The PR Net hosted a webinar on effective media training prep led by Juliana Silva, Communication Specialist at Clarity Media Group. Clarity has helped executives from brands like Airbnb, Amazon, Google, goop, Diageo, Clarins and countless others prepare for media interviews, and are a sought-after, global communications training firm. We got intel based on a recent case study, showing progression from the concise prep document, to the video recording of the interview, to the finished article.
The takeaways:
- A great interview sounds like a great conversation
- When people become emotional, they become less rational, so it’s important to keep calm during difficult questions
- Always know your purpose so you can hit your key points no matter what questions end up being asked
- We might not have control of the questions that we’re asked, but we have total control over the info we want to convey
- Prep questions: What are the best points they can put out there? What’s the best story that says something great about the company? Do we have data points that illustrate our message?
- Analogies are an effective way of getting your message across and connecting with the audience
- Don’t start answering the question with the analogy – seed it into your response so it feels more natural and not rehearsed
- Breaking eye contact before going into the analogy helps create this natural effect
- Three basic parts of storytelling: set the scene; explain the challenge; reveal the resolution
- Don’t make a reporter ask you: Why is this important? Can you give me an example?
- A few things to avoid: excessive spontaneity, speculation/what-ifs, speaking on behalf of others (colleagues, competitors), nodding while someone is saying something negative (looks like you are agreeing)
- Remember that the more you talk, the more you can get into trouble – don’t try to fill silence
- Four things to know before your interview: purpose, key message, analogy or quotes, what your headline would be if you could write it
- Likeability matters. Even if the interview is tough, be graceful
- Filler words to avoid: “so” “you know” “like” “kind of/sort of/I think” (takes authority away from you)
