1000 Ways to Market Your Business

Media Training for the Best Possible Interview

• Samantha Scott • Season 2 • Episode 9

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On this episode of 1000 Ways to Market Your Business, Samantha Scott, APR, is joined by Yliana Vilella, Communication Specialist at Pushing the Envelope.

The episode delves into the essentials of media training. Learn how to prepare for and ace media interviews, the importance of representing your business effectively, and practical tips on planning, preparing, and practicing. Discover best practices for attire, handling unexpected questions, building rapport with journalists, and much more to ensure your media interactions reflect positively on you and your brand.

Have a question or feedback to share? Visit www.getpushing.com or one of our many social media channels. We look forward to hearing from you.

#marketing #business #communication #strategy

Samantha:

Hi, I'm Samantha Scott, APR, and today I'm joined by Yliana.

Yliana:

Hello.

Samantha:

Communication Specialist with PTE, and we are talking all things media training. We want you to be absolutely ready to ace your media interview, how to prepare, and then how to ace that talk with whichever media you might be talking with. So, let's start things off. Yliana, can you tell me, how would you describe media training, media relations, that kind of ball?

Yliana:

It's simple really, and it's just as it is. Media training is training individuals to interact and engage appropriately with the media.

Samantha:

And why is that important?

Yliana:

Oh, it's so important for many reasons because when you have a company, you have a brand, it's putting a face to a name and it's putting a message out there. It's putting it clearly into perspective for viewers and for people that you need to engage with your company and your business.

Samantha:

I think that's a great point because you're representing a business, not just yourself. So keep that in mind when you're doing media training. It's not just that media representative talking with you, the individual, but it's how you're representing your business, and your industry, your profession, even if you want to go really broad with it. Yeah, and it's super important because if you have a poor interview, that could reflect poorly for quite a long time and on you as well as your business. Yeah. So we definitely want to make sure that we're prepared for that and how to best present yourself. Everybody wants to look their best and present themselves their best. So we'll talk about all the little tips and trips, or tricks rather, of how to do that from your attire to where to look, to how to prepare for indoor outdoor interviews and everything in between. So, let's say you've got an interview lined up, you're fortunate enough. Maybe it's a reporter who wants to do an interview with you. And if somebody hasn't ever done one before, how would you best prepare them? What would be some suggestions?

Yliana:

Right. It's interesting because right now we're in the middle of it for one of our clients, so it's exciting. There's a lot that goes on behind the scenes, and the biggest thing, the most simple thing I say is communication, communication, communication. We need to sort out a lot of things before we get to that on air time with the media. So I try to simplify it the best way possible. Three simple steps that we kind of go over. We plan, prepare and practice. So what does that mean in the grand scheme of things behind the scenes is we want to plan. Simply put, we want to get the logistics of it. Where is it? Who are we speaking with? What context are we speaking? Is it in a studio? Is it on the phone? You know, those type of logistics we want to sort out. And then we want to prepare. And what does that mean? Preparing means simply getting all the items we need for the interview. It could be props, if we're on TV, it could be making sure we have our key messaging. As you know, sometimes clients like a list of questions in advance so they can prepare. And then that third component of it is practice. We want to review our key messaging. We want to practice how we say it. We want to practice even down to the clothes we wear and how we present ourselves professionally and in the best way possible for our organization.

Samantha:

Yes. So that was a lot. Thank you, Yliana. Really, really good advice. So let's start back at the beginning part, the planning part and researching. So ask all the questions. I think sometimes people tend to get caught off guard if they're not super comfortable with doing media interviews or if they haven't done a lot of them. So if you're that person, let's start there. Making sure that you feel comfortable asking questions. So, say a journalist has called you and said"hey, we'd love to interview you, we want you to be on the six o'clock news to talk about your business," and, you know, fill in the blank, whatever that topic is. Don't feel like, one, you automatically have to say yes. Make sure this aligns with your business strategy and that you are an expert to talk about whatever that topic is. Two, also make sure that you ask those questions. Is this going to be in studio? Are you coming to my location? Who's doing the interview? How long do you expect this to last? There's lots of things to ask so that you are best prepared walking into it. You want to make sure you don't just go in and be like,"okay, what do I do now?" Have all of the answers to the best of your ability. And then that preparing part absolutely is super important to make sure that you're prepared not only to speak your key messaging and key points, that's super important, but also be prepared for the unexpected. So, sometimes, journalists, while I love you all, journalists, if you're listening, will throw a curveball question in there, and you want to make sure you're prepared for that. So, how do you answer the things that might be difficult, that might be negative? And then how do you turn those around so you have the best possible interview. And then, of course, if time allows, practice to the best of your ability. Ideally, you would be doing this media training well before you have an interview in place. So, walking through, what do we want to accomplish? What are we trying to say? How do we say this in a way that resonates with our audience and represents our brand well? Do all of those types of things. Map that out. Also work on answering those tough questions well before you get an interview.

Yliana:

Absolutely.

Samantha:

And then once you finally get that booked, you can do a dry run really quickly. But yeah, great points for people.

Yliana:

Something that's important to remember is oftentimes when we get to the point of an interview, we've had already established relationships with journalists and those individuals that are looking for a particular type of information. And we have clients aligned with that and a lot of organizations have key speaking people and these people are typically well-versed and more seasoned and know a lot about that subject area. So we, we don't need a lot of practice time in some instances because they're very well-versed and we just get them in front of the camera. We can walk them through it. But there's a lot of elements to get to that point.

Samantha:

Yeah, and if you aren't familiar with that, if you aren't as well-seasoned take the time to do that even if it's go in the bathroom and practice in the mirror, you know, if you're uncomfortable doing it with somebody else. There's lots of ways to do that but make sure that you feel comfortable in your skin and what you're saying because nothing is off the record. Once the camera's rolling, it's there. So be very mindful of that. Practice what you're saying, be thoughtful, and always feel free, if you need to buy yourself some time during that interview, repeat the question back, gather your thoughts, and then come back with the best possible answer. Also recommend during the interview to speak in sound bites. You know, that makes it very easy for them to cut something short. If you tend to ramble, try to keep your thoughts concise, short, leave a little pause in between your sentences, and then they're able to get the best possible clip for you.' So, in the planning stage, we talked about that. You want to make sure that you have all of your goals in mind. What are you trying to accomplish with this? How are you going to do that? And also make sure that you're speaking, I mentioned this earlier, about things that you are an expert in. It's very easy for media to say,"okay, well then what about this?" But if that's not, one, your business, you really shouldn't talk about that. That's PR 101 is don't talk about somebody else's business. But then also make sure that it's something that you are an authority in. And you never want to be on camera saying,"I don't know." But at the same time, you can find creative ways to say,"well, this is my take on it," or"here's how we do it," and you can kind of massage the question a little bit.

Yliana:

Or you can say, this is my level of expertise on this topic.

Samantha:

Absolutely. And that brings to a great point of honesty. Absolutely important. Never stretch the truth, never try to get creative with your answers. If you get stuck in a situation, Yliana had a great example of,"this is my authority on it," or"here's my take on it." Make sure that we're being very honest and open and direct and not trying to kind of stretch our abilities or come across as something that we're not. So, in the preparing stage, the other thing you mentioned was messaging, so key words, those types of things, and making sure that we're clear, we understand. If you are a restaurant owner, that you have the product on hand to show if there's something visual, that you have the best representation of yourself. Or if this is a professional service firm, that you have the technicalities of what you're able to offer. And that you've checked with, if you have to, legal counsel on what you may or may not say. Also very important. So all of that kind of goes into that prep work. So we've talked through kind of preparing for that interview. Let's talk more detail about in the interview. All right. So now the media's at your front door. Knock, knock, knock. I'm here. Or, perhaps you've gone to the studio and you're preparing to do this interview. Now what?

Yliana:

So this should be, even though it can be nerve-racking, this should be the fun part. Like this is where you kind of show up and show out like you have done all the prep work. It's kind of like when you're a student in school. You know, I have three littles, so my kids are students, right? And so I always tell them test day, even though it's, you know, you could have anxiety. It's the day that you show up and you just do what you do, because you've done all the studying the prep work. It's the same thing with media training. You've done all the prep work. You've got your key messaging. You know what your outfit is, you're gonna look and feel your best. So when you show up for the interview or they show up to interview you, you hopefully just smile. You're happy. You think through what you need to think through. You enunciate. You take control of the conversation for yourself by taking a few deep breaths. You're thinking calmly and clearly and you're just engaging and interacting the best way possible. And that's kind of what the cheat sheet boils down to.

Samantha:

So a few tips, and we do have a great cheat sheet for our clients when we do our media training, but a few kind of insider tips for that would be to make yourself the most comfortable. If you're going to a studio and you feel like you might have some anxiety around that, arrive early. Get there. Kind of get yourself acquainted with the sounds, the lights, the way it works. You can't obviously go on stage and do all that stuff, but you can at least be in the environment. And kind of get acquainted to what this looks like and how it works and kind of settle down a little bit. So, always try to arrive early if possible so you're not running and rushing in and bringing that energy into the space.

Yliana:

Right. And that's something that we've discussed with clients in the past is control what you can control, right? Yes, you can't control the environment. You can't control the interviewer. You can't control that there may be a car accident, God forbid, or something on the way there. So, we always say allow for time. Get there early to get yourself together, last minute things. We've had clients walking into a segment and something comes unpinned. So something that we also have, which our team does a great job of, is having media kits, like emergency kits, with like pins, and bobby pins, and chapstick, and whatever they may need before going on air. And so it's just allowing yourself time to just get yourself mentally prepared, physically prepared, you look and feel great, and you go on and you kind of do your thing.

Samantha:

Yeah, absolutely. That's a great little tip. So we do have these little kind of go bags that have oil blotters or a comb, bobby pins, safety pins, double-sided tape, all the different stuff because you never know when an accident could happen. And that brings up a great point is wardrobe. So making sure if you're going to do an interview that you're wearing clothes that you feel confident and comfortable in. If you have a great blouse that you love, but you always have to adjust it, don't wear that for the segment. And there's different, obviously, setups for men and women, but for women, I tend to recommend not wearing a button down because you don't want to have an accident. God forbid something happened or you see something you don't want to show. Those kinds of situations, but also try to avoid busy patterns because they don't show up well on camera.

Yliana:

Right.

Samantha:

Also be mindful if you're going to be doing a segment outside, think about this. I have short hair for a reason, because it is so easy. But if you're going to be outside and you got hair blowing everywhere.

Yliana:

Or if it's humid and you're just a big...

Samantha:

It looks so good, and then it doesn't. So make sure you try to plan ahead for that and think about everything from your hairstyle to your wardrobe. Again, wind, right? Because if you've got a windy day and you've got a flouncy dress on, that could be a problem. And then also for men, think about what you're wearing. Is it a blazer? Is it a button down? Is it a polo? Is it a branded shirt? Is it clean? Is it pressed? Does it have stains on it, if you're a cook? You know, think about all of the ways that someone could look at you and misconstrue how you want your brand to be presented. So thinking about that's also very, very important.

Yliana:

Right. Especially if you're in a studio. Lighting reveals everything.

Samantha:

Everything.

Yliana:

Even some things that you don't want seen or revealed. So, just being mindful of the colors. Is it too sheer? And we always err on the side of being a little more conservative with our attire and how we ask our clients to show up. Because again, you're representing your organization and what is their brand and what is their faith and what is their messaging and how do you as a representative of that organization show up for them.

Samantha:

Yeah, and also be mindful of who you're speaking with. You know, we had Mark Gordon on this podcast recently, Business Observer. That's a more professional, C-suite oriented publication, but if you're talking with a lifestyle blogger or podcast or something, you might be able to dress a little bit more casual in that video interview. Just be mindful of who you're talking to and their audience as well because you don't want to come across overly formal if that's not the vibe of that publication or your audience that you're talking with. And that brings up backgrounds as well, right? So we talked about kind of outside, different weather elements, but also studio. But now most of the time they're doing interviews on video or even on the phone as well. So keeping in mind backgrounds for that. So what's happening in the background? Are your kids running around? Are there birds chirping loudly that could be distracting? What's happening in your environment and how can you best control that? Think about those elements as well. I liken this back to during COVID. If you watch the news, you'd often see people doing interviews from their homes.

Yliana:

Right.

Samantha:

Sometimes they were well set up and sometimes they were not. And it was very distracting.

Yliana:

We saw those bloopers where they were not.

Samantha:

Yes. So be mindful of what you have in the background. Also, I'm a very private person, so I'm very mindful if there's anything that's personal that's in the background. If I'm doing a video from my home, office, be mindful of that. Are there pictures of your kids, your family, your dogs, what have you? Are you comfortable with that or not? Would you rather have something generic in the background? So just keep in mind those things as well when you're preparing for your interviews.

Yliana:

Right, and we've been in a pinch sometimes with interviews where we've had clients that are traveling, and someone is calling to interview them, and they said"Hey, are they here? Can they be in the studio tomorrow morning?" Well, no, they're on the other side of the United States right now, on other side of the country. But what's awesome is, with technology, we're able, especially in that setting, where we can use online recording. They were able to go live from their home office. And they set up a little corner by the window, had a plant, had, you know, a few minor things in the background, very subtle, very professional, and it came out wonderful. And it came out, I want to say in the 5 or 6 o'clock news, and it just seamlessly kind of went together. That's not the case every time. But if you do have a little space like you mentioned in your home, just keep that one little corner clean for interviews cause you just never know.

Samantha:

Right? Yeah, and I would also say trial that out, right? So we talked about the practice stages if you're gonna do that you can control what does that look like. So you can do a practice, you know on your computer, on your phone, with FaceTime, however you want to do that, but you can kind of practice to see what does my background look like? Is the lighting good or not? And you mentioned by a window, natural light is so, so good, way better than artificial if you can manage it. But being mindful of what your environment looks like in addition to what you're saying, what you're wearing, and your body language as well.

Yliana:

Absolutely.

Samantha:

So that's something else is, you might be very intense in thought and that could come across on your face in a very negative way. So, keep that in mind. We're smiling. We're happy. Of course, if you're doing, and I hope not, but a crisis interview, we want to be a little bit more solemn. Be mindful of your body language. Be mindful of how you're communicating and what you're talking about so that everything is consistent and appropriate. Because, if you're very tense but you're talking about something happy, that's confusing to viewers.

Yliana:

It is.

Samantha:

On the flip side, it could be misconstrued very poorly as well.

Yliana:

Right, and that brings up a good point for authenticity. So we always talk to our clients about being authentic and being ethical with the messaging that they have. And it really just depends, like you said, on the situation. Is it a crisis communication moment or is it a moment that they're just kind of getting out there to share the messaging of the organization? So it really depends.

Samantha:

Yeah, absolutely. So, a few things as we kind of think about the conversation that we've just had now, kind of recapping, and I hope this has been valuable for you all. Make sure you do your homework. Who are you interviewing? Find out as much as you can. Maybe watch, if it's a reporter on TV, watch a few of their segments so you can kind of see their interview style, the kind of questions they ask. Or if they're a journalist, read their articles. Make sure that you are familiar with who you're talking to. That also could help you as you're walking in and you can have a rapport and say,"Oh, Yliana, I read your recent article, I thought it was great." You know, so they feel appreciated as well because this is a two way street and that's something, again, referencing that earlier podcast, Mark and I discussed, you know, on both sides of the house, the journalist and the PR person or the actual end company that's being interviewed is making sure we're respectful of each other. We're appreciative. Be kind, be courteous, make sure that you communicate your appreciation to those individuals for taking the time to talk to you and tell your story because there's any number of other platforms that could be doing that. Yeah, so what other tips, is there anything else you can suggest, things not to do, or things to do, as you prepare for a media interview or are actually in the throes of one?

Yliana:

I'll start with the positive first. The awesome thing about being in this position and doing public and media relations is just that relationship building. And you should, over time, establish wonderful relationships with your clients that, you know what their strengths and weaknesses are, you know what their likes and dislikes are. And the same thing with the media individuals that you're preparing for just having that relationship with them. So when they come together, it's like a match made in heaven. So it's really just the positivity of like knowing your client, having that rapport, having that relationship, and just saying,"you know what, I think this interview is going to work well" for these reasons. Or, like you said earlier, it may not work. And just knowing like this isn't fitting for us.

Samantha:

Sure. And so that's a great tip for a PR practitioner, like us. And I should have said at the beginning that Yliana and I are both accredited in public relations, APRs. Yes. Of recent. Go girl.

Yliana:

Thank you.

Samantha:

But if you are a business person preparing, or maybe you are a spokesperson for a company versus a PR professional, I'll translate that in a little different way, which would be, create those relationships for yourself. So you're reading the media, you're watching the news, you're consuming information in a variety of ways. Start to document who these individuals are that are covering companies like yours or topics that you could speak to and then start building your rapport with them. There's no harm in reaching out on LinkedIn or sending an email or what have you and saying,"hey, you know, loved your series on X and if you ever need anything, I'm here for you." Just remembering that it's a two way street, but relationships are very important. So that way they know who to call.

Yliana:

Exactly. And it's establishing your presence. Like you said, like,"hey, I'm here if you ever need an expert on anything or expert tips or advice." That's, that's very important. Don'ts, is kind of like going back to your conversation with Mark. You don't want to like hound people. Right. Or beg for an interview. These things kind of come naturally.

Samantha:

Or cold call, either, which is where...

Yliana:

Those are the strong don'ts we

Samantha:

Yeah

Yliana:

would recommend.

Samantha:

Yeah, which, you know, it's a shameless plug for a firm like us. That's part of our value is we have those relationships so we can do that work for you. But yes, great tip. Well, this has been a fantastic conversation, at least in my opinion.

Yliana:

Absolutely

Samantha:

on how to prepare. I believe we have some blogs on the website. But of course, if you have questions, you can always feel free to comment below or send a note. Check out our website, GetPushing.com, and we would be so glad to help you and train you on anything that you need to know related to media relations. Thanks for joining 1000 Ways to Market Your Business.

Yliana:

Thank you.