5 Media Interview Training Techniques That Work for Executives and SMEs
This practical guide outlines effective media interview techniques backed by communication experts with proven results for both executives and subject matter experts. The article presents five actionable methods that help professionals deliver compelling messages during media appearances. By implementing these techniques, anyone facing the media spotlight can transform potentially stressful interviews into valuable opportunities for clear and impactful communication.
Record and Evaluate Practice Interviews
In my experience training executives and subject matter experts for media interviews, I've found that incorporating structured feedback processes similar to those used in Toastmasters International yields consistently strong results. We record practice interviews, then conduct detailed evaluations that highlight both strengths and specific improvement areas in their delivery and messaging. This approach has proven effective across my work with corporate spokespeople and political candidates, as it creates a safe environment for constructive criticism while building confidence through repeated practice. The combination of video review and structured feedback allows participants to see themselves as viewers do, which dramatically accelerates their skill development.
Create a Personalized Story Bank
When preparing executives for media interviews, I've found that creating a personalized "story bank" significantly improves their performance. This approach involves working with executives to identify and refine short, impactful narratives that illustrate key messages while reflecting their authentic voice and experience. The stories become reliable tools they can confidently deploy when addressing anticipated topics, helping them move beyond generic corporate responses. This preparation provides executives with concrete examples that resonate with journalists and audiences alike, particularly when facing challenging questions.
Lead with Your Most Impactful Statement
I treat media training like building a high-converting ad campaign. The most effective technique is forcing the expert to find the 'hook' for every possible question. We don't just list talking points. We identify the single most compelling idea for a topic and build the entire answer around that. This trains them to lead with their most impactful statement, just like an ad needs to grab attention in the first three seconds.
Journalists are looking for a clear, potent takeaway. When an executive delivers a strong hook, they make the journalist's job easier and are far more likely to have their core message quoted directly. It prevents them from rambling or getting lost in details under pressure. They learn to control the narrative by providing the most valuable soundbite first, ensuring their main point survives any editing.
Master the Hands-on Failure Drill
Training executives for media interviews is like preparing a foreman for a high-stakes structural inspection under a camera crew. The biggest conflict is the executive's temptation to demonstrate all their technical knowledge, which creates a structural failure in clear communication. Effective training means forcing them to simplify and stay on message, trading complexity for clarity. Their goal is to convey trust in the structural integrity of the company, not to deliver a lecture.
We train by focusing on controlling the communication structure, not the chaos of the questions. The one preparation technique that consistently improves their performance is the "Hands-on Failure Drill." We spend 90% of the session practicing a simple, visible process: the interviewer asks an irrelevant or hostile question, and the executive executes a controlled, two-step pivot back to the key structural message, maintaining steady hands and consistent eye contact throughout the transition.
This drill forces them to treat the unexpected question as a predictable distraction. They learn that their job is not to answer every question, but to reinforce the single, essential structural message. The best way to train for media performance is to be a person who is committed to a simple, hands-on solution that focuses on mastering the structural pivot to maintain message integrity under pressure.
Implement the Cost-of-Abstinence Drill
Training our executives and expert fitment support managers for "media interviews" is not about public relations polish; it's about enforcing the communication of verifiable operational truth.
We don't train them to answer every question. We train them to answer the media's question by pivoting immediately back to our core, non-negotiable operational reality. The key is to avoid abstraction.
The preparation technique that consistently improves their performance is The Cost-of-Abstinence Drill. We train them to translate every abstract question into a simple, high-stakes trade principle. We make them practice answering difficult questions—like "Why are your parts expensive?"—by framing the response around the financial catastrophe the customer avoids by buying our product.
We drill them on simple, powerful phrases: "Our parts aren't expensive; the cost of downtime is expensive," or "Our price guarantees the integrity of the OEM Cummins Turbocharger." This forces them to communicate the operational value that backs our 12-month warranty. The ultimate lesson is: You don't train experts to speak eloquently; you train them to speak the irrefutable language of financial survival and operational certainty.
