The Spokesperson’s Journey – 7 tips

We hate interviews where the interviewee refuses to answer questions. And we Aussies have a great nose for B.S!!

A journalist’s job is to ask the questions we, the audience, are thinking. Senior journalists are good at it. So it’s beholden on the person answering to satisfy us with a direct, clear and succinct answer; why else would they be there? Hence our frustration when the person ducks and weaves, or launches into a rant.

But it’s hard to do a good interview, balancing everyone’s interests. For instance, a CEO must be honest with both shareholders and customers, when they have differing interests – more profit versus lower costs. And politicians have to balance, for instance, the public’s desire for a clear explanation on a security issue against the Government’s desire to protect the nation’s security.

So read-on CEOs, politicians and those who coach them: becoming a good interviewee is a journey. Here are some tips:

1.   Commit to the task

• Audiences are now sophisticated, so expectations are high.
• The standard among spokespeople has also risen.
• Be conscientious. Remember each interview is a learning experience.

2.   Be anchored in strong ethics

• Everybody says they are ethical.
• Compromise is tempting as soon as the pressure is on.
• You can fool some of the people all of the time, but not all of the people all of the time.

3.   Be authentic   

• Speaking the truth can be hard, but with it comes trust.
• Empathy is a quality.
• People will tempt you to compromise your integrity for a greater good.
• A half-truth can quickly become a big fat lie.

4.   Understand journalists

• The media is distrusted and feared: if that’s your starting position you’ve given yourself a handicap.
• If your starting position is respect for the journo, it mostly becomes mutual. It will generally, not always, be rewarded with a better outcome.

5.   Understand your audience’s concerns

• People communicate to create change. But your audience has to be receptive.
• Understand first; then be understood.
• Journalists reflect, in their questions, what their audience is thinking.
• Addressing those concerns first will engage the audience. Then get your message across.
• The most basic rule: answer the question. A direct question often demands a simple “Yes” or “No” or "I can't answer that", even "I don't know". Then make your point.

6.   The discipline of key messages

• Care with words is how we navigate difficult issues. That’s why we work hard on key messages; it is how we convey complex issues, simply. We’ve been gifted with a wonderfully versatile language that allows us to deftly do this.
• There are three types of message: incident message; company message; personal message.
• A good spokesperson is able to weave all three into an interview.
• Thoughtfulness in word-smithing is important: you can reduce pain or anxiety by telling the truth with empathy, if care is taken with your words.
• Messages are underpinned by the qualities of the person, outlined in 1 to 5 above. Australians have a great nose for B.S!!

7.   The Interview

• Finally, if the above is firmly in your mind, you are ahead of the pack.
• You must first Answer the question; then go to your Message.
• Chill before the interview, to ensure you can remember your key messages.
• Before the interview ask, if you can, “Where are we starting?” It will help you prepare the first answer, and if you get that right the rest of the interview will more easily flow.