There have been some high-profile car crash interviews recently.
Make sure you’re not next.
Here are my 3 Golden Rules for Interviews that every spokesperson needs.
Golden Rules for Interviews
Thank you Leslie Nielsen (Dr Rumack) and the iconic Airplane!
Comedy is a useful ice breaker in crisis communications planning when we ask everyone to think the worst… no… the very, very worst.
And this quote is a reminder of everything that shouldn’t happen when things get serious. Why?
- Doctors don’t fly planes. If you want to know who is at the helm in moments of difficulty, do the thinking before the bad stuff happens.
- Preparing for the worst improves the likelihood of a better outcome, I promise you it’s worth the investment.
- Crisis planning is seriously fun, but never funny. Being invited to join companies at the start of their crisis comms planning is the best part of our job.
If crisis comms planning is making you seriously nervous, let us help you move it off the to-do list.
Too Much Passion
Can you have too much passion?
🏆 With awards season upon us, it is worth remembering that behind every good speech is a lot of performance.
Kate Winslet has years of acting experience to draw on.
🔓 So how do the rest of us unlock our best when presenting to others?
🌟 For me, it’s about Producing your Performance, something I learnt working with legendary BBC talent.
🎭 Kate’s passion creates an emotional reaction – even when speaking from notes – so find the passion in your presentation and take it to your audience.
And get in touch if you’re up for unlocking your presentation passion.
Good Ship Mangold ahoy!
The good ship Mangold Consultancy continues on a strong course, thanks to the team covering my watch during a recent stay ashore!
Here are some treasures discovered on my return…
Problem: Keeping the spokesperson’s muscle flexed.
Solution: Meet our clients with a fitness mindset to media training – regular sessions to grow the muscles needed by providing current, timely and relevant insight and examples of press performance done well.
Problem: Organisations are facing increasing scrutiny from unannounced visitors demanding a big ask of frontline teams who meet them.
Solution: Provide practical ways to keep pace with changing methods of scrutiny, which reinforce reputation management and protect staff wellbeing.
PS. Time out is an excellent way to take a bird’s-eye view of your surroundings and future course. Many thanks to Jess Mangold, Estelle Kinzett, Justin Clark, Amanda Coleman and Emma Davies for your “all hands on deck” approach!
Thank you to DALL-E Open Ai for this image.
New clients within our grasp and new projects to get our teeth into.
It is weeks like this which keep us chomping at the bit.
*No puppies were harmed in the making of this film. In fact, they inspired this film, just by doing what puppies do best, when presented with a bone.
The press doorstep – can you handle it?
Only watch this if you KNOW how to handle a doorstep*
The infamous doorstep only ends when the journalist leaves with something.
A no comment, a closed door, or in this case a response.
Managing a doorstep takes some well thought through choreography.
*Full disclosure, this one features my Dad, Tom Mangold, in action on BBC Panorama in 1997 so I may be biased.
Some favourite things that clients have told us recently
Good Vibes only.
I’ve started the year with a short stay in hospital and am determined to stay positive and come out the other side smiling.
So as my starter for 10, I unapologetically share some of my favourite things clients have told us recently.
“Fantastic training experience from industry experts…delivered in a safe environment…”
Head of Retail, Leading UK Retailer
“Making it in real situations with feedback, watching our performance after the media interview was a great experience…Highly recommend this training.”
Head of Sales, Global FMCG
“…well tailored to my practice and area of focus which made a big difference from training where we deal with generic issues.”
Partner, International Law Firm
The Post Office, Boohoo and the moments I miss investigative journalism
It’s times like these that I miss making TV.
Watching Mr Bates vs the Post Office and the long overdue response from the Government I’m reminded about the power of TV and its reach – 9.2 million people watched the first episode, and that was before people started really talking about it.
Yes, there are lots of means to get publicity for your cause these days but there is nothing more convincing than real human stories, told well, through public service broadcasting.
Meanwhile, a BBC investigation has found that Boohoo put ‘Made in UK’ labels on clothes made overseas.
Ooooh to have been part of the team uncovering that little nugget.
These dramas and investigations take big teams of highly talented individuals, they take money (so lacking in journalism these days) and they take a collective will to ‘out the truth’ even when it can be months and years to gather the evidence you need.
My advice to any business on the receiving end of one of these investigations is take it seriously, if they’re coming for your response, they’ve already got the evidence they need and the truth, well the truth will always out, even if it takes 25 years.
Constructive feedback AKA delivering the sh*t sandwich
Sh*t sandwich anyone?
Three pointers on giving constructive feedback to senior leaders and their teams.
- Use humour to cut through the nerves of a practical exercise
- Call out everyone on the stuff they get right and the stuff they don’t
- Listening is as, if not more important, than what you say
Accepting and solving a communications training challenge from a global client
Challenge accepted…
Loyal global client presents a new challenge.
“How do we grow our crisis comms resilience as a new team in multiple continents, time zones & cultures”
We got to deliver our solution at their European HQ. The energy, positivity & comments in the room suggest we exceeded expectations.
Job done.
This was followed by a welcome moment to reflect on where the training goes next while enjoying the beautiful surroundings.
Tips for engaging leaders on crisis communications preparation
How do you get people to engage and invest in crisis communications?
Show and Tell!
When I hosted a Crisis Communications webinar for Brandwatch together with our Social Media Director, Justin Clark, he revealed top tips for engaging leadership on crisis comms preparation.
Nothing like a bit of competitor insight to jump start collective action!
‘I really don’t want to speak to you again this year’.
No offence intended. None taken.
When clients chose us as their 24/7 crisis comms support, we get that a good Christmas for them means not speaking to us.
But if they do, we’re here. Poised with slightly wonky paper hats.
And to anyone else in need of 24/7 crisis comms support on speed dial…You know where to find us!
Happy Christmas to our wonderful team, clients and wider network – may 2024 be everything you wish for.
What we discovered working with the Unilever R&D team
Soaking up the soap in Port Sunlight!
Jess and I were thrilled to be asked to the historical home of Unilever this week to work with the fab R&D team.
We geeked out on the science and it was a real pleasure to be hosted in such a special part of the world.
There’s a lot to be said for a change of scene and some bracing Northern rain!
How to judge our crisis communications offer?
Some people are surprised to discover Jess Mangold and I are sisters.
Don’t judge by appearance. Judge on results.
What everyone must say and do in a crisis
In a crisis, being open and honest with each other is rule number one
Or as one client recently put it brilliantly – “Let’s talk, warts and all.”
Honesty defines how an organisation manages a crisis AND then how its people recover from the impact
Whether you create a safe space, share skeletons, speak up or speak out – always be honest.
Do you need to read the news to give good interviews?
My first instinct when someone we were media training announced this was to be appalled…
But it is a fair challenge – does the busy executive need to ingest and digest the media to be able to give a good interview?
I know what I said… what would your response be?
Why treat journalists like a friendly dog?
Who’s the best person to put forward in a crisis?
How does good crisis comms impact the bottom line?
And lessons from NatWest, the British Museum, BBC and Nike
I had a fab time talking to Mark Schmid on his podcast The Hunch about all of the above, and more.
Listen below or follow this link to The Hunch Podcast Episode with Abby Mangold.
“There’s no escaping it, if you run a high-profile business or organisation you will face a reputational issue in the short or medium term. We asked former BBC Watchdog producer Abby Mangold about the changing media landscape and its impact on how leaders prepare for and handle the toughest challenges.”
The Hunch is a Podcast about data and technology. They love educated guesses and gut instincts, too. The Hunch asks experts to predict what’s coming down the line with a focus on the ‘when?’ and the ‘why?’
The car crash interview always begins with… no practice
We have known each other our whole lives and professionally for almost a decade.
We have run multiple training sessions BUT…
We still rehearse, every time, individually and together, dropping in the odd mistake to see if the other is actually listening!
It’s all about the practice, so when we do it for real we are focussing on the people we are training and what’s going on for them.
There is no corner cutting. And as sisters, we would be the first to call each other out if we were to try!
Make the time, do the practice, make every interview worth it.
Avoiding on camera confrontation. Advice for reception & security teams
How do you avoid on camera confrontation when cameras turn up unannounced?
Following a sharp rise in YouTubers and TikTokers turning up unannounced at client offices and sites – often trying to provoke reactions from unwitting staff, we’re increasingly asked for our advice on how to support teams on the ground.
Watch Abby explain our top tips for avoiding on camera confrontation.
What’s the point of media training?
What’s the point of media training? Actually, this great comment from a happy client sums it up perfectly.
Our media training has always been about the live interview experience, a bit of a grilling and lots of confidence boosting to produce your best performance.
You never know, when it comes to the real interview, you might just enjoy yourself!