Media Training Hot Tips

2008-03-06T12:19:00.003Z

TOP TIPS AND SECRETS

FREE ADVICE from The Media Training Company to help you improve your communication and media relations.

This Week –

Television Interviews

How to communicate with confidence

Top Tips

Decide in advance what your key messages are going to be – no more than two per interview.
Don’t think “I’m on TV.” Instead concentrate on delivering the messages that you prepared earlier.
Have to hand anecdotes that illustrate your key messages so you can talk about people, not just facts and figures.
Answer every question with your relevant key messages. Repeat them whenever you can. Start your responses with them if you can.
Keep your answers brief so your audience are more likely to absorb what you say. Most sound bites are between 7 and 10 seconds.
Rehearse your first answer. Ask the interviewer in advance what the first question will be. Get off to a good start and the rest will be a breeze. Get it wrong and the audience will turn off.
Use straightforward, uncomplicated language and avoid jargon. A natural quality makes interviewees more believable.
Be enthusiastic. If you sound dull and boring, the audience will assume you are. A softly spoken monotone will sound evasive. Practise putting light and shade into your voice by exploring the effect of changing volume, pitch and emphasis.
Record the results and watch or listen to yourself.f you want to improve your interview performances, then record each one and review it within 24 hours of broadcast. Return to it when preparing for the next one

At The Media Training Company we’ve seen the dramatic effects applying these simple rules can make to even experienced speakers. Try them!

Media Training Hot Tips and Secrets – Advice from the Horse’s mouth.

2007-03-22T16:16:00.000Z

'I don't sell cars - I sell myself...'

The cliché is just as true of selling a successful interview as it is of the used car business

Here at The Media Training Company we collect words of wisdom from the many top journalists and broadcasters we work with. We always ask them to tell us what they look for in a good interview, how to sell your story to the media, and what else you can do to make your story stand out from the crowd.

Here’s what one said when we asked her the secret of a great interview: ‘Preparation, preparation, and then more preparation. And then be a human being.’ What she means, of course is that we all like people who are like us. If you come across as aloof, distant, snobbish, arrogant, or any of the host of other unpleasant character traits that we can all exhibit at times, then you will have wasted your opportunity. The audience will find you unsympathetic and ignore what you have to say.

We asked another how to penetrate the barrier of the television news organizations she works for. Her reply was that you must not be intimidated. They will answer the ‘phone. And again play the human card. Get a name, preferably the one of the person who runs the planning desk. He or she sets the priorities for the news. Make friends with them, and you’ll find it’s suddenly a whole lot easier to get on air.

This same lady also emphasised the importance of keeping up with the news. As soon as you hear anything of relevance to your own work, get on the ‘phone and offer yourself as an expert interviewee or commentator. Do it well and you’ll be asked back again and again.

On the down side, another tenacious interviewer points out the vital importance of knowing your facts and figures. As she point out: ‘Part of our job is to pick holes in everything we’re told. That may not sound very nice, but it’s the way to make the piece more exciting and relevant. If you know your stuff it will make the interview gripping as it becomes a contest of wits. If you don’t you’re dead in the water.’

Lastly, a very distinguished producer told The Media Training Company that in his view the most important thing was for people to believe that they can do it. Self belief, he maintained was the first essential to doing a good interview. But it also enables you to leave the audience with a warm feeling. If you like yourself it’s easier for them to like you too. And if they like you they’ll listen to you.

As Sam Goldwyn said: ‘Sincerity. If you can fake that, you’ve got it made.’

At The Media Training Company we don’t agree with the faking bit, but the rest of the sentiment is entirely true.

Media Training Hot Tips and Secrets – how to ensure the successful interview

2007-03-02T15:18:00.000Z

If they haven’t heard it you haven’t said it.

One of the most frustrating parts of making TV or radio programmes is to spend an immense amount of time and effort making sure that you set out all the important points of the story in a clear, entertaining, and engaging way, and then to find that the audience has missed something crucial. It can be for any number of reasons. Attention wanders. The cat vomits on the floor. Or often, the programme has just failed to grab the audience by the throat and compel them to watch and listen.

Similarly, at The Media Training Company we’ve seen plenty of practiced and well-prepared interviewees still fail to get their message across. Why? Because the audience don’t like them. The old cliché of the used car salesman is that you don’t sell cars – you sell yourself. Making yourself attractive to the audience is the key to making sure they don’t just hear your words – they understand you as well. How can we do that? Here are three key techniques.

Rapport

Why should the audience like you? They’ve never met you, nor are they likely to. You have just a few minutes to make them your new best friends. The quickest way to win them over is to appeal to common ground. Make sure they understand that you are a fellow human being. We are a story-telling species, so tell stories. Have to hand anecdotes that illustrate your key messages so that you can talk about people, not facts and figures.

Don’t pick a fight with the interviewer or any other guests. Acknowledge the right of everyone to have their own view, but without necessarily agreeing with it. You’ll come over as likeable and trustworthy, reasonable and fair-minded. The audience picks up on these subtle communication signals very quickly, and once they have found you a sympathetic figure they’ll latch on to your key messages much more effectively.

Communication

You need to rehearse your first answer. Ask the interviewer before the interview what the first question will be so that you can prepare. Get off to a good start and the rest will be a breeze. Get it wrong and the audience will turn off. Don’t try to impress anyone with the wide range of your vocabulary. Use short words and simple sentences that anyone can understand. Avoid jargon. A natural quality makes interviewees more believable.

Your credibility is also affected by how you handle questions you don't understand or can't answer. Never try to muddle through but ask for clarification before responding. It's not a mistake to admit you don't know the answer when you really don’t. It’s obvious when people are bluffing unless they are very practiced at lying. Or are politicians...

Energy

If you sound dull and boring, the audience will assume you are. Use the power of your voice. A softly spoken monotone sounds evasive. Practice putting light and shade into your voice by exploring the effect of changing volume, pitch, and emphasis. At The Media Training Company we’ve often seen the almost magical effect learning how to use pauses can have on presentation skills. Used properly, a pause signifies that what’s coming up is really important. It’s a simple and effective technique that anyone can learn. All you need is practice…

Media training Hot Tips and Secrets - What makes a good story?

2007-02-26T15:24:00.000Z

In John Ford’s 1962 film ‘The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance,’ the central character, city lawyer and hopeless shot Ransom Stoddard, is mistakenly thought to have killed the notorious and eponymous gunslinger in a shootout. He tries to persuade the local newspaperman, Maxwell Scott, not to print a fictional account that portrays him as a hero.

Ransom Stoddard: You're not going to use the story, Mr. Scott?
Maxwell Scott: This is the west, sir. When the legend becomes fact, print the legend.

The Media Training Company would be the last to advise you to, er, ‘embellish’ the truth. But it’s worth remembering that the story that makes it into print or onto air is the one with as many of the following characteristics as possible.

Excitement. Does the story make you edge towards the front of your seat? Or call your family to come and watch, listen, or read it? If not, most other people are likely to be indifferent to it as well.

Topicality. Is this a story of today? Old news is not news at all. Is the piece saying something new and fresh?

Relevance. Is it saying something that means something to you, and to the other members of your local community?

Humour. Does it make you laugh?

Human stories. Do we hear directly from the people involved? After all, their experiences and opinions are what make the story newsworthy.

Anecdotes. Are there relevant anecdotes and stories that bring the item alive?

Flow. Does the story have a beginning, a middle, and an end. And does it demand that you read all of it? If you’re bored by the second paragraph, so will everybody else be.

Truth. Despite what we implied at the beginning, it's important that the story has the ring of truth. And does it feel researched in depth, not just a superficial scratch at the surface of usually complex issues?

Context. Does the story give you the supporting information – historical, cultural, facts and figures – you need to make sense of the issue? Or are you more confused at the end than you were at the beginning?

Stimulating. Will the story provoke others to engage in the discussion of the issues raised? If so, it can be a very good kick-start mechanism for getting issues of community cohesion aired. If not, it is likely to disappear without trace.

Not all stories will have all these elements, of course. But The Media Training Company knows that by showing journalists that you have taken the trouble to read, listen, or watch carefully, and that you understand what they need from you, you’ll be much more likely to get your stories into their publications or broadcasts.

Media Training Hot Tips and Secrets - How to survive when the s**t hits the fan

2007-02-19T11:35:00.000Z

How to stay cool in a crisis

Someone must have thought it was a brilliant wheeze. Connect a tap in your factory in Sidcup, Kent to the Thames Water supply. Fill lots of designer bottles. Give the drink an equally designer name such as ‘Dasani.’ Sell it under the Coca Cola banner. Up the price from the 3 pence per litre Thames charges to 95 pence for half a litre. Make a fortune.

Sadly for Coke it didn’t work out quite like that. The details of the ‘secret purification process,’ er, ‘leaked out,’ and Coke had no choice except to withdraw all supplies of Dasani from the shelves. Especially when it turned out that the drink also contained twice the legal limit of a nasty cancer-causing substance called bromate.

And who can forget jewelery magnate Gerald Ratner’s immortal line that his company sells ‘total crap.’ He may not go down in history as the most media-savvy company chief. But he has the consolation of knowing that the expression ‘doing a Ratner’ has now entered popular speech as a way of saying someone screwed up royally.

Someone else who did a Ratner is the Chief Executive of Barclays, who admitted that he wouldn’t use his own company’s credit card because it was too expensive. Don’t we know it…

At The Media Training Company we know from long experience that however smart you think you are, the unexpected can happen. Something you say is repeated out of context, to use the weasel words. Or things just go wrong. Then, when the media start to ask nasty and awkward questions, they can get worse. There is no one way of dealing with a crisis and negative media interest. There are, however, general principles that will help you to judge what to do when the media have got hold of a bad story.

Do not presume the media have got it in for you. They almost always have no personal axe to grind. But they are very skilled at analysing events to see if they contain anything that is a matter of legitimate public concern. And then to produce stories that stoke that concern.

Bad press is never pleasant, but the key is to figure out how this negative publicity will affect your reputation with key audiences. To do this, you need to know who your key audiences are and think through how they would react to the story. Do not judge the impact on the size of the headline.

Try to judge issues and your own organisation as an objective outsider would, not as a committed insider. You will need to gauge the value of the story. First and foremost, find out if it is true. Act as the journalists would. Find out the facts before you decide what to do.

And once you’ve established the facts, don’t be tempted to ignore or manipulate them to make you look better, or even less guilty. Once journalists start on a story, they’ll dig and dig until they reach bedrock. To avoid them covering you in even more dirt, always tell the truth.

Always acknowledge public concern, even if you think it is misplaced. In retail, the customer is always right. In PR and crisis management, the public is always right. You may need long term strategies to change public perceptions. You cannot confront or change them during a crisis.

Always respond decisively. Try to remember that actions speak louder than words. The public does not want statements and press releases. It wants you to take action. In this sense, what you do is more important than what you say.

Establish clear communication lines and areas of responsibility within your organisation. Never be rushed into talking to the media. But equally never be paralysed because no one has the authority to speak to the press and make crucial decisions.

Always – and this is something the Media Training Company believes can’t be emphasised enough - have a crisis management plan ready that deals with the practical side of coping with high levels of media interest. The plan must consider the minute details of dealing with a crisis. Who, for instance, would initially deal with telephone calls from the media? If you already have a press or publicity officer could they cope? What extra resources will you need? Who will make the decisions?

Crucially, have something positive prepared to cover as many possibly disasters as you can think of. You won’t be able to cover every eventuality, but you will look decisive, and quick-thinking if you ever have to deal with the ones you have anticipated.

Should your organisation ever be in the glare of negative publicity, you will be stressed and extremely busy just trying to react to what’s going on. A ready made plan will help to keep your head clear, outline what to do and who needs to do it.

Try to get as much warning as possible. A crisis management plan should also evaluate and investigate your own organisation. It should ask where the organisation is vulnerable to negative press coverage and what can be done about it in advance.

Seek advice and help from people who have survived a crisis. Dealing with the media is not a science. Decisions are largely based on experience, common sense and intuition.

Don’t try to be too clever. Even the most expert spin-doctors get things wrong. Don’t try to use clever news management techniques to get you out of trouble. Unless you know what you are doing, you will only make things worse.

Media Training - why am I nervous?

2007-02-15T17:46:00.000Z

Tips to help you prepare for an interview with confidence

In the days of the two- or even three-martini lunch, a memo circulated among the top executives at a leading advertising agency. It said: ‘To all account directors. If you must drink at lunchtime please make it whisky not vodka, so our clients will know you are drunk and not just stupid.’

It’s an important lesson for those about to be interviewed. The Dutch courage may make you feel better, but it will damage your performance no end. And on television the audience won’t be able to smell your breath...

But there are a host of things you can do to make you better prepared. The Media Training Company recommends you think about the following for starters.

Consider your appearance

TV is a visual medium. The truism hides an important fact. Screen time is restricted. If your appearance is unsuitable for your role and message, the clash will prevent the audience taking in what you are saying.

So if you’re the CEO of a large financial organisation then dress the part. Dark suit. The blue shirt and red tie favoured by leading politicians – research shows that it really does lend an air of authority.

But if you’re a surf guru, stick to shorts and loafers.

Women can get away with just about anything these days, but the basic rule still applies. If you’re giving an interview about something serious, such as war in the Middle East, dress formally. If not, wear what makes you feel comfortable.

Ask yourself some obvious questions that most people don’t bother to ask. Does your hair need washing or trimming? Do you need a shave?

Arrive in plenty of time. If you rush you'll be flustered, which will make you feel and look nervous. Nervous people look shifty and untrustworthy on screen. Make sure you meet the people involved in the interview and find out what the first question will be. Then plan your first answer.

Do accept make-up. It will remove the appearance of a moist upper lip, jowly jaw-line and shiny forehead.

Don't worry about technicalities of the studio – you won’t be asked how television works. Unless you’re a television engineer, of course...

How to control your nervousness before the interview starts

The success or failure of an interview is often determined before it starts. It lies partly in the briefing and planning, partly in the care you take in presenting yourself and partly in the mental attitude with which you approach the interview. It's no use pretending you won't be nervous, and in fact not all nervousness is bad. The right amount of adrenaline can give you the edge to perform at your best.

Why are you nervous?

Because you’re afraid of the unknown. To overcome that it’s only necessary to ensure that you have collected all the information you’ll need to answer any possible question you can be asked during the interview. And there are only a limited number.

Then there’s the fear of failure. But there’s no chance of failure if you’ve done your background research and made sure you’re thoroughly briefed on the subject.

Have firmly in your mind the three key points you want to make and chose an outline form of words to get them across. But don’t learn them off pat – you’ll sound and look stilted and evasive f you can only answer in one way.

Then there’s the anticipation. As we all know the waiting is the worst. So don’t allow any dead time. Before setting off, while traveling to the interview and while waiting in the studio keep yourself occupied. Read the papers, or a book. Talk to anyone – studio technicians, the receptionist, the person who brings you a drink.

And use physical ways to combat the symptoms of nervousness. Think positive. Breathe deeply. Take a brisk walk - it burns up the adrenaline. Loosen your face muscles. Sip water - don't let your mouth go dry. Note the location of the toilet.

The Media Training Company teaches all these skills, and it’s amazing and gratifying how big a difference they can make to the success of any media interview.

Media Training - What every journalist should know...

2007-02-14T14:17:00.000Z

What journalists should know about the people they interview.

At The Media Training Company we spend a lot of time giving our clients insight into the nature of journalism so that they’ll be prepared when they have to go in front of the mic or camera. And from the feedback we get it’s obvious that many interviewees find the embrace of the media a trifle clammy.

Top hate is being asked ‘How do you feel’ after you’ve just lost a close relative in some disaster. We could mention the famous – and probably apocryphal story of the American reporter in Vietnam who came across a burning village and enquired loudly: ‘Anyone here been raped and speaks English?’

These are extreme examples, but if only both sides understood each other a bit better it would make for better communication. And that, of course, is the name of the game…

Maybe journalists should spend a bit more time getting inside the heads of the people they interview.

The Media Training Company has compiled a guide to how people in the real world think.

By and large they are:

Doers. They are actively involved in the doing the things the media are interested in. It’s very easy for journalists to underestimate the depth of knowledge and experience they have.

Long term. Interviewees have to live with the consequences of an interview. Journalistic sloppiness or inaccuracy can have unpleasant consequences months or even years down the road.

Subjective. They mostly do what they do because they are committed to the cause.

Enthusiastic. Their work is often their life. Again, it’s easy for journalists to underestimate how important someone’s job is to them – it’s one of the major ways people define themselves.

Rational. They may not understand the slant – even spin – on a story that gets journalists excited.

Diffused. Although journalists often think it should be, being interviewed is not the most important thing in most people’s lives. They have other priorities.

Specialist. Like journalists many people have extensive knowledge about a wide range of subjects. But unlike journalists they will have very detailed knowledge about one subject – that’s what makes them worth interviewing in the first place. And they will almost always have a different take on the really, really important elements of any given story than will the journalist.

Busy. Interviewees are busy people too.

More insights from The Media Training Company next time.

Media Training secrets and hot tips.

2007-02-13T13:38:00.000Z

What journalists are – a guide to the quirks of the species.

Everybody who has never been interviewed has the impression that all journalists are magical, quick-witted unbelievably well-informed masterminds whose one aim is to trip you up and get you to make a fool of yourself. But at The Media Training Company we know that in fact, they’re often as terrified as you are. Witness this notorious exchange between a BBC radio reporter and a spokesman for London Underground after a nasty incident.

Reporter: There are crowds about 20 yards long and ten yards deep trying to get on to Oxford Circus. What’s the cause of this?

LU: We had an earlier incident at Piccadilly with a person under a north-bound Bakerloo Line train.

Reporter: This was a person on the line, in fact?

LU: It was indeed…

Reporter: Were they killed?

LU: Yes, very much so…

Reporter: Is this a speciality of the Bakerloo Line?

LU: We don’t practice specialities on London Underground. We endeavour to give the public a service.

The cause of this tragic exchange is mutual incomprehension. If you want to make the best use of any interview opportunity it’s important that you understand the nature of the beast on the other side of the microphone or camera. Journalists are human beings, but of a distinct sub-species. They have their own traits and quirks.

The Media Training Company has observed and analysed these mysterious creatures for many years, and by and large they are:

Observers. It’s unlikely that journalists will have any direct experience of the work you do. Invite them to see first hand – they’ll be more likely to be enthusiastic once they’ve seen for themselves.

Short term. The horizon is the next deadline. Journalists tend not to think too deeply about the longer-term implications of the stories they produce.

Objective. They view you as outsiders. It’s vital to break down this barrier and get them to see you as someone who can help them.

Dispassionate. All they want a good story. Try your utmost to show them how passionate you feel about what you do – your energy and commitment will help to persuade them to give you good coverage

Intuitive. Journalists often believe that they have ‘a nose’ for a story, and it’s something they’re born with. Don’t be precious about your material. If they want to rewrite it, take a different photograph or whatever, let them get on with it. Giving them ownership of the story means it will be used.

Focused. Producing a given story is the one task to hand. It can therefore be hard to get them to switch their attention to you if they’re doing something else. Remember that there’s always tomorrow. Keep knocking on the door and you will hit the right time. Be patient.

Generalist. Journalists often have extensive, if superficial knowledge about a huge range of subjects. Remember that they are unlikely to want to wade through masses of material about your story, fascinating as it may be to you. Keep it short, sharp, and simple.

Indifferent. Your story is just one among thousands competing for attention. Use any tactic you can to make it stand out. Forging a close relationship with a journalist means that he or she will be more inclined to look at your material.

Busy. The means to a good story are unimportant. They are focused on producing a good story usually under restrictive deadlines. Do everything you can to make their lives easier. Be available any hour of the day or night.

Next time The Media Training Company will tell you what they think of you…