Training to face the media
February 2012 by Billy GreenhalghOccasionally, there are instances in this job which allow you to clearly see the positive effect of what we do. It can happen when a press release you’ve circulated or a media interview that you’ve organised suddenly takes page lead in any chosen publication and goes on to filter through a wealth of publications. Then you know that your work is hitting the right mark amongst your peers.
And then there are instances when our work has a less public benefit, but still demonstrates the importance of supporting a client.
Training clients to manage media interviews can provide those moments.
I recently watched my candidate take his first tentative steps towards speaking to camera during such training and I picked up on each mistake in delivery – helping him to understand the nature of conveying such a message with confidence and assurance.
My client’s afternoon was immeasurably successful. The training had put him closely in touch with the message that he was delivering, allowing empathy with his audience. And it’s a skill that can be transferred to internal communications demands and tackling staff issues.
Gone were the nerves. Gone was the defensive response to questioning. Gone was the uncomfortable body language. In fact, after just three hours of work, we had helped this gentleman to become a warm, convincing and strong communicator with total faith in his own ability to respond to and disarm cutting questions.
Sometimes, there is no substitute for putting the client ‘out front.’ And sometimes there is no greater reward in this job.
Tags
- Categories:
- media training
