How can you ensure your media spokespeople are best prepared for their next interview?
Media training is essential.
But another key part of the answer to this question is the feedback they are given after a media appearance.
It is integral for spokespeople to develop and build their skills, and it should be seen as part of the media interview briefing process.
But giving feedback can be a headache for comms and PR professionals.
Spokespeople are often senior leaders, and offering constructive feedback can feel daunting.
Equally, you don’t want to say something that will put them off doing media interviews again in future.
Knowing when to give feedback and how to structure it can also feel daunting.
It’s why we covered the issue during our latest masterclass for members of the Media Team Academy.
Media First CEO James White was joined by Dan Boniface and Darren Draper, from The BCF Group, to discuss the coaching and mentoring techniques PR, comms and media teams can use to give better feedback on media interviews.
They began by looking at how comms and PR professionals can ensure they are best prepared to provide valuable feedback after a media interview.
And it’s all about IMPACT.
This is a model that stands for Intention, Message, Persona, Audience, Coaching and Timing that helps better structure media interview feedback.
Intention: Be clear on why you are providing feedback and what outcome you want.
Message: What is the message you want to get across to that spokesperson? Keep it clear and concise.
Persona: What language and tone of voice will you use to deliver the feedback? Remember, you can control what you give to the conversation but not how the other person reacts. James added: “Think of the person you are speaking to as the spokesperson and not as the CEO or whatever title they may have, and remember you are the comms expert. Take confidence from that.”
Audience: Be clear on who is receiving the feedback and how you can tailor it for them. If they are a reflective person, for example, they may need time to think about how the interview went before you have the feedback conversation. Other people may want instant feedback.
Coaching: Coach before and after the interview. Dan said: “We often think about communication as an intervention when something has gone slightly wrong. But coaching should be used to help someone get ready for an interview and to help them improve and develop after.”
Timing: Consider when is the best time to give the feedback. There may be times, such as when your spokesperson gives multiple interviews, when instant feedback is needed.
SBI is a model Dan recommends is used to prepare and shape feedback.
It stands for Situation Behaviour Impact.
Dan said: “The situation is what has happened, and the behaviour is how they acted in that moment.
“And the impact is what happened as a result. This is often the part that is missed.”
Let’s put this into a realistic example.
The situation may be that your spokesperson was at a press conference and was asked about a new product launch.
The behaviour is that the spokesperson moved away from the key message and discussed previous projects and unrelated details.
And the impact is it caused confusion among the media, and the coverage did not highlight the product’s benefits.
“It’s a good way of preparing your feedback,” Dan said. “But keep going back to the impact because that connects with the individual and means they are more likely to make the change you need.”
There’s also a role in post-media interview feedback for ‘radical candour’.
No, not ‘radical candle’ as I initially misheard it – although I think that would make a good band name.
“This is about changing the mindset of why we give feedback,” Darren said.
“It’s not about seeing feedback as a criticism.
“It is about going, ‘I will give that feedback, and I will challenge directly because I care and want that spokesperson to get better’.
“It moves you into a positive space.
“Whereas, if I care, but don’t challenge, that could hold them back.”
James added: “Radical candour is not about being blunt or rude. But it is about not fluffing feedback up so that the message is lost.”
You may feel frustrated, irritated or disappointed your spokesperson has failed to land a message or make the most of the opportunity a media interview presents.
However, you must regulate your emotions before giving feedback.
Darren said: “You don’t want to give feedback in an emotional state.
“You need to control them so you can give the feedback in an impactful way and focus on facts.”
Effective feedback is simple to understand.
Your message to your spokesperson must be clear, concise, specific and straightforward.
Darren said: “Ensure the message you want to get across is clear and concise.
“Don’t mix messages like, ‘You are really good at this…, you need to improve on this…, but don’t worry, you have got it in you’.
“You want the person receiving the feedback to go away knowing what different behaviour or action they need to take next time.”
James recommends setting out the feedback process ahead of interviews.
He said: “Go to them and say, ‘We are reviewing how we give feedback and how we are preparing people for interviews – this is what you can expect from us… You’ll get this briefing 24 hours before the interview… And 48 hours after the interview, we will have the interview we will have a 10-minute feedback conversation. Does that work for you?’.”
“No feedback is the worst kind of feedback,” Dan said.
“If you have silence, your spokesperson will go into their head and second guess themselves.”
Often – but not always – a spokesperson will be a senior leader of the organisation.
And giving them feedback presents challenges.
Having to give feedback can make people feel insecure. There also tends to be fears about how the feedback will be received. And concerns about whether it will be held against them in future.
These feelings are natural.
And you need to reframe your mind to overcome them.
James said: “This is about overcoming that imposter syndrome, something Dan and Darren discuss in more detail in their new The Sound Leadership Podcast.
“Remember, you are the best person to deliver the feedback to the spokesperson because of your expertise, experience and communication skills.
“You are giving the feedback for the good of the organisation, and the spokesperson and there is a reason that merits you doing it.”
During the session, the conversation also covered a scenario familiar to many PR and comms professionals – persuading reluctant media spokespeople.
How can you overcome this challenge?
“Understanding the emotions a spokesperson is feeling is vital,” Darren said.
“Some of us will enjoy being in front of the camera, but plenty of others will not feel that way.
“It’s easy for us to go out there and say, ‘You’ll be fine’. But that doesn’t help.
“We need to try and see it from their lens so we can support them.
“And we need to think about what we are doing to help their confidence and support them, so they feel like they are the right person.”
Dan believes it is crucial to highlight the benefits of being a media spokesperson.
“What are the benefits for that spokesperson of going in front of the cameras?”, Dan asked.
“You need to find a way in that inspires them.
“It may be that they are keen to rise the career ladder. You can tap into that by explaining that doing the interview will raise their profile.
“But you can only do that by understanding the person you are working with.”
He also believes comms and PR professionals must ask themselves some key questions.
“You also need to make sure they are the right spokesperson,” he said.
“We all have to do things we don’t want to do sometimes.
“But have they got the ability to do it?
“Ultimately, if someone does not want to do it, they will not do it to the highest standard. They won’t buy into it.
“Make sure you are choosing the right people and are giving them the media training, coaching and feedback they need to do it to the right level.”
Internal communication also plays a vital role in helping to convince reluctant media spokespeople.
Darren said: “Think about what you can do internally. For example, celebrate some good interviews and the people who have carried them out.
“Other people will then start to think ‘I want a bit of that’.”
Don’t forget you can catch up with this masterclass, and all the previous ones, in the video library section of The Media Team Academy hub.