I wrap up each spokesperson message and media training session that I lead by asking the spokespersons to share their biggest take-aways from the training. After four hours of mock interviews, facilitated discussion about their messaging and how to conversationally deliver those messages in interviews, it’s good to step back and focus on what the spokesperson has learned. It’s also amazingly gratifying for me because 100% of the time the spokespersons get “it.”
Here are 10 executive spokesperson tips — in their own words — from just a few recent media training sessions.
- “You absolutely can control how you respond to the questions asked by a reporter.”
- “The reporter is just a conduit to my real audience. Always respond with my intended audience in mind.”
- “Let my passion speak out; speak with absolute conviction.”
- “Avoid tentative language (e.g. ‘I think…’) that detracts from my authority and credibility.”
- “Headline my response, supported by anecdotes that build an emotional connection with my audience and compelling data.”
- “Distinguish between my ‘internal voice’ (information relevant for company planning meetings) and ‘external voice’ (my audience-relevant messages).”
- “Balance responding at the 30,000′ level with answers that include greater specificity.”
- “Avoid corporate-ese and vague-isms.”
- “Integrate my audience’s voice into my response, e.g. ‘Our customers tell us….'”
- “Think about how I want to answer the questions I know I’ll be asked, want to be asked (“gift questions”) and dread being asked. In fact, the ‘gift’ questions are really the toughest to answer succinctly and clearly.”
Well said!
