There’s been a lot of talk and coverage lately of executives mishandling media interviews. I’m not going to add to the commentary, but today I’m sharing three tips that will set you on a path to a successful interaction in any interview situation.
I’ve sat in on more than 1000 media interviews over the past couple of decades –everything from investigative TV interviews with Olympic athletes facing doping allegations, to publicly elected officials managing community crisis and global company managing directors delivering financial results.
Here’s three things you can do to set yourself up for a successful media interview, regardless of the medium, topic, or whether it’s a promotional chat or a reactive, issues-laden interview.
1. Treat the reporter with respect
This really should go without saying – but when the stakes are high, sometimes manners can slip. Journalists are humans, and they’re doing their job. You’re an expert in your field, they’re an expert in theirs.
Always treat reporters and their teams with respect and dignity, even when (or especially when) they are being a little prickly.
In my experience, it’s incredibly rare to face a snarky reporter – but if you do, don’t take it personally. You don’t know what their editor has told them, or how many challenging conversations they’ve had that day, or what sort of horrific scenes they’ve faced covering other stories.
Being respectful and friendly is a precursor to gaining connection and having a productive conversation. If you don’t think you can show up in this way, don’t do the interview – send someone else or politely decline.
2. Have three key messages you want to get across, and practice different ways to incorporate them
I wrote last week about the power of three. It’s as pertinent to media interviews as any other form of communication.
Whether you’re promoting your new book or defending your company in a crisis, you want to have three (maximum five) key messages you want to get across, each backed up by up to three facts, examples or stories to illustrate your point.
Practice different ways to incorporate these messages – don’t rely on being asked your dream question! You need bridging statements and stories or examples to link what you want to get across with what you think they will ask. Your communications team or a media trainer will be able to help you with this.
3. Practice
Even if you only have 15 minutes’ notice for an interview, practice your messages. The best communicators invest a lot in preparation to make sure they can gracefully handle any type of question that comes up.
You want to be pushed to your limits BEFORE the interview. A good communications manager or media trainer will help you with this. If you don’t have access to one, find a friend who’s not afraid to push your buttons! It’s essential to get the emotion out before you meet the reporter, so that you’re measured and calm if tough questions are fired.
Great interviews can be fast eroded with an emotive trip-up. Practice is key.
A lot more goes into a successful media interview and this list is by no means exhaustive. But you can’t really go wrong by incorporating these three things!
The opportunity for growth
Not everyone who reads this is going to be talking to media, but these tips apply to any interview or important conversation.
Dust them off next time you’re preparing for a significant interaction!
I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below.
Thank you for being here,
Larissa