Media training is on the must-have list of most FTSE top 100 companies, but how about smaller companies with tighter budgets? For many SME’s it is particularly important to create positive media impressions. We live in turbulent times and many smaller organisations find themselves at the centre of a media storm. Often, a story can start in the regional press but as it gains momentum some organisations have found themselves with journalists banging on their doors after a juicy story.
From NHS trusts, to Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs, not to mention Bernhard Matthews and Toyota, examples of organisations not planning strategies for a crisis situation have been numerous over the past 12 months. If they had anticipated a crisis and ensured that they had people in place who were trained to communicate with the media, then the damage to their brand's reputation would have been significantly reduced or even been turned around into a positive story.
In crisis situations, while a communications strategy is important, it is just as vital to have the ability and confidence to front up to journalists to ensure that any reporting is balanced and factual. It is an obvious, but often overlooked point, that media interview training and crisis media planning is required before the crisis talks place. It’s difficult to imagine a less productive learning environment than a quick briefing or, worse still, a telephone call to run through the basics, whilst the media barks for attention on the other side of the door.
One of the UK’s leading experts within the media training arena is Media Training Masterclasses’ Warwick Partington. A stalwart who has worked behind the scenes to support many executives through their potential crises, Partington’s clients include the largest corporates across Europe and the USA, as well as both large and small public sector bodies. He points out that “You can’t expect to be skilled without having had any training – especially when you are put in an unfamiliar situation and know that your entire organisation’s reputation depends on the next few words or how you act or sound in the next few minutes. You won’t perform at your optimum without training, practice and coaching from qualified trainers. That’s just part of life.”
The PRO's mantra of preparation comes into play. Partington points out that “Better results are always achieved if the spokesperson has had background media training before the crisis incident”. He concludes that “Contact with a media consultant should never be left to the moments going before the press. That is time best spent in practising and confirming key messages.”
The list of small/medium sized organisations who wrongly believed that they can keep out of the press at a time of financial crisis, is growing. The right preparation, planning & coaching today will save a lot of heartache and the organisation’s reputation tomorrow.