Media Training 101: 5 Tips All Business Leaders Should Know

The road from the C-suite is littered with the CVs of CEOs who blew it big-time during a media interview.

Remember Tony “I’d like my life back” Hayward? When the CEO of BP uttered that infamous comment to news organizations following the 2010 oil spill, the world recoiled at the perceived selfishness. Two months later, he was pounding the pavement.

Or how about Gregory Glassman? The former CEO of CrossFit made remarks on social media about the death of George Floyd and COVID, followed by comments in interviews that further inflamed the situation. Glassman was forced to step down as CEO, and the $4-billion company’s reputation suffered.

Were these incidents, or ones involving John Stumpf, Oscar Munoz, Elon Musk and the other tone-deaf execs preventable? Perhaps – with proper, or better, media training.

Business leaders who learn and practice message development, interview techniques, crisis statements and presentation skills can be game changers in how their company is viewed by and portrayed in the press. Media training can help you become a better thought leader, build your brand, and keep the organizational lights on.

With that in mind, here are five tips on how to interact with media.

5 key tips all business leaders should know when it comes to interacting with media

1. Know your message (and tailor it to your audience)

Define, refine and clarify your core message. Thought leaders often have complex ideas. Distilling these into a clear message helps prevent misunderstandings and ensures that the key points are communicated effectively. For example, instead of discussing every aspect of your new Cybertruck program (looking at you, Elon!), focus on the single most important benefit to the public.

Knowing your message inside-out will also help you keep your cool under fire. An example of an exec able to stay on point is Sheryl Sandberg. In a tough 2017 interview with Axios, the former Facebook COO stuck to her message against a barrage of repeated, heated questions.

Also, tailor your message or story to resonate with whatever audience you’re addressing. You might talk about the specs of your latest smart watch with a reporter for a tech-savvy publication like Wired.com, but when talking to a writer for a general-interest publication you might want to emphasize the watch’s benefits to consumers.

2. Think like a journalist

They’re researching you — why wouldn’t you do the same for them?

Whether you’re talking to a journalist with a mainstream audience or a niche readership, understanding their viewers or readers’ needs and values is the difference between failing to make an impression and sending up the value of company shares.

This doesn’t necessarily mean following a reporter on Instagram or reading everything they’ve ever written about the municipal parks board in their city. But it does mean checking out some of their recent stories as well as their outlet to familiarize yourself with key topics, areas of interest, and their target audience.

This will also give you an opportunity to see if they’re hard-nosed reporters or if they’re going to be lobbing softballs. You’ll get very different questions from a People Magazine reporter than from someone working for the Wall Street Journal. Prepare for tough questions by practicing your answers ahead of time.

3. Drop the jargon

Jargon and acronyms have little place in effective communication with media. While your industry language and terms are commonplace to you, they are obstacles in getting your message across to people outside of your bubble.

Keep your language simple, concise, and relatable. Avoid corporate buzzwords like “solution,” “strategic,” “end-user” and “public-facing” to ensure clarity and resonance with your audience.

Ridding yourself of jargon for media interviews and public appearances can be especially valuable for building your thought leadership brand. Mastering the art of simple direct communication, like Warren Buffett, Howard Schultz, and Richard Branson, can help you reach more people and widen your audience, capturing more earned media and establishing a more authentic persona.

4. Learn to redirect/pivot

“I’m not after you. I’m after them.”

In the 2005 movie Thank You for Smoking, Aaron Eckhardt’s Nick explains the art of the spin to his son through a seeming simple analogy. Each of them has to defend their choice of ice cream. But then Nick pivots their conversation to one of freedom. “I need more than chocolate,” he tells chocolate-defending Joey. “For that matter I need more than vanilla. I believe we need freedom and choice when it comes to our ice cream. And that’s the definition of liberty.”

“But that’s not what we’re talking about.”

“But that’s what I’m talking about.”

The pivot can steer an interview toward a more favorable topic of discussion. Being by acknowledging the question, and then pivot to the message you want to deliver.

In interviews where he was asked about Amazon’s impact on small businesses or working conditions in its warehouses, Jeff Bezos often pivoted to discuss the company’s customer-centric approach, the innovations brought by the company, and its contribution to economic growth.

5. Practice your manner of speaking

It’s not just what you say but how you say it that matters.

Both tone of voice and body language are hugely consequential in terms of how your message is going to be received. It’s estimated that the tonality of your voice (38%) and body language and facial expressions (55%) make up the majority of how people interpret what you say. Although your mouth might be saying the right words, your hand gestures, body positions, and facial expressions might say otherwise. Leaning back, crossing your arms, looking away, or resting your hand on your face is an effective way to lose rapport and even contradict your words.

Other telltale signs that you are someone who hasn’t earned the key to the executive washroom include not making eye contact with the reporter, speaking in a condescending or bored tone, or making bad or overly dramatic facial expressions.

In his LinkedIn post “Gestures of Greatness: Body Language for Executives,” speaker/coach Richard La Faber recommends standing and sitting “with purpose,” holding eye contact, using hand gestures to indicate openness and willingness to engage, and mirroring the body language of your conversational partner.

Ultimately, media training is about respecting the power of media interviews. As in any aspect of business, real leaders will step up and prepare, readying themselves for anything.