How Can You Get the Most Out of Your Media Training?

Cristina MunteanMedia advisor, trainer and coachcm@mediaed.cz Twitter: @CristinaMuntean

Looking for media training?

• Are you a PR manager thinking about urging your boss to get media training?

• Are you an individual who feels the urge to communicate more in order to boost the impact of your personal image?

REGARDLESS OF YOUR STATUSTHE QUESTION IS…

What do you want?

• The most important question is: what are you trying to achieve with training?

• The answer can be: – I have no public image and I would like to build one– I have an image, but I don’t like it– I have an image and I would like to strengthen it – I need to sharpen my message– I need to gain in self-confidence – I would like to understand how journalists think &why they act the way they do– I would like to understand what other channels aside

from media are available to help me boost my image

Are you after…• Information?

– If all you need is a quick update on what’s going on in the media world, an informational session with a knowledgeable media professional should suffice .

• Advice?– If you are ready to change your communicational behavior but don’t

know how to approach the idea, you might need an advisory session rather than media training .

• Training? – If you know what you want and what skills and messages you’re ready

to sharpen, then you need a media trainer. • Coaching?

– If you already know what to say and how to say it, but you need guidance to deepen your communication skills, you need a media

coach.

Quality? Quality!

• The Czech market offers a variety of media trainers and prices. Unfortunately, most often you are able to assess their quality only after the training session.

HOW CAN YOU ASSESS QUALITY PRIOR TO THE TRAINING?

Quality assessment - I

• When you scan the market for the right media training provider, bear in mind: – Image• If the trainer doesn’t have a proper website and

can’t even manage his own LinkedIn profile, how can he help you improve your image?

– Credentials• If the trainer hasn’t spent time collecting

credentials from his trusted clients, he is either working on highly classified deals only or there is something wrong with his services

Quality assessment II

• When you scan the market for the right media training provider, bear in mind: – Experience

• When you plan to be publicly listed and your media trainer comes from a theatrical or lifestyle TV backgroud, there might be a gap between your needs and his skills

– Time• How much time will the trainer spend on preparing your

training? Will he come to the training straight from the newsroom or will he actually take time to understand your business model, challenges and place your training in a wider context? Prior to the training, how much time does he spend questioning you to ascertain your real needs?

Quality assessment III

• When you scan the market for the right media training , bear in mind: – Added-value

• What exactly will you receive prior and after the training? Will there be an added-value document like an image assessment or a roadmap for your future improvement or will you just go through a series of simulations that you will forget as soon as you get back to your computer?

– Long-term partnership • You and the trainer invest at least one day of your life in the

media training. Is the trainer interested in developing a long-term relationship with you to amortize that investment? Is he motivated to make you feel comfortable to go back and ask for more business? Or it he only after a quick buck?

My trainer = my PR advisor?

• On the Czech market media training is often conducted by people who are already working with the client either in-house or within the company’s PR agency.

HERE ARE THE PLUSES AND MINUSES OF MEDIA TRAINING CONDUCTED BY

YOUR PR ADVISOR

PR advisor-conducted media training

Pluses• Deep knowledge of the client’s

background • Strong motivation to see the

client succeed = success reflected in the results of the PR department / PR agency

• No confidentiality agreement & risk

• Cheaper – training included in the salary / agency fee (unless done on a project basis with the PR agency)

Minuses• Corporate bias – not looking for a

media-attractive story, but for a story that would fit with the company communication processes

• Corporate marketing jargon • Higher interest in maintaining a

positive relationship with the management rather than in achieving real results via media training

• Thinking inside-the-box = fear to approach certain sensitive internal issues

PR advisor-conducted media training

Pluses• Easier to organize time-

wise – flexibility towards the client’s schedule.

Minuses• Low financial motivation =

low investment into training preparation

• Distance from the real media world

• Distance from trends and fresh views on communication = fear of change.

Media training pricing

• Prices on the Czech market vary and can be anything in-between CZK 2,500 (€ 100) and CZK 150,000 (€ 6,000) for one day of media training

HOW CAN YOU ASSES WHAT MEDIA TRAINING PRICE IS JUST FOR YOU?

Pricing offer

• Items that play a role in the media training pricing offer:– Added-value: pre- and after-training preparation &

materials = real number of hours spent on the training – The trainer’s experience and credentials– Location: your office, the trainer’s office or a rented

TV studio – Refreshments: included or not included– Technology: cameraman and TV equipment – One-off or long-term cooperation: the time used to

prepare the training initially is easier to amortize during a longer-term cooperation

How to prepare yourself for media training?

• Clarify what you want • Select the trainer • Brief the trainer:– Client’s media history: media clippings – Client’s communication profile: previous training,

videos with him on TV or speaking publicly etc. – Company’s business & communication issues – Communication strategy & plan, to place the client

in the right context• Allow the trainer to meet the client prior to the

training for an initial assessment

Why a proper briefing is so important?

ONLY TRAINERS WHO ARE AFTER A QUICK BUCK DON’T CARE ABOUT THE CLIENT’S

CONTEXT AND HISTORY. TRAINERS WHO AIM TO TAKE THE CLIENT TO THE NEXT LEVEL IN COMMUNICATION NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHOM THEY ARE

DEALING WITH IN ORDER TO PREPARE THE RIGHT TOOLS AND SET OF EXERCISES FOR

THE TRAINING.

How to act during the media training?

• Observe the trainer • Make notes on issues to be emphasized /

corrected + share them with the trainer during the break

• Don’t interrupt • Bear in mind: Journalists will appreciate and are

more likely to quote a self-confident manager who can communicate on his own rather than a manager who is afraid and will only speak on certain issues that you dictate because you think they are safe.

Privacy during media training

• Trust is being built in a one-to-one relationship.

• My experience shows that when a third-party is present, you can only go to a certain level of depth in the training / coaching.

• Leaving the trainer / coach alone with the client is good for dealing with certain sensitive issues the client would never discuss in front of a colleague.

Further security belts

• Confidentiality agreement – Better safe than sorry: have your media

trainer sign a confidentiality agreement prior to discussing sensitive corporate matters with him.

• Refresh sessions – Training is only as efficient as it gets in 6-8h.

In order to perform self-confidently in front of a journalist or camera, you need to train regularly.

Enjoy your media experience!

• More premium media training advice at www.mediaed.cz

• Write an email at cm@mediaed.cz or call at

00420 776 574 925• Follow us on Twitter

@CristinaMuntean and @MediaEd_CEE.