In an ideal world, every client you work with would charm the media, delivering those succinct sound-bites that both help them and the reporter, whether it be a puff piece or investigative probe.

However, this is not always the case. That's why they hire us, right? Talking Biz News recently spoke with Marketwatch's Herb Greenberg about a variety of topics, one of which being how he gets companies to talk when in sticky situations. He says:

Still, it really does behoove a company to talk and sometimes, depending on the intensity of the story, I'll give them a week or longer to respond. There are times, after hearing their side of the story, I soften the blow or even kill the story entirely. Other times, of course, their words bury them.

So there you have it, in case you did't already know: a lot is riding on your client's words. Make sure they're well prepared.