Never Call Yourself a Crook

Are you a crook.

No I’m not a crook.

Do you teach people how to lie.

No I don’t teach people how to lie.

Are you going out of business.

No I’m not going bankrupt now.

Now this is what not to do.

Do not repeat the negative words of the reporter.

He is your words.

Now I’m not saying dodge questions has nothing to do with dodging questions.

This has to do with you using your words.

Here’s the problem.

Once somebody puts negative words out there and you repeat them they can now quotes you using those negative words.

And it’s not a misquote.

You said it.

You can complain about being quoted out of context.

Nobody cares.

Every quotes out of context.

So don’t say it unless that’s the negative message you want.

I don’t know why you would want that.

Don’t tell people what you aren’t.

Tell people what you are.

Somebody says Are you a crook.

I am proud of the fact that I’ve always conducted my business life ethically and honestly I answer the question and they’ll have to deduce that I don’t believe I’m a crook that if I say I’m not a crook the reporter can then put to Jay Walker denied he was a crook and said quote I’m not a crook and it’s a context for having five other people quoted saying I’m a crook.

Why do I want to do that.

Now this is contrary to how we speak in normal life.

Someone ask you a question.

They put forth premise a and you don’t agree with it.

It’s natural logical to say no premise say isn’t true actually premise B is true.

So if my daughter says Can I have three scoops of ice cream for dessert she hasn’t eaten her broccoli yet.

Nothing wrong with me saying no you can’t have ice cream until you eat your broccoli.

That is a rational logical linear way of speaking how all of us speak at various times.

It’s great in every aspect of life except when you are talking to the news media because they can latch on to those negative words create this negative impression.

And unfortunately when people are skimming headlines they see your name corrupt not a crook.

It just emphasizes crook crook your name.

So do not repeat the negative words of the reporter.

Now sometimes my clients in private trainings will say yeah.

T.J.

these reporters are bad.

They put words in my mouth.

No there’s no reporter in the world.

I’ve seen who in the middle of the interview gets up comes around behind you and forces your mouth up and down and forces you to say words.

They may have words come out of their mouth.

It does not mean that those words need to come out of your mouth.

I have a deal with reporters and it’s worked really well for decades.

I don’t tell them how to ask questions.

They don’t tell me how to answer questions and it works out very nicely.

So don’t ever blame a reporter on their word choice.

They get to ask questions any way they want.

And don’t blame them if they quote you denying something.

Focus on what you want people to know that you are doing.

That’s positive regardless of the topic.

You’ll be much better off.