I have been asked about best day of week to send out a news release. There isn't one. I have seen plenty of debates on this. From personal experience, only difference I ever noticed is when I could pick a slow news day. For instance, if in your city daily newspaper can be reached on Sunday and not too much tends to happen that day in your subject area, you may find it easier to get into Monday's newspaper than if you try later in week. But on average, there is not much difference.

Best time of month, year, etc? Again, there is no single best time. There is one golden rule. Do not send out a release when world is wrapped up in some all-consuming event like death of Princess Diana or attack on World Trade Center. Remember how much TV airtime and newspaper print space were devoted to those events? The media and its audiences had other things on their minds than your news. You can't control events, but you can control timing of your release (most of time).

How far in advance should you send out your release? Some book reviewers usually need several months. Others don't want to see your release until book is on store shelves. Many consumer magazines have a six-month editorial preview. Features editors often run several weeks ahead of time, but sometimes squeeze things in on short notice. News departments want only breaking news. Yesterday's news is ... well, yesterday's news. Your release is already forgotten.

Does all this sound confusing. It is. The bottom line in any marketing is to know your target market and give it what it wants. Same with media. The guidelines above give a very abbreviated list of what you need to consider. If you are still unsure, a media coach might be a good investment. But be forewarned – find someone with enough experience and success to coach you in right direction.

9. Someone in audience is trying to upstage you.

SOLUTION: Immediately address their need to be acknowledged and get attention. Ignoring them will only make it worse. Say, "Did you say you taught Learning Theory in a college? [yes] Well then I hope you'll stay right with me here so you can help us all learn a little more. Did you have a comment on last point I made?" Often people like this are insensitive, so if you have to simply cut them off at some point, do so, and know that everyone else in audience knows that’s going on and is grateful.

10. Someone in audience tells you you can't tell them what you just said, or "That won't work with me/on me." This tends to come up in self-help lectures.

SOLUTION: You don't have an enemy; you have your best ally! Agree with him, because he's right (and has just made your point for you).

You can't make someone's life better until they realize they're in pain and are motivated enough to be willing to change some behaviors, and thinking is a behavior, i.e., you can't change someone else's way of thinking, because that's totally under their own control. This is point, and they’ve just made it for you. If you use your emotional intelligence, most 'hostile' comments from audience are entry points for you to drive home your point. Be gentle and know what's going on is transparent to most in audience. 11. Never take things personally. Anything can happen.

TIP: Attend as many presentations as you can, and I particularly recommend Board meetings, as they can be unbelievably obstreperous.

If I’m a good speaker at all, it’s because of my years as a fundraiser on non-profit circuit, where I listened to speeches and attended board meetings and church services continually.

I’ve seen it all happen -- when co-presenter didn’t show up, when co-speakers collided with each other on stage and fell down, when minister had an epileptic seizure (freezing) in middle of a sermon, when a mental patient climbed up on stage with speaker, and when chairman of Southwestern Bell was reading a speech and abruptly said, with no change in his tone of voice, “Oh, I guess that was end. That’s end of this speech.”

Watching how many pros I witnessed handled many unpredictable things that can happen was invaluable. They’ll give you all phrases you need, model professional aplomb, and occasionally give you a very bad example of what never to say and do that you can also learn from.

Most of all, you’ll realize that when you’re MCing a fashion show, and entire runway collapses in front of you … it isn’t you!