A company’s leader, usually the CEO, will always represent the company they run – whether intentionally or otherwise, regardless of setting. eing in the public eye is a full-time job for these figures and they should always be ready to talk to the media.
Effective media training helps business executives communicate clearly, calmly, and confidently. It helps them control the narrative, stay consistent, and in line with approved messaging. This doesn’t come naturally or easily to many – and must be approached in a different way to written communications or everyday spoken word to friends, colleagues, or family; that’s why you get the experts in.
A crisis may be the ultimate example of why you should media train your CEO; when something bad happens, it will be them in the limelight representing the company.
Tony Hayward, CEO of BP during the 2010 Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, illustrates this perfectly. After millions of barrels of oil were spilled in one of the most precious and fragile ecosystems in the world, Tony Hayward infamously said that he’d “like my life back”. This came across as incredibly insensitive given the scale of the disaster.
DO
- Make sure you understand the question, there are no issues in asking for clarification
- Speak in simple terms – avoid jargon and acronyms
- When explaining things, do so as if you’re telling a story
- Use numbers, examples and data to illustrate the point
- Use anecdotes where possible
- Provide context
- If a reporter is wrong in the premise behind a question, correct the error politely but firmly
- Often journalists will say “have you got anything to add?” at the end of a briefing – use this opportunity to reiterate your main messages
DON’T
- Assume the reporter has a lot of knowledge on the topic or understands the complexity of an issue
- Answer a question you’re not equipped to answer
- Directly belittle the competition
- Dwell on negatives or mistakes and if a reporter uses a negative premise in the question, don’t repeat negative language even to refute it
- Say anything you wouldn’t want to be published (if on the record or in a live interview)
- Feel pressured to fill awkward silences – it’s a tactic some journalists use to try to make you reveal more than you are willing to give
Apple’s Tim Cook is considered an excellent corporate communicator, managing to balance the secrecy of product development and intellectual property with the ability to generate huge public excitement and demand for new Apple products. He also discussed matters that resonated with the public – issues like privacy, sustainability, and social justice – in an empathetic and authentic manner.
Although not a CEO, US President Barack Obama should also be studied as an effective narrator – purely for the considered pace and tone of his speeches. He was clear, considered, and easy for anyone to understand.
Capturing media attention
Media training isn’t only used to avoid crises; sometimes you just need to understand what fits the context, to deliver the right jargon-free messaging in the right circumstance. Would one talk about quarterly asset depreciation to the Financial Times? Perhaps. Should one talk about that detailed financial information on a Saturday morning, consumer-interest TV show? Probably not.
Whether it’s to avoid a crisis or secure positive media coverage, the same lessons apply: content, body language, and delivery matters.
Media training, therefore, has to be seen as an essential component of a good CEO. Reputation management forms such an important and highly-visible part of a chief exec’s role, and in large part it is determined by the media. This reputation is there to be made or broken in crises, interviews, or even social media posts – so be prepared.