The media can be brutal when it comes to interrogating you in the public eye. They really don’t care about feelings or how things sound. Even if you say exactly what you mean, they will somehow find a way to twist your words into something other than what you actually mean. Dirty little thieves of words they can be! So how do you deal with those questions that they are bound to ask with dignity and respect?
The Answer Is In The Question
Most of the time, the media will try to form the answer in the question to mess you up. The media will strategically place the answer, which they already know, in the question to try to get you to leak information that you may not want leaked at the moment. TIP of all tips… KEEP CALM.
The response: “That is a great question, however, at this time we have information on that particular topic, but we will surely release that information when we have it.”
That is it… Just move on from that.
The “Already Been Answered” Question
More than likely you will get asked the same question more than once. This is another trick to try to flub you up with your words or to see if you will give contradictory answers to the questions that they want to know the answer to. Be consistent.
The response: “As I had said before…”
Repeat the answer to the question in the same way you had previously answered it.
The Mud-slinging Question
The competitors… They are bound to come up if you are doing a public, with the media, interview about your business. Good or bad. They may come up in a questions or you may address them in your speech. Be nice! No one wants to deal with a company that isn’t solid with themselves and only wants to mudsling.
The response: “Congratulations to (said business or business owner) on their accomplishments. We, as a company, aspire to be our absolute best for our consumers and our employees.”
That’s all. Just be nice about everything that you have to say even if they aren’t.
The “Un-Answerable” Question
There will always be that question that doesn’t have an answer. Often times our natural instinct will be to pull an answer out of thin air. We will want to make sure we procure an answer on the spot to avoid looking like an oaf. But it’s ok… if you think of the answer quickly and it signifies respect and dignity for your company, go for it. If not, it’s ok to think about it.
The response: “I’ll have to think on that, I will come back to that question at a later time.”
This is a perfectly acceptable answer and totally ok to use as a response, just make sure that you remember to go back to the question when you’ve thought of an answer!
The “Insinuating That There Is A Problem” Question
Being on the inside and knowing your company inside and out is a key point in being a business owner. But there will always be that one person that will think that they know all of your issues. They’ll want to bring them up as if they know what they are talking about.
The response: “Being that, that isn’t an issue at this time, I am not sure what you are referring to.”
Just move on from there.
TJ Walker
In 42 minutes, you can become a pro and answer questions like these like a pro without taking a course or a class that will take a lifetime. TJ Walker, a Public Speaking and Media Training Expert, provides you the knowledge you need to conquer those pesky questions. All you need is yourself, some time, and a cellphone or computer!
Sometimes answering these questions that are thrown at us aren’t the easiest thing to do, especially when we don’t know how to answer these questions. Thank goodness for these tip on how to deal with these questions and TJ Walker for pointing us in the right direction! I am pretty sure we’d be lost without this if we had to face the media in a couple of hours!