That question needs an answer well before anyone starts writing the press release.

A company may have a strong product, experienced people and important internal news. Journalists apply a different test. They look for relevance to the public, timing, novelty, impact and credible evidence.

When the material is there, media relations services shape the angle, prepare information and spokespeople, and approach appropriate outlets. When it is not there yet, serious advice should say so and help the company find a stronger route.

What makes a company story relevant to the media

A business story becomes stronger when it moves beyond the organisation and connects with the lives, work or decisions of the audience.

That standard matters in a fragmented news environment. The Reuters Institute’s Digital News Report 2026 found that the proportion of people who describe themselves as extremely or very interested in news fell by an average of 13 percentage points across the markets compared with 2021. Relevance cannot be assumed.

Useful signals include:

• new data about a sector, market or behaviour
• a change that affects customers, professionals or society
• an innovation with a practical application
• a decision with consequences that can be verified
• expert knowledge that helps explain a current issue
• people, context and a clear sense of why the story matters now

A real example: EY and the return to the office in the AI era

In August 2026, EY UK asked younger consulting professionals to spend more time in the office. The decision became news because it connected with an issue that reaches far beyond the company: as artificial intelligence takes on more technical tasks, human skills such as empathy, communication, storytelling and leadership become more important in early-career development. The story was reported by The Times and Scottish Financial News.

Here, the story is not simply that EY wants more people in the office. The editorial interest lies in the reason for the decision and its connection with a current debate about AI, human skills and the future of work.

“We have launched a new service” describes something that happened within a company. “Portuguese companies are changing how they onboard new employees, and these data show why” opens a broader conversation.

The service can be part of the story, but it needs an editorial reason that goes beyond selling.

Timing also matters. Research about summer travel sent in November has missed its moment. A specialist who comments on a regulatory change after every major outlet has already explained it arrives too late.

What media relations services actually do

Media relations services connect three worlds: what the organisation knows, what editors consider relevant and what the public needs to understand.

Identify potential stories

The work looks for developments, data, specialists, projects, changes and human stories. Not every subject needs a press release. Some work better as an interview, an expert comment, an opinion article or a direct conversation with one journalist.

Develop the angle

A useful angle explains what happened, why it matters now, who is affected and what evidence exists. This protects the story from promotional language and helps identify the right outlet. It also distinguishes sponsored content from editorial coverage. Sponsored content requires payment to the media outlet and is handled by its commercial team. Editorial coverage is handled by journalists and does not involve paying the outlet for publication.

Prepare materials

Press releases, background notes, press kits, biographies, questions and answers, images and data should make verification easier. Attractive materials with vague information add work for the journalist. Unless the story is particularly strong, there may be neither the time nor the staff to investigate further.

Prepare spokespeople

An interview needs clear messages, examples, confirmed facts and readiness for difficult questions. The spokesperson needs to understand the story and their role in it, without memorising a speech.

Build professional media relationships

A contact list needs criteria. Good media relations follows editorial areas, formats and professional interests. Sending the same pitch to a large list may increase the number of emails while reducing trust.

Follow up and evaluate

Publication remains an editorial decision. The work includes answering requests, correcting information and recording results. Quality and relevance matter more than a simple count of links.

When external media relations services make sense

Companies often seek support at one of these moments:

A launch or material change

A new solution, investment, partnership, expansion, study or leadership change may be newsworthy when it has a wider effect on a market or community.

Expertise that explains a current issue

Internal specialists can contribute to public debate when they have useful evidence, availability and the ability to explain without turning every answer into a sales presentation.

A lack of internal structure

The company has potential stories, but nobody gathers data, validates information, prepares spokespeople or maintains media relationships. External support can introduce method and clear responsibilities.

A sensitive moment

Change, incidents and difficult decisions require consistent messages and quick responses. Media relations may need to work alongside leadership, legal teams and crisis communication.

A medium-term reputation goal

Credible visibility develops through consistency. One article may help, but an ongoing relationship needs useful topics, reliable spokespeople and respect for editorial independence.

Examples of SAB Comunicar’s media relations results

These principles also guide SAB Comunicar’s client projects. Explore real examples of SAB Comunicar’s media relations work that led to news coverage, and see how different subjects became stories with editorial value.

External support has less value when the only aim is to “get coverage” or when the information cannot be verified. An initial diagnosis separates ambition from a realistic editorial opportunity.

What the company needs to prepare for media relations services

The work progresses faster when the organisation knows who decides, who confirms the facts and who can speak.

Before approaching the media, prepare:

• A communication objective: define what the company wants people to understand and which audiences matter. Coverage may support reputation, awareness, trust or the explanation of a change. Different objectives may need different indicators.
• Facts and evidence: gather data, dates, sources, documents, examples and permission to disclose them. Numbers without a method or context weaken a pitch.
• A spokesperson: choose someone who knows the subject and can explain it clearly
• An approval process: decide who approves materials and how quickly they can respond. A response that takes three days can mean missing an editorial opportunity.
• Realistic expectations: no serious adviser guarantees publication. They can commit to work, preparation, judgement, appropriate contacts and follow-up. The final decision always belongs to the outlet. Newspapers, magazines, radio stations, television channels and portals belong to the organisations that own and run them. Their editors decide what to publish and control the content. Think of it as a relationship to build, rather than a supplier-client transaction.

The most senior person is not automatically the right spokesperson. The right choice depends on the angle, the required expertise and the questions a journalist is likely to ask.

How to assess a proposal for media relations services

A strong proposal explains the problem, scope and way of working. Before choosing support, look for five things.

Knowledge of the business and sector

The team should understand what the company does, who needs to hear the message and which subjects already occupy the media space.

Editorial judgement

Ask how angles, outlets and journalists are selected. A promise based only on the size of a database says little about quality.

Internal preparation

Check whether the work covers information gathering, message development, materials and spokesperson preparation. Media relations starts inside the company.

Process and responsibilities

The proposal should define deliverables, timing, approvals, contacts and responses to opportunities. Without this map, urgency takes over.

Measurement

Assess the relevance of the outlets, the quality of the messages, potential reach, enquiries and contribution to reputation goals. Value does not fit into one number.

Turning company knowledge into editorial interest

Media relations services work when there is a bridge between what the company knows and what the public needs to understand.

That bridge needs evidence, timing, clear messages, prepared spokespeople and respect for journalism. It also requires the confidence to stop a weak press release and invest in a better story.

SAB Comunicar helps companies identify angles, prepare materials and spokespeople, and build professional relationships with the media. Explore SAB Comunicar’s media relations services or contact us to explain the context and objective. An initial conversation can establish whether there is a viable story and what support would be useful.

By

SAB Comunicar

Last updated: 27 October 2026

The company may be communicating frequently while missing strategy, decision criteria and a useful way to evaluate results. Consultancy can also support growth, a launch, a new market, organisational change or a sensitive moment.

The work starts with diagnosis. It then turns scattered content and competing requests into a plan with clear messages, priorities and responsibilities. The result should be communication that is more useful to customers, colleagues, partners and decision-makers.

Signs that a company needs communication consultancy services

Some problems arrive as requests for content, but their cause sits in strategy, messages or process.

The value proposition changes depending on who is speaking

The sales team explains one thing, the website presents another and social media adds a third version. The audience has to do the work of interpretation.

There are many activities but no clear priority

The team publishes content, creates presentations and prepares announcements. One question is missing: which objective should this activity support? Work increases without a shared rule for deciding what belongs in the plan.

An important change needs to be explained

New leadership, a merger, a launch, an incident or entry into another market requires clear messages and prepared people. Improvisation increases noise and misunderstanding.

Experts know the subject but struggle to translate it

Technical teams understand the detail. They may need support to make it clear, relevant and useful to customers, journalists or senior decision-makers.

Visibility opportunities do not become value

The company receives invitations and has useful knowledge, but lacks a strong angle, a prepared spokesperson or a consistent relationship with the media.

These signs may justify a diagnosis, a defined project or specialist support at key moments.

What communication consultancy should solve

The right intervention depends on the cause. Communication consultancy services can work at several levels.

Strategy and priorities

Consultancy defines audiences, objectives, messages, channels and decision criteria. This helps avoid isolated or disconnected activity and concentrates resources on work that can support business results.

Messages and content

It turns technical or dispersed knowledge into value propositions, web pages, articles, presentations, sales materials and useful content for each audience.

Press relations

It identifies topics with editorial value, prepares angles, press releases and spokespeople, and builds professional relationships with relevant media. Publication depends on the story and the editorial decision. A serious consultancy cannot guarantee coverage.

Training for teams

Training develops the skills to present ideas, adapt messages, communicate with customers and handle difficult conversations. It makes sense when the challenge depends on behaviour and on deliberate, everyday practice in how each team member communicates.

Processes and responsibilities

Consultancy clarifies who gathers information, who validates it, who publishes and how progress is evaluated. Many content problems begin with a process that has no owner or realistic deadline.

A project may combine these areas. The important point is the connection between the business objective, the people involved and the communication that reaches the audience.

How communication consultancy services work

The exact shape should fit the challenge, but a simple sequence keeps the work focused.

1. Diagnosis

The consultancy gathers information about objectives, audiences, messages, channels, content, processes and results. Interviews, documents and existing data help separate perception from evidence.

2. Priorities

Everything does not need to be fixed at once. The diagnosis identifies the problems with the greatest impact and makes the limits of the project explicit.

3. Strategy and messages

This stage defines positioning, core messages, arguments and rules for adapting communication to different audiences.

4. Action plan

Decisions become channels, content, owners, a schedule and indicators. The plan must fit the resources that actually exist. This is the point at which to ask whether the plan is trying to fit too much into too little. One person cannot manage a website and five social networks, or at least cannot do so with strategy, quality and results.

5. Implementation and capability

The consultancy may create materials, support execution or train the internal team. The model depends on the team’s autonomy and the complexity of the work.

6. Evaluation

Indicators should match the objective. Enquiries, proposals, media coverage, use of sales materials, training participation and fewer internal errors measure different outcomes.

This sequence gives the organisation a clear route. People know why each action exists, who decides and what result will be observed.

How to choose the right support

Before commissioning a project, check four criteria.

The problem and expected result

A useful proposal explains the problem and the desired change. “Improve communication” is broad. “Reduce inconsistencies in sales proposals” or “prepare the company to speak to the media” creates clearer work and indicators.

Understanding of context

The consultancy should understand the business, audiences, culture and available resources. A solution copied from another organisation usually creates extra work and limited engagement.

Ability to involve the team

Communication happens across departments. The project needs to listen to the right people, clarify responsibilities and create tools that the team can continue to use.

Connection between strategy and execution

A diagnosis without application stays in a drawer. A stream of content without direction loses coherence. Look for support that connects decisions to messages, channels, materials and routines.

The proposal should define scope, deliverables, timing, responsibilities and validation points. It should also explain what belongs to the consultancy and what depends on the company.

Turning scattered communication into a working system

Communication consultancy services make sense when a lack of clarity starts to affect decisions, relationships or opportunities. A good diagnosis separates symptoms from causes and identifies the right intervention.

The next step may be a strategic plan, team training, message development, copywriting or press relations. The solution depends on the objective, audience and internal capacity to act.

SAB Comunicar provides communication consultancy services to companies in Portugal and international teams, with support for messages, content, training and media relations. Explore the services for companies and send us a message about the challenge you need to solve.

By

SAB Comunicar

In communication, this matters because the label “communication training” can cover very different needs. A team may need to handle difficult conversations better, make meetings more focused, improve customer responses, explain technical information more clearly or help managers give useful feedback. The clearer the problem, the easier it is to choose relevant training and assess its impact.

What Portugal’s FCT allows

Decree-Law no. 115/2023 changed the framework of the Fundo de Compensação do Trabalho (FCT) and widened the purposes for which employers may mobilise their balances. One of those purposes is this employee training funding is qualification and certified training.

The framework provides for employees of the company to benefit from these purposes. It also limits the number of withdrawals: balances below €400,000 may be drawn on up to twice; balances above that amount, up to four times.

To request a withdrawal, the employer must declare the amount, purpose and employees who will benefit, under a declaration of honour. The employer must also consult employee representative bodies. Where these do not exist, employees must be informed of the intended withdrawal at least 10 consecutive days in advance.

Timing also matters. Balances may be drawn on during the transitional framework, and the funds must be used before the FCT is wound up, scheduled for the end of 2026. Companies should confirm their balance, the procedure and supporting documents through the official Fundos de Compensação website and with their legal, financial or accounting teams. The applicable framework may depend on each company’s circumstances.

Before choosing training, identify the right communication problem

Available employee training funding can create a temptation to start with a training catalogue. A more useful starting point is the work itself: which communication difficulty is affecting performance, service or collaboration?

Some signs are easy to recognise:

• conflicts that keep returning between teams or departments
• managers who postpone feedback or difficult conversations
• long meetings that end without clear decisions
• internal messages that create different interpretations
• technical presentations that non-specialist audiences struggle to understand
• customer complaints handled inconsistently
• sales teams that find it difficult to explain value and adapt their approach

These situations do not all need the same response. A session on assertive communication may help in one context, while another may require shared criteria, clearer processes or practice with very specific situations.

A short diagnosis helps separate symptoms from causes. It may include conversations with managers, short questionnaires, examples of real messages or meetings, and identification of the situations where a change would make the greatest difference.

A broad objective such as “improve team communication” can then become something observable, such as “help managers give clear feedback, listen to the response and agree next actions” or “create a consistent approach to complex complaints while keeping responses personalised”.

Five questions to assess a communication training proposal

Before choosing a provider to use you employee training funding, compare proposals against five practical questions.

1. What should change at work?

The programme should explain what participants will be able to do differently after the training. Objectives such as structuring a difficult conversation, adapting a message to different audiences or presenting data to senior management are more useful than broad promises.

2. Do the cases reflect the company’s reality?

Training becomes easier to apply when exercises are close to real situations. Without sharing confidential information, the organisation can provide examples of meetings, messages, complaints or presentations that represent its most common challenges.

3. Is there enough time to practise and receive feedback?

Communication develops through understanding, practice and reflection. A balanced proposal should include exercises, simulations, case analysis and focused feedback. Theory provides a shared structure, while practice turns that structure into decisions and behaviour.

4. How will learning be assessed?

Assessment can combine self-assessment, observation during exercises, application plans and follow-up. The method should match the objective. If the priority is presentations, comparing a presentation before and after training can be useful. If the focus is difficult conversations, simulations with clear criteria may be more appropriate.

5. Does the proposal meet the necessary requirements?

Before contracting training, the company should confirm that the programme and supporting documentation meet the conditions applicable to FCT employee training funding mobilisation. This can include certification, identification of participants, proof of attendance, eligible costs, invoicing and evidence of how the funds were used. These points should be validated with the relevant official sources and internal teams.

From FCT employee training funding balance to a useful training plan

A simple process can organise the decision in six steps.

1. Check the company’s FCT employee training funding account and confirm the available balance
2. Validate the internal framework and timing, including any consultation or communication periods
3. Choose one or two communication priorities with an impact on work, service or collaboration
4. Request a proposal that connects objectives, content, methodology, duration, participants and assessment
5. Confirm eligibility and gather the required documents before submitting the request
6. Follow up after the training with simple commitments and review points

This planning avoids two losses: leaving an FCT balance unused and investing in training that does not change how people work. Employee training funding creates value when learning responds to a recognised need and is put into practice.

It is also useful to appoint an internal contact. That person can coordinate HR, finance, participants, managers and the training provider so that administrative requirements and learning decisions remain connected.

Communication training as an investment in work performance

When the diagnosis is clear, communication training can support very specific outcomes: a better customer experience, less friction between teams, clearer decisions, stronger leadership conversations and technical messages that are easier to understand.

SAB Comunicar designs communication training around real organisational challenges. The starting point is to understand where communication is creating difficulty, who needs to do something differently and which situations should be practised during the programme.

If your company has an FCT balance and is considering communication training, you can request an initial conversation and a tailored proposal. In your message, include the approximate number of participants, the main communication challenges, the preferred timing and, if known, the internal framework for the FCT request.

Before contracting, confirm the legal, financial and certification requirements that apply to your organisation so you can make effective use of your employee training funding.

By

SAB Comunicar

Responding quickly brings momentary relief. Responding with judgement builds trust.

There is a big difference between “responding” and “reacting”.
And at work, in the family, at school or within a team, that difference shows.

Daniel Kahneman describes the difference between quick reactions and deliberate thinking very well.

Why rushing ruins the message

When we rush, one of these things usually happens:

• the response becomes too long
• the explanation tries to cover every point
• unnecessary justifications appear
• the essential point gets lost amongst too many ideas

After that, there is a predictable effect: the other person does not really know what to do with the message.
Or they misinterpret it. Or respond to something else. Or react to the tone instead of the idea.

It is not a lack of ability. It is a lack of inner time. It is a battle we all face when trying to capture and hold someone else’s attention.

When you think better before you respond, you are not “doing nothing”.
It means choosing a response that does not create extra work.

3 strategies to think better before you respond

1) Take a deliberate pause
If you feel yourself speeding up, breathe. Even if only once.
The pause is what separates reaction from decision.

If you can delay your response, delay it.
If you cannot, at least delay the part that is not essential.

2) State the main idea first in one sentence
One sentence. Just one.

It is the most useful training for clarity.
And it is what prevents a response from becoming a text that “goes round in circles”.

Then, add detail if necessary.
But only afterwards.

3) Replace statements with a question that creates focus

Instead of explaining more, ask a better question.

A simple question with an immediate effect:
“What is essential to resolve here?”

It helps you move away from the noise and towards sound judgement.
And, very often, it prevents defensive responses.

Example: a deadline you cannot meet
A rushed reply might list every competing task. A clearer answer starts with the decision: “I can deliver the report on Thursday. If Wednesday is essential, which task should I move?” The other person can then choose a priority.

Example: feedback that feels unfair
To think better before you respond, identify the point that needs clarification. Instead of defending every detail, ask: “Which part of the work did not meet your expectation?” A specific answer gives you something concrete to discuss.

Think better before you respond at work: choose one situation

Difficult email
Before responding, write the main idea in one sentence.
Then send only that.

If the other person needs more detail, they will ask.
And then you can respond with more context, already with a clear focus.

Meeting
Start with what is essential and stop.
Let the questions draw out the rest.

It is a simple way to maintain authority: not because you speak a lot, but because you know what is essential.

Tense conversation
Use a question to gain time and focus.
“What is essential to resolve here?”

The question is not an escape. It is a structure.
And structure reduces tension.

A common mistake worth avoiding

When a conversation becomes difficult, it is tempting to “prove” that you are right.
And the most common way to try to prove it is to explain more.

But explaining more is not the same as being clear.

If you feel the urge to add another paragraph, try the opposite: go back to the essential sentence.

One well-chosen sentence does more than three explanations.

Question and micro-action (2 minutes)

Question
What changes in this conversation if I respond with judgement instead of responding quickly?

Micro-action (2 minutes)
Write your ideal response in 1 sentence.
Only then decide whether to add details.

If you want to think better before you respond to a difficult message, you can explore the solutions we offer here.

By

SAB Comunicar

Communicating better with customers is about more than friendliness or experience. It depends on how value is explained, how well the other person’s needs are understood and how the message is adjusted to the commercial context.

When a commercial conversation goes badly, it is rarely just because of the price. Very often, the problem lies in how the proposal is presented, in the lack of clarity around the benefit, and in the difficulty of answering questions without impatience. This is where commercial communication makes a difference.

If I remarried every time I heard this answer, I would have overtaken Zsa Zsa Gabor by now!

It is usually followed by other equally priceless phrases:

“I do not have the patience to discuss price all the time.”

“Clients do not realise they are going to get a very high-quality service.”

“It is very tiring to keep hearing clients’ opinions and having to explain why it is better to do things the way I suggested.”

There are so many professions where you do not have to deal with customers. It is just a matter of choosing one. This is what I feel like saying when I hear those sentences. But I do not say it.

It would not solve the problem either. Those same issues and comments would then be about colleagues from other departments, suppliers and partners.

If you have a commercial role, deal with customers and have never had training in a commercial approach, here are 3 essential ideas to help you succeed more in this area.

1. Start with what customers need

What matters is what “they” need – the clients. What need do they want to solve? How does this service/product help them?

Simple and complex. Simple to understand. Complex to do.

Many commercial conversations fail here. The company knows what it does so well that it stops noticing that the client is not yet following the reasoning. The clearer the link between need, solution and benefit, the easier it becomes to build trust.

I know that you know this is how it works, but you end up explaining everything through your reasons and not through the Other person’s reasons – the client’s.

If you are thinking, “I never do this”, I can interview 2 or 3 of your customers, and we can confirm.

2. Explain price, stages and value clearly

When customers and prospective customers ask questions, they are showing interest.

If you do not want to have to explain the price, the stages and the reasons to the client, you will often hear “I’ll think about it, and we’ll speak later”. They will not think about it, and they will not speak later.

Anyone who wants to communicate better with customers needs to explain price, stages and value without ambiguity.

3. How to communicate better with customers from the client’s perspective

People are always people. They do not change because they are buying or selling. Their perspective and objectives change, but they are the same people.

So why does someone:

explain things using words that clients do not understand?

present magnificent features of a product/service without showing the value they bring to the client?

think first about their own objectives and only then about the client’s?

Is this how you like to be received by your doctor, your mechanic or your insurance broker?

Looking from the client’s perspective is worth its weight in gold. And it works. In commercial communication, this shift helps create more clarity, more trust and better conversations with customers. Better understanding what clients value also helps show the value of what is being offered more clearly.

This does not require a rehearsed script or complicated techniques. It requires attention, clarity and the ability to adjust language to what the other person really needs to understand in that moment.

In practice, communicating better with customers consistently involves three simple changes: speaking less about what the company does and wants to say, listening more to what the client needs to understand, and checking whether the message was clear. Those who work on this skill sell better, generate more trust and reduce unnecessary objections.

Zsa Zsa Gabor died in 2016 at the age of 99. She had 9 husbands and used to say she was an excellent housekeeper. Whenever she got divorced, she always kept the house.

By

SAB Comunicar

Survivorship bias in communication and business decisions

Survivorship bias shows how we can make poor decisions when we only look at the cases that reached the end. In communication and business, this happens when we only analyse clients won, proposals accepted or successful projects.

Perhaps Hitler would have thought of a plan B if he had known what Wald was going to discover later.

The son of a baker and the grandson of a rabbi, Abraham Wald studied mathematics in Vienna, where he worked as a researcher. With the German occupation and a new Nazi director, emigration became inevitable.

In New York, he joined a secret statistical research group that contributed to the war effort. The group’s contribution was made through “equations”.

The problem of survivorship bias

That day, they received a request from the military. They needed to armour aircraft against enemy fighters. They thought a mathematical equation could find the right point.

They were shown aircraft that had returned from missions, covered in bullet holes in some areas. The distribution of those holes was not uniform. There were many holes in the wings and almost none in the engine. The logic was, therefore, to add more armour to the area that had been hit, right?

Armour makes aircraft heavier. Heavy aircraft are harder to fly and use more fuel.

Too much armour is bad. Too little armour is also bad. How could they make the best decision?

Abraham Wald’s solution

Wald disagreed. The extra armour should be placed where there were no bullet holes.

“Where were the missing bullet holes? They were in the missing aircraft.”

The reason why aircraft returned with a few bullet holes in the engine was simple: those that had been badly hit in the engine did not return.

So they reinforced the armour around the engine. How did Wald see what others did not?

Because the others started from an assumption: that the aircraft that returned were a random sample of all those that had carried out missions. For a mathematician, the bullet hole problem is seen as a phenomenon called “survivorship bias” – a distorted view in the observation and analysis of the facts identified.

How to apply survivorship bias to communication

When we want to develop a project, a brand or a service, it is common to study the profile we are attracting, the audience we have won over. But what about studying those who do not stay? What information can they give us?

How many ideas were put aside because they did not work straight away? What criteria did we use to conclude that they had not worked?

It is important to look at what goes well, to focus on the clients we attract and on the projects where we have been successful. And it is equally important to ask the questions that help us see our own survivorship bias.

Whenever I send a proposal, I ask for a reply. It may come some time later, but I need to know whether a decision has already been made and, if another option was chosen, what the main reason was. I manage to get one 90% of the time. Every reply helps me understand where I stand and where I need to reinforce the armour. This requires organisation, resilience and a lot of focus. It is easy to leave it forgotten at the bottom of everything else.

Even in the past, during recruitment processes, I always asked for feedback, to understand whether the choice had been financial, based on experience, training or something else. What I received was always useful to help me understand where I stood and guide the strategy I had.

It is common to look at what worked. In phases like the one we are living through, it is important to understand whether, with a different kind of “armour”, other things could have worked too.

What were you able to learn from what did not work? Are you focusing on the right people? Is the strategy aimed at you or at the audience you want to reach? It may seem clear to you, but is the message just as easy for others to understand?

Questions to identify survivorship bias

Before concluding that an idea does not work, it is worth asking: what data was left out? Which people did not reply? Which proposals did not move forward? Which clients did not return?

Survivorship bias is not only useful for analysing aircraft, numbers or statistics. It also helps us understand where communication may be failing and which signals remain invisible because they never reach us.

Now that many of the things that “worked” can no longer “work”, what are you looking at?

By

SAB Comunicar

One of the most “astonishing” questions I have ever been asked was about inviting journalists to a press presentation. Whether such a thing existed. And what the investment would be.

In that case, the investment would be the cost of breakfast for the group.

The subject was relevant and innovative. A unique technology, developed by Portuguese people in Portugal, using typically Portuguese materials and exported to leading global clients. It attracted the interest of several areas of the media – business, science and technology.

My interlocutors, experts in this technology but unfamiliar with the world of communication, kept insisting on knowing the total investment. Until I realised that, for them, a presentation to the press had to be paid for in order to have an audience.

It is useful to have different experiences. They allow us to understand the world through other people’s eyes.

Having worked in journalism and business communication makes my life easier when I need to build a bridge between the two. I read the “State of the Media” study recently published by Cision, which identifies important ideas for companies and press officers who want to build better relationships with journalists.

Because I believe we understand each other better when we understand the world of “others” – in this case, journalists and the media – I have selected the journalists’ responses and the ideas from this study that I consider most relevant.

Why does communicating well with journalists matter?

Journalists receive many pitches, emails and requests for attention. For a company or press officer, communicating well with journalists means respecting the time, subject area, audience and editorial context of each media outlet.

Communicating with journalists

Email, email, email. Use email to contact journalists. This is what journalists themselves say. Given their workload, this is the only way to manage information and make sure it is not lost.

Send concise information by email, with resources included and links that do not expire – avoid the free version of WeTransfer – and limit your follow-up. Once is enough.

Making sure the content is 100% accurate is more important than feedback, exclusivity or being the first to publish.

This concern remains relevant: Cision highlights relevance, accuracy and trust as central themes in the relationship between journalists and communication professionals. See the State of the Media report.

Having a guest or expert available for a video interview online is more useful than ever.

It is important to step away from the perspective of the brand you are working for and think about whether someone who has never heard of that brand would be interested in the story you are communicating.

Try to read the information you are sending through the eyes of a reporter.

How can communication be improved? Suggestions from journalists

“The inclusion of data or resources that a writer can investigate for context, and a unique angle that presents a bigger idea behind the story. Do not just tell me about the client.”

“Do not communicate ‘ideas’ that are clearly there to serve your clients. Communicate a trend they fit into or offer your expertise on a subject I might be writing about.”

“Tell me directly, in one or two sentences, why it is important for the public to know this – not just why it is important for the company or client.”

“The most important thing is to get to know me, my publication and my readers, and propose solutions that help us create great content that generates views.”

“Do not bother me with unrelated topics – I hit the ‘trash’ button faster to clear my inbox.”

If you received between 51 and 100 emails a week presenting “new ideas”, how many could you answer within two days? 25% of the journalists who responded to the study receive this kind of email.

7 strategies for sending more effective emails to journalists

• Keep emails brief and to the point.
• Provide all the materials needed for the story, including images and links. Assume the journalist will not reply to your email, but may write a story based on the information included in it.
• Include the press release to provide additional context.
• Be strategic with the links you include.
• Provide timing. Is the news under embargo? Make sure the news is not yet public.
• If it is possible to offer an interview, make that clear.
• Make sure the links work outside your organisation.

What should companies avoid when contacting journalists?

Companies should avoid generic contacts, topics with little relevance, excessive insistence and messages focused only on the brand’s own interests. To capture journalists’ attention, the information should be clear, useful, accurate and suited to the audience of the media outlet.

Practical summary for companies and press officers

To be more useful to journalists, companies and press officers should send information that is relevant, accurate, brief and contextualised. The aim is not just to promote a brand, but to help the journalist understand why that topic matters to their audience.

Of the ideas you have read, which suggestion caught your attention the most? What will you do differently tomorrow?

If this topic is important for your company, find out more about SAB Comunicar’s communication and press office services.

PS: Share this article with a friend, client or colleague who needs to know these strategies.

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SAB Comunicar

The 4th Industrial Revolution will happen when “we start talking to computers as we talk to people”.
According to Arlindo Oliveira, computers will begin to take care of parts of our lives for us, such as shopping or tidying the house. But that is not all. The researcher believes that emotions may also become a natural development of computational systems.

In the context of the 4th Industrial Revolution, entertainment, education and work itself will be completely different, says the author of the book The Digital Mind: How Science Is Redefining Humanity. According to Arlindo Oliveira, this is a reality for which small companies are better prepared than large ones, and where a major investment in training will be necessary.

“Emotions will eventually become a natural development of computational systems, and there will be systems with emotions,” says Arlindo Oliveira.

What do computers, cells and robots have in common?

All the complexity that exists in today’s world came, for millions of years, purely from biological systems and cells.

The world we see now is about 200 years old and would be completely strange to someone who had lived 500 years ago. Cars, televisions, aeroplanes and telephones would have been difficult to imagine.

We are used to the reality created by the Industrial Revolution. The 3rd Industrial Revolution brought computers, information technology, mobile phones and new ways of interacting with the world.

The 4th Industrial Revolution will be the moment when computers begin to behave intelligently. It is likely to bring even deeper changes.

What will this 4th Industrial Revolution be like?

It will happen when we talk to computers as we talk to people, and computers begin to take care of parts of our lives for us, such as shopping or tidying the house.

When the Industrial Revolution happened and we began to build skyscrapers, railway lines, airports and aeroplanes, we changed the nature of the planet.

Now, with these 3rd and 4th Industrial Revolutions, we are going to make an even deeper change.

What examples do you see of technology supporting humanity’s evolution to the next stage?

That is a longer-term question. This environment, in which people are constantly interconnected through their mobile phones, is something that will become increasingly intense.

It will increasingly affect every area of activity, from education to leisure, shows and entertainment. All these areas will change a great deal.

Technologies will probably evolve, although we cannot predict what they will become.

What is the role of emotions?

They are very important in the human species. They are not there by chance, but because they developed through the evolutionary process, creating a series of actions and reactions in human beings. Fear, for example, leads us to run away from dangerous things; love leads us to reproduce. Emotions evolved because they give human beings a competitive advantage. Some people say emotions are the most advanced form of intelligence because they are the hardest to automate.

“Although I am not anticipating that one of these ‘assistants’ might wake up one day in a bad mood and answer rudely, it seems reasonable to me that if we shout at it, it may react with surprise.”

Can they exist in these computational systems?

At the moment, we tend not to associate emotions with computational systems. However, there are already many systems capable of detecting people’s emotions.

As we seek to improve the interface of these systems, it is natural that they may be able to have basic reactions and emotions. For example: “I can see that you are tired” or “I can see that you are upset”.

The second step is to empathise with those emotions. I am not anticipating that one of these assistants might wake up one day in a bad mood and answer rudely. That does not seem reasonable to me. But it does seem reasonable that, if we shout at it, it may react with surprise. That would make the interaction more natural.

It would be strange to have a system that, for almost all practical purposes, is human, but then does not get upset, does not get angry and always answers in the same tone. Emotions will eventually also exist in these systems.

How will they be programmed?

Current systems learn through interaction, rather than being programmed in detail, and many may be trained to display emotions that make human interaction easier.

Very often, emotions are on the side of the person perceiving the emotion. For example: animals do not speak, we do not know what they think, but it is very easy to attribute emotions to them – angry, hungry.

Although emotions are perceived by the person observing them, experiments show that robots can be trained to relate to humans in a way similar to animals, leading people to attribute emotions to robots and empathise with them. It is believed that these systems will have emotions that are more controlled and less variable than those of human beings.

Will we be partners or rivals of computational systems?

I hope we will be partners. It makes no sense for us to be rivals. If we reach that situation, it means we have done something wrong. But it is not impossible that, when designing systems, we give them goals that conflict with our own. For example, we might ask a system to prevent global warming, but the best way to prevent it may be for us to walk everywhere and, in that case, there may be a conflict of goals. I hope that, when very complex systems are designed, it is guaranteed that humanity’s interests always come first.

What examples do you see of this alignment of goals?

In autonomous cars, the highest priority must be the protection of human lives, although choices will still have to be made. That is where we need to guarantee alignment. Imagine a car worth 100 thousand euros, programmed to avoid destroying itself. It may have to decide between destroying itself in a ravine or running someone over. Those decisions have to be made.

These problems also exist when we are drivers, but we normally do not have time, and our reactions are instinctive. Computers, because they are much faster, will almost always be able to decide and make the choice of whether or not to run someone over. We need to guarantee that the decisions made by the computer are aligned with human interests and values.

Why does this topic matter to companies?

The evolution of computers and artificial intelligence is not just a technological topic. It also changes the way we work, communicate, learn and make decisions. For companies, this reinforces the importance of training, adaptation and clear communication in contexts of change.

Excerpt from an interview published in ISQ Tecnologia & Qualidade 5 magazine, in January 2018.

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SAB Comunicar

It is a practical skill for aligning decisions, giving feedback, managing expectations and addressing problems before they turn into conflicts between people and teams.

An assertive message combines facts, impact and the next step: three essential ingredients. It avoids accusations and generalisations, while making sure the essential points are expressed. The aim is to help the other person understand the situation and know what to do next.

What changes with assertive communication at work

Assertive communication is very different from speaking more loudly or choosing gentle words for every situation. It means adapting your message to the context and taking responsibility for what is within your control.

Assertive communication at work makes a difference in very specific situations: a deadline that will be missed, a priority that has changed, a client who understood a proposal differently, or behaviour that is affecting the team.

Clear, direct language reduces the scope for unexpected interpretations and helps address problems earlier. Vague expressions can make it harder to resolve conflict informally, while an open conversation and a neutral description help move the discussion forward.

Before speaking, organise three elements:

• the observable fact, without labelling the person
• the impact on the work, relationship or outcome
• the request or decision that allows everyone to move forward

This sequence is simple, but it requires preparation when the conversation involves tension, hierarchy or consequences for other people.

Difficult conversations: facts, impact and the next step

A difficult conversation becomes even harder when it starts with a judgement about the person. “You are disorganised” or “you never listen” turns a specific situation into a personal judgement.

Start with what you can describe: facts, without interpretation.

Instead of: “Your team never meets deadlines.”

Try: “On the last two deliveries, we received the materials after the agreed date. That reduced our review time and meant we had to change the client’s schedule. Today, we need to agree a realistic deadline and an interim check-in.”

The second version makes it possible to discuss facts and decisions. It also leaves room to hear information you do not yet have.

If the other person disagrees, return to the examples and ask what they see differently. Assertiveness includes listening. A one-sided conversation may convey an instruction, but it rarely resolves a problem that depends on several people.

Feedback that guides action

Feedback becomes useful when the person understands which behaviour to maintain or change. “You need to communicate better” does not clarify the problem or show what to do.

Describe the situation and its consequence.

Example: “In yesterday’s presentation, you gave the recommendation before explaining the evidence behind it. The client repeatedly asked us to go back, and we lost time. In the next meeting, start with the context, present two pieces of evidence, and then move on to the recommendation.”

The evidence reviewed by the CIPD shows that feedback can support learning and performance, but can also have negative effects when handled poorly. How the message reaches the person influences what happens next.

Check that the message has been understood and agree an observable behaviour for the next situation: something the person can recognise and do differently. Effective feedback ends with guidance rather than a vague impression of the person. In practice, assertive communication at work also depends on the quality of the feedback each person receives.

Client communication: check before promising

With clients, pressure to respond quickly can create commitments the team has not yet assessed. An assertive response acknowledges the request, clarifies its scope and states when a decision will be available.

Instead of: “Yes, we can take care of that.”

Try: “I understand you need to add this content before the launch. I will check the impact on the schedule and get back to you by 4 pm with two options.”

This response shows willingness to help without promising something that has not yet been confirmed.

It is also useful when you need to explain that a change falls outside the agreed work: “This request adds a new piece of work to the project. We can go ahead, but we need to review the deadline and budget before confirming.”

Assertive communication at work also protects client relationships by making the conditions of each decision clear.

Meetings and change: reduce ambiguity

A meeting can end with apparent agreement and different understandings of what was decided. At the end, state the decision, who is responsible and the deadline.

Example: “We have agreed to keep the launch on Friday. The product team will finalise the copy by Tuesday, and marketing will approve it on Wednesday. The support issue remains open and will be decided tomorrow.”

For internal changes, add context. Explain what is changing, why the decision was made, who is affected, what happens now and where people can ask questions. This helps put assertive communication at work into practice, especially when changes affect several teams.

A short message can contain all these elements. Leaving out the reasoning and expecting everyone to fill the gaps with their own interpretation increases confusion and conflicting interpretations.

How to prepare an assertive conversation in five minutes

Before a demanding conversation, set aside five minutes to organise what you want to say. This preparation is particularly useful when deadlines are tight, opinions differ or there is a hierarchical relationship.

Start by writing down the fact you can demonstrate. Avoid words such as “always” and “never” when they do not accurately describe the situation. Then identify the specific impact: what changed in the work, the client relationship or the ability to honour a commitment?

Next, define the outcome you want. Do you need to clarify a decision, negotiate a deadline, address a behaviour or understand a difficulty? A clear objective helps you choose your tone and keep the conversation on track.

Prepare a sincere question for the other person, too. For example: “What information am I missing that would help me understand what happened?” Hearing the answer may change the solution, even when the initial facts are correct.

Finally, choose a specific, realistic request. Instead of “We need to improve communication”, try “Can we confirm the decisions and who is responsible in writing at the end of each meeting?” Assertive communication at work becomes more useful when it ends with an observable commitment.

If the subject is sensitive, choose a private setting and allow enough time. An important conversation held in a rush can create more questions than it resolves.

Common mistakes that undermine assertive communication

A common mistake is confusing clarity with harshness. Speaking abruptly does not make a message more effective. You can be direct while recognising the context and the other person’s perspective.

Another mistake is making vague requests. “I need you to be more proactive” can mean different things to different people. It is more useful to explain what initiative is expected, in which situations and with how much autonomy.

Choosing the wrong channel is also common. A complex disagreement may require a conversation, while a decision already made benefits from a written record, whether an email or a document. The choice depends on the subject, the relationship and the consequences.

Some conversations contain many arguments but leave no room for a response. Assertive communication at work requires time to listen and a willingness to adjust the message in light of new information.

Finally, a good conversation loses value when nobody confirms the next step. Close with three simple elements: what has been decided, who will take each action and when progress will be checked.

These measures do not eliminate every conflict, but they help make disagreements clearer and create conditions for resolving them with respect and responsibility.

When training or consultancy makes sense

Assertiveness also depends on the channel and timing. A sensitive issue rarely improves through a long email exchange with several people copied in. Choose a conversation when you need to hear the context, check understanding or negotiate a solution. Afterwards, record the decision, responsibilities and deadlines in writing. This combination protects both the relationship and the work: the conversation allows the message to be adjusted; the written record prevents the decision from being lost.

If there is a significant power imbalance, prepare specific examples and a clear request before entering the conversation.

Assertive communication at work develops through examples drawn from real working situations and opportunities to practise. Training can support teams that need to practise feedback, meetings, difficult conversations, presentations or client communication.

Consultancy makes more sense when the problem also lies in processes: decisions arriving through different channels, unclear responsibilities, contradictory messages or a lack of shared criteria.

Before choosing an intervention, identify where communication breaks down, who is affected and which behaviour or process needs to change. The answer helps distinguish a skill that needs practice from a system that needs reorganisation.

If you want to work on these challenges with your team, explore our assertive communication training for companies or contact us to explain your context. An initial conversation helps identify which format could offer the most value.

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SAB Comunicar