Ms. Dietrich

Social Media & PR

Media Training: 13 Tips to Consider Before Talking to a Reporter

By Gini Dietrich, Founder & CEO, Arment Dietrich Inc.

Have you ever been in a situation where you're talking to a reporter and you don't know what to say? Or you keep talking to fill the silence because they're not asking you questions?

Maybe you've never talked to a reporter and you don't know how to handle yourself.

I'm here to tell you it's a piece of cake. Reporters are people too. They put on their pants one leg at a time. And they can help your business grow because of the credibility they lend to a story or trend about you.

But there are 13 very important tips you should consider before picking up the phone or talking to a reporter in person.

1. Use normal, simple speech that is positive and enthusiastic

Don't be vague and don't use phrases such as "somewhat", "for the most part", "as far as I know", or "pretty much". Reporters want to talk to experts and you are an expert in your industry. So talk like an expert. But don't use jargon or acronyms; reporters don't know as much about your business as you do.

2. Make eye contact with the interviewer, not the camera, audience, or on-lookers

For most of you, this will come into play if you're at a trade show and talking to a reporter at your booth or in the lobby of a hotel. Just like it's rude to be talking to someone and looking around the room, it's rude to do that to a reporter. So keep your eyes and your focus on the conversation.

3. Re-emphasize your main point and repeat key messages

Remember the key messages I had you write a couple of months ago? This is where those come in to play. There are always two or three things you need to communicate about your business. It's okay for you to repeat them more than once, even if you feel like a broken record. Typically a person needs to hear a message at least three times before he or she realizes it's important.

4. Always repeat the question in your answer; never answer with just a "yes" or a "no"

Have you ever read an article where someone is quoted as saying, "yes."? Always include an answer. A good tip is to say, "Yes and this is why." Or "No and this is why not."

5. Feel free to offer important information, instead of waiting for the reporter to ask for it

Nine times out of 10 a reporter will ask you, at the end of the interview, "is there anything else you'd like to add?" This is your cue to add anything you want that person to know that he or she has not asked you. If you feel like you've talked about everything, go ahead and repeat your key messages when you're asked this question.

6. Finish your statements, instead of allowing the reporter to sidetrack the conversation

It's human nature to ask a question, let you respond, and think of a question in the middle of your answer and ask it. Pay attention; I'll bet you do it too. So finish what you were saying and then ask the reporter to repeat their second question. This allows you to stay on message and for the reporter to get the full jist of what you're saying and not misquote you.

7. Don't be intimated by silence from the reporter, it is a trick to get you to offer more

More often the reporter is writing down what you said and needs time to catch up so they don't misquote you. So let them finish writing, review their notes, and ask you the next question.

8. If the reporter gets you off message, always bring your answer back to your key points

Again, it's human nature to interrupt a person's train of thought when they say something brilliant and it leads to another question. Think how often you have two or three conversations inside one big conversation. I do it all the time. If the reporter gets you off topic, lead the conversation back to your main points.

9. Never ask for a comment to remain "off the record", it doesn't exist

My best example of this is to think what you think when you read that a person says "no comment" or they didn't return phone calls. Makes you think they have something to hide, doesn't it? So never say no comment. The reporter will write that you said it and it makes you less credible.

10. Never answer hypothetical questions

Answers to hypothetical questions won't get you anywhere but in trouble. You're not a mind reader or a time traveler. You don't know what is going to happen, even if you have the best educated guess. Don't answer them.

11. Offer help and be as polite as possible

The more helpful you are, the more likely a reporter is to work with you again. I like to use research, statistics, and other material that is not self-serving when I work with reporters. You can do the same.

12. Remember it is okay not to answer a question if you don't know the answer - tell the reporter you will find the answer and get back to him/her

It's much better to say you don't know the answer than to guess and be wrong. So tell the reporter you don't know the answer, but that you'll get back to them within 24 hours. And get back to them within 24 hours.

13. Remember everything said within earshot of a reporter is game for a story

My favorite story to tell when I media train is that we had a client many years ago who was going on 60 Minutes. We spent three full days with him preparing him for the interview. We asked him every question we though he might be asked. He had one topic he did not want to discuss so we interviewed him about that topic and showed him ways to stay on message with what he did want to discuss. So the camera crew and reporter arrive. They spend three days with the client. Never once did the bad topic come up. The client was walking the reporter to the elevator after they'd finished taping the story and the client said, "Boy! Am I glad you didn't bring up (bad topic)!"

Take one guess what the segment on 60 Minutes was about? Everything you say at a trade show, at dinner, or on the phone is game for a story. So don't say it if you don't want it reported.

My last piece of advice is to always ask a reporter their deadline. Typically you'll have a day or two leeway, but you must always consider their deadlines. Otherwise your story might be reported as you couldn't be reached for comment. Always return a reporter's call within four hours. And remember to be polite and offer as much help as possible.

Gini Dietrich is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Arment Dietrich, Inc., a firm that uses non-traditional marketing. The author of Spin Sucks, Gini has delivered numerous keynotes, panel discussions, coaching sessions, and workshops across North America on the subject of digital marketing tools. One of the top rated communication professionals on the social networks, Gini was recently named the number one PR person, according to Klout and TechCrunch, on the channels, and number one on Twitter, according to TweetLevel. Ms. Dietrich can be contacted at 312-787-7249 or gini.dietrich@armentdietrich.com Extended Bio...

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