Media Skills

It can be hard getting media visibility, yet free coverage for you and your company is invaluable for promoting you, your brand or a specific product or service you offer. Marketing through alternate means is a costly business. Media coverage can either generate new business or drive it away. The challenge is not only how to get exposure but to ensure you get your key message across in the way you want. This course, run by an experienced news and print journalist, will give you lots of practical advice on how to pitch ideas and get positive publicity for your business.

People who want media visibility to build brand and generate new business. This course is an introduction to handling the media and is a stepping stone to Meeting the Media and Handling Tough Media Situations.

• Know what a journalist looks for in developing a story
• Develop a good telephone or written pitch to increase your chances of media coverage
• Build relationships with journalists to increase publicity
• Understand what to include and what to leave out when telling your story
• Gain greater control over how your key messages are represented in the media

What is the media

• The differing aspects of a media story
• Why developing a constructive rather than adversarial relationship with the media is vital
• The difference between print and broadcast media

Pitching to journalists

• What journalists expect from proposals
What a proposal should consist of
• Recognising and developing a hook for a story

Written submissions - the good, the bad and the ugly

• What makes a good and bad press release
• Drafting a written submission so it will be of interest to a journalist/editor

Making a phone pitch

• Express an idea concisely on the phone and sell it to a journalist
• Understand the 'rules of the game' in conversations with journalists
• Be aware of your rights
• Know when an interview is not an interview

You and your message

• How to develop key messages
• Position yourself and your business succinctly to interest a journalist

You want your business to look good. Journalists want a good story. Satisfying both objectives is an art. Yet all too often, when the interview starts the thinking stops - risking broadcast babbling or print purgatory. This course strips out the misconceptions. It uses preparation, understanding and technique to turn 'minefields' into opportunities. Our training shows you how to control the interview and feel confident when speaking to journalists.

Anyone who is likely to be interviewed by the press in a pro-active or re-active situation will benefit.

• Understand journalists' needs: the 'hook' and 'angle'
• Get your message across clearly and with authority
• Substantiate your story so you appear credible
• Know how to handle leading questions
• Present your organisation in a positive manner
• Set boundaries in media interviews

Understanding the press

• Recognise the news 'hook' and 'angle'
• What to consider when researching the publication and readership
• Clarify what journalists want

Essential preparation

• Plan your principal message and support them with convincing arguments and good examples
• Understand what the journalist wants

Knowing your rights

• How to refuse to speak to the press
• Your rights in the interview itself
• Understanding 'off the record' & 'not for attribution'

Dealing with the press face-to-face

• How to establish rapport
• Speak with authority and confidence
• Avoid jargon and technical terms

We all savour the experience of watching someone being grilled on TV from the comfort of our own home, or read avidly about a scandal or crisis an organisation is going through, and make quick judgments about what's really happening. The way you handle a tough interview or crisis can influence millions of people's perceptions and affect not only public confidence but share prices. This practical course puts you through your paces so you're prepared for such events. Once completed, you'll be able to project confidently, yet empathically, the key messages that reassure audiences your company is in control.

Media spokespeople who have already received media training, or are reasonably experienced in dealing with journalists, who need to deal with more challenging media interviews will find this course valuable.

• Remain calm and in control when placed under pressure by journalists
• Stick to your story despite being challenged
• Experience what it's like to be cornered by a journalist and feel confident you can handle it
• Minimise your vulnerability to tough questions
• Understand your rights when dealing with the media
• Be able to avoid typical media traps

Dealing with different media situations

• Studio etiquette
• The difference between live and recorded interviews
• Come across with impact in phone-in discussions
• Communicate powerfully in a panel interview

Interviewing on the spot

• Manage the media with little preparation
• Deal with journalists on the phone when the news breaks
• Location and 'down-the-line' interviews

Dealing with tough interviews

• Handle aggressive questioning
• Positive body language and calm use of the voice
• How to counter a verbal attack in a panel discussion
• The importance of sticking to your key message and maintaining a positive line

Crisis interviews

• Explain events at short notice
• Demonstrate control of the situation
• Use clear, realistic, yet positive messages
• The importance of showing empathy
• How to avoid legal pitfalls
• The law of sub-judice and how it applies to you

Confident presenting is an essential business skill.Whether you're delivering a client presentation, or speaking internally, presentation skills are crucial - and many people have a real fear of public speaking. You can feel self-conscious, often showing this in your body language or a wavering voice. This highly practical course, with extensive use of video, will help you develop confidence, give you some great personal tips to improve your skills and show you how to come across clearly and with enthusiasm.

Anyone who speaks to individuals or groups, or makes presentations to colleagues or clients. This course is most suitable for those who have had no formal training in presentation skills and want to become better speakers.

• Feel confident to present in any situation
• Enhance the clarity and power of your voice
• Have an easy-to-use checklist for fast preparation
• Maintain audience attention throughout your session
• Know how to use visual aids effectively and avoid 'Death by PowerPoint'
• Create a convincing and memorable outcome
• Focus attention on key points you want to get across
• Anticipate and prepare for questions effectively
• Win more business and get buy-in to your ideas

How to be more confident and say goodbye to nerves

• Many people have a fear of speaking in public, but you can learn to enjoy it rather than endure it
• The power of visualisation, breathing techniques, and other ways for managing your emotional state
• How thoughts affect your emotional state

Posture, body language and movement

• Know the best way to stand and what to do with your arms and hands
• How maintaining good eye contact can help you connect with your audience
• Eliminating distracting mannerisms

Developing an interesting and powerful voice

• Practical exercises for adding variety and interest
• The power of the pause and how to avoid coming across as monotonous

Essential steps of preparation

• Handling logistics, being clear about your objective and understanding your audience
• Learn to use a step-by-step process that guarantees a successful presentation
• How to structure your presentation and keep your audience on track

Managing attention span

• Why attention can quickly dip and how to maintain it through a longer presentation
• Transforming a potentially dull transfer of data into an engaging presentation
• Presenting with passion and conviction to achieve powerful results

Key messages

• Differentiate between key messages (what you say) and subject areas (what you talk about)
• Communicate your key messages clearly and effectively
• How to make important points stick

PowerPoint and other visual aids

• Avoid 'Death by PowerPoint' and turn it into an asset
• Using flipcharts and other kinds of visual aid
• How to use notes and visual aids effectively

Handling questions effectively

• The importance of anticipating questions and preparing for them
• What to do when you don't know the answer to a question or someone interrupts you mid-flow