The Key Tiers of Media Training

In the decades I've worked with spokespeople (both in network television and corporate communications) one thing is clear: you can't train someone to be a good, authentic speaker.

And yet so much of what we think about prepping a spokesperson is based on the premise that if you give someone lines and direction, they'll deliver a good performance.

They'll deliver something, but it won't be a good performance.

Think of a trained actor. Yes, they're given a script, and they're told to hit their marks; they're given direction. But that's not the work of an actor.

A good actor, will explore the emotional world of the character. And they'll train their own emotional intelligence to control this energy, channeling it into a good performance. It's how they cry on cue.

Without this inner work, you get a high school drama: a group of teenagers who know their lines and follow their blocking, but have the emotional depth of a rain puddle.

When it comes to winning the hearts and minds of the public, is your spokesperson connecting with audiences like Olivia Coleman? Or a 15-year-old butchering Shakespeare for extra credit?

The difference lies in how you work with your spokesperson. I've broken it down in four categories, from surface-level to transformative. Here are the four approaches and the results they create.

Let's start with the industry standard:

KEY MESSAGING

This is the foundational level for every PR and communications campaign. The key messages cover the main talking points to get across in an interview: what is the problem we're solving for the audience, how can it come back to the business (ie product mentions, brand values, more learning), and if you work in a regulated industry, these messages also include guidance from legal and compliance so your spokesperson doesn't get sued.

The purpose of this document is to ensure the PR campaign serves the interests of the business - and it should. As an entrepreneur myself, I know the value of sharing your subject matter expertise. It's the fastest way to build trust and credibility. But if it's not connected to your business strategy, you're using up a lot of resources to create nice messaging, but no way to take the trust and credibility further.

The downside: Often this document is given to spokespeople who have received "training". They rely on this training to then repeat the words in the key messages document. Lines + direction = robotic, emotionless delivery.

The proper use: Not all forms of corporate communication need to be emotionally driven. There are cases where the audience simply needs the facts and the business strategy. Think earnings reports, investor meetings. Any situation where the numbers tell a story, and if you get fancy with the delivery, people get suspicious. Stick to the facts when these stakes call for clarity and clarity alone.

MEDIA TRAINING

This is the "how-to" and "what to expect" in a media interview. These are important skills and, like key messaging, help lay a foundation where a spokesperson is prepared.

The most popular skills in this training centre around controlling the message: pivot techniques, bridge messaging, reframing the positive so you're not repeating a negative message (which is of course the sound byte the media will use).

The downside: Media training begins with the assumption that the spokesperson will be dealing with negative messaging, and focuses on control. Public speaking is reduced to a set of techniques that require effort and repetition to feel natural. You end up with a spokesperson who is prepared, but guarded. Their polished non-answers frustrate both the media and their audience, who is seeking context and information.

The proper use: Save media training for your corporate spokespeople - the frontline communicators who manage the message when things get messy. The times when a train derails and disrupts commuter traffic in Toronto for a week. Media training helps build the discipline to focus on the necessary information in the moment: updates to service, and then (eventually) what went wrong and how is the organization planning on fixing it?

Key messages and media training are useful tools for preparing a spokesperson when the message is transactional and informative. But in today's media landscape, there's a whole other layer of communication audiences expect. If your spokesperson nails this storytelling, your brand will win the hearts and minds of the public.

This level of storytelling requires it's own approach. It's more intensive and personal than the industry standard. It's the work that will take your spokesperson from corporate robot, to beloved and trustworthy source.

And it's the work I do. There are two levels to this work.

MEDIA COACHING

If you think media coaching is about where to look at the camera during a Zoom interview, think again. That level of basic production I would place in the media training camp, where you're giving direction to your spokesperson. My approach to media coaching runs much deeper than this.

A good storyteller manages to be in-the-moment, whether it's a keynote speech they've delivered a hundred times, or a live television interview. They're grounded in what they're hearing from an interviewer and how they deliver a conversational answer.

Media coaching works from the assumption that the advice and information required by the spokesperson is their subject matter expertise; namely advice and insight they share all day every day as part of their daily work.

This source material lives in them always. They don't need to memorize lines or hit their mark. They do need to learn how to control this material as it works its way into words. They learn how to give their message direction and how to listen to their intuition. Most of all, they learn to trust that whatever they share in answer to a question is the exact thing the audience needs to hear in that moment.

The downside: It can take time to peel back layers of media training and key messaging to get to their subject matter expertise. We're not taught to value the advice we give every day. It becomes commonplace and extra ordinary. But when you tap into the needs of an audience, you discover this advice is extraordinary and learn its value when it surfaces.

The proper use: Any earned media and sponsored content. If you want it to reach the general public, you need to think of the needs of your audience first. Then ground your expertise and allow yourself to relate to the material. Share anecdotes. Connect with your values and how it informs the advice you give. Be a human offering help to another human and speak from there.

MEDIA MENTORSHIP

A seldom-used aspect of PR and media work, but one with endless ROI.

We live in a world where media creation and publishing tools are literally at our fingertips. Amplification methods that used to be reserved for an elite few, are now in our smartphones.

Anyone can be a media personality. Anyone can build and wield influence. But not everyone knows how to navigate this while being true to their values, beliefs, and unique perspective.

Media mentorship blends the inner work of media coaching and shapes the outcome with media strategy. With media mentorship, you become intentional with how and where you share your SME so it always gains value.

Vanity metrics can distract and drain your creative drive. And if you're always chasing the hot new platform (looking at you, Redditt), you'll waste energy constantly rebuilding and adapting your voice.

The downside: Creativity is hard during times of uncertainty. Brands like plans they can improve on. But if you simply repeat last year's work, you risk sounding outdated and irrelevant. This is why we focus on allowing curiosity and risk to guide creative decisions. With our approach to media strategy, we try one new thing a month for a full month to see what new things can help build stronger. And we let go of what is no longer working just as quickly.

The proper use: Anyone interested in building visibility. Media is a powerful tool. When used well, it can have infinite benefit for your brand and your target audience.

But if you miss a step in this process, you risk sabotaging your media performance. And if you don't believe in the value of this work, when was the last time you paid top dollar to watch a high school stage production and your kid was not involved?