Work With Me

I work with clients through my company, RightPoint Communications Inc. My services include:

Planning

Communications planning – 10-steps to think through how to connect with audiences

You wouldn’t build a house without a blueprint; don’t try to communicate without having a plan. I will help you think through your communications project from start to finish, using a 10-step process. Working hand in hand, we begin by evaluating your current standing with important audiences. We then think through how to craft effective messages that convey your thoughts powerfully and clearly. We select the vehicles you’ll use to communicate, and we design a plan to evaluate how the communications program is faring. Through this systematic planning, we anticipate obstacles and create a communications road map that will help you reach and connect with audiences important to you.

Crisis communications planning – Your reputation safeguard

I’ve managed communications during crises as varied as the slayings of two college students, industrial fatalities, major fires, bomb scares, workplace contamination and environmental spills. I’ve developed crisis plans or managed crises for a chemical company, a mining company, a university, a brewing company and several other organizations.

Good management of crisis communications begins with careful planning to think through likely crises and how they will unfold. Such preparation greatly increases the likelihood that a crisis will be handled competently and in a manner that protects or minimizes harm to the organization’s operations and reputation.

Crisis communications planning should not be done in isolation but rather in cooperation with other key parties, including law enforcement officials, fire and hazmat responders and community leaders. We’ll work in tandem to bring all parties together so that each understands its role in communications and in response to crisis events.

Training

Media training

If your communications initiative requires working with the media, I’ll get you ready. I’ll help you craft crisp, clear messages, practice with you until you can say them in your sleep, then teach you how to stay on point when on the firing line with a reporter. The media can be an important vehicle for reaching your audience. Use them well, and you can add a valuable tool to your communications arsenal.

Crisis communications training/crisis simulations
Site managers are normally the most credible spokespersons during a crisis. They run the operation and are seen as responsible for how events will turn out. However, they should never be asked to serve as a spokesperson without proper training. Through this specialized media training, spokespersons will understand how the media work, what they’re seeking and how to stay on message despite the inevitable pressures of a crisis.

Crisis communications training is customized to meet the needs of your organization and typically lasts one to two days.

Presentation training and public speaking
The great fear many people have about speaking in front of groups can be conquered with training and practice. I give speakers the training and techniques they need to take charge of time and personal space as they address groups from just a few people to a roomful. Participants will go through a two-day training session in which they will learn how to assess an audience, set realistic goals for a presentation, deliver it confidently and stayed attuned to the audience’s mood.

Creating

I can help you create powerful communications vehicles, including:

• High-impact executive speeches.
• Annual reports.
• Sustainability reports.
• News releases and magazine articles.
• PowerPoint presentations.
• Website copy and social media copy, including blogs.
• Corporate videos.
• Media relations materials.
• Community advisory panel programs.

Endorsements

I’ve watched Pete remain cool and collected under the most intense pressure. He is a wonderfully talented top-level corporate communications expert who has been tested over and over, continually passing with flying colors. He did a great job at Phelps Dodge, and those of us who have an inkling of just how tough his job was have the highest admiration and respect for him.
-Doug Bruhnke, president & CEO, Growth Nation, Scottsdale, Ariz.

To start the conversation, use the contact form or call 602.546.7949.