Tag: Media training

I’ve previously stated why media training is important. Today at the Wisconsin Early Stage Symposium, I sat on a panel that talked about messaging and saw firsthand what can go wrong.

A woman from the audience stood up to talk about her product, and it was clear that she was struggling. When asked twice about her qualifications in producing the product, she failed to truly answer the question, saying how the guy who came up with the idea didn’t want to deal with the liabilities and just wanted to sit in his basement and collect royalties.

I’m both surprised and not surprised by that response. How a person can’t even say something simple like “because I believe in this product’s value to society” is baffling, yet it happens ALL THE TIME.

I felt bad for this woman, because her inability to speak clearly and concisely was getting in the way of an otherwise wonderful product. That could hurt her in terms of marketing and attracting investors. I hope she hires a consultant to help her with her messaging strategy!

Missed opportunities.

That’s what I tell clients you can avoid with media training. Chances are interview opportunities are going to be far and few between. You don’t want to regret or waste those one or two sound bites you’re going to get.

I know many new and seasoned business owners who panic and/or don’t know what to do when a reporter calls–things like return calls promptly and speak on message.

Media training helps you emphasize your key talking points and avoid traps for all types of interviews, including on camera, live, radio and phone. As with any skill, practice and repetition makes perfect.

Here’s a test: Tell me clearly and succinctly what your company does (no slogans, no jargon). You’ll be surprised how difficult this question can be without training. If you think this is tough, imagine answering questions during a crisis!

I always advocate to clients the need for media training. Even if they are never interviewed by the press, it’s still good to learn how to speak on message in front of other audiences. And most importantly, you don’t want to miss an opportunity to say something positive.

The last point is clear in The New York Times Magazine‘s interview with Washington Redskins owner Dan Snyder. The billionaire has been a constant target of criticism by both fans and the media since buying the team in 1999.

Snyder certainly didn’t make things better for himself in the article. He comes off as defensive and uncaring; I can’t imagine he’s ever had any media training. For example:

• He babbles when asked why as a Republican is he going to install solar panels and plug-in stations at the stadium. A better answer would have been, “We care about enhancing the fan experience at FedEx Field, and this provides us the opportunity to do so.”
• Snyder becomes irrational when asked about his lawsuit against a newspaper and admits he did not read the (entire) article. First of all, I can’t believe his lawyers agreed to allow him to sue, since those cases usually favor the medium. Still, he could have said, “There were many factual errors in the article, and we have repeatedly asked for a correction. That is all I can say.” 
• He says “the media overblows most things” when asked about the constant drumbeat of negative stories about him. Dan should have said, “Winning is always the cure. We are putting the team in a position to have success. For example …”

It gets worse in the online extension of the article. See for yourself: http://6thfloor.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/12/daniel-snyder-owner-of-the-redskins-keeps-on-talking/?ref=magazine