The same ski resort executive who is self-confident around the office and runs no-nonsense staff meetings may be the same guy who turns to jelly when talking to a reporter. After the interview, he is also likely to complain that the journalist didn’t ask the right questions or woefully misquoted his answers or, worse yet, didn’t use any part of the interview.
Surprisingly, even the most organized, detail-oriented Type-A executive spends more time preparing a 20-minute speech than a media interview that could run twice as long. More importantly, an interview will have exponential impact because it will be read or viewed by one hundred times more potential customers—and critics and competitors— than hear a speech.
Bottom line, an interview is really a speech, although one that is interrupted by questions, and should be prepared for and rehearsed the same way.
The word “media” comes from the Latin word for “middle.” According to an expert who is quoted often by the media—Noah Webster-it’s defined as “intermediaries professing to give messages.” In other words, the media is in the middle, relaying messages to whomever is on the other side of the reporter.
And therein lies the simple secret to a successful interview: View the reporter not as a menacing force, but as a conduit and speak directly to that reporter’s audience—the readers of that particular magazine or newspaper, the listeners to that particular radio talk show, the viewers of that particular television news or sports program. Adapt the substance of your information to fit the reporter’s audience—your audience—and the expertise of the reporter interviewing you, by making it more or less technical, shorter or longer, general or detailed.
Use these guidelines to stay in control before, during and after an interview.
Analyze the reporter’s audience — Who are they? How much do they already know about skiing or resort management? More importantly, how much do they need to know? Before the interview, look at the publication or newscast or at reports that journalist has done, to familiarize yourself with the scope and depth of what you are about to be asked to do.
Set an agenda — Prepare for an interview as carefully as you would for any meeting with your mountain management staff or airline or travel industry decision makers. Know what points you want to make, and treat every question as an opportunity to address that agenda with your “must say” message points. Make these points at the beginning of an interview, because by taking the lead, you—not the reporter—are setting the course for the rest of the interview.
What’s new? — Think of a reporter as your favorite Aunt Sylvia who wants to know only what’s new. Tell her something that doesn’t satisfy her and she’ll keep asking you, “so, what else is new?” until you say what she wants to hear. It’s important to understand that you and a reporter may have different opinions of what is most new and important. Just because it was important last year, don’t expect the “second annual” to be, unless, of course, there’s a new angle to report.
Anticipate questions — Brainstorm with your staff, developing questions and appropriate responses. Be sure to include the “question from hell” that you have been having nightmares about and prepare—and practice—answers for it.
Know the opposing view — The more familiar you are with the other side’s position and with your competition, the more able you will be to avoid becoming defensive. Know the issues you want to avoid. Respond to them quickly, in one short sentence, and “bridge” back on track to one of your “must say” agenda messages. Stay positive.
Example: Question: The Watershed Protectors of America claims that your new snowmaking pond is endangering the rare speckled aster. Answer: “We’ve had several productive meetings this month with the WPA to resolve any differences, and let me tell you how excited we are about the new 30-acre garden we’re creating for our visitors, etc.”
Ask questions — You have the right, indeed, the need to know, what the reporter’s deadline is, how long the interview will take, when the article or broadcast report will appear, even who else is being interviewed for this story. That information is necessary to guide you to frame your answers properly. Why talk about this season when the reporter is working one year ahead?
Don’t wait for the “right” question — You are being interviewed because you know more than the reporter. It’s your job to respond with an intelligent answer even if it is a dumb question. The questions rarely appear in print or on the air, so questions are not important; it’s your answers that count.
Avoid jargon, or explain it — Every industry has its own short-cut language, which may or may not be understood by the reporter, much less the general public. Explain abbreviations or acronyms the first time you use them so the reporter knows what they are when you refer back to them later.
Examples: “We are working with NSAA—National Ski Areas Association— to develop a comprehensive new…” Or: “We are working with National Ski Areas Association—NSAA—to develop a comprehensive new…”
Watch the interviewer — Eye contact is important in any conversation, more so in an interview. It will tell you if the reporter is suddenly suffering “Miago,” (as in: my eyes are glazing over) because you are giving too much detail or talking in corporate-ese. Ditto body language. A sudden flurry of active body language indicates the interview is winding down. Make your last point, or repeat your most important point, and say good-bye.
Perhaps even more important, be aware when a reporter is or is not taking notes. It doesn’t matter whether the interview is being taped on a little recorder or on videotape, or if the reporter is clicking away on the computer at the other end of the phone line. If what you say is being jotted down, it is more likely to be included in the resulting article. So, if you are making the single most important point of the interview and the pen or keyboard keys are not moving—stop talking, take a breath, smile and repeat what you just said, with a headline that lets the reporter know, hello out there, let’s not miss this.t there, ‘et’s not miss this.
Examples: “You know, I hate repeating myself, but…”
“This may be the most interesting thing for your readers/viewers/listeners.”
Be brief — There is no way you can share your 10 or 25 years of experience in the industry in a 10- or 25-minute interview, so don’t even try. The hardest thing is deciding what not to say. Help the reporter by editing yourself.
When you have finished what you want to say, stop talking. Sure, nature abhors a vacuum, but if you try to fill the silence, you may find your foot heading rapidly for your mouth. A favorite reporter trick is to nod and smile in rapt attention, hoping your ego will prompt you to blurt out something you hadn’t intended to say.
Say it more than once, more than one way — Always summarize your point first—a headline—then support it with additional information. The premise is: tell them what you’re going to tell them (headline), tell them (the fact, in greater detail), then tell them what you told them (summarize, again).
Example: “We are making more capital improvements this season than in the last three combined—a new gondola to the Headwall, doubling both the base area cafeteria and parking lots, and adding 25 miles of snowmaking. Let me tell you first about the gondola—it’s a $6 million…”
Nothing is “off the record” — Simple, if you don’t want to see it in print or hear it on the air, don’t say it. Avoiding sensitive or propriety chatter includes anywhere that you may be overheard, say, by anybody in the media business. That means in elevators, lavatories, green rooms, etc. Enough said.
Never say “no comment” — That sets off alarms in the reporter’s brain and can turn the most fluffy puppy into a snarling pit bull, because it gives the impression you are hiding something. Give a reason you cannot respond. However, do not say “it’s company policy not to discuss that,” because that gives the impression you have been brain-washed and pre-programmed. Instead, let the reporter know you understand why the question is being asked and empathize. There are, literally, dozens of ways you can provide a quotable quote without giving anything away.
Examples: “We are still assessing the total number of skier days and it would be premature…”
“As you know, that’s under litigation and it would not be prudent…”
“That is precisely the information our competition would love to know and if I told you, we would lose our current marketing advantage.”
“You’ll be one of the first to know when we decide whether the new lift will be a gondola or high-speed quad.”
Never make promises you won’t keep — If you promise I’ll be the first to know or that you’ll call back before the end of the week with updated statistics, don’t forget. Reporters have long memories. Reporters also change jobs. So, the neophyte at the Podunk Press who you ignored will still distrust you five years from now when he’s a senior editor of a major newspaper ski section or magazine.
Beware of hypothetical questions — Unless your crystal ball is working, avoid “what if” and “would you say that in the future” questions. Stick with what you know today, based on your own experiences and your own company. That includes avoiding comments on a report or a statement by a colleague that you haven’t seen. Better to be honest and say you can’t guess or don’t know than to be quoted and proven wrong.
An interview is not free advertising — If you want all your marketing messages or every word of your press release used, buy the air-time for a commercial or the page space for an advertisement.
Avoid negative responses — Turn negative questions into positive replies. Avoid denying the question and avoid repeating inflammatory language; it’s easy to be mis-quoted.
Examples: Question: “Have you managed to end the incidents of sexual harassment in the ski school locker room?” Answer: “There never was a problem, but everybody is happy with the redesign of the…”
Quote me again — Note which quotes and sound bites of yours a reporter used and say them again the next time you are interviewed. Just like a stand-up comedian who keeps a joke that has them rolling in the aisles and drops one that falls to the floor, a quote that one reporter thinks is terrific may be similarly viewed by another reporter.
What to Wear
Business dress is always appropriate. In the ski industry that usually means ski clothes in winter, casual wear in summer, and if those carry the resort’s logo, so much the better. However, if your interview is in a newsroom or studio of a major newspaper or television station, ratchet up the look accordingly.
If you are appearing on television, avoid busy patterns and overly-contrasting colors such as a dark navy blazer with bleach-white shirt. Always tuck the bottom hem of your jacket under your bottom when you sit, to prevent it from bunching up around the shoulders. Keep your energy up by sitting up, even forward, in a chair. Look at and talk to the interviewer, not the camera, especially important if there’s more than one camera.
Men: Over-the-calf socks, yes. Bowties, no. Shave as close as you can to the interview to avoid unflattering shadows. If it’s a studio interview, let them put make-up on you. It can be washed off immediately afterward. Pastel shirts are more flattering to skin tones than pure white.
Women: Brush hair away from face to avoid unflattering shadows. Avoid dangling or sparkling earrings because they dangle and sparkle distractingly. Wear skin-toned stockings, not dark opaques. Pumps or flats, not boots. —E.K.
Evelyn Kanter was a producer and award-winning investigative reporter for ABC News and CBS News and a reporter for Associated Press, all in New York City. Currently, she coaches executives, athletes and others in media interview techniques and public speaking.
