Six golden rules of successful media interviews

What is the secret of successful media interviews?

How do you ensure that you make the points you want to – without hesitation, deviation or repetition? (well, maybe strike that last one!)

Well, here are our six golden rules of successful media interviews. We give these to our delegates during media training courses.

1. Preparation

Never ever go into any interview without working out in advance what the journalist might ask, and preparing in advance what you want to say and how you want to say it.

Download: our media interview preparation checklist

2. Key messages

Deliver your key messages – first, last and in between. There is no point doing a media interview if you don’t say what you intended, so use every question as an opportunity to do this.

3. Mindset

Have confidence – remember you are the expert in your field and you will generally know more than the journalist, and that this is an opportunity to promote yourself and your organisation, increasing your influence and your sales

4. Control

Stay in control of yourself – don’t storm off, lose your rag, or break down. And stay in control of the interview by giving interesting and engaging answers that make the journalist want to know more.

5. Personality

Don’t be afraid to let your personality shine through. The most successful and memorable interviewees are those that are genuine, authentic, have bags of personality, use natural, interesting language and don’t talk by rote – which is why a businessman like Richard Branson are better at interviews than a politician like George Osbourne.

6. Practice 

If you can, practice giving interviews, either with your PR team or with external media training experts who employ journalists to put you through your paces and give you a grilling.

Rough House offers refresher media training courses, and we are always happy to do interview practice sessions at short notice, if needs be over the phone, as well as full media training courses. Contact us for help giving successful media interviews on 020 8332 6200 or info@roughhouse.co.uk for more information.

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