Get the message across:
Five media training tips to nail that press interview
If you’re a leader in your
organisation or business, there’s a good chance that at some point, you’ve been
called upon to give an interview to the media. This could be on the TV, radio,
in a newspaper or magazine, or perhaps for a website related to your business
sector. Appearing in the press is a great opportunity to communicate with your
target audience through a medium that is considered trustworthy by many. Unfortunately, in many cases, company spokespeople find the finished piece doesn’t convey the key messages they wanted to get across and therefore doesn’t achieve all they had hoped. And too few organisations invest in media training for their leaders. I’ve been working in Public Relations (PR) for over 15 years now and I can attest to the fact that while giving interviews will always be nerve-wracking, with practice and simple techniques, it does get easier.
As with many things in life, we’re often too short of time to hone the necessary skills, even for what could prove to be a golden opportunity. The good news is that improving your interview technique using media training doesn’t need to be complex or time consuming. Media training is often offered by PR agencies, either as part of a package, or on a one-off basis.
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been working with some of our clients on media training for their key spokespeople, ensuring they make the most of the press opportunities we secure for them. To create a really authentic interview experience, we bring in experienced journalists to enact whichever scenario clients want to focus on. After the initial hour-long session with the journalist, we offer a bespoke follow-up where an PR expert will talk you through how to apply the things you’ve learned. We’ve had some great feedback so far, with participants getting in touch to tell us how much their confidence has increased, and with it, the ability to land their talking points.
I love being able to spend time working one-on-one with each person to give really tailored advice, but there are some really basic pointers that can help anyone getting ready to speak to the press. If you’re not at a point where you have invested in media training, these are worth going through as you prepare.
1. Know the format
Always make sure you know in advance which publication you’re speaking to and what the format of the article is going to be. Is it a straightforward Q&A about a current product or project? A broader profile which might involve touching on your personal life, or specialist information you might need to prepare in advance? Or are you giving quotes for a thematic article where what you say will appear alongside the views of others. If you’re working with a PR agent, they’ll be able to give you a brief so you’re clear on what to expect.
2. Do your research
As well as understanding the format, it’s worth spending a bit of time understanding who you’re going to be speaking to, both in terms of the person and the publication. Looking a journalist’s published work up in advance, or checking out their Twitter feed to find out what makes them tick can help establish a rapport. It’s also important to understand the focus of the publication they’re writing for and what their audience so you know what kinds of things they’re likely to be interested in.
3.Prepare your messages
Think about what you want to get out of giving the interview. Some people find it useful to imagine the headline they’d like to see on the piece and prepare a few key phrases that might support it. A good rule of thumb is to prepare in advance three points that you would like to get across, write them down, and make sure you say them at some point during the conversation. If you’re working with a PR agent, they can help practice this.
4. Get in the zone
It sounds simple but make sure you give yourself time to prepare. Sit somewhere quiet with a glass of water on hand (and a coffee if a caffeine boost helps your mental agility). Rushing out of a meeting, phone in hand and diving straight in rarely leads to considered responses – it’s worth taking 5 minutes to make sure you’re ready to talk.
5. And finally…
This may sound silly at first, but some well-known figures have outfits or accessories they wear to help them get into interview mode. It could anything from a hat to a pair of lucky pants – consider it your interview costume!
If you’re looking to hone your skills with a professional media training session, click here to email me.
An version of this article originally appeared on the blog at Mobiusindustries.com