Mastering the Art of a Great Interview
Media relations is the key to a strong overall brand strategy.
Compelling news interviews carry power. A great interview gives your organization the chance to share impactful stories, build credibility and trust, and attract positive and influential attention. A bad interview can mean apathy from the public at best and damage to your brand reputation at worst.
What makes an interview great? What tips and tricks can all of us keep in mind the next time we have the opportunity to speak with a journalist—or even simply someone interested in our ministry or cause? In this article, we will explore key elements all spokespeople should abide by.
The Essentials
Be prepared. Before an interview ever begins, the first step—and arguably most important step—is to adequately prepare. Learn the interviewer’s background, typical point of view or bias, and the topics that might interest them. Think through a list of common interview questions and how you’d answer them. Know your topic and get comfortable talking about it. Practice answering basic questions about your organization and your particular area of expertise. Develop answering for countering any anticipated “tough” questions.
(Tip: Practice speaking out loud or in front of a mirror before the interview takes place. Better yet, video yourself using your phone, and practice your message points over and over.)
Communicate clearly. Being clear in your responses is critical to helping your audience understand who you are and what you’re talking about. Establishing key messages in advance of your interview is a great way to ensure you can succinctly communicate when the time comes.
(Tip: Avoid Christian or industry jargon or insider language whenever possible.)
Understand that everything communicates. Of course, everyone is waiting to hear your answers. But it’s important to remember that everything, including nonverbal cues, communicates something. Your body language, what you wear, your surroundings for a virtual interview or how you conduct yourself are just as important as your answers.
(Tip: Consider the lighting and any ambient noise in your surroundings. Check your technology well in advance. Subtle company-branded wall art is a good way to get your company’s logo some airtime without being too obvious. Brush up on non-verbal best practices.)
Be flexible.
It’s important to remember that certain elements simply are not in your control. For example, a story that is set to run next week may be bumped to a different time slot due to unexpected breaking news. Or an interviewer may go off-topic. Be patient, flexible and prepared for every feasible scenario.
(Tip: If the interview shifts to an unexpected topic or recent event, maintain your composure and continue to provide thoughtful insights relevant to your organization whenever possible.)
Handle tough questions. Knowing how to handle tough questions about controversial topics is helpful. This involves acknowledging the question, while also tactfully steering the conversation back to a topic you’d like to focus on instead.
(Tip: Practice bridging from a tough topic to another subject that is part of your key messages.)
Stay professional. Since everything communicates, it’s important to maintain a professional demeanor before, during and after the interview. Connecting with the interviewer on time (or early) is a great way to demonstrate your professionalism.
(Tip: Be sure to silence your phone and any other distractions that could take you away from being present for your interview! And always assume an open mic or recording device is present until you have left the building or signed off from the call.)
Maintain a spirit of continuous growth and improvement. Watching or reading your interview afterward is a great way to continue to grow and improve your interview skills. Analyze and prepare an action plan for improvement so you can continue getting the word out about the great things your organization is doing and representing it in a positive light. Better yet, take the time to go through professional spokesperson training.
(Tip: Have a trusted team member or PR professional review your interview and share feedback on what you can do better next time.)
With the right mindset, preparation and training, you can use interview opportunities and media relations to broadcast your message widely via an objective third-party channel.