Media Skills ::.
Two Media Skills formats follow:
1 Day Media Skills ::.
1 Day format for 3-5 spokespeople delivered by 2 experienced coaches or 1 plus an ‘interviewer’ from your Corporate Communications, Investor Relations or News team.
All videotaping is done using a Digital DVD Camcorder on a mini-DVD disk. Disks are reviewed by each spokesperson privately and theirs to keep at the conclusion of the program.
Coaching is highly interactive and supportive. Through the combination of expert coaching, layered skill development, videotape and review and cutting edge retention tools, you will own and use the skills immediately.
General Program Outline ::.
Skill Acquisition
- Initial Skills Assessment: Each spokesperson is videotaped being interviewed for 3 minutes on key topics she or he would need to respond to. Videotaped
Message Strategy Skills
- Defensive Strategy: Preparing for the Interviewer’s Questions: Spokespeople learn an organizational process to both anticipate and prepare to respond to tough, challenging questions from the interviewer. A media segment of Richard Ben-Veniste grilling Condoleezza Rice during her 9-11 Testimony is viewed as an example of creating and then staying true to a viewpoint under fierce confrontational cross examination.
- Offensive Strategy: Preparing Your Viewpoints for Your Issues: Spokespeople learn a similar organizational process to identify and clearly articulate their (their companies) viewpoints in a media interview. A media segment is reviewed of then Vice-Presidential candidate John Edwards inserting a viewpoint into his 90 second response during a Vice Presidential debate with V.P. Dick Cheney. Spokespeople are again interviewed for 3 minutes putting these skills to work. Videotaped
- Forms of Influence and Persuasion: Spokespeople are introduced to and apply the 5 key forms of influence and persuasion to make their viewpoints more memorable. The 5 key forms are: Personal Experience and Example and both of these are delivered using a B-A-R (Background-Action-Result) format, Judgment of an Expert or Quote, Analogy and Statistics and Fact. A CNN interview is viewed with a CEO using 4 of these forms of influence during a 3.5 minute high stakes interview.
- Dialogue Control Skills: Spokespeople learn how to handle the manipulative techniques which hostile interviewers may employ including, interruptions, erroneous facts and figures and close ended or ‘double choice’ questions. A media clip is viewed which demonstrates excellent handling of these types of situations.
- Physical Skills: Spokespeople learn how to sit, stand, gesture, use their voice for emphasis and the effect their volume and inflection have on facial expression. An exercise to practice these skills follows. Videotaped
- Apply all the Skills: A final interview is conducted with each spokesperson in either the Mike-in-the-Face standing position or the Seated, Talk Show Setting allowing each individual to implement the skills over a final interview. Videotaped along with re-review of their initial videotape from the beginning of the program.
Program Evaluation & Close
2 Day Media Skills
with Press Conference ::.
2 Day format for 3-5 spokespeople delivered by 2 experienced coaches or 1 plus an ‘interviewer’ from your Corporate Communications, Investor Relations or News team.
All videotaping is done using a Digital DVD Camcorder on a mini-DVD disk. Disks are reviewed by each spokesperson privately and theirs to keep at the conclusion of the program.
Coaching is highly interactive and supportive. Through the combination of expert coaching, layered skill development, videotape and review and cutting edge retention tools, you will own and use the skills immediately.
General Program Outline ::.
Day 1: Skill Acquisition
- Initial Skills Assessment: Each spokesperson is videotaped delivering the initial 3 minutes of a Press Conference and taking 1 challenging question. Videotaped
Physical Skills
- Focus for Confidence: Spokespeople learn a skill which helps them think more clearly and come across as confident and sincere.
- Natural Energy: Spokespeople learn a series of skills which include how to stand and move, what to do with their hands, how to control their vocal energy with volume, inflection and momentum or pace. When managed, the spokesperson looks and sounds more natural and credible. Videotaped
Organizational Skills
- Consider the Press, Listeners & Viewers: A brief exercise is introduced which helps each spokesperson think through who his or her ‘audience’ is so that the message can be tailored to their listeners/viewers.
- Organize your Message: Spokespeople are introduced to a ‘Press Conference’ format along with ‘Know This and Do This’ formats. When we use a format we apply logic to the flow of our information with the listener in mind.
- Forms of Influence: The 5 major forms of influence are introduced to spokespeople along with the universal formula for sharing a story, example, personal experience or case study. Spokespeople then select 1 form of influence they might use in their Press Conference, develop it and then share it. Videotaped
Delivery Options
- Delivery Options are reviewed. We cover the most common methods of delivery and how to blend the organizational content with the physical skills practiced earlier in the program. The methods are: Extemporaneous, Speaking from Notes, Speaking from PowerPoint, Speaking from a Prepared Text (Prepared Remarks) or TelePrompTer. Each spokesperson practices delivering a portion of his or her Press Conference standing behind a lectern delivering from ‘Prepared Remarks’ from script or notes and PowerPoint. Videotaped
Day 2: Skill Application
- Review Day 1 Skills: A brief Review of Day 1 begins the final session.
- One-to-One Practice: Each spokesperson practices delivering his or her Press Conference presentation to a partner or the coach. This is done seated speaking either from their laptop, script or notes/handouts.
Handling Questions from the Media
- Defensive Strategy: Preparing for the Interviewer’s Questions: Spokespeople learn an organizational process to both anticipate and prepare to respond to tough, challenging questions from the interviewer. A media segment of Richard Ben-Veniste grilling Condoleezza Rice during her 9-11 Testimony is viewed as an example of creating and then staying true to a viewpoint under fierce confrontational cross examination.
- Offensive Strategy: Preparing Your Viewpoints for Your Issues: Spokespeople learn a similar organizational process to identify and clearly articulate their (their companies) viewpoints in a media interview. A media segment is reviewed of then Vice-Presidential candidate John Edwards inserting a viewpoint into his 90 second response during a Vice Presidential debate with V.P. Dick Cheney. Spokespeople are again interviewed for 3 minutes putting these skills to work. Videotaped
- Dialogue Control Skills: Spokespeople learn how to handle the manipulative techniques which hostile interviewers may employ including, interruptions, erroneous facts and figures and close ended or ‘double choice’ questions. A media clip is viewed which demonstrates excellent handling of these types of situations.
- Press Conference Presentation: : Each spokesperson delivers a 10 minute Press Conference presentation applying all the day 1 skills followed by ‘Questions from the Media’. Videotaped
Program Evaluation & Close
