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Michigan Leads Nation in Training
CPA Ambassadors
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CPA Ambassador training
participants Jepharya Badie and Greg Nowak incorporate what
they’ve learned into developing effective sound bites, which
they deliver during
a mock interview. |
For the third consecutive year, the MACPA has partnered with the AICPA to
train CPAs on the nuances of giving effective media interviews and
delivering successful and memorable presentations.
In July, 18 new Michigan CPAs earned the elite title of “CPA Ambassador”
which, as of that training session, placed Michigan as the top state with 56
Michigan members having participated in the program since its inception.
 Ambassadors-in-training (from
left) Saginaw CPA Kim Pavlik and Saint Clair Shores CPA Ron Tank
prepare a two-minute Talking Memo in an exercise focused on
developing concise, to-the-point messaging. |
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Launched by the AICPA and participating state CPA societies, CPA Ambassadors
learn to promote the profession's depth of financial knowledge, underscore
the MACPA’s and AICPA’s effectiveness as advocates for the public interest,
and focus the spotlight on the profession so that it shines on the value of
the CPA.
An eight-hour training session supplied the CPA Ambassador trainees with
support tools, including prepared speeches, talking points, guidance on
handling tough media questions and briefings on related issues that dominate
today's headlines.
The training centered on four critical message quadrants designed to
emphasize the CPA’s role in:
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2006
Ambassadors Rave About
the Training
“It was great.
I have a new way of looking at and responding to the media with
more confidence.”
“I will be
able to use this information in the field I am in on a daily
basis.”
“This
[training] helped me to try and focus on bringing the topics of
importance to the discussion and driving them home.”
“I will go
home and study these materials thoroughly.” |
Working in the Public Interest – position individual CPAs and
the profession as being steadfastly committed to protecting the public
interest and working every day to maintain confidence in financial
reporting and financial markets.
- Partnering for Small Business Success - stress how vital
small businesses are to the American economy and the essential role CPAs
and the CPA profession are playing in keeping them vital.
- Financial Literacy – through the 360 Degrees of Financial
Literacy effort, teach the American public that managing wealth is a
lifelong journey. The journey includes many important financial
decisions and life choices. Financial Literacy teaches the ability to
effectively evaluate and manage one’s finances in order to make prudent
decisions toward reaching life goals.
- Recruitment – teach parents and students the value of the CPA
credential and explain the vast opportunities available to
CPA-credentialed professionals.
From the CPA who has taken a leadership role in the Association, but has
never participated in a media interview, to a media savvy CPA who regularly
appears on local radio programming, the 2006 CPA Ambassador participants all
benefited from the training.
Congratulations to our 2006 CPA Ambassadors:
- Jepharya L. Badie
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, Detroit
- Denise M. Boyle
Schneider Larche Haapala &
Co. PLLC, Escanaba
- Jack W. Branham
Plante & Moran, PLLC, Portage
- Neil F. DeBoer
DeBoer Baumann & Company PLC, Holland
- Amy M. Drouillard
Deloitte & Touche LLP, Detroit
- Karl F. Haiser Jr.
Karl Haiser CPA PC, Grand Blanc
- Sean C. Keenan, KPMG LLP
Detroit
- Michael P. Metzger
Pikstein & Metzger, PLLC,
Farmington Hills
- Kurt P. Mueller
Waxenberg & Mueller PLLC, Southfield
- La'Mont C. Muhammad
KPMG LLP, Detroit
- Gregory A. Nowak
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, Detroit
- Kim D. Pavlik
Andrews Hooper & Pavlik PLC, Saginaw
- Gail Sparks Pitts
Oakland Community College, Bloomfield Hills
- Jeffrey J. Sabolish
Rachor Purman & Tucker CPAs PLC, Flint
- Carla E. Sledge
County of Wayne, Detroit
- Ronald P. Tank
Godfrey Hammel Danneels & Co. PC,
St. Clair Shores
- Joseph J. Tomczyk
JohnBernard LLC, Lansing
- Madonna J. Williams
Black & Williams LLP, Traverse City
Questions regarding the CPA Ambassador Program should be directed to MACPA
Communications & Public Relations Specialist
Gwen Radomski.
| Delivering Effective Media
Interviews What to Find Out
Before an Interview
During the Interview
After the Interview
What to Find Out Before an Interview
- What’s the general topic?
- What “angle” is the reporter taking?
- Who else is being interviewed, before or after?
- What key messages do we want to communicate?
- Be prepared to site statistics, factual information to
support your key messaging.
- Practice bridging (When asked a question outside the realm
of the interview, transition back your key message points).
- Check the web to find the latest news stories and related
issues.
- Contact the
MACPA Communications Department
before the interview to obtain key message points and any
additional resource information.
During the Interview
- Be friendly, energetic and courteous
- Provide your opening positioning statement
- Use specific examples, anecdotes, points that differentiate
your issue
- Bridge (transition) to your key messages
- Avoid repeating negatives, i.e. Reporter: “Aren’t CPAs
really just bean counters?” Wrong Answer: “We aren’t really bean
counters, we…” Example of Right Answer: “CPAs are key economic
decision makers. We use a foundation of knowledge and experience
to help our clients …”
- Don’t be afraid to say “I don’t know” or “I’m not the expert
in that area.” Find out the reporter’s deadline and find someone
who can assist the reporter. The MACPA can assist you with this.
- Don’t go “off the record.” Everything you say to a reporter
is “on the record.”
- At the end of the interview, be sure to summarize your key
messages or bring up additional information on the last
question.
After the Interview
- Send an e-mail to the
MACPA Communications Department with a summary of the
interview, i.e. the reporter’s name, name of media entity, the
topic of the interview and the expected publication/air date of
the story.
- Follow-through on commitments to reporter to provide
additional information.
- Read, view, listen for related stories or newscasts.
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September/October 2006
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