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How to Prepare for Media Interviews

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The Roman statesman Seneca once said, “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.”  This is a sentiment executives must keep in mind as they prepare for media interviews.  And the key word here is preparation. 

As busy as everyone seems to be in the era of COVID-19, media interviews – much like any formal presentation – cannot and should not be treated as something to be checked off a list.

A lot goes into preparing company messaging and positioning an organization.  Getting third-party validation for a company’s value proposition can go a long way toward softening the beachheads for sales leads and building industry leadership and brand awareness.

But how should one prepare for a media interview?  Here are six techniques to consider:

  1. Review the reporter’s coverage and publication to best understand the audience and how you need to communicate to that audience

A PR/marketing agency such as Amendola Communications prepares briefing sheets with details of reporters, their backgrounds, messaging and any caveats.  While the PR pros can guide you through the process, it also makes sense to read the reporter’s last three to five articles to ascertain trends or patterns in coverage.  Doing so may reveal something you can share with the reporter to strike a chord during an interview.

  1. Write out your key messages and envision the headline you want to read

Again, your agency is doing a lot of the leg work already; however, homing in on the three key messages you want to share during an interview goes a long way toward ensuring one stays focused and doesn’t stray into unchartered territory.  A reporter has only so much time, so you want to maximize your time to deliver your key messages and get your points across.  Furthermore, think about the headline and story you want to see resulting from the interview, and figure out how you’ll get there.

  1. Consider the types of questions that can lead to minefields

Along with No. 2, your agency should caution you about the types of questions that will take you off the path of a productive interview for your organization.  Those questions may involve competitors, controversies or unpopular opinions.  That’s not to say you shouldn’t address them or consider being provocative.  But it’s best to practice your responses ahead of time and test them with key colleagues and your communications advisors to ensure they are the types of messages that will have the intended impact.  And if you don’t want to answer certain questions, using bridging techniques can help you get back on track.

  1. Practice in front of a mirror to gauge body language  

While this technique is especially important to prep for broadcast or Zoom interviews, it’s also valuable in general because it speaks to whether you believe what you’re saying.  Are you credible?  Are you passionate?  If your responses fall flat to you, consider what a reporter will take away.  Using a conversational style while conveying insights the reporter can use begets future interviews.

  1. Ensure any product messaging is grounded in business benefits and not conjecture

While it’s important to demonstrate the success of your products to key influencers, the best way to do so is to substantiate with industry facts, e.g. time and dollar savings, patient/staff safety, industry awards and the like.  Of more importance is citing key statistics or anecdotes from key customers.  You’ll want to confirm that those customers are referenceable in any media interviews.  Your PR agency can help you sort through those details.

  1. Block off 15-30 minutes prior to an interview to put on your game face

While competitive sports seem like a distant memory during the pandemic, those pre-game rituals still hold a place close to our hearts.  Instead of rushing to a media interview, it’s best to block out some time for mindfulness before the interview.  Doing so elicits focus and can make your preparation bear real fruit.

Media interviews often seem to be over in a flash, but the outcomes can have a long shelf life.  Taking time to properly prepare can elevate your own brand and help your organization flourish.

Media Interview Preparation 101

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Some executives dedicate ample time and effort to media interview preparation studying the journalist’s previous coverage, developing carefully considered talking points while others, not so much.

Guess which ones are typically more pleased with the outcomes of their interviews?

Nonetheless, it’s important to keep the significance of media interviews in perspective. Unlike a new product release gone awry or ethical misconduct by management, a bad interview is unlikely to cripple a company’s future. More likely, an interview gone off-the-rails results in some temporary embarrassment and heartburn for the company’s leadership obviously something everyone would prefer to avoid. Still, there’s no need for an interview subject to work herself into a nervous state of sweaty palms, butterflies in the stomach or stuttering speech.

While no one would suggest that executives need to prepare for a media interview with the time and diligence that they’d devote to a board meeting, for example, media interviews are indeed an important conduit to introducing a young company to potential investors, partners, employees and the market in general.

Confidence is key, and preparation breeds confidence. With that in mind, here are a few key preparation tips beyond the usual “Do your homework!” to turn any interview into a positive showcase for you company and your thought leadership.

Ask questions before the interview: What type of readers/viewers/listeners comprise the media outlet’s audience? Why is the reporter interested in talking to you? How did he/she find out about your company? What topics will the interview cover? Will the reporter share any questions ahead of time? Will you have the opportunity to review the article before it’s published (probably not), or any direct quotes from you that the reporter plans to use (quite possibly)? Don’t let any excitement or nervousness about the interview prevent you from asking a bunch of questions to the reporter soon, he/she’ll be asking plenty of you.

Research the reporter and media outlet: Check out the reporter’s bio or LinkedIn page, and look for some clues from his/her background to build pre-interview rapport. Maybe the reporter attended the same college as you or has worked at a company with which you have some familiarity. This is great fodder for small talk before the interview begins, which will help to establish a friendly tone at the interview’s outset.

Aside from the reporter’s personal background, study the past few articles he/she’s written. They’ll provide clues for what interests him/her, what angles the reporter likes to take on stories and what types of questions might be asked.

Hammer key messages: I like to think of media interviews as a Venn diagram, featuring two circles one representing the reporter’s interests and the other representing those of the interview subject. Rarely if ever will these two circles completely overlap. In fact, only about 10 percent of each may overlap, but that 10 percent is where you’ll live during the interview. That’s the space where you’ll be able to discuss your industry and your company’s accomplishments and capabilities without seeming too sales-y or self-promotional.

After you’ve asked the right questions and done your research, it’s time to prepare talking points that hammer home the key messages you’d like to convey in the interview. Make each of these points brief, conversational and punchy. Provide a little supporting evidence or an anecdote and move on to the next one. Don’t be afraid to re-emphasize points you’ve previously made; repetition helps reporters prioritize the importance of the information you’ve covered during the interview.

After the interview: Once the interview is over, breathe a sigh of relief and revel in a job well done — although the work isn’t done quite yet. Follow up with the reporter to see if any additional information or clarification is needed before the piece is published. Once the piece is published, promote it via all channels available to your company social media, company blog, website, email campaigns and the like.

Does this seem like a lot of work? Sometimes it can be, but the positive is that a strong PR firm will do all the legwork for you asking important questions of the reporter, researching the reporter and media outlet’s background and crafting talking points. Then it’s just up to the executive to think about and digest the information and proceed with confidence towards exceling in the interview.