How to be Interviewed by the Press

How to be Interviewed by the Press

by Mark Shapiro, SRS Tech PR

Do you want to talk to the press and promote your product, technology and company to the trade and industry press? But, are you ready? Maybe you are nervous – afraid you will say the wrong things. By following these simple guidelines, you will be able to succeed.

First off, remember - most editors and writers - especially those in the trade publications and web sites – they want to write positive GOOD stuff about your product and company. Make it easy for them.

Ok then, here is what you got to do.

First, be prepared. Check your facts; know your story; know your references.

Have Key Messages: The Three items you want to get across. What are your THREE BIG POINTS? Always tie back to these messages. Use them at the end when the reporter asks if you have anything else to add-summarize your three messages.

Remember to be truthful. Honest mistakes can be tolerated. There is nothing wrong with saying "oops, I made a mistake".

Try to be an active listener. Listen before you think. Think before you speak. Make sure you understand the question before you try to answer it.

Here is a good hint – no matter what the interviewer might say, no matter how nice of a guy or gal you think they are, there is no such thing as “off the record”. Anything you say may appear later in print or on the web. Imagine your mom is sitting next to you listening in. Keep it clean, keep it all aboveboard.

Here are some simple tips to help you.

1. Keep it simple, short, and vivid. Don’t go off on tangents.

2. Get animated. Speak and act with energy

3. Speak in bullets and say it again. Continue to reiterate the three key messages in a variety of ways.

4. Be sure you mention your company, your services, your products as you speak.

5. If you need time to think about your answer - take it. You might want to say something like - "you know, that is a very good question". Then give your response. Or, simply repeat and restate the question ...
You are asking me if ...."  Make sure you answer the question that they are asking. If it is a long and complicated question, break it down to shorter questions and answers.

Here’s the biggie that lots of people miss out on. Look for the softball question - many times, at the end of the interview, the editor or writer will ask, why is your product, service or announcement important or better than the competition? This is where you get to blast a home run. Be ready for it. If you don't have a ready answer, you should not be doing press briefings.

Always try to be in control

· Provide only the information you planned. Don’t allow yourself to be pressured. Keep your answers concise. It’s OK to say, “I don’t know” or “I’ll have to check that out and get back to you.”

· Give the journalist time to write things down. In a phone interview, listen for the clicking of the computer keys. Also ask every now and then- “Did I make myself clear?” or “Is that understandable?” Allow pauses. Some editors are fast - some are verrrrrry slow.

OK, we discussed what you SHOULD do; now here is some of what you should NOT do.

Don’t use jargon, especially if you sense the reporter is not familiar with your space.

Don’t give out information that you don’t want to see in print. Feel free to say NO. Writers and reporters hear no a lot. It is not a big deal. You can always say, “that’s against corporate policy.” or I "can't talk about that.” Don’t talk about your competition, don’t discuss rumors, don’t let secrets slip – unless that was your plan all along….

Finally, don't get into an argument or a pissing contest with the writer - they always win....

Once again, as I said at the beginning, most trade and industry writers are not looking for dirt or scandal.

Their job is to promote the industry – they want you to look and sound good. They want their readers to understand your product or solution, and if appropriate, to go out and buy it. Good PR and interview skills makes it easy for them to do their job.

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For the past 15 years, Mark Shapiro has provided media relations and public relations services for a wide range of high tech companies and organizations worldwide. Wearing his editor hat, he has written and published thousands of articles for dozens of publications.