Tips for talking to online media?
I've landed a few interviews for our startup that is about to go live at the end of the month.
Would really love some tips on how to talk to the media folks (editors of the news technical sites) that are looking to cover us. Anything special I need to know? To do and not do?
Thanks!
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I think the latter. I already have interviews scheduled. I want to make sure I dont screw up during them and talk the way a CEO should – Igorek 14 years ago
2 Answers
One of the beauties of the Internet is that most interviews can be conducted through email or through some form of chat. It's very common for an interview to occur over a few days as you email back and forth, and the format provides a comfortable way for both parties to communicate with each other.
However...
You said you already have interviews scheduled? Cool! In that case, a few pointers when chatting with the interviewer:
- Keep the caffeine intake down before-hand and take a few minutes to get "zen." You should be a cool cat (Good ) and a little intensity and vigor goes a long, long way (Great ). You don't want too much "energy," though (NO ).
- Practice chatting about your company's history with friends and develop some short, simple anecdotes. We're hard-wired to love stories and to love retelling them. You want people retelling your stories and developing buy-in for you.
- "Back when we were four dudes in our garage [yada yada] but we came out realizing that [yada yada]. And I'm glad my eyebrows grew back."
- Know your products and be graceful if asked about competitors.
Not knowing you, I'm not sure how large your company is nor how involved you are in the product, but you can always use a little political trick and, if they get too technical, walk the interviewer back into familiar territory with a story or a quick monologue.
Unless it's a "nerd" site, keep it high-level and simple.
And, have fun!
Depending on your product and your relationship with media partners you can "ask" them for questions up front, or add your own discussion points for them to cover. Most journalists try to be objective, but many dont have time to fully research your product. You can feed your own questions in the format of a media kit.
