August 2020
Would you go to a job interview completely unprepared? What if the details of that job interview were then published in a way you had no control and splashed online, on TV or in a national paper? The answer is hopefully NO! So, why would you talk to the media without any training?
During the age of COVID-19, it’s more important than ever to be prepared. Here’s why:
1. More people are consuming news during COVID. In fact, the Financial Times said its website traffic broke records, increasing 250%. This means that more eyes are on the stories you may be quoted in. Great!! Unless you aren’t putting your best foot forward.
2. You can’t afford to make mistakes, now more than ever. Many businesses are in the hot seat right now. Any bad press could be a tipping point. You can’t control a news article, but there are tricks that can give you the best chance of getting ideal quotes into a story, which is exactly why you do media training.
3. You don’t get more than one chance for an interview. Unfortunately, this means if you don’t get it right the first time, you can’t call the reporter back for a second chance. Further, once the story is published, retractions are hard to come by. So, focus on getting it right the first time.
4. Take some control over an interview. During COVID-19, many aspects of your business and personal life may feel out of control. However, media training will give you the tools to control an interview as much as possible.
5. “No comment” is no good. I know your mama always said ‘If you don’t have anything good to say, don’t say anything at all.” But ‘no comment’ is equivalent to nails chalkboard to any good PR professional. During COVID-19, you may face a reporter asking tough questions that prompt you to say those two words. Media training will teach you a better response that will help you and the reporter.
For more insight into how media training for print, broadcast and radio can help your business, get in touch with us!