Expertly Prep Your Spokespeople for Video

Today, spokespeople are coming to comprehend what PR pros have been telling them for years now: Journalists will ask for a video capture in addition to a common interview for a print/on-line story. So, how does this alter how you prepare your spokesperson? I believe it alterations the preparation in the following techniques:

 

? Your Interview Vetting, Screening and Setup: We have constantly advised PR pros to go past the logistics of the interview. What you can discover about the reporter can prove a critical component of preparation Here are some queries to ask:

 

• What is the reporter's angle?

• How significantly does he/she know about the topic?

• What have they written on the topic in the previous?

• Who else are they inter­viewing?

• Who are their common readers

• What do they care most about?

• What is the reporter's style?

• What are their questioning tricks?

 

Something you can discover will aid inform the spokesperson and give him/her a better chance of undertaking effectively. Now, here are some issues to uncover out for the video component:

 

• How will they use this video segment?

• Will it be short—just a sound bite responding to an open-ended, topic summary-form query? Or will it be longer, covering a amount of ques­tions on numerous concerns?

• Will it be spliced into clips that are placed in a number of spots throughout the post? Perhaps it will not be set alongside the report at all, but utilized in a separate portion of the Internet web site or even a separate media home. For instance, a Wall Street Journal reporter may submit the video to a Fox Organization display or use the audio for CBS 880 radio.

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PR pros really should also look into how this reporter has employed video in the past. For instance:

 

• How is the video currently being recorded?

• Will it be a broadcast-top quality digital video camera, a Flip camera or some thing in between?

• Will it be a head shot or a stand-up?

• Who else will be in the frame, if any individual?

• Where will it take location? In a noisy hall outdoors an industry conference? In a quiet con­ference area or in studio?

 

All (or as a lot of as feasible) of these answers will aid you prepare the spokesperson far much better. As well typically, a spokes­person is blindsided by the reality there is a video component, considerably much less how it will be completed.

 

? Your Message Grid, Tracker or Map: You will require to clamp on yet another column, bubble or track to your message matrix for the video portion. Our suggestions is that it really should be crafted with the format in thoughts. If the video is prolonged and complete, then the mes­sages want be weaved into a storyline that has the capability to be delivered in pieces or as a fluid narrative.

If the video is brief and intended to capture your impressions of an event or a summary of the subject, the messages really should be sculpted into 30-to-60-second elevator pitches.

There are dangers in not preparing this way. Say, for instance, a reporter asks a spokesperson to briefly com­municate his impressions about an event on video. The spokes­person may drop the opportu­nity to include a major message: "Properly, I feel this is a fantastic occasion and allows us all in the sector to share ideal practices and find out from each and every other for the betterment of innovation and our service and offerings to our clients, investors and shareholders." Fantastic, but how does that assistance, influence or promote the organization, item, campaign or move­ment? It basically doesn't. That sound bite is literally off the (message) grid.

 

? The Rehearsal: Assuming there will be a video portion of an upcoming in-person interview with a print/online reporter (and we advise that one really should always make that assumption), it should be incor­porated into the interview rehearsal. The media trainer need to be ready to discuss the diverse setups and have on hand at least a few various cameras.

All through, the coach really should be providing methods and finding the spokesperson at ease with diverse set­tings. The objective is to familiarize the spokesperson so he/she can concentrate on the messages and storyline with the least dis­tractions.

Journalists tell us that they often select the video clip that was much more fluid, looked great, sounded better—not the 1 with the most compelling content. The rehearsal need to make certain that each video bite was delivered flawlessly, so your message has a far better likelihood of getting selected.

 

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