Headlines
Public relations tips, tactics and trends
Volume
Two, Number FiveWelcome to Headlines, a free newsletter published by Polaris Public Relations with practical information about the PR industry. Communicating your messages Over the last few issues, we’ve provided some pointers on what to do when the media come calling, along with the ins and outs of developing key messages. Now that you’ve got the basics, it’s time to look at how you make sure your key messages are communicated during the interview. Remember you can’t control what media are going to ask you, but you can make sure you don’t get too far "off message" while still providing an informative – and useful – interview. Setting the tone You rarely get an interview roadmap. Often media will start the interview with an open ended question and then take it from there. If that’s the case, it’s important you set the tone right from the beginning. Your very first response will play an important part in establishing the rest of the agenda. For example, a journalist’s first question could be "How is the company doing?" If you’re there to promote a new product (and not talk about financial results), start with a general "Things are great. We’ve got a new product…." This response will almost always lead to more probing about your new product. Bridging back It’s almost guaranteed that journalists will ask you questions unrelated to your key messages. In this case, you need to figure out a way to bridge back to your messages, while still answering the question. There are a number of different ways to do so, depending on the initial question. For example, if a journalist asks your opinion about a competitive product you could respond with "I don’t pay much attention to what our competitors are doing. But we have paid a lot of attention to developing our new product. For example…." Make it meaningful Responding with a litany of rehearsed key messages that have no relevance to the question being asked won’t score any points with a journalist. You need to make sure your messages are meaningful so they don’t end up on the editing room floor. Back up your key messages with anecdotal information, such as real-life examples, analogies or research reports. This type of information adds depth and meaning to your key messages and allows you to reinforce them several times over. Accentuate the positive A simple way to keep things on the right track is to listen carefully to the question and pick up on a word to form your response. Avoid repeating a negative word back to the journalist. For example, if you’re asked "What will you do if the product bombs?" Don’t respond with "It won’t bomb because…." Rather use the word "product" in your answer and work with that. For example, "We’re feeling very good about this product because all our research indicates…." Stick to what you know One sure way to get off message is to attempt to answer questions on subjects you know little about. If you’re faced with a question that is totally unrelated to your area of expertise, never try to "wing it" in the hopes they’ll eventually get back to your subject. The interview will almost definitely go in the wrong direction, and you’ll find yourself trapped into commenting on a subject area with which you’re unfamiliar. If you are faced with a question that’s really out of your area – such as your company’s recent financial performance - don’t just refuse to respond. Politely point out that you are not the person to discuss the issue and would be happy to put them in touch with the appropriate person. Keeping an interview on course can be a tricky business at times. But if you listen carefully to the questions, pick up on the right cue words, and avoid some of the distractions that journalists may throw your way, your key messages should come through loud and clear. © 2004 Polaris Public Relations. All rights reserved. Shelley Pringle is principal at Polaris Public Relations, an associates-based PR agency that offers a full suite of communications services. She can be reached at 416.597.1518 or shelley@polarisprinc.com. 
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