Say Goodbye to PR Fear!
Halloween scares are over, but there is one thing that really frightens you… talking to the media! Well, it’s time to conquer your PR FEAR:
F: Focus!
Before you speak to any reporters, take some time to focus on what you want to accomplish from the interview. Write down all of the benefits your news provides to the reporter’s audience. You only have a few minutes to get your point across, so practice what you’re going to say and how you’re going to say it in advance.
E: Energize and Entertain!
Media is all about providing entertaining information that people will want to watch, listen to and share with others. With this in mind, get excited about your interview and the great information you have to share!
Smile and show enthusiasm… even if you are just doing a phone call with a reporter. Your passion for your message will come across, and others will want to hear what you have to say.
Remember, this interview is not about you and all of the features your business provides; it’s about offering valuable information in an entertaining way to the media’s audience. That’s how the media venue increases their audience to sell more advertising and stay in business.
A: Act!
Instead of waiting for your interview to happen, get ready!
In addition to practicing what you are going to say and preparing your attire for a video interview, think about what happens afterwards.
If you have time before your interview, create the appropriate emails, text messages, newsletter articles, blogs, and more to promote your media appearance. However, DO NOT send this information out in advance. You never know if your interview will actually go live, and it can be really embarrassing to announce a media interview and then not have it happen!
R: Relax! You’ve got this!
If you prepare in advance, you’ll remove a lot of the anxiety you may feel when it comes to speaking to the media. Even if you don’t have an upcoming interview, plan ahead now.
Create a story packed with beneficial talking points that people will want to pay attention to and share with their friends and family members. Practice your interview on video and get feedback from experts to hone your skills.
“Before anything else, preparation is the key to success.” Alexander Graham Bell
Poof! Your PR Fear Is Gone!
Life is full of many scary things, but media interviews don’t have to be included in this list! If you are anxious about talking to reporters and journalists as part of your PR activities, use your F-E-A-R to your advantage. Focus on what you are going to say and how you will say it, share your enthusiasm, figure out the actions you will take after your interview goes live, and relax knowing that you are ready.
Over time, as you follow this process and increase your media interview experience, your fears will subside more and more. Then, you can focus on that big, hairy spider crawling on your ceiling, instead!