Public Relations Princess

How to Wing It in a Media Interview

This video is my all-time favorite classic example of a media interview gone bad. It also shows the risks being associated with being named Guy. Here's the backstory, read it before you view the video and it will be even funnier! This is a great case study on how a even a clueless interview subject can be coached by a skilled reporter to give a reasonably sensible interview even if they are unqualified.

I never tire of seeing his facial expression when being introduced! Don't take any chances with your media training. All new spokespersons should be accompanied by a PR rep when they attend interviews.

Senator Dick Durbin: Excellent Media Training on Display

I just watched an interview between CNN's John Roberts and Democratic Illinois Senator Dick Durbin. The topic was the confirmation hearing of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court and a few other issues. I can't find the video yet, but I want to compliment both Senator Durbin and his media trainer on the way he handled this interview.

It's so frustrating to listen to most politicians speak. I know they've received training on how to purposely evade a question, and most of them do it very poorly. They think that you have to completely ignore the question and be evasive. The truth is, you can answer the question being asked and then bridge to another point without being evasive or obnoxious. Senator Durbin's skill in doing just that was on display today. It was refreshing to see such a well-done interview by a politician. He got all of his main talking points in without squirming or seeming not to answer the questions posed. He remained on topic, pleasant and measured his words carefully without getting off track.

Good job, Senator Durbin. Good job, Senator Durbin's Press Secretary. If you have a Republican friend who is just as skilled, have them call Dick Cheney. He is going to need all the help he can get...soon.

Speed Media Training for Busy Executives

Executives are busy people. Their jobs entail a global view of complicated and sometimes very intricate business operations. They have to keep multiple constituencies happy all at the same time.

Most CEO types are passionate about the organizations they lead. Most of them know a lot about the organization and can speak glowingly about great things going on in every department. Execs also have the authority to speak on behalf of the organization. These are the key components of a good spokesperson. So why is it so hard to get them to take time out of their busy schedule for formal media training?

It's the perceived return on investment. What value will the executive receive for the time spent in training? It's a valid question, and one that can be addressed on both fronts: Time and value.

Most media training sessions I've facilitated last the entire day. Trainees are put through the paces by the trainers. Bagels are served. Breakout sessions are held with each individual, where constructive criticism is given. Time is wasted shifting gears between one exercise and another. Tangents can sometimes materialize between tidbits of important information. Interns appear with lunch, and the work stops cold.

Do you see a pattern?

Don't subject a busy executive to busy work. Plan a half day training session without all the time wasters. Make sure the time spent with an executive is planned to the minute. A very effective media training session can and should be executed within a four hour session. Also, limit executive media training sessions to very few individuals at one time.

Now, what about value? Make sure your session is challenging and relevant to the individuals being trained. The president of any organization likely has had some experience with media interviews. Gather information ahead of time and know what the individual executive would like to work on. What does he or she want to learn or gain from the session? What is the objective?

If you train an executive without knowing their expectations or goals ahead of time, how can you possibly know if they've gained anything from the session with reasonable certainty?

Make sure each participant has a take-away from the training session. A media training manual is probably not going to be useful. Boil down the information to fit on no more than four pages. A manual will be too long and probably gather dust within weeks. Afterwards, post the information to the company intranet and send a link in a follow-up email.

Make sure that the executive is allowed to give feedback to the presenter at the end of the session. A follow-up email requesting feedback might get lost in the shuffle of the hundreds of emails that the executive likely receives every day.

Media training is a must for all spokespersons. Just make sure they get a return on the time invested.

Media Training Series : The Training Process and How it Works

This is the fourth post in a series on Media Training. In the last post, we explored how to write a master narrative and three solid key messages.

You must have key messages already identified and finalized before the day of your actual media training. It helps to distribute the messages to your media training attendees before they arrive. Media training is no time to disagree with or rewrite the messages.

Ideally, media training should be done over the course of an entire day. With two seasoned trainers, the maximum number of trainees in the room is three. Any more than that, and the training loses effectiveness and goes off track easily.

After an overview of the agenda for the day, each attendee should record a baseline mock TV interview. The recording will be used by the trainer to identify the strengths and weaknesses of each participant, so the media training can be customized to help each individual focus on improvement. One trainer will operate the equipment and ask the interview questions, while the other trainer will take make observations on possible areas of improvement.

Ideally, the interviews each last about five minutes and occur in a private room. During the down time in the main room, participants should review their key messages with each other. Those who have already been interviewed should be instructed not to share interview questions when they return to the main training room.

After baseline interviews are completed, the trainers will work with the group on improving on-camera performance, taking into account the weaknesses they observed during the baseline interviews.

This same process takes place three times, using radio and print interviews as mediums. Then, each participant is allowed to tape a post-test interview. Dramatic improvements can usually be seen, and each person should be given a CD with pre-and-post training interviews.

The advantages of hiring a professional training team are:

• The trainer is an expert and draws on past experience to draw out the best possible performance of each participant.
• The trainer is a neutral observer of the strengths and weaknesses of each participant. When working with executives, this is a crucial aspect. Professional trainers can address the weaknesses of CEO types as an equal.
• The training itself is very focused on quick improvement. Practice with key messages should be done in a safe setting, not in real interviews.

Please be looking for the last post in the media training series. I'll discuss techniques and practice strategies which can help focus a media interaction to the advantage of the expert. That expert is YOU! I'll also discuss how much to expect to spend on a media training session.

Media Training Series: Developing Key Messages

This is the third in a series of posts on media training. The first post covered why media training is necessary. The second covered who in your organization should be trained. This post will concentrate on the most important aspect of media training: developing key messages for your organization.

The first key message you should develop is a master narrative. This is your "elevator speech;" the three sentences that define your company and what it does. It is sometimes tough to boil this down into a short statement, but sometimes you only have a very short time to impart this important information. A reporter will often ask a very generic question, such as, "tell me about your company," to start off an interview. Sometimes it's just as much for their own information as for the interview.

After your master narrative is solidified, the next step is developing three memorable key messages. These will be the cornerstone of your media relations efforts. The first key message should address the quality of the products or service you offer. Here's an example:

"PR Princess tiaras are made of the finest quality rhinestones and are handcrafted by artisans dedicated to their craft."

The second key message should delve a little further into the workings of the company itself. What is the central passion that inspires or drives the company's owner or its employees? Here is an example:

"PR Princess is dedicated to preserving the environment by using only recycled packaging."

The third key message should be about your customers: "PR Princess tiaras are preferred by princesses in the United States and our company has more repeat customers than our competition."

Of course, not all of these messages will apply in every situation. That is why you need to develop message categories based on likely interview subjects. There is a great technique for doing this. Sit down and think of the top five things that are likely to affect your business this year. Then write a key message that addresses each situation.

After you have your key messages written, go back and write at least two supporting points for each. For example:

Key Message: "PR Princess tiaras are made of the finest quality rhinestones and are handcrafted by artisans dedicated to their craft."

Supporting Point # 1: PR Princess tiaras last three times as long as our competitor's tiaras.
Supporting Point # 2: Our associates average 15 years with the company and have a combined 150 years experience in making tiaras.

One very important point about supporting points: Use numbers, use facts and use third-party endorsements.

Now that you have your key messages, media training can commence. Please come back in a few days and I'll address the actual media training process and what to expect.

Who Needs Media Training and Why?

This post is the second in a series about media training, who needs it, what it is and why all media spokespersons should have formal media training.

Are you a spokesperson for your company? Most people would say no. They're either not in the executive suite or they are not in the decision-making loop.

However, most managers in a particular company have expertise in a certain area which could potentially make them a spokesperson in a given situation. Let's say you're a network engineer at a cellular phone company. You're probably not the day-to-day spokesperson, but if the entire network goes down due to a catastrophic accident or terrorist attack, guess who the media will want to talk to? Someone who knows about the inner workings of the network.

Here's a list of potential spokespersons you should consider for media training:

The CEO, CFO and COO of your company
The Public Information Officer
The Human Resources Officer
Department Heads
Anyone with a specialty (your Web master)

We've identified the "who," now let's cover the "why." The best reason to have your people media trained is because a crisis situation rarely announces itself ahead of time. Members of the media have a tendency to show up unannounced. You have to have your plan in place well ahead of time.

The next installment in this series on media training will address the development of key messages, which is the cornerstone of preparation for any media training session.

Why Should You Be Media Trained?

Here's the scenario. You're the owner of a wholesale fruit and vegetable business. Things are humming along just fine when: (Pick your favorite crisis)

1. One of your employees, who turns out to be undocumented, gets into one of your company trucks and drives through a barricade at a farmers market while making a delivery.

2. The green onions you delivered to the local Taco Johns cause more than 100 people to become violently ill with e coli poisoning.

3. While trimming some lettuce, an employee loses a finger that ends up in a grocery store salad bar.

Would you be ready to represent your company in interviews with the media? Do you know the techniques you can use to answer a reporter's question and still convey your company's key messages?

If the answer to either of those questions is no, then you should get professional media training. An objective third party expert can coach you and your executive team on how to get the best possible result from a potentially contentious media interview.

This is my first post in a series on media training. In the next couple of weeks, I will cover these topics:

• Who needs media training and why?
• Developing key messages
• The training process and how it works
• Practice makes perfect

You may think that you will never be in a situation where you will be the key spokesperson in a media interview. Here's a funny interview my colleague Jane uses in her media training sessions. This poor man was at the TV station to interview for a janitorial position. They asked him if he was here for "the interview," to which he said yes, so they miked him up and put him on the set. The hilarious results speak for themselves.