Lightning Media Training12th April 2016

Agenda• The UK media in 2016 • Top tips for interacting with journalists • Today’s media interaction • Perfecting your elevator pitch • Your message • The ABC of answers and useful phrases• Today’s journalists

The UK media in 2016

Rolling news cycle – there’s no ‘good’ time of day

If you don’t speak they will find someone else

Don’t necessarily write the headline

Increasingly seeing the rise of Citizen Journalism

Also contributing to blogs, podcasts, social media feeds

Competing with rivals inside and out

Top tips Do Tell your story Build a rapport with journalists Be aware of their time pressures Think about the readers Use anecdotes and examples Be yourself Be honest Avoid jargon

Don’tUse this as a sales opportunity Change the parameters of the interviewSpeculateThink anything is off the recordSay anything you don’t want to be seen in print Say no comment Ask to review before publication Be overtly critical

Today’s media interaction Interviews can be: Face to face, at events, on the phone, written, at a trade show, networking

Perfecting your elevator pitch Gap in the market

Why are you unique?

WWWWW Differentiators?

Explanations: Your gran?

Someone in the pub?

The acid test: who cares? Show your passion!

You’re the expert

Trumpet your success!

Your message Wider world

Your businessYour

businessWider industry

You as an SMB

The ABC of Answers

Acknowledge

Bridge

Control

Useful phrases

That’s a great question

Where are you hearing that?

I am not sure on that – but my

colleague is an expert, let me introduce you

Let me check those details and get back to you

That’s an interesting stance, what makes you

say that?

I wouldn’t necessarily go that far, but I would say…

Top take-aways • Journalists aren’t out to get you

• The media landscape is increasingly fast paced

• Journalists will not provide you with free advertising

• Hone your elevator pitch

• Be human