Public Relations: Interview Guidelines

Intelligent Interviewing
Whether you’ve engaged a professional public relations firm or are fortunate enough to have journalists seek you out on their own, getting the interview is only half the battle. Sounding and looking good are essential to building credibility for your funds or individually managed accounts. The resultant third-party endorsements add credibility to your other sales and marketing efforts. A good public relations program revolves around delivering positive stories in well respected publications and broadcasts with extensive reach. A successful program delivers those same stories with your company’s philosophies and messages in the forefront.

Intelligent interviewing allows you to be in control of what’s important. It ensures that your unique value proposition is communicated to the audiences that matter most to you. So, while being relaxed and natural with reporters and TV personalities is good, what’s best is being prepared and in control.

SunStar’s interview tips that follow are a distillation of the skills we teach and allow you to practice in Media Bootcamp, a program developed for your top executives and other spokespeople in your company. You may find it helpful to consult these tips before every interview opportunity.

What’s YOUR Story?
If your company can’t articulate a clear, concise value proposition, stop right here. Without this critical first step, there is no story to be told. Your face to the market will be undifferentiated at best, possibly even confusing. It’s time to take a step back, evaluate the strengths of your business philosophy and technology, the unique attributes of your products or services and the distinct advantages you offer to your target market. That said, let the interviews begin.

When you’re called to do an interview, you’ll expect the reporter to ask the questions. You may even get them in advance. But that’s their story —not yours. To accurately and fully answer those questions, be sure you have your story internalized. This will allow you to cast your answers in a way that puts your company in the best possible light.

Preparation is essential. Whenever possible, ask the journalist what his/her questions will be in advance. Some will accommodate your request, giving you time to think through your answers. Others won’t, so instead you should prepare your messages on topics such as:

• Why your technology?
• Why your company and business philosophy?
• Why your company now?
• Your track record.
• Recent actions that had positive outcomes.
• The value of your customers, investors or strategic partners.