Media training is a must do professional development program for any serious leader or manager. Media interview training provides you with the skills to effectively take care of the media. Media relations training, with a specific focus on networking Demonstration training for television may be nerve wracking for first timers. This is why you should consider performing a media training course and some crucial tips from our media skill training classes.

If you go to the archives of any commercial television station and pull out footage from a news bulletin and see that footage using a stopwatch, you will find the typical length of this quotation called a sound bite or information catch from the individual being interviewed for the story is about 60 seconds. If you watch commercial TV tonight with your stopwatch in the ready, and quantify each sound bite or information catch, the typical length is going to be seven seconds.

1. Dress Well.

In the strong visual medium of television you will be judged by your appearance. Clothing patterns and colours will promote the effects of your on camera interview. Avoid clothes with a great deal of designs or patterns. A dark coat black, blue, charcoal or navy with a white shirt or blouse always looks great on camera. Take your cue from what TV newsreaders are sporting. Heed my mother’s advice: it is much better to pay the extra and buy one really great suit than has lots of poor quality.

2. Warm Up Your Voice.

Tiger Woods would not go and play with a championship round of golf without warming up. You, as a professional communicator and official spokesperson should not engage with the media without heating up your voice.

3. Talk With Increased Energy.

Speak in a higher volume, range, pitch and tone than you’d normally. Imagine having a conversation with a person and talking at a slightly more animated degree than you would usually.

4. Anchor Your Feet and Slow Deliberate Movements.

The further you go around the more your body language will distract from the message. Doing interviews status, even interview skills training, will change your entire physiology and give your more energy and power. Stand with your feet about shoulder width apart and securely attached to the floor.  It is not easy to sound credible standing on one foot.

5. Keep Calm.

Assertive, aggressive, even angry reporters will fire Questions at you fast, like bullets spitting from a machinegun. Their speech Patterns will be extreme and quick. Do not get drawn into mirroring and matching these patterns. In these situations, take a breath and talk more slowly than the interviewer.