Similarly you are not going to like this next sound bite element cliches.
That's right.
Now when you're giving a speech if you use cliches people will think you're stupid an original and thought
it sounds clunky but when you're talking to a reporter it's not your speech it's not your article it's
not your whole story.
So if you're quoted that cliche is one little piece of the whole story it's a little bit of spice.
If you put nothing but spice in a stew it's going to taste awful but a little bit can make it fine.
Why do people use cliches.
They're simply more memorable than stating something in a straightforward way.
Not often cliches have other sound bite elements.
Analogies may be humorous examples but a cliche can be a great way of getting a reporter to quote to
make them see it visualize it relate to it.
The reporter can so can the audience.
So realize some of you may think well I'm afraid I'm stupid if I use a cliche.
He had to figure out what your main objective is here.
Are you trying to sell yourself as a great speaker a great writer or do you want to get your message
across.
If you don't want to use cliches get or have to but they can work.
For example one of my first jobs this is 30 years ago I was in Florida.
It was a press spokesperson for the Florida Department of banking and finance.
So the politician I worked for was in charge of shutting down a boiler room operations people who illegally
sold fraudulent oil wells.
So his message to consumers and voters was if somebody calls you up at noon or dinner time and says
buy my oil well for five thousand dollars send it to me I'll double your money in six weeks.
Chances are that's it.
Illegally registered securities offering.
Don't buy that was the message.
But that's not a soundbite.
What was the soundbite.
Remember citizens of it sounds too good to be true it probably is a simple cliche but it perfectly encapsulated
the message and it got the job done.
He was quoted every two months in major television newspaper media outlets throughout the giant state
of Florida quoted every two months for 20 years in office using that cliche.
So if it ain't broke don't fix it.