Any media interview has at least two different agendas in progress simultaneously. You have a story that you want to tell and the reporter has a story he’s interested in writing.
To make the best of that scenario, we work with clients to iron out their language and do media training drills before we ever connect them to a reporter.
Even with that prep, the interview can still fall apart unless the interviewee is prepared. We’ve arranged thousands of interviews over the years, and find that all executives stumble over a question at some point.
Here are a few questions that frequently stump entrepreneurs:
- Where are you getting your funding?
- What is your exit plan?
- When are you doing an IPO?
- What are your revenues?
- Who are your competitors and how do you compare to them?
- How come you haven’t been acquired?
It really doesn’t matter what the hot button question is, the important point is to prepare in advance for how to address it. Think about the key words you will use and the framework you will put in place to make the answer valid for the reporter and positive for you.
By preparing in advance for the toughest questions, you are less likely to get tripped up when doing the interview tango.