October 30, 2009
How to practice for media interviews
(If you don't have time to read this, the net-net is: PRACTICE!)
We've all had one of those experiences of walking away from a conversation and remembering 15 minutes after the fact that we forgot to mention something really, really important. No matter what, that's a bummer; but it really stinks when the conversation is with a reporter. After all, how can you get a good quote if you don't even remember to mention the good stuff?
That's why you have to prepare for interviews. It's one thing to wing it when a reporter calls to check facts about an event; as long as you don't flub the basic details, the outcome probably will be just fine. But if a reporter wants to profile you or talk about your new restaurant -- or discuss a touchier situation, such as a compliance or employee issue -- you really don't have the luxury of forgetting or flubbing. You have to be on your game.
The first step is deciding your main message(s). What do you want people to take away from and/or do because of the story? Obviously, this depends on the media outlet's audience, the focus of the story, and your current goals.
Once you know what you want to say, practice wrapping that message into the answers you'll give to the reporter's questions. Note: Please, please, please do not expect reporters to send their questions to you in advance of the interview. Most won't, either because they haven't thought about the interview that far in advance or because it undermines the conversational quality of the interview.
Plus, it just annoys them.
So instead, put yourself in their shoes. Come up with questions you think they'll ask, and either rehearse the answers to yourself or get a practice buddy. Ask the tough questions, the pushy questions, the wacky questions you doubt the reporter will ask. Try again if you don't feel comfortable with your answers. This is your one chance to fumble.
The trick is discovering a natural opening to bring the conversation back around to your message. This does *not* mean ignoring the questions entirely or parroting back the same rehearsed response. It means addressing the question and then pivoting to your point.
The most important thing: practice, practice, practice! If you do, I guarantee you'll get more out of your next interview.
This from a journalist who wanted to be anonymous...but it is some important info!Just as important as practicing for interviews: Don't make stuff up. I can tell when a chef is pulling something out of his ass when I ask a story-question like "what was the inspiration behind this dish?" - but even more importantly, so can my readers. If there's no story behind something, then there's no story – this isn’t live TV, I can edit out the boring parts of our interview. Of course, if everything I ask a chef about doesn't have a story behind it, then it's unlikely I’m going to want to do a piece about him or his restaurant. Give some thought to what’s in your kitchen or on your menu – it doesn’t have to be an epic tale with near-death experiences and a dramatic ending. It can just be that the guy who delivers your produce is also the guy who got you hooked on Jay-Z, or that when you were trying to decide which Grizzly to buy one of them nearly took out your sous chef’s eyebrows. Little, human things make for great interviews.It’s also worth noting that if a chef’s got nothing to say about a particular dish or whatever, I’m always happy to move on to something else that does have a story behind it. Bonus points if the chef can bring it up right away: “Eh, nothing to say about the tomato soup, sorry. But have I told you how I came up with my duck breast? I was at the market one day …†etc.