Your tool kit
You will learn excellent technique
We find that people we train appreciate a systematic approach to learning and so we teach effective media technique, offering this ‘tool kit’ of skills:
- A unique formula to prepare just the right amount of audience-focused material for an interview.
- Guidance on answering the first question in a way that engages your audience and makes clear where you stand on a particular issue.
- Advice on how to make the most of straight forward questions so that a less well-informed journalist is encouraged to ask the ‘right’ questions.
- Powerful but subtle techniques to move away from difficult issues or unhelpful questions.
- Help to close off questions that spokespeople are unable or unwilling to answer in a way that maintains credibility.
- Guidance on handling more sustained hostile questioning.
- Some questions can make interviewees appear defensive, vulnerable or out of touch. We offer guidance on each of these.
- Handling a range of different interview situations (TV and radio, live and pre-recorded, studio and location, remote and down-the-line).
- Dedicated sessions focus on the written word, highlighting phraseology that can be misinterpreted and providing specific guidance on how to minimise the risk of being misquoted.
Each delegate should expect to cover two or three topics, with two interviews on each so that we see continuous improvement.
Each interview is recorded, played back and debriefed.
Strengths are highlighted, opportunities for improvement are explored and the trainers work with delegates to help them make the most of each question in every interview.
First impressions count – a spokesperson should be engaging and have real public appeal – each delegate will receive 1:1 guidance.
We keep presentations to a minimum, encourage debate and focus on practice to ensure that each delegate really understands each technique and how to apply it with confidence in their interviews.
