What you should look for in a good media coaching program for executives

Posted by jaques montegolifier on June 14th, 2019

Facing the media for an interview can be both exciting as well as nerve-wracking. One could get conscious of the fact that they are being watched on national television and lose confidence despite knowing their material. This can be especially embarrassing if you are in a business of high stakes. Business leaders and their executives are invited to media interviews every day. It is the responsibility of such people to convey their message in a positive, effective and confident manner. However, if one experiences nervousness from such events they are advised to consider media coaching. A good media training and coaching program for executives includes the following.

Devising key messages and talking points: Your media training coach can help you develop the primary talking points in a media interview. A lot of emphasis is laid on creating compelling key messages which are short, crisp, and easy to remember. Your coach helps you shortlist up-to three key points that should be your point of focus in an interview. They will also help devise a few good quotes or, to use the media term, ‘sound bites’, along with supporting points to help you convey authority as well as in-depth knowledge about the topic in question. Essentially, a good media training program is one that harvests your presentation skills training.

Being in control of the interview: Interviewers have a knack for steering the interview in a direction that works best for them. They prefer to be in control, even dominate the flow of the interview with their tough questions. As a result, the conversation can go off track from the key messages an inexperienced interviewee wishes to deliver. However, your media coaching program can help you stay in control of the interview. Even if an interviewer attempts to drift away from the key points of the conversation, the media coach helps you devise strategies to steer the interviewer back to the important points of conversation. Suffice to say, you learn bridging and redirecting techniques that help you control the interview.

On-camera presentation techniques: An interview is not just about what you say. 50% of the narrative is controlled by how something is said. The camera is an unforgiving device and if you are a nervous wreck, it will be very apparent on it. On camera presentation skills training is provided in media training courses which encompasses a wide range of interview-related elements including how to dress, move and sit, body language, gestures, voice inflection and enunciation and so on. The focus is on not only on making you look good in an interview but also to feel confident. Your appearance and camera preparedness can have a huge impact on the message you wish to deliver.

Familiarity with the venue: The environment in which the interview is to be conducted can add to the nerves. Most media coaching programs have tie-ups with various venues where press-events and interviews are conducted. A good training program is one which has ties to such venues or one that directs clients with how such set-ups work. This can put the interviewee at ease, eliminate any chances of surprises or distractions and be comfortable in an unfamiliar setting. Familiarity with the venue also allows one to focus on the task at hand irrespective of the type of interview – radio, print or television.