I certainly wasn’t dressed like an executive. It was my silent protest against consumerism. I was the guy with his sleeves rolled up, drinking litres of coffee, scratching on a notepad and listening to everything.
Most executives in the financial services industry have no time for pleasantries – it’s all business. Get to the meeting, do the job and get out. But when they’re faced with a TV or Radio interview they suddenly become jittery.
I’ve watched the Financial Director of a large corporate sweat his way through a tough news interview because the journalist asked him a question he couldn’t answer. When he walked off the set, I thought he was going to collapse.
That’s the moment I realised the value of my job. You see, I wasn’t just there to write press releases, I was there to help these influential people prepare for tough interviews.
So today, I’ve pulled out excerpts from the executive media training material I developed. It’s easily adaptable and works in the small business world too.
Corporate media strategies for your small business
Maintaining the upper hand when speaking to the media requires a systematic and strategic approach. When delivering a speech to a group of your peers, you’re able to decide on the content you will put forward in your presentation.
Unfortunately, when you’re sitting in the hot seat and a journalist is asking difficult questions, your control over the situation hangs in the balance.
Understanding your target audience is one of the key requirements you need to consider when taking part in an interview. If you are called to a radio or television station to discuss a predetermined topic don’t be afraid to ask the following questions before arriving at the interview:
1. What topic will be discussed?
2. Who is the person conducting the Interview?
3. What are the audience demographics?
4. How long will the interview last?
5. Is the interview live or pre-recorded?
6. Is there a list of questions which could help you prepare for the interview?
These questions give you ample time to prepare for the interview. If you are prepared, you’re more confident and persuasive getting your message across to the public.
Obtaining knowledge from the champions of a certain division in your company will arm you with the information you need to prepare and maintain control. You will be able to shape your key message to suit your business requirements and even if you are blindsided with difficult questions you can use bridging tactics to direct your answer in the right direction. Let me know if you want to know more about bridging tactics.
Assessing the delivery of your message
Once your interview is done and the article is written, or the interview is broadcast on radio or television, you should find a team of honest individuals, whose opinion you trust, to critique the message delivered in the interview.
In the corporate world, this team consists of senior executives with the ability to provide constructive feedback by highlighting problem areas and suggesting improvements. In your small business, it could be a trusted friend, family member or an employee.
This team should also be able to double as your crises communication team in the unfortunate event of an internal crisis made public. The following checklist should be used to evaluate your performance and helps you identify areas of improvement.
Questions to assess your performance:
• Did I represent the company professionally?
• Was I appropriately dressed?
• Did I come across as confident and friendly?
• Did my body language show signs of nervousness, disinterest or irritation?
• Did I deliver the predetermined message accurately?
• What areas of improvement should I focus on?
• What did I excel in?
Hope you enjoyed the read... If you're struggling with a media appearance or any public speaking event. Pop me an email. I'm happy to help.
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