In the world of news there are a multitude of sins that can have an adverse effect on the person being interviewed and/or the organisation they represent.  Some sins are worse than others but regardless they will all lead to a bad experience that can leave a reputation in tatters.  Below are seven of the most deadly of all sins when it comes to television interviews.

 

 

1. Sloth – the avoidance of any work.  Going into an interview without researching the journalist, the program or who watches it.  It’s like kicking a goal and having no idea where the post is.  We’ve seen it before unfortunately… The interviewee says little of interest to the audience or has lost them through jargon and irrelevant information.  Penance:  Do (or delegate someone else to) some research on past programs, watch a few, get an idea of the program and the host’s tone, then formulate your messages accordingly.

 

2. Gluttony – overindulgence. This takes the form of going on and on about yourself and/or your organisation without consideration for what the audience might be interested in.  Penance:  Find a medium between what you want to say and how it is relevant to the viewing audience. Give the audience something over and above product/service information to leave them feeling informed.

 

3. Wrath – anger and/or uncontrolled feelings of hatred.  Getting heated in an interview – no matter how hostile the question – is a really bad look – it says ‘guilty’, ‘defensive’ and nothing good about your personality.  Penance:  Develop and practice answers to the questions you don’t want to be asked.  If you are prepared well enough, you will be in control when the tough questions are asked.

 

4. Envy – resentment of what others have.  This is slamming the competition and being negative about what others are doing.  Penance:  Practice talking about your strengths and how you are different from others without needing to point out their flaws.

 

5. Lust – an inordinate craving for the pleasures of the body.  You want your 15 minutes of fame and you don’t care how you get it – so you call yourself an expert when the truth is you aren’t an expert at all.  You are asked a question you have no idea about but you answer it anyway.  Penance:  Only agree to speak about what you know and let the journalist know your areas of expertise in advance.  If, during an interview, you are asked something you don’t know, then be honest and tell the journalist exactly that.

 

6. Greed – desire for material wealth.  You have just forgotten the golden rule of PR, which is to ‘make aware or inform’ not sell.  You are so caught up with your sales spiel you don’t realise the journalist and the audience have switched off and you will most likely never be invited back as a guest.  Penance:  Develop a conversational language style which allows you to talk with your audience not at them.

 

7. Pride – excessive belief in one’s own abilities. The original and most serious sin of all.  It is the belief you are so good at what you do you don’t need any help.  You may know your topic but if you have not had extensive experience or training in being interviewed you could do irreparable damage to yourself and your organisation.  Penance:  Get professional media training.  Don’t ask your work colleagues to do it -they will be too scared to tell you the truth.  Get outside help and do it BEFORE you do the interview.

 

 

If you would like professional media training for yourself or the spokespeople within your organisation please contact us.

Filed under: TV Presentation Skills by admin

You may be one of the lucky ones who never find themselves in front of the media over a contentious issue or crisis.  Conflict is exactly what makes news ‘news’ and if you watch the news tonight you’ll notice the most common theme behind every story is conflict. Whether the story is about man versus the environment, politician versus politician, big corporate versus little guy, it’s almost certainly bound to focus on a disagreement or fight.

 

So if you find yourself dealing with a crisis or you have a contentious issue that needs addressing in the media, responding with the words “no comment” will only make matters worse. By responding with “no comment” you are effectively telling your audience you are to blame, wrong or hiding something.  “No comment” equals “guilty”.  Audiences will speculate and assume you have something to hide. What’s worse, is chances are, the media will run the story, with or without your help. If they can’t get a comment from you, they’ll get one from someone else and that ‘someone else’ could be the ‘other’ party, your competitor or previous employees.

 

So what do you do if you can’t actually address the issues at hand? The rule of thumb is to explain why you can’t respond and put things in perspective. Relevant key messages may also help you tell your story on your terms.

 

You may also want to think about the following six alternatives to the words “no comment”.

 

•  “I think it would be clearer if I first explained….”,
• “I don’t have all the facts to be able to answer the question accurately but I can  tell you that …” (continue with your key message),
• “To answer, you must consider the following points…”
• “Actually, that relates to a more important concern….”
• “Your question points out a common misconception we hear too often.  The real issue here is …”
• “For legal reasons I am unable to answer that question, however I can tell you this…”

 

Remember, in many instances, the reporter’s next question will be based on your previous answer. If you successfully bridge to your message, the reporter may stay on that topic.

 

Remember, never lie and any response (almost) is better than “no comment”.

Filed under: Media Interview Skills by admin