9. Take Notes
Here’s a low-tech suggestion with a high-value return. During media interviews, someone should be in the room with your spokesperson whether they are meeting a reporter face-to-face or over the phone. The reasons for this is different in each case. Reporters won’t like me saying this, but in face-to-face meetings, if someone else is taking notes like they are, it has been my experience the reporter takes better, more careful notes, too. Well, I can’t actually know that because you shouldn’t really try reading a reporter’s notes. I guess I’m saying that interview outcomes have been better in general when I’ve taken notes during an interview with my spokespeople. I’ve never had a reporter object to this practice. Even if you’re hearing your spokesperson saying the same thing over and over in repetitive interviews, take notes. For phone calls, the reason you take notes is because the actual spokesperson probably won’t and it is very hard after the fact to remember every question and answer. Your spokesperson is also typically so focused on saying the right thing, he or she won’t always be sure how the interview went. With good notes, even if you only heard one side of the conversation, you can review the answers and fine tune them.
10. Know Who You’re Talking To and Who Their Audience Is
This may seem obvious but it is in here because it happens too often. Your spokesperson needs to know, and use, the correct name of the writer and should be aware of that writer’s chief audience. You can’t change your basic news story from interview to interview, of course, but you can lead with a different emphasis in each interview. For example, if you’re talking to a reporter from a consumer magazine, lead with the consumer implications of your news. If it is a business daily, lead with the business implications. It is even OK to say something such as, “Given your audience of consumers, your chief interest in this news will probably be that…” This takes some practice and some advance thinking. Too many spokespeople want to know what the one pitch is and they want to give it the same way, with the same emphasis, to everyone. You’ll get better results if you tailor your delivery a bit to reflect the reporter’s interest in his or her primary audience.
11. The Sound of Keyclicks in the Background is a Good Thing
These days many reporters take notes on their computer while talking to a source by phone. Most of the time you can hear their typing going on in the background. It is a little distracting, but it is a good thing. Reporters don’t take a lot of notes for stories they don’t plan to write. But listen to the keystroke pace and if the clicks continue long after you’ve finished a sentence, slow down. The writer is having trouble keeping up.
12. Almost Always There’s No Such Thing as ‘Off-the-Record”
Unless you have exceptional contacts that you know from long experience you can trust to keep things off the record, say nothing that you wouldn’t want to see in print. I’ve had experiences during which the spokesperson has said, “This is off the record, but…” The writer often nods in some way that seems to imply an agreement on that point, only to find the off-the-record stuff in the newspaper the next day.
13. Don’t Bite When a Writer Says That a Third Party Said Something Awful About You
This doesn’t happen that often, but you should be aware of it. Here’s how it goes: The writer says, “Joe Jones at Hit and Run, Inc. says you’re new product doesn’t actually work yet.” Here’s the rule: if you or your spokesperson didn’t actually hear this directly or are not 100% confident this ever actually happened, you’re not doing yourself any favors by responding to it. Not to mention, why spend any time using your PR dime to elevate Hit and Run, Inc. in your news.