Media Interview Training

Sound bytes are 2 to 5 seconds long.
The average news story, after editing, is 90 seconds.
The average talk show segment is 3 to 5 minutes.
Interviewers are trained to look for and emphasize the controversial statement.

Given these realities, do you know how to get your message across?

When you have only seconds or minutes to communicate your message, media interview training can mean the difference between success or failure. With effective interview training, the chances are much higher that you will be perceived as a clear, centered and knowledgeable expert in your field — versus someone who comes cross as muddy, unprepared and uninformed.

Whether you are the CEO or the company spokesperson, the experience of a media interview training workshop is often the critical ingredient to help you prepare to win.

Do you know how to…

• Promote your product or company without sounding rehearsed?
• Distill and crystallize your message into a clear, compelling statement?
• Identify and sidestep the tricks interviewers might use to trap you?
• Craft interesting and catchy messages worthy of being quoted?

When the Media Calls: One- or Two-Day Intensive Training Workshops

“When the Media Calls” allows participants to find their own "comfort zone" in the media encounter. Each participant is encouraged to feel natural and to apply communications skills confidently. The ultimate purpose is to be your own unique self - and a unique, authentic spokesperson.

Day One is devoted to providing proven guidelines and techniques for enhancing interview effectiveness. Day Two is designed to help even the best trained interview subjects prepare for crisis and confrontation. In a crunch for time, and upon request, Mike Schwager can design a one day workshop highlighting a condensed version of Day One and Day Two.

Highlights of Mike's Media Interview Training Workshop Include:

• Utilizing videotapes illustrating the right and wrong way to interview and handle media encounters.
• Giving each student an opportunity to participate in videotaped interview simulations which are played back and constructively critiqued.
• Allowing participants to see themselves as they've been interviewed on-camera, helping them make the mid-course corrections that will enhance their performances.