I know it goes against most people’s instincts when talking to a reporter, but I’ve found time and again it’s best to be as open and frank as possible.
I was reminded of this while at lunch with a businessman this week. He’s someone who’s been in the news a lot through the years, and not always in a positive way. We had an off-the-record lunch, so he felt more free to speak. I came away from our meeting with a new understanding of him, his partners and what they do. It seemed to me if they had been this open all along — with everyone — their business dealings might have played better in the press.
I certainly understand the need for privacy in business transactions. But sometimes secrecy leads to more questions and misperceptions than would exist if someone simply said, look, here’s the deal, and explained it frankly.
Just a thought.