Overcoming the fear of media interviews through training

Overcoming the fear of media interviews

She came into the session convinced she was terrible at media interviews.

Fifteen years of experience. A genuine expert in her field.

But the moment a camera appeared, everything she knew seemed to disappear.

“I overcomplicate everything,” she told me beforehand. “I try to get across five points when one would do.”

At least she knew it.

What she didn’t know was why it kept happening and that it was completely fixable.

By the end of the day and the final interview, she watched herself back on camera and said something I hear more often than you’d think.

“I felt so much better prepared, and you can see that when I’m answering – such a big difference from my first interview!”

And it was.

It took just a few hours to help her find her voice.

If you or your team feel hesitant about facing the camera, our media training can help you find your voice and speak in media interviews with confidence. Please get in touch to see how we can help you prepare for your next interview.

Why it matters to write human for spokespeople

A little plea for all those writing content for spokespeople…

(Also included the sounds of a panting dog and multiple birds!)

Just a little plea from me today to anybody writing statements that they want their spokespeople to use verbally.

Please write human.

I have lost count of the number of answers to challenging questions that have clearly just been written.

Nobody’s tried to say it.

It’s only when you try and say things, that you realise the language simply doesn’t work.

You are making your spokespeople sound like robots. You are making your spokespeople sound like they’re just reading from a script and it’s not convincing anyone.

So just a little plea from me. Please, if you’re giving someone something to say verbally, say it out loud first and please write human.

There was no dead rat in the yogurt

Interview with Tom Mangold

Tom Mangold shares advice for spokespeople: be prepared, avoid jargon, rehearse key points and take responsibility in tough interviews.

“There was no dead rat in the yogurt.”

Thank you to everyone who suggested questions for veteran journalist, Tom Mangold.