Ok, okay, I understand you. I know that you have heard your colleagues speak plague because they were "wrongly quoted" in the newspaper or harassed with "complex" questions on radio or television…
Working with the media is not a walk. But, carried out strategically, it has the power to increase the visibility of your company, rise to the status of an expert in your field and, of course, push business opportunities to your doorstep.
Having an armed strategy to get reporters to consider you is only the first step. Once interested, you need a plan to work efficiently with them. So…..
1. Do your homework
Do you know who is speaking to? The medium is not monolithic: public opinion media reporters have become corporate employees who cover stories that "sell." Business reporters also have an eye on what they "sell" but the specificity of their field makes them more receptive to industry experts and their spokespersons. To ensure that your message is clearly understood, speak the same language of the medium that is your objective.
Meet the reporter. Your Public Relations advisor should provide you with information in advance about the reporter, his type of job, what his "approach" is and what his "complaints" are. When you schedule an interview, don't be afraid to ask if the reporter will speak to other sources for your report, how long they will have for the interview and what the format will be.
Remember who you want to reach with the message. The medium is a third party that you use as a driver for your target audience. Who are they? What do they think of you? What do you need to tell them so that they affect them in such a way that they trigger positive results? Look at the reporter as a facilitator who can help you get your message across to shareholders, prospects, and customers.
Keep it simple. The more tangled the message, the more likely the messenger (and as a result the audience) will misinterpret it. You need to clearly communicate who you are, what you do and why you do it. A forceful statement of your position helps crystallize your message in concise, easy-to-remember sentences.
Chew on the message. Delivering the message is as important as the content of the message, and it is not enough to regurgitate your strong statement of your position. The message must become part of you until it becomes the most effective part of your speech.
Understand the risk of being exposed to the media. While the benefit is obvious (exposure, credibility, positioning as an expert) the risk - beyond the fear of being misquoted - is not so apparent. For starters, you may have to face some skeletons in the closet, so make sure they can stand the scrutiny of the media. The audience will forgive your mistakes, but they won't necessarily trust you for hiding them.
Sometimes media exposure is too little, or too late. It is an uphill battle to face bad publicity, instead you should focus on doing "good things" and not fighting the media. This is a better strategy to restore a battered reputation.
2. Practice
You should not meet with a medium without being able to present yourself as a "polished" interviewee, but you should not appear to have over-rehearsed either. Finding the middle ground is a tedious exercise, but it is crucial to avoid any misunderstandings in communication. So before any media interview, you should…
Know your message and how you are going to transmit it. You only have a few seconds to articulate your message. Then you must reinforce it as many times as you can. You must practice the variant of your "elevator speech" (trivial messages) over and over again to make sure the message stays.
Do a "media training". Even if you have already had media training you will always benefit from “refreshing tips” from time to time, particularly those that include simulated interviews. Reviewing interview techniques, including tactics on handling difficult questions, can significantly influence the outcome of the story.
3. Sharpen your presentations.
Yes, yes, yes, the appearance is important and even more on television. You should dress in a way that does not distract the viewer from the message. To be an effective communicator on television, you must get rid of any distracting behavior, the use of handles, exaggerated gestures or playing with small objects.
4. Do not be "panita", cut yourself.
Come on, reporters are not your friends, however they are professionals just like you. Treat them the way you want them to treat you.
Once the story is published, send a note saying thank you. Don't threaten or get mad. Remember that this is a mutually beneficial relationship: you gain exposure and in return the reporter has the story you are looking for. If the reporter has a “fact” wrong, simply call or write to correct the error. Don't vet it from your list, mistakes happen. So make things clear… and on.
5. Evaluate your performance
Finally, at the end of each interview, be brutally honest with yourself. Did you connect with the reporter? Were you with the "message" at all times? Did you give him enough pertinent information for the reporter to assess the message and his time spent? "The reporter did not understand anything" is an easier excuse; It is your job to make sure the reporter understands what you are saying. There are very few interviews "misunderstood or misquoted" but many missed opportunities to convey the "message."
