How B2B Executives Can Benefit from Media Training
Media training is an effective way for B2B executives gain the skills needed to get their message across in a clear and effective manner. Not only will media training help you succeed with any media opportunities you have at hand, but over time, it will enable you – and your company – to build relationships with reporters and become go-to sources for future stories.
Media Training: Types of Interviews and Stories
While your company likely sees a variety of media coverage, most media interviews generally present one of two opportunities. The first is to share information about a new product, service or offering with your target audience. The second opportunity is to help position you, your team or your company as a thought leader in your space. No matter the opportunity, media training can help your interview run as smoothly as possible.
At Walker Sands, our media training services help provide B2B executives with the skills they need to complete successful interviews. While the primary goal of interviews is to get your company in the media, it’s important to avoid talking exclusively about your business or product – even if the interview is for a feature story about your product. Media training can teach you how to strike the delicate balance between providing relevant, newsworthy information and direct information about your company or product.
One of the first steps in media training is determining what makes a story newsworthy. Whether you’re looking to secure a media opportunity or trying to decide a focus for an upcoming interview, consider the following attributes that can help get your company in the news.
- Timeliness: The more recent the story, the more newsworthy. In addition to any breaking news about your company – such as a product or funding announcement – also be on the lookout for ways to insert your company into timely industry news. By providing expert commentary on a hot topic in the industry, your company will be positioned as a thought leader in the space, and reporters will be more likely to tap into your expertise for upcoming stories. Media training can teach you key ways to comment on timely news in a thoughtful, objective manner.
- Prominence: Stories featuring well-known individuals, public figures or companies stand out when it comes to prominence. For example, if your company is partnering with a Fortune 500 company or just added a well-known executive to your board, this news will stand out from the crowd.
- Proximity: A story’s closeness or connection to a specific subset of the audience can catch the attention of media. If you’re hiring 100 new employees in Chicago, local publications will jump at the chance to cover the news.
- Human interest: Human interest stories entertain or teaches the readers something new. Some examples include your CEO taking a nontraditional path to success or your company culture including a unique perk. In many cases, the information gathering portion of media training offers the opportunity for B2B executives to share any relevant personal or company anecdotes that have the potential for a human interest story.
Walker Sands: Media Training Services for B2B Technology Companies
There’s too much at stake to leave your company’s marketing to chance. To reach the next level of growth, you need a marketing strategy that strengthens your position in the industry and generates new leads for your business – and media training is an important part of the mix.
At Walker Sands, we’ve been helping B2B technology companies grow their businesses since the beginning. Contact us today and discover how media training can benefit your organization.