subject: A Positive Take a look at Media Interviews and A Prescription For Successful Media Interviews [print this page] A Positive Take a look at Media Interviews and A Prescription For Successful Media Interviews
As you read the headline, I can almost hear a number of you asking, "How can there be something positive concerning media interviews? I might rather select a painful visit to my dentist than participate in a very media interview." Well, I need to tell you that in more than thirty five years of media interviews in my skilled career, I stay positive concerning media interviews and can share some thoughts with you. And just in case you may believe that every one those media interviews were fun & friendly, I will assure you they were not.
Many business people, particularly corporate leaders, have nice disdain for the media and hold the belief that a journalist's job is to find sensational stories and details and then present them in ways to form CEOs and different business leaders look bad. And with this sort of attitude, we tend to witness company leaders and business folks going on the defensive, when they ought to be doing the opposite - being proactive ad trying at the interview as an opportunity rather than a crisis.
Thus you are wondering how to appear at media interviews in a positive light and read them as an opportunity to tell your story. Here is my prescription for you.
1. Be positive. Even thought the topic mater of the interview might have negative elements.
2. Be honest. If you are doing not recognize the answer to the interviewer's question than sincerely respond that you do not know. Do not try to form up an answer or "wing it" with one thing that cannot be substantiated.
3. Be prepared. I forever advise my shoppers to understand whom they're doing business with before any business takes place. The identical recommendation is appropriate for your doing business (interviews during this instance) with the media. Research the interviewer and their background, interviewing style, subjects sometimes covered by them, format of interview, the physical location of the interview, etc.
4. Develop your key message(s) with a pair of to four key points and weave these into your interview responses.
5. Anticipate questions you would rather not have asked. Do some "what if" planning for these questions. Prepare to briefly address those questions and then tie back into your main points.
6. Build relationships with the media as an ongoing goal, even before media interview opportunities occur.
7. Maximize each media interview opportunity and when you are asked at the end of the interview (that virtually forever happens) if there's something else you'd like to add, be prepared to reiterate key messages and provide a positive outline of the interview.
8. Ask for and interact outside counsel and training to develop your media interview skills.
9. Follow, practice, observe to hone your media interview skills.
10. Arrange to viewing media interviews as opportunities, not crises.
