Press Pointers - How
to do an Interview with member of the
press
·
Be
prepared. Check your facts; know your
story; know your references
·
Be
truthful. Honest mistakes can be
tolerated. There is nothing wrong with
saying "oops, I made a mistake".
·
Be an
active listener. Listen before you
think. Think before you speak. Make sure
you understand and answer the questions.
·
There is
no such thing as “off the record”
REMEMBER
1. Keep it
Simple, Short, and Vivid
2. Get
animated. Speak and act with energy
3. Lead
with your best lines. Time is
critical. Get across the important
messages first.
4. Speak
in bullets and say it again. Continue
to reiterate key messages in a variety
of ways.
5.
Evaluate marketing opportunities. Be
sure you mention your company, your
services, your products as you speak.
6. Look
for the softball question - many times,
at the end of the interview, the editor
or writer will ask, why is your product,
service or announcement important or
better than the competition? This is
where you get to blast a home run. Be
ready for it. If you don't have a ready
answer, you should not be doing doing
press briefings.
Have Key
Messages:
The Three
items you want to get across. What
are the three BIG POINTS?
Always
tie back to these messages. Use them at
the end when the reporter asks if you
have anything else to add-summarize
these things.
Remember -
most editors and writers - especially
those in the trade publications and web
sites - want to write positive GOOD
stuff about your product and company.
Make it easy for them.
