AAPL Ambassador Presentation Presenter s Guide

Transcription

1 AAPL Ambassador Presentation Presenter s Guide What is the Purpose of AAPL s Ambassador Program? AAPL s Ambassador Program equips landmen the face of the oil and gas industry with resources to start a fact-based dialogue with the public and become true ambassadors for our safe, regulated and vitally important industry. These resources include facts and information about hydraulic fracturing, well construction, water and air quality, seismic activity, the economic impact of the oil and gas industry, and more. Overview of AAPL Ambassador Presentation The AAPL Ambassador Presentation is a 1-hour PowerPoint presentation of key takeaways from the Ambassador Toolkit. It is designed for 45 minutes of presentation time and 15 minutes of Q&A. Additional Presentation Resources Resources for the Ambassador Program can be found on the AAPL website, Ambassador Toolkit Updated in December 2015, this 50+ page educational resource contains additional data and information that you can use to tailor your presentation notes. Ambassador Videos AAPL has provided one three-minute video highlighting key points from the Ambassador Toolkit and four one-minute, topicspecific videos on hydraulic fracturing, water quality, air quality and seismic activity. To avoid repetitiveness during your presentation, AAPL recommends using the topic-specific videos as desired as replacements, not additions to, the respective sections of the presentation. State-Specific Presentation Slides State-by-state slides for Alaska, California, Colorado, Louisiana, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, West Virginia and Wyoming are available to be added to the presentation. If you would like to add one or more of these slides, please contact Heather Hunt at hhunt@landman.org. What Does It Mean to Be an AAPL Ambassador? Your role as an AAPL Ambassador is to have an objective, fact-based dialogue with members of your community about America s oil and natural gas industry. As a representative of AAPL, it is important to speak from AAPL s point of view, and not your personal opinions. AAPL is a collection of many individuals, but to communicate effectively with its audiences, the organization must speak with one voice. 1 P age

2 Preparing for Your Speaking Engagement The best presentation is a well-prepared one. Following these four steps will help ensure your speaking engagement goes smoothly. 1. Outline Your Presentation: Determine what Ambassador resources you will be using (see Additional Presentation Resources on page 1). This includes deciding if you will provide any supplemental or leave-behind materials to attendees, such as copies of your presentation slides. 2. Do Your Homework. Research the organization and/or audience to which you will be speaking in advance. This will help you anticipate what subjects will be of most interest and what questions are likely to be asked. 3. Confirm On-Site Details: Contact the event host or venue in advance to confirm the following details: o Presentation and Room Set-Up: How will you be presenting? How will attendees be seated? How large is the room? o A/V Technology: Is there internet connectivity in the room? What type of microphone will be provided? Can your laptop be patched into the house audio system? (Recommended if you intend to play Ambassador video(s) during your presentation). o Presentation Connectivity: Does the venue have a projector and/or speakers available? How should the presentation be brought (on your laptop, thumb drive, etc.)? Is the venue both Mac and PC compatible? What do you as the speaker need to bring for your presentation? 4. Come Prepared: AAPL recommends bringing extra chargers and connector cords (if you are presenting from your laptop) as well as an extra copy of your presentation on a thumb drive. Print out your notes pages and a copy of the presentation, just in case technology fails. Bring a few extra business cards so you can follow-up with any attendees who have questions. Presentation Best Practices Now that you re prepared for your speaking engagement, below are several tips for making your presentation as successful as possible: Rehearse, Rehearse: Run through your presentation a few times in advance to ensure that it meets time requirements and to familiarize yourself with the material. Leave Sufficient Time for Q&A: When preparing your presentation, allow for at least minutes for Q&A session at the end. This will ensure you have sufficient time to cover everything in your presentation (in case it runs long), and allow time for multiple audience members have questions answered. Dress Professionally, But Comfortably: Best practices indicate that presenters should dress one step more conservatively than their audience, and avoid any attire or accessories that might distract attendees from your presentation. Equally important, avoid any uncomfortable attire or shoes that might distract you from giving your best presentation possible. 2 Page

3 Arrive 30 Minutes Early: This will allow you plenty of time to get set up, in case you encounter any technical issues with your presentation, as well as to network with attendees. Connect With Your Audience: Focus on connecting with your audience by facing them and making eye contact. Avoid turning away to read directly from the presentation slides or off of your computer, which can make the presenter appear closed-off or unprepared. Make it Personal: Personalize your presentation with local industry facts or personal stories or anecdotes, as appropriate, from your own career as an oil and gas professional. Keep it Positive: Be positive and pleasant, regardless of question or topic. The tone that AAPL Ambassadors should evoke is professional, positive and pro-oil and gas development. AAPL Ambassadors should avoid using a tone that could be perceived as negative, combative, sarcastic, flippant, derogatory or defensive. Follow-Up: Send a thank-you note to the event organizers following the event and, if possible, follow-up with any attendees whose questions you could not answer during the presentation. Tips for Handling Audience Questions In the event that you encounter difficult or even aggressive questions from audience members during your presentation, below are a few tips for handling them: Respect Attendees Point Of View. Listen fully to what the audience member has to say and show respect for their point of view even if it is very different from your own. Don t Get Emotional or Angry. It is important to remain professional and respectful, no matter the tone or question asked by an audience member. Responding to attendee questions with anger, defensiveness or rudeness almost always reflects badly on the presenter, not the audience member. It's OK Not To Answer a Question If You re Not Sure Of The Answer. Do not speculate or lie. A sample response could be: I m not sure let me check on that and get back to you, or, I don t know, but the [XYZ association] has resources on that. It s OK To Not Answer Aggressive Audience Members. If an audience member persists in repeatedly bringing up an issue or is being blatantly disruptive, aggressive or rude, it is acceptable to refuse to answer their question. A sample response could be, Thank you, but I have already answered your question, and want to make sure we have the opportunity to hear everyone s questions, or I came here to talk about [XYZ topic]. If you have any questions related to [XYZ topic], I would be happy to answer them. 3 P age

4 Frequently Asked Questions AAPL has provided suggested responses below for questions that AAPL Ambassadors are likely to be asked when presenting or speaking to members of the community. Q: What is Hydraulic Fracturing? A: Hydraulic fracturing is a safe, proven method for oil and natural gas extraction that has been used since the 1940s. The process consists of injecting a waterbased fluid under high pressure into solid rock thousands of feet below the earth s surface. Tiny fissures in the rock are created that allow for oil and natural gas to be collected. Hydraulic fracturing is directly responsible for hundreds of thousands of new jobs, lower energy and gasoline costs, and economic growth for hundreds of communities across the U.S. Q: What impact does the oil and gas industry have on our economy? A: Every year, America s oil and gas industry supports 9.8 million jobs, $220 billion in household wages, and nearly $550 billion in economic growth. Most all of this growth occurs in the local communities where oil and gas development takes place not Wall Street. The industry pays more taxes than any other industry, and that tax revenue is pays for a significant portion of state budgets and social services, including public schools, parks, public transportation, Medicaid and state health programs, and emergency services. Q: How does the oil and gas industry benefit me as an individual? A: 96% of the products we use every day are derived from or powered by oil and natural gas, including clothing, medical equipment, cosmetics, furniture, and more. It makes most transportation options possible and, in the case of natural gas, is providing a clean-burning source of electricity that lowers energy bills while reducing emissions. Additionally, oil and gas stocks are found in most 401k mutual funds. Q: What is in hydraulic fracturing fluid? A: Hydraulic fracturing fluid is 99.5% water and sand, and is recyclable. Only 0.5% of hydraulic fracturing fluid is comprised of common additives. These additives are commonly found in everyday household items, such as salt, ice cream, cosmetics, soaps, detergents, and deodorants. These chemicals prevent bacteria growth and corrosion within the well and ensure the hydraulic fracturing process is completed efficiently. You can find each of the ingredients used in the hydraulic fracturing process is shared on the website FracFocus.org. Q: Does hydraulic fracturing cause water contamination? The EPA recently published a study that concluded that hydraulic fracturing does not contaminate drinking water resources. Water use and disposal methods by the oil and gas industry are strictly regulated under the Clean Water Act, and oil and gas producers go to great lengths to ensure groundwater is protected during oil and gas drilling, including constructing wells with multiple airtight layers of steel pipe and cement, drilling more than a mile beneath any water sources through solid rock, and installing backflow preventers and on-site barriers to further prevent wastewater leakage. 4 P age

5 Q: Is the oil and gas industry depleting our water resources? A: No. According to a Duke University study, hydraulic fracturing uses less than one percent of America s industrial water use. Water sources and consumption by the oil and gas industry are strictly regulated, and producers recycle wastewater and hydraulic fracturing fluid where feasible. Most all of America s industrial water use is from cities, agriculture and irrigation, and electricity generation. Q: Does hydraulic fracturing cause earthquakes? A: No. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) reports that hydraulic fracturing has a very low risk of inducing seismic events that can be felt at the surface. According to the USGS, the recent increase in seismic activity is more likely to be caused by wastewater disposal wells, a safe method for disposing of wastewater that has been used since the 1930s and by many industries, including oil and gas. However, the USGS also reports that less than 1% of all wastewater wells in the U.S. have been associated with reports of seismic activity, so the risk is still very low. Q: Does oil and gas production worsen air pollution? A. No. Hydraulic fracturing has been credited with helping America s carbon dioxide emissions reach a 20-year low thanks to the enormous supply of cleanburning natural gas it has unlocked. Replacing coal-fired plants with natural gas for electricity generation is drastically reducing U.S. greenhouse gas emissions while also lowering energy costs. The oil and gas industry is responsible for only 1.07% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, but the industry has invested more than $90 billion in zero- and low-emissions technologies since EPA data shows that methane emissions from hydraulic fracturing have dropped 79% despite rising oil and gas production levels. 5 P age