Introduction to Presentation Skills for

Professionals

HANDLING THE MEDIA

THE MEDIA

Sooner or later, you or your company will come into contact with the media. This may be because you need them or because they need you.

What is ‘the media’?The media is enormous, the media is influential, the

media has the biggest audience you will ever address.

‘Media’ also includes exhibitions, seminars and trade fairs.

WHO WILL DO IT?

Whatever the size of your company or workforce, it is very useful indeed to think (in advance) about how interviews will be handled.

Usually it falls to the marketing or public relations department to formulate a plan of action.

It is a complete recipe for disaster if no one knows who should speak to the media, what the message is, who in the media you will be speaking to and what the outcome should be, let alone setting an untrained and unprepared speaker loose on the public.

Questions in your mind????????????

A competent marketing or PR department will be able to provide (at the very least), the following things: press packs containing information about your company up-to-date information about the personalities involved; the company line on any newsworthy item; an idea of the future direction of the company and its

products industry background and competitive information; biographies of key players in the company

INTERVIEW ROLES FOR THE MEDIA

Here are some of the interview roles that you might have to fulfil:

Spokesperson: that is, the figurehead for the company in this particular interview who will authoritatively put across the company line.

Expert: that is, someone whose professional knowledge will allow them to speak authoritatively on the subject in hand.

Trouble shooter: that is, the person in the company who is in charge of damage control if your company has been involved in a news story in a negative way.

Involved party: that is, the person from the company who has knowledge of exactly what has happened and can add detail to the main story.

Panelist: that is, someone who can add the company’s point of view to the general topic being discussed.

Where will the interview take place?

In your office –most favourable place for an interview. We are always at ease on our own pitch.

A shop floor, while fascinating would be too noisy for a successful interview.

Over the phone. You should have all the information you need in front of you,

Where will the interview take place?

At their offices. Not as easy – you are away from your comfort zone, but as long as you have all the relevant information either with you or in your head, this should not be too daunting.

Neutral ground.

In a studio. Unless you are familiar with recording studios this can be alarming.

On the doorstep. Celebrities who want the exposure and politicians who love giving interviews.

Preparing for an interview – THE FIVE-STEP PREPARATION

PROCESSStep 1Decide what you want to say. Limit this to no more

than three or four points. The public won’t remember more than this. What is your main point?

Step 2Find evidence to back up your main point,

evidence that will persuade the listener or reader to believe you.

THE FIVE-STEP PREPARATION PROCESS

Step 3Practice your main points by saying them aloud in at least

three different ways and make notes. You may not need these notes at the interview, but writing them down will make them stick in your memory.

Step 4What are your limits? What subjects are out of bounds and

why? Think about what you are actually going to say if faced with off-limit questions.

Step 5Decide what you will say at the end of the interview and

practice it.

TECHNIQUES

If there are any techniques in being interviewed, they are the following:

Do not lie – ever!If you don’t know the answer, say so !!!Stick to your pointDon’t be drawn into an argument

However – outright misinformation must be corrected, as soon as possible and with dignity.

Be unfailingly polite