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5 tips for executives to give a great media interview

by Jaques Montegolifier Chartered Accountant
Business people often mistake that knowing information about their company, project, industries, and products well will help them ace media interview effectively. But even the sure-footed person can fumble in the interview if not trained well. Suppose your company is to launch a new smartphone and Santosh, the brand manager will be addressing the media during the event.

He knows the objective of the product and its connection with the company. No matter how confident he is, he creates a huge blunder when it comes to speaking about the specifications of the smartphone. The brand manager, who is aware of every aspect of the smartphone, loses out on the brand leverage owing to small misinformation. This happens due to lack of message development and training.
Media interviews are not only about portraying the brand with high regards but also structuring the critical message. When it comes to smartphones, the specifications, launch objective, and the USP should be spoken of during the interview. This is where there is stress on media interview training for executives and PR professionals.

The following tips should help Santosh and his firm –

1)    Planning: This is where the message development process begins. What would you like to see on the media coverage? What are the three to four points you want to highlight upon? If you head for an interview and answer questions without giving much thought, you give the authority of the interview to the journalist. Be prepared and know in advance what the goals of the interview are.

2)    Take a step back: You can always ask the reporter if you can take a step back and give an overview of the brand. This lays the platform for the interview, and the reporters turn curious of what the crux of the media addressal is going to be.

3)    Build a relationship: Yes, it is a media interview, but it is also an opportunity build relationship and become a source for future coverages. During the conversation, you can refer to past articles written on the brand and compliment or comment about them. Research about the reporter well. This way you can mention about the interests of the share as well. Thank the reporter for taking their time out for event. Make it sound more conversational than a formal interview.

4)    Show thought leadership: The interview becomes successful the moment you portray yourself as a thought leader. Refer to current events or trends. Offer an exciting piece of information. Share a thoughtful insight or maybe strike a thought-provoking rhetoric question. You could provide details about what the current industry is like. Relate it to your objective.

5)    Steer conversation: While you may want to stick the messages you have thought through, the reporter may ask questions which will lead you to a different path. Read the conversation and if it makes sense to take a detour, then go ahead. If the discussion goes off-track too much, remember you have the right to steer a conversation. Do not abruptly change the topic or say, ‘no comments.’ That is against the media interview training purview. Try using bridges such as, ‘what I really think is important…’

Every interview is different. So, as a PR, make sure to debrief from the spokesperson after every interview. If you are the person interviewed, then reflect on the conversation. Think what went well and where is the scope of improvement. Becoming a great interviewee does take time, but with proper coaching, any interview becomes successful.

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About Jaques Montegolifier Freshman   Chartered Accountant

8 connections, 0 recommendations, 46 honor points.
Joined APSense since, June 27th, 2019, From Los Angeles, United States.

Created on Nov 20th 2019 01:10. Viewed 254 times.

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