Ever changed phones or cars and been confronted with a new GPS? It takes a little getting used to, but once you are comfortable with it, reaching your destination again becomes stress-free.
In many ways, interview notes are similar – after all, they contain the messages which are ultimately the “destination” for your interview responses. That being the case, I find it unfathomable that some spokespeople are willing to subject their reputation (and that of the organisation they represent) to a media interview – but change the configuration of their interview notes each time. I believe that the structure and format of interview notes is the most overlooked aspect of preparing a spokesperson for media interviews – and this oversight can easily translate to media training.
With everybody fixated on delivering the powerful grab or fortifying our messaging with advanced interview technique – it’s actually at the expense of let’s call it the less “sexy” but equally important aspects of media performance.
If you, or the spokesperson you are preparing take notes into an interview, then the manner in which they are structured and formatted can be the difference between making them an incredibly valuable resource or little more than a security blanket or fashion accessory during the interview. Being able to navigate the notes efficiently means structuring them consistently – down to font size and case – and of course no 2-spokespeople will want their notes formatted identically so it does take a few goes to get that structure right. But when an interview gets willing and challenging -this structure can be the difference between accessing and delivering your messages and losing your way.
Effective formatting and structure of messages forms a pivotal part of Saltwater Media training courses – we make no effort to underplay this seemingly mundane aspect of an effective media performance and can provide several templates to assist clients with structure and format.
Please feel free to contact me directly to discuss your organisation’s media training requirements.
