Kurt Wee: you don't need to be big to be media savvy

The Singapore budget last week prompted a series of interviews on various TV channels seeking reaction and commentary - and this gave ASME President Kurt Wee the chance to shine and land himself a place as a shortlisted candidate for the Hong Bao Media Savvy Awards 2018.

The Association of Small and Medium Enterprises has a key business need to profile itself and give a voice to SMEs, which make up 99% of companies, employ two-thirds of the population and generate half of GDP.

Wee didn't shy away from his responsibility as a local business leader to analyse the effect of the budget and put forward the SME point-of-view on CNBC.

I have shortlisted Wee for the Hong Bao Media Savvy Awards 2018 this week for these reasons:

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We launched the Hong Bao Media Savvy Awards to recognise senior local leaders for their communications skills, and to showcase authentic and credible home-grown communicators. Here are our previous nominees:

Desmond Kuek: Will you resign?

Are you a demanding boss, Lee Lik Hsin?

Star Alliance CEO: Local business leader is a star media performer

Budget 2018: Iswaran balances selling it, and explaining it

These are shining examples for other local business leaders to follow, and to build a culture of excellence in communication, to maximise the potential of Asian companies in the Asian Century.

Each week until April 30, 2018, we are shortlisting a local corporate figure who has demonstrated excellence in a media appearance for the Hong Bao Media Savvy Awards 2018.

Click on the link below to enter yourself or another Senior Business Leader.

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1. Concise answers - Wee kept his responses firm and short. He was on confident and sure-footed in his responses, while dispensing with platitudes.
2. Addressing his audience - Wee spoke in parts in the second person ("you"), and used analogies like the "trampoline" to illustrate which SMEs were going to get support.
3. Good studio etiquette - Wee maintained a proper posture, didn't swivel in his chair, and generally maintained eye contact with the camera - all surprisingly difficult to do while responding to questions in a live TV interview.

TV interviews are short (the section published on the CNBC website is only 2:10 minutes). So, Wee didn't have the opportunity to make all his media skills come to the fore.

But he is worthy of being shortlisted in the Hong Bao Media Savvy Awards 2018, because his messages were clear and concise, demonstrated proper studio etiquette and ended the interview on a high note. An excellent candidate who reminds you that "confidence is key".