This article draws on sports interviews from the summer of 2016.
For a sports enthusiast, August 2016 offered plenty of highs and lows, with the Olympic Games and the start of the Dutch football season. It also produced interviews that were fascinating to watch from a PR perspective. Whether they went well or badly, there was always something to learn.
Learn from people who face the media regularly
Footballers and coaches are questioned after victories as well as defeats. Journalists ask about individual performances, team decisions and the coach’s role. An interview can become challenging very quickly.
After an early Ajax match against PAOK, for example, a Greek journalist asked new coach Peter Bosz whether he was already considering resigning. He had barely begun the job. The question illustrated how far an interview can move beyond the discussion a spokesperson expects.
Sports interviews also show how a short exchange can become widely shared. Louis van Gaal provided several memorable examples during his work in different countries. But an interview does not have to be confrontational to attract attention.
As a Roda JC supporter, I enjoyed seeing Nathan Rutjes win people over with an enthusiastic, sincere interview. The reaction showed the appeal of someone speaking naturally about an experience that mattered to them. His response to the attention was characteristically down-to-earth: he had been giving interviews in that spirit for years, but national television had brought him to a wider audience.
Your story needs more than a list of key messages
Most business spokespeople do not get the same number of opportunities to practise in public. An organisation may have only a brief interview to explain something important, and the final piece may use only a few short extracts.
Knowing the agreed key messages is a useful starting point, but it does not automatically mean you can communicate them well. A difficult television interview involving a Blokker spokesperson at the time illustrated that gap between having messages and making them land.
A spokesperson needs to understand the story behind the messages and be able to explain it in a way that responds to the conversation.
Listen to the question and help provide context
Good media training helps you turn key messages into a clear story. Just as importantly, it teaches you to listen to questions and recognise the perspective behind them.
A question framed for a short answer can feel restrictive. Understanding the interview gives you more confidence to answer directly and then offer relevant context, rather than forcing a prepared statement into the conversation.
The journalist is asking questions from their own frame of reference and believes you can help supply the answers. They are also working towards a useful final story. A well-prepared interviewee can contribute to that process by being clear, accurate and responsive.
Practise for the interview you are likely to face
Training creates a setting in which to test explanations, respond to follow-up questions and receive feedback. It helps the spokesperson and the journalist work towards a better interview.
At Progress Communications, our teams in Amsterdam and Antwerp use a media training method that helps clients explain complex technology subjects clearly. The preparation supports conversations with national, online and B2B media.
For another perspective, read what media training can learn from football. Giving interviews may not be elite sport, but practice brings a stronger performance within reach.
Ruud
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