Media training is a 'must do' professional development program for any serious leader or manager.
Media interview training provides you with the skills to effectively deal with the media.
Media relations training, with a specific focus on media presentation training for television can be seriously nerve wracking for first timers.
Here's why you should consider doing a media training course and some essential tips from our media skill training courses.
If you go to the archives of any commercial television station and pull out footage from a news bulletin from the 1960s and view that footage with a stopwatch, you will find the average length of the quote (known as a sound bite or news grab) from the person being interviewed for the story is around 60 seconds.
If you watch commercial television tonight with your stopwatch at the ready, and measure each sound bite or news grab, the average length will be seven seconds.
This is why its being called McNuggett News! Its quick, slick, fast and tasty, but not very satisfying.
There are three reasons for this shortening of length.
1. Increased competition for our ever diminishing attention spans,
2. Increased choice, noise and clutter in our lives, and
3. The merging of information and entertainment dressed up as news.
So how do you get your message across about a complex, detailed issue through the media in seven seconds?
Well, you need to work out your key message and deliver it flawlessly as a media friendly quotable quote.
Remember, you have only one chance to get it right. The professional TV news crews I work with are constantly telling me about people who ring them after the interview and say "can you come back, I forgot to say this and that?"
Of course, the media are so time poor and deadline driven they never come back.
So you only have one opportunity to maximise your media moment.
How do you do this, especially for TV? Here are my Top 10 Tips:
1. Dress Well.
In the powerful visual medium of television you will be judged by your appearance. Clothing patterns and colours will contribute to the impact of your on camera interview. Avoid clothes with lots of designs or patterns. A dark jacket (blue, black, charcoal or navy) with a white shirt/blouse always looks good on camera. Take your cue from what TV newsreaders are wearing. Heed my mother's advice: "it is better to pay the extra and buy one really good suit than have many of inferior quality."
2. Warm Up Your Voice.
Tiger Woods wouldn't go and play a championship round of golf without warming up. You, as a professional communicator and official spokesperson should never engage with the media without warming up your voice.
3. Speak With Increased Energy.
Speak at a higher volume, range, tone and pitch than you would normally. Imagine having a conversation with someone and speaking at a slightly more animated level than you would normally.
4. Anchor Your Feet and Slow Deliberate Movements.
The more you move around the more your body language will distract from your message. Doing interviews standing, even radio interviews, will change your whole physiology and give your more energy and authority. Stand with your feet about shoulder width apart and firmly anchored to the ground. It is hard to sound credible standing on one foot.
At the book launch of Understanding Influence For Leaders At All Levels, I learnt from co-author Des Guilfoyle that slow, fluid and deliberate movements will give you more referent power, charisma and personal magnetism.
TIP: Watch your interviews with the sound off to get a better idea of what your body language is doing in the interview.
5. Keep Calm.
Assertive, aggressive, even angry reporters will fire off questions at you quickly, like bullets spitting from a machinegun. Their speech patterns will be intense and fast. Do not get drawn into mirroring and matching these patterns. In these situations, take a breath and speak more slowly than the interviewer.
6. Memorise Your Three Key Points.
You must be able to deliver these flawlessly without reading notes. Firstly, write them down. Writing things down helps fix them in the mind and seeing them written down also helps. Then compose a visual picture of the actual words. Visually place them in the top left part of your brain. When remembering these points, look to the top left hand part of the brain and they will come to you instantly like magic.
In technical terms, brain experts have shown the left-side of the prefrontal cortex (just behind the forehead) experiences increased blood flow as new information enters our episodic memory. In fact, the brain's thesaurus is dispersed in many separate parts of the left cerebral hemisphere (Source: The Odd Brain by Dr Stephen Juan, Harper Collins, 1998).
7. Never Say No Comment.
Journalists will believe 'where there is smoke there is fire'. Say no comment, but back this up with a valid reason.
8. Drink Plenty Of Water.
Keep hydrated and avoid caffeine and milk prior to an interview. Milk gums up your saliva glands leading to a dry mouth. This manifests itself in the common nervous habit of licking dry lips.
9. Get In The Moment.
Elite athletes talk about and practice getting in the zone to achieve peak performance. You need to do the same.
Try this: Relax, close your eyes and take three deep breaths, focussing on clearing your mind. Then visualise a moment in the past where you felt very motivated and very confident. Capture this moment in your mind and anchor those feelings. Place this mental picture inside your right hand and clench making a fist. Cover this fist with your left hand. Repeat this process until you can instantly put yourself into a state of peak performance.
10. Review, Evaluate and Improve.
After each media interview always review:
What worked well?
What could be improved?
What will I work on for next time?
Thomas Murrell MBA CSP is an international business speaker, consultant and award-winning broadcaster. Media Motivators is his regular electronic magazine read by 7,000 professionals in 15 different countries.
You can subscribe by visiting http://www.8mmedia.com. Thomas can be contacted directly at +6189388 6888 and is available to speak to your conference, seminar or event. Visit Tom's blog at http://www.8mmedia.blogspot.com.
Exhibiting in a trade show can involve a major investment... Read More
Although there are any number of different networking groups and... Read More
Most of us would agree that having humor in our... Read More
Tomorrow's the day and you're dreading it. You're scheduled to... Read More
ALTERNATIVES TO THE LECTURE FORMAT: How often do you use... Read More
Flash chart, flash map, flash graph may be mistaken for... Read More
MORE and more corporations in Malaysia have awoken to the... Read More
A client recently called to say she was going to... Read More
You have presentation style habits that automatically appear when you... Read More
Last week my husband and I attended an awesome 4... Read More
There are five key elements that can make... Read More
How many people will need to see the screen? A... Read More
I had a chance to go to one of those... Read More
As a former owner of a National Speakers Bureau, I... Read More
At some point in your presentation you will be expected... Read More
Regardless of what response technique may be convenient in a... Read More
I am of the belief that the majority of people... Read More
Every day, so many tens of thousands of innocent clients... Read More
Never rehearse at the last minute. This creates undue tension... Read More
Do you ever get frustrated with your marketing? Are you... Read More
Calling a projector hire company will often get you confused... Read More
Whether you need to address large groups or small, familiar... Read More
Summer is here! It's time to bring out your summer... Read More
Audiences around the world are all different. Cultural, social and... Read More
A top complaint from audience members is that many presenters... Read More
Usually the emphasis on making an effective speech is what... Read More
There is an old saying: "The first thing to do... Read More
Like most good achievements, a magnificent meeting depends on planning... Read More
Believe it or not, preparation is a better determinant of... Read More
You don't have to be on a stage to be... Read More
This article will help you to assess and maximise the... Read More
Presenters often tell me that they fear losing their train... Read More
WHEN ONLY A LECTURE WILL DO: Under certain circumstances, of... Read More
Regardless of what response technique may be convenient in a... Read More
If you deliver electronic presentations using PowerPoint or other programs,... Read More
Kvetching is the Yiddish word for complaining, hand to the... Read More
"I didn't have 3000 pairs of shoes. I had only... Read More
The CEO of a worldwide business asked me to help... Read More
"I'm not an expert on this topic, but . .... Read More
A trade show is an ideal way of showcasing your... Read More
Delivering humorous speeches involves a lot more than simply having... Read More
Ever had that uncomfortable feeling of not knowing where to... Read More
First of all, what is a bio sheet and why... Read More
A client recently called to say she was going to... Read More
There is an old saying: "The first thing to do... Read More
As a former owner of a National Speakers Bureau, I... Read More
The query letter is simply a business letter that serves... Read More
So you're not a professional speaker. That's no excuse for... Read More
Believe it or not, preparation is a better determinant of... Read More
At a number of business seminars and presentations, I passed... Read More
Have you ever had to give a speech?Do you remember... Read More
You speak before a group. You present your message. You... Read More
How do you come across in your emails?As I receive... Read More
KEEPING MEETINGS PRODUCTIVE: Whether participants approve or disapprove of an... Read More
Last week my husband and I attended an awesome 4... Read More
Did the "Painless" part of the title get your attention?Speaking... Read More
Whether you are speaking in front of a civic group... Read More
Summer is here! It's time to bring out your summer... Read More
Webster's Dictionary defines communication as "a giving or exchanging of... Read More
Usually the emphasis on making an effective speech is what... Read More
ALTERNATIVES TO THE LECTURE FORMAT: How often do you use... Read More
What is it about overhead projectors that causes us to... Read More
If you are taking your newest products to a trade... Read More
How many times have you attended a meeting where the... Read More
Flash chart, flash map, flash graph may be mistaken for... Read More
How many people will need to see the screen? A... Read More
Presentation |