From tech start-ups to Fortune companies, anyone in a position that involves dialogue with the media in 2015 should take time to review resources, media interviews, and most importantly – practice.
There are a number of free online resources for helpful tips on preparing your CEO and execs for the Media:
- Andy Blum’s, Prepping the CEO, was published on our PR resources earlier this week.
- Scott Wolfson’s, How to prepare your CEO for a TV interview, was originally published on Ragan’s PR Daily in January 2011, and the lessons are still applicable today.
And from the journalist’s perspective:
- Bianchi Public Relations provides key insights from a survey, conducted by members of the Public Relations Global Network :
Another great way to learn some valuable lessons and prepare your execs for talking to the media is to watch relevant examples in your industry.
For tech start-ups and Fortune companies, YouTube can be a great resource when searching for “CEO interview”:
Your company can also produce its own video release for use by the media, which could include a statement from executives.
You can also implement your own internal process, much like we have done at Critical Media in order to prepare your executive team for media interviews. Our process:
1) Present executive with overview of interview topics – (5-10 page summary of industry, audience, reach, goals etc.)
2) Discuss overview and key concepts with executive
3) Provide executive with important notes and findings from discussion
4) Have executive follow up with a narrative from this overview
5) Practice initial narrative
6) Condense initial narrative into 5-10 minute “media pitch” discussion
7) Practice “media pitch”
8) Throw all of our preparing and practice away at the last minute and let the executive wing it*
*#8 happens more often than not.
