“Thom had a great presentation for our district and my staff.  He covered topics that were relevant to all of our job classifications, from our bus drivers to our administrators, and there was information that every person could benefit from hearing.

I appreciated him coming to speak to my staff.”

On Thom Fladung’s seminar “A Public Schools Social Media Primer: Risks, Rewards & Recognizing Fake News”

“Thom Fladung was a great presenter on how to handle sensitive situations in schools.  His message is easy to understand and user-friendly.  He is able to relate to all kinds of personalities and roles.  At our Summer Administrator Conference, he spoke to an array of school officials including Superintendents, Treasurers, Principals, Special Ed. Directors, Curriculum Directors, and more.  He demonstrated the DOs and DON’Ts of media/public interactions and made his presentation very applicable to school personnel.  This is the 2nd time he has presented for us, and he received positive reviews both times.”

“Hennes Communications gave us smart strategic communication counsel and much-needed media training to help us deal with a breaking crisis situation quickly and effectively. They put the truth, and our reputation, first.  We appreciate the support all the way through this unfortunate situation. Springfield Local Schools could not have done it without your help.”

“I’ve never been so riveted by a CLE.”

Your seminar was AWESOME! I am already putting what I learned into practice, in some of my civic/volunteer work.

I saw Bruce Hennes at the West Virginia State Bar Conference and found his presentation the most interesting of the day.

“Many thanks for your help; you really helped us sharpen our thinking, and get us to a solution where we have an intact client relationship, no negative publicity, and some positives.”

I learned about your communication expertise several years ago when you presented for the Ohio Association  Chiefs Of Police (OACP).  Since then, I have modeled all my communications after your important and simple guidelines:

• Tell it first.
• Tell the truth.
• Tell it all.

Those guidelines have worked very well for me, as well as my relationship with the news media and citizenry, during my tenure as police chief.

“You more than exceeded my expectations and the expectations of the attendees!  Your program was excellent.  Based on the comments received, your presentation was by far the best one of the CLE Program.”

“Working in an organization that manages a high level of risk every day means that the potential for a crisis is always with us, no matter how much we try to prepare. Knowing the staff at Hennes Communications is just a phone call away has made a huge difference to us. Your immediate response, expert guidance, understanding of our mission and genuine concern for the well-being of the organization is truly invaluable. I’m so grateful for your past help and glad to know you will be there for us whenever you’re needed!”

Re: Bruce Hennes’ seminar at the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association: best 1-hour CLE ever.

Nora did a fantastic job of pulling together our team. Her professionalism and expertise were complimented by many individuals. Nora did a great job of keeping us on task and getting the project completed per our timeline. The final product exceeds our expectations. Thank you!

Bruce’s message is important and powerful.

“I am so impressed by your expertise and firm. I cannot thank you enough for all of your valuable service throughout our ordeal. I have learned so much from you that I now watch the news/soundbites with a whole new perspective. You are a great teacher in the art of media relations and I’d recommend your team to anyone.”

“When Superstorm Hurricane Sandy hit we were ready. BlueBridge Networks is in the business of keeping businesses in business, so we turned to our playbook and lessons learned – the lessons and advice of Bruce Hennes. First: stay in front of the issue. Second: control the message. Third: tell the truth and tell it often. Having had the benefit and advantage of hearing Bruce at American Red Cross Business Emergency Preparedness Seminars, we were trained and prepared to execute our Disaster Recovery – Business Continuity Plan. Now, more than ever, we fully recognize the importance of communication plans in a successful and seamless event resolution. (Hennes Communications) understands the Court of Public Opinion and can help any organization from a tactical and strategic perspective in the arena of crisis communication. We were able to walk through lessons learned as a team and applied them to our situation. And when we triggered that plan, (the Hennes Communications) team reassured us that our approach was wise, with reminders to refine the message and bring proper closure.”

“Every lawyer who acts as litigation counsel or corporate counsel to a business or institution should be familiar with the principles and practical considerations conveyed in Bruce’s program because coverage and public reaction can be such powerful factors when a client is involved in litigation or faces some type of business crisis.”

“One hour with Bruce is worth it. He’s a real expert with real applicable knowledge… and he’s interesting!”

“I would, without reservation, recommend Hennes Communications to any organization facing communications difficulties. Through practical instruction and personal coaching, Hennes Communications not only helps businesses successfully manage an immediate crisis, but also teaches valuable skills and strategies that can be used time and again in the future.”

“You cannot be too prepared for an interview situation, when there are no chances for a re-do. Don’t risk your reputation to improvisation.”

“Hennes Communications provided an insightful introduction to the art of media relations for a few of the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine faculty physician scientists and support staff. I found their verbal and visual performance tips of great value, as were the practice of developing key messages and implementing them during on-camera interviews. Bruce has a real talent for understanding how the media works and how they’re going to interpret your actions/non-action. I recommend anyone that’s in the public eye go through this training.”

“I’ve attended many media-related training seminars in my 21 years as Chief. This is by far the best.”

“Thanks to Bruce Hennes for coming to Coshocton County, Ohio to do his “Extreme Crisis Communications” presentation. I was glad that our health department was able to support this effort and that so many of our employees – and other government officials – attended. Because of the training, I was able to serve as spokesman for our agency during the recent H1N1 Swine Flu situation and conduct the press conference in a professional manner. We used his forms and techniques to prepare for all of our encounters with the media, predicting all of their questions in advance and serving the public with transparency. You can read about the results of our media relations in a laudatory editorial that ran in a local newspaper here. Government and health officials across the board should receive the crisis and risk communications training he offers.”

“As a mayor, I strongly recommend (the Hennes Communications crisis seminar) to my fellow mayors. This seminar will teach you how to interact with the media and your community during a crisis situation.”

“(Hennes Communication’s) media training is a must for corporate, civic and government leaders who are or may be in the media spotlight at any point in their careers. (Their) training prepared me for media interactions in every conceivable format, including daily print, magazines, radio, television and webcasting. Until I worked with (Hennes Communications), I had no understanding of the complexity and variability in each format and how to shape my message appropriately to maximize my impact. His ongoing coaching enables me to continue to improve my style, delivery and, bottom line, my impact. He also provided me with a series of easy-to-remember, highly effective tips to use on an ongoing basis; they have been invaluable in saving me from me. Most importantly, (they are) always available in a pinch.”

“Performance excellence is a reflection of a professional sharing and coaching commitment. Every time you and your team come to Westfield, we are the beneficiaries of the skills and knowledge delivered by the pros in the crisis comm and media relations business.”

“Hennes Communications has been, and continues to be, an extremely valuable resource to myself and to RTA. They have the skills to quickly and accurately respond, analyze the situation and then work to effectively develop and implement the appropriate communications plan.”

“The media/crisis training you gave us recently paid off. Our people did and said exactly what they were supposed to and every media report included our key messages. Your training couldn’t have been more on-point and timely.”

“We had a chemical spill in Madison Village. The entire incident was handled well because our Police Chief, Road Superintendent and I had been to your Extreme Crisis Comm seminar at Lakeland Community College. Thank you for all of the excellent information. If we have a major incident in the future, your company will be our first call.”

“Faced with a situation that could have produced adverse media attention, I called (Hennes Communications). Bruce Hennes’ advice was right on target and helped blunt the blow of what could have been very negative PR. In-your-face journalism needs in-your-face protection – I call Bruce Hennes because 120 minutes with Bruce Hennes prepares you for 10 seconds with 60 Minutes.”

“I spent half of my day Thursday listening to a consultant tell public officials how to manage their messages to the media. Lest you think I was insulted, I found myself agreeing with everything Bruce Hennes said. Hennes is a crisis communications specialist based in Cleveland. The Coshocton and Holmes County Health Departments brought him to Coshocton to speak with area politicians, public health officials and business leaders. I hope they heed his words. And I’m sorry that some area leaders didn’t get to hear it. They – and the citizens and customers they serve – would benefit greatly from it as well.”

“I just wanted to tell you how grateful I am for your work for MetroHealth. We got your complete attention, knowledge and judgment and incredible responsiveness. I would be happy to work again with you anytime (but not wishing for any more issues).”

“One of the good things that came out of all of this is that you answered the phone on that Friday afternoon, and I have had the chance to work with you. Whenever possible, I tell folks about you and the work we did.”

“I am deeply appreciative of the wonderful service you have provided to the school over these past months. Your wisdom and your kindness have helped my growth and understanding – both of crisis communications and of the human person. Thank you for your great kindness to us and for retaining us as a client. We are better for it.”

“If you say the right thing in the wrong way, a crisis can be created. A crisis of communications… a crisis of confidence. When they (Hennes Communications) do their job best, there is no crisis.”