“…They provided constant media training for us…so that we were always prepared if someone stuck a camera or microphone in our face. They were up on the latest with crisis communications and always made sure we were trained in that as well because with a water company and an electric company, you go from crisis to crisis.”
— Lendel Jones, Regional Communications Director, Pepco Holdings, Inc.; former Director, Government Affairs, American Water
It’s rarely easy to face a media spotlight but it’s your best opportunity to tell your story.
The main reason a media outlet conducts interviews is to gather information that customers and other external stakeholders might otherwise never receive. The reporter’s role is to vigorously dig for answers; the spokesperson’s role is to deliver a specific message in a confident and controlled manner. This is not always as easy as it seems, especially when hard questions are being asked or when a spokesperson is not confident in their delivery, agitated by the reporter or even exhausted from dealing with a crisis.
The good news is, the special skills needed to control and drive the message can be learned and practiced – before they are needed. The key to a successful media interview hinges upon having a clear understanding of the details of the story you are presenting and of the impression you are creating.
We have developed a structured, module-based media training program that can help spokespeople at all levels of experience improve their interview and delivery skills. Using company-specific scenarios, we take our trainees from a wide variety of industries and capabilities through the entire process from understanding the journalistic process, to receiving a media inquiry, to on-camera practice sessions and one-on-one critiques.
In today’s world of instant communication and the ease of content publishing, it is crucial to have a company spokesperson that is confident and prepared. We can help you build the skills that are necessary for navigating the world of media interviews and create strong external-facing company representatives.
How do we know our method works?
- Developed effective messaging used for crises such as Hurricane Irene, Hurricane Sandy and the fatal bridge collapse in Minneapolis in 2007
- Trained over 500 executives, government officials and other spokespeople coast to coast
- Created copyrighted formal media training program in 2005 that has been used with C-suite and beyond
Each media training program is based upon the key messages within the overarching communications plan to help ensure consistency of messaging for the organization.