You or your team may need media training and you don’t even know it. That’s because today’s definition and application of media training covers a much broader range than just communicating with the media. Let’s address how we have helped our clients over the years. Some of these applications you may already be familiar with, and some you may not:
Are you or your staff in the media spotlight? Do you have to deal with questions from the news media? If your answer is yes, you are an obvious candidate for media training and coaching. Has your team ever been training before? If so, when? The news media is changing dramatically and it is important to understand how they operate. If you or your team takes on media inquiries and interview requests, it is critical to know your primary message and how to answer difficult questions when asked. After all, your brand depends on it.
Are you facing a crisis involving the public and the media? There may not be any time more critical than the present to be media trained and coached. Companies have crumbled over the years when faced with a crisis and not knowing how to deal with it. We are working with a utility company right now facing a controversy over rate hikes. How do you ensure the media is fairly telling both sides of the story? How do you deal with those reporters not giving you a fair shake? How do you communicate with your clients and explain the reality while also showing empathy? Don’t put your team at risk. Invest in training now.
Can your team deliver the same elevator pitch? Whether it’s traditional news media or social media, there has never been so many ways to communicate to an audience. But is your team all on the same page? When asked the question, “tell me what you do?”, does your team answer with the same cohesive message? Message and brand consistency is a huge problem today, both in the private and government sectors, and it has never been more important to deliver consistent messages.
Can you and your team deliver powerful, condensed messages? Presentations, sales and marketing pitches, city council meetings, and speeches can all be high stakes and high reward opportunities. But there are so many distractions within reach on your cell phone-Facebook and Twitter are right there! Don’t blow it. Engage and lock-in your audience from your very first word and don’t let them go. Can you eliminate all the unneeded junk words and deliver only the content which matters? Can you effectively share an anecdotal story to bring human relevance to your pitch?
These are skills which can be acquired through training and practice. Not osmosis. Media training is not just for the news media anymore.