Why your CEO needs media training
Media training is a vital tool to help your CEO and executives prepare to speak with the media. Here’s what you should do to prepare.
Set your PR goals
Identify dates, milestones, pending announcements, awards and speaking engagements as potential media events in your corporate calendar.
Monitor the news cycle for opportunities to position your CEO as a thought-leader on industry issues.
Create a media kit
Help the journalists tell your story accurately. A Media Kit includes a bio, company information, frequently asked questions (FAQs) and a Fact Sheet with interesting statistics and research.
Create media distribution lists
If you have a Public Relations agency, like Adoni Media, they will use their extensive database to customise a range of Media Distribution lists for different target audiences. Key media markets should include general news media, industry publications and business news across TV, radio, print, and online.
Refine key messaging
You have your media list now you need your media messaging.
CEOs can be exceptional at town halls and presenting in a boardroom, but a successful media interview requires clear and concise messaging that is delivered in a news-friendly way. Broadcast media refer to these tight, 10 – 15 second answers as ‘grabs’.
Media training
Prepare your CEO by organising Media Training so that he or she can practice their presentation skills and learn how to put approved key messages into their own voice.
The most common fear executives have is facing the media and getting stumped by a tricky question. Quality media training will provide them with ‘bridging’ techniques to help manage a difficult interview and help them feel more comfortable.
An important tip – ALWAYS do media training with a full-size TV camera because it is the combination of that big camera and the journalist that can be intimidating.
Write your media release
Your CEO is confident, comfortable and ready to agree to media interviews. The next step is to write the media release.
TIP: Try to keep it one page and avoid industry jargon unless it is specifically written for an industry publication. (How to Write a Media Release Guide is here)
Hit send
It’s time to put all the pieces together and distribute the Media Release, including the offer for journalists to request an interview with the CEO.
TIP: It may sound obvious but ensure the CEO’s calendar has time clear for him to talk to the media. You’d be surprised how many Media Releases are sent but the ‘talent’ is not available to do interviews on the day.
For a consultation on your media training needs, contact us.