TJ Walker advises communications professionals to practice delivering messages on video before going live. Recording rehearsals and testing with your actual spokesperson reveals what works, what's missing, and whether reporters will care.
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Question I often get from clients. DJ I'm involved with message development for colleagues. I'm not doing the interviews. Why should I have to practice on video? Why should anyone have to practice delivering their messages on video? Here's why is that. You can write and rewrite messages. They can look good on paper, they can look good on a computer screen. They can pass inspection from the legal department, from the investor relations department. Everything looks good. But then you say it out loud and listen to it and you realize, hmm, that third message sounds like baloney. Or you realize that this is all we say. We haven't really addressed the main concern of the reporter and they're not going to care about the rest of our messages. I believe it's great to test your messages out loud. Now, I prefer video, but if you just want to do audio, that's certainly better than nothing at all. Listen to your messages. How does it actually sound? Does it sound believable? Does it sound real? Does it sound comprehensive? Does it really sound like what you want the world to know? So if you are in a communications function, your organization, and you're not the one doing the interview, my recommendation is still pretty. Practice the messages out loud. Listen to it. The other reason it's good to practice on video is if you are a communications person, you want to get to the point where you're very comfortable practicing with the ultimate spokesperson before he or she does the interview. If you've practiced yourself, you know how they feel, you can relate to them better because you want to get to the point where you're not just putting a piece of paper in front of the spokesperson or the CEO, but you're putting a piece of paper and then you're putting your cell phone on and you're saying, now let's say it. And you're recording and doing a mini rehearsal with them. That's why it's crucial to practice the messages out loud. I'm TJ Walker. I help people speak their best when talking to live audiences and the news media. If you're looking to improve your media or presentation training skills, give me a call. I have online workshops, live public workshops in New York City every month, and also private workshops conducted anywhere and everywhere in the world. Give us a call.
