One thing you learn pretty quickly as a journalist is to never judge the proverbial book by
the cover. And you can double down on that when it comes to predicting the competence of
potential interviewees.
So often the confident extrovert who seems for all the world a likely media “performer” fails
the basic media test of “message delivery over conversation.” And just as frequently, the
seemingly submissive or “quiet achiever” nails key messages and delivers interview gold in
practical sessions.
As organisations move away from the “single spokesperson” model, the need to train a
wider net of potential spokespeople exposes hidden media talent within the organisation.
So where do you draw the line on who should be the recipients of the training? Do we
favour the gregarious extroverts over the quiet achievers? Some do and pay the price. While
confidence plays a role, communicating effectively in the media is about delivering clear
messages, and it’s often done best by the subject matter experts who learn a message
delivery process rather than the ones who “seem” like the natural communicators.
It is not uncommon to receive feedback from organisations that some people were put
through training as little more than a professional development opportunity but actually
end up the most accomplished interviewees. They tend to embrace a proven message
delivery process rather than a perceived ability to persuade. So, if you’re in 2-minds about
whether to broaden the base of spokespeople, at least give them a go – you never know
what you might find!
To discuss your media training requirements please get in touch
