This week Team BR took part in media training – we’re rarely in front the camera, but it’s always great for us too – to learn in more detail the importance of how to handle the press, stand out amongst the crowd, help clients protect their reputation and also gain confidence for interviews. 

Investor Warren Buffet’s famous line: ‘It takes 20 years to build a reputation and 5 minutes to ruin it’ has never been more prevalent – especially during the Covid-19 pandemic. With companies and organisations under more scrutiny than ever, it’s important to make sure that all spokespeople are prepped and ready to face the media and know how to deal with everything including personal or difficult questions.

The costs of a crisis and reputational damage far outweighs the cost of training, so it seems like a no-brainer that media training should be at the top of every businesses’ agenda.

During our session we covered several topics from a PR and client perspective, here are some of our key takeaways…

INTERVIEW TECHNIQUE

Preparation, preparation, preparation. Be prepared, ask your PR for preparatory questions and think more widely about what else is going on in the industry and whether they’ll be asking about that topic too. We all get nervous, but think of ways you can combat it, maybe think about standing up if you’re doing an interview over the phone. This will help you project your voice and feel more authoritative.

QUOTES

The best quotes and comments are the ones that are the most unique and colourful. If a journalist receives five quotes all saying the same thing, they are more likely to pick the one that stands out.

Use your tone of voice to your advantage, and it’s always good to explain implications, make comparisons, give evidence on the subject and justify why what you’re saying is important.

JOURNALIST RELATIONS

When deadlines are tight, it’s important to invest in your journalist relationships. They’ll always come to you, if they know you can deliver – or at least point them in the right direction.

If you’re keen to take part in a media training session please contact Rachel Colgan on Rachel@building-relations.co.uk.