You’re sitting with a reporter for thirty minutes. The reporter takes five minutes just to formulate their first question. Is this a good thing or a bad thing? Should you interrupt?
Over 25 years of staffing interviews as a PR person, I came to believe that letting the reporter talk was a good thing.
First, you learn a lot about the reporter by watching their stream of consciousness. What’s their frame of reference? Who else have they spoken to? How big is their ego? What do/don’t they understand? If you’re listening, you can get all of that just by parsing their babbling.
Second, a reporter who talks so much can’t ask as many questions in the allotted time, and that’s often a good thing.
But what if you have a huge story to tell? Say so. “Wow, I appreciate your thinking and your question. Let me tell you what we see as most important.” Then you deliver your message. You have an elevator pitch. Use it!
Repeat as often as you’re able while you watch/listen to the reporter. Easy peasy.
Not sure how to crush your next presentation? Navigate tough questions? Need some pragmatic, actionable communications advice? Consider Office Hours with Lisa, a great way to get bite-sized, personalized coaching. And there are tons of resources in poseycorp’s newsletter – subscribe here. Get some skills! Because it’s the great communicators who create the change they want to see in the world!
