issues that can be described in statistical terms – casualties in a war, lives lost to a terminal disease, and so on – but storytelling becomes an art when a name, a face, and a few unique details are sketched in. That’s when a story (and an issue) comes alive in a way that resonates with the listener. In TV and radio interviews, this is a very powerful way to connect with an audience.
Lesson #3: Deliver a Call to Action. We have also become accustomed to hearing our leaders assure us that they will handle the problems that trouble and frustrate us, while we continue to hear the message from the news media that, when it comes to most challenges, there is little we can do to change the situation. I encourage you to follow my friend Scarlett’s example, and tell your audience that you have faith in them – you know that they CAN make a difference in the world. Challenge them to go out and do exactly that.
I hope you’ll think about the way that Scarlett Lewis continues to speak out on a topic that’s important to all of us – especially to our children – and then adapt these lessons to the message that you feel compelled to share with the world!
For more thoughts on how you can share your message most effectively and ways that you can connect with journalists and others in the news media, and generate maximum media exposure, I invite you to subscribe to my weekly newsletter. Here’s a link to follow, to add your name to my mailing list: http://eepurl.com/buSz19