B2B Marcom practitioners are keenly aware of the admonition, "Believe Half Of What You See And Nothing That You Hear." Famous words from Edgar Allan Poe ... or was it Benjamin Franklin? Hmmm ... I've seen it attributed to both men - not sure WHAT to believe.
And THAT is the problem. Virtually ANYTHING can now be manipulated, twisted, or simply misstated. The effect ranges from this example of a quote, to the photoshopping of fashion models, to alleged blatant reconstruction of the facts to create news.
This condition places an extreme value on integrity. Never before has it been easier to fabricate the "truth", and never have trust and honesty been more meaningful.
While trust can be eroded in an instant, it takes an entire career to build it.
Never compromise your integrity in B2B Marcom. Ever.
I say this nearly every day: "Always begin at the end." 
And, when it comes to goal setting, I say it isn't a GOAL if it isn't put down in writing. There's something very powerful about the very act of touching that pen to the paper, of hitting the key, and seeing your thoughts on display. When we put our GOAL in writing we are exposed for being disorganized, scattered, incoherent, or (hopefully) logical, focused, thorough, inspired, and aligned with the team.
If you've been in business to business marketing communications for any length of time you've heard parts of this. If you are a newbie, this might freak you out. Trust me on this one: seasoned pros stay very sharp on this topic, beginners MUST ramp up and get really good with this, fast.
Here is another example of a residence. This time it exists in modern times, was designed with modern technologies, built with modern tools - to address a modern goal.
It is always important, sometimes critical, to come off well when interviewed. Most often the interviewer is an industry (or larger) celebrity and the printed or videoed story/article will appear in an influential trade journal, website, or blog. The third-party credibility, maybe even endorsement, lent by being interviewed by a prestigious personality or publication could be very valuable to your organization. The command, albeit brief, of the media's audience - your target audience - is highly desired. Other times you may be communicating with an internal team - the people you work with every day. Additionally, you may be interviewed by your local news media for good, or not so good, reasons. It's never been easier to capture your thoughts, in audio, in writing, on video, and share them with your key decision makers and stakeholders. This is show time, people!
Another element of "working with the interviewer" involves you, as the Marcom leader, accompanying your engineer (or other person being interviewed) to the interview. Take some of the stress off of them by handling minor chores for them. For example, if at a trade show, take a quick final look at your colleague: remove their exhibition badge, take all the pens and metal rulers from their shirt pocket, etc. In addition, add further value by doing things the interviewee could never do. Monitor the interview - chime in when you see a chance to improve things. Whether it involves lighting, camera angle, content, flow, or even the need for a quick break - you can add value from the sidelines. In the image (right) I was monitoring the video capture on the interview technician's computer. I noted people in the background and other potential distractions. Be sure the interviewer is prepared for your involvement. CAUTION: Do not be a "stage mom". Everyone hates that person!
#6: BOIL IT DOWN: There is a 
#7: ARRIVE EARLY: You being comfortable and relaxed will transfer to the interviewer and to your audience. It's the same when you are harried, stressed, and off balance. Arrive early, feel great, own the space, and shine.
#9: REQUEST A HAND IN THE EDITING: Some interviewers will scoff at the idea of you being involved in post production. Others will allow you to see the final product candidate and will accept ideas from you. A third group will actually WELCOME your offer. It can't hurt to ask. Approach it from perspective of "fact checking" and organization enhancement. I've rambled through an interview, expressed my regret at not crafting my thoughts better, asked to see the transcripts, then submitted my edited version. It can work. Always ask, respectfully. That said, always give an interview with the belief that you will NOT have any chance of being involved with the editing - be safe.
I'd like to coin a term, "nuse". It means to use the news, in a bad way, to your benefit.
Being from Upstate New York, where we enjoy weather extremes, I am all too familiar with frozen rivers. Most activities, including B2B Marcom, are like a frozen river. Things get stuck in a certain way and they don't change - at least not too much or too easily. When things are frozen, there is really very little that can be done to effect change.
December 1st! How did it get here so fast? And, if it is December right now, then it will be 2011 before we know it. This is the time of year when we, as business to business Marketing Communications practitioners, must predict the future. Our colleagues are counting on us. Here's why it's difficult:
Assumptions can help speed things along - when they don't kill you, that is.
How to handle social media transparency?
#1: Featuring a testimonial from an overly excited guy (he calms down eventually) spouting incredible (to him) superlatives. PS: He works for Apple, as do all the people in the video.
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