Media: It can make or break you
September 27th, 2007 posted by Debra YemenijianHave you ever wondered why editors aren’t falling over each other trying to schedule an interview with your client? Or why information from a 20-minute interview with your client didn’t appear in print? A recent business column in the Macon Telegraph hit the nail on the head.
Some clients just aren’t media savvy. Given the day-to-day demands of running a business and trying to keep up with their own industry, clients don’t always have time to read the papers or trade publications, let alone understand how the media operates.
As a former journalist, allow me to let you in on a secret: Writers and editors are the gatekeepers for information about industry. Their publications drive industry momentum, trends and — most importantly for B2B companies — buyer action. By including a client in a story, he or she becomes a trusted source of information. In turn, readers will view the client as an industry thought leader. Even better, those readers may contact you for information and become qualified leads.
As company and industry leaders, your clients are adept in the ins and outs of their industry. But, clients need to be educated about the media in terms of proper pre- and post-interview etiquette, as well as the importance of building relationships with editors, too. If they lose their chance to capture the editor’s attention by missing a deadline, rewriting their quotes, or giving them a schedule run-around, someone else will take their place as a trusted, recurrent source of information.
Here are a few tips for how to get on the media’s good side, from a former editor who knows:
Be reliable. Call when you say you will. Discuss what you promise to discuss. Stay on track; remember, the editor determines the topic, not you.
Be consistent. When preparing for an interview, determine the key messages that you want to communicate about your company and industry, and stick to them throughout the interview. Don’t backtrack on your own questions.
Be an expert. Have confidence in yourself during an interview. Though politeness is key, an interview is no time for undue industry humility. Respect yourself as an expert, and editors will do the same.
A media interview is your organization’s golden opportunity to publicly define itself as a successful, sought-after expert in its field. Don’t let opportunities fall through the cracks by being unprepared.