What are a Few Things Only Professional Media Training Experts Can Tell You?

(Newswire.net — June 7, 2018) — Good communication depends on the clarity of the message. The choice of words, hand gestures, and expressions determine the impact a speech is going to have on the audience. Facing a big audience in a press meet or a conference like a setup is no joke. A first-timer is always conscious of the numerous microphones and video recording devices around. The fear of public speaking is a real concern, and it is prevalent in almost every walk of life unless you are a part of the glitz and glamour world that thrives on media attention. Overcoming this fear takes practice, training, demo exercises and experience.

You may wonder how a particular person can gain experience when we are talking about stage fright among first-timers. Well, that is why the media training companies are here. Media training programs address the concerns regarding public speaking among business owners, company spokespersons, HR team leaders and CEOs, who have to face their fears shortly. You might as well be a PR head juggling the responsibilities of carving out a positive image for the brand and training spokespeople for giving bites on broadcast media. Media training is going to be your salvation. Check out the Media Works Resource Group to learn about more ways in which professional media training can help you.

The primary rules of engagement

Here are a few notes on the basic rules of engagement you need to remember while preparing for an upcoming interview. It takes years for PR heads and market representatives to perfect these qualities. These are the kind of things you will not come across unless you have professional guidance in the field.

1. You are never really “off the record.” reporters have the right to publish anything you say to them, and there is nothing like confidential information sharing with a journalist. We might like to believe so from the Hollywood flicks and TV series. In case you do not want the journalist or interviewer to quote your statement, it is in your best interest not to make it.
2. “No comment” is not one of the best things to say, when you do not want to answer a question. Media training can help you circumnavigate the unpleasant questions and find your way back to the non-controversy zone. Saying “no comment” conveys that you want to hide something. That can be deleterious for your company’s public image.
3. It is quite alright not to know an answer. Do not go on about something you do not know. This will cause more damage than good. You are a human being and not a search engine. Just let the interviewer know that you will find out and let them know later on. Always make it a point to leave them a message on their voicemail or send them an email, if you make such a promise.
4. Do to use too many technical terms that might be unintelligible to the audience. Stick to simple language to make the conversation easy-to-follow. It will be beneficial for your company since it will eliminate scopes of misunderstanding as much as possible. Additionally, it will help the non-industry people understand your message without any trouble.
5. Unless you have an opportunity to make statements about your brand and company, do not engage in making unwarranted comments about your competition. Most importantly, do not speak ill of your competition spontaneously or even when the journalist provokes you to do so. That conveys a negative image of a brand. Anything you say on record can be “out there” forever. In the age of digital technology, everything is like one of Beyonce’s embarrassing photos. No matter how hard you try, you will not be able to take it off the web.
6. Your clothes will speak oodles about you and your brand. When you go to a meeting or an interview with the media, you must remember that you are the brand’s representative. That means you need to look the part as well. Most representatives choose to go with formals. You may want to dress casually depending on the occasion or the nature of the interview. However, always remember that your clothes should not become the focus of the event instead of your message.

There are always a few details like the last quarter’s numbers, market reach and new marketing campaign ROIs you need to learn before you face the questions. Try to get your data from reliable sources, find out if you can share the data publicly and only talk about aspects of your business you are aware of. Speak with your public relations department before the interview to learn what bits of information you can share and what you must never mention. To assert control, you should maintain comfortable eye-contact, proper seating postures and manipulate your gestures in coordination with the topic.