Get the Plug in Early

Here’s another Joe Franklin line that he can claim for sure: “Get the plug in early.” Meaning, when you’re interviewing someone, don’t wait until the end to mention the reason they are on your show — mention the book, or the new TV show, or whatever, at the start.

What does this have to do with PR? A lot. Say you are the MC of a luncheon, and there are people to thank. Should you wait until the end, when everyone is anxious to leave, or should you get your thanks in right at the start, when everyone’s attention is fresh?

There are lots of applications of this one.

Another example: soundbites. You should always get your main point, or your product, in at the beginning, rather than the end. For instance:

Bad: “People need a good Bluetooth headset that they can rely on, which is why we invented the ZXR 2700 wireless headset.”

Good: “The ZXR 2700 is the kind of Bluetooth wireless headset people can rely on.”

Don’t thank me for this bit of wisdom — thank Joe.