Website design By BotEap.comThe phone rings. She is a journalist who wants to ask you some questions for a story she is writing. You, flattered, take the call and work your way through the interview, because off the top of your head, you can’t remember your elevator pitch or a single talking point about your business or product. oops!

Website design By BotEap.comMany of us will be called upon by the media for a quote or more, and knowing how to prepare will take away much of your anxiety and set the stage for an article you can be proud of.

Website design By BotEap.comHint 1: You can’t control what the reporter writes

Website design By BotEap.comHe hopes that if you prepare an answer to as many questions as possible and provide as much detail as possible in your responses, your interview will be published verbatim with brilliant and accurate quotes, and everything in the article will be exactly as you want it to be.

Website design By BotEap.comMistaken.

Website design By BotEap.comNo matter what you say or how you say it, the reporter always has the last word. Literally. Quotes from him will be taken out of context. Key points from him will be edited, condensed, and paraphrased. The reporter will decide which points are most important to write about, especially if he has given so much information that the reporter cannot tell what his key points are.

Website design By BotEap.comThis is not to say that the reporter wants to trap you or is deliberately trying to undermine you. It is his responsibility to know exactly what his main points are and to stick to those points. If he only has three points and keeps coming back to them, it will be difficult for the reporter to write about anything else.

Website design By BotEap.comInstead of anticipating all the questions you might be asked, focus your preparation on the most critical points and practice answering any questions by going back to those points. You can only control your own words, so make sure your message is clear, concise, and easy to get across.

Website design By BotEap.comTip 2: Take the call when you are ready

Website design By BotEap.comIt’s tempting when a reporter calls to jump right into the interview. He doesn’t want to keep her waiting and is afraid of losing his “big break” if he doesn’t answer the call.

Website design By BotEap.comResist the temptation and take a few minutes to prepare. Ask the reporter what the topic is and when your deadline is. Let the reporter know that he can’t talk right now, but will call you back in a few minutes or before the deadline. You can try asking the reporter to email or fax you the interview questions, and sometimes the entire interview can be done via email, but be prepared for the reporter to say no.

Website design By BotEap.comNow that you have some time to prepare, sit down at your computer or open your file drawer and open your marketing documents, your bio, your website, your blog, and whatever else you can think of so you have the information you need. needs. at the tip of your fingers.

Website design By BotEap.comDetermine and clarify the main points you want to cover, no more than three. Look at your mission statement, go over your elevator pitch, and take a few deep breaths.

Website design By BotEap.comNow when you call the journalist back, you are ready to give an interview!

Website design By BotEap.comTip 3: Don’t take mistakes personally

Website design By BotEap.comEven with excellent preparation, you may be misquoted or find a factual error in the article. In fact, it is very likely.

Website design By BotEap.comWhen a reporter takes notes on the phone, it’s hard to write everything exactly as he said it. Even when interviewing in person and using a tape recorder, it’s not easy to get everything right. And they all have personal filters through which the information is fed, which means that the reporter’s interpretation and perception of what was said may be different from yours. Once again, the reporter doesn’t want to catch you. His sole purpose is to write a good and accurate story that will inform his readers.

Website design By BotEap.comIf the factual errors are minor (your company was founded in 1997, but the article says 1998) and readers will never know the difference, let it slide. If you get slightly misquoted but don’t sound like a murderer or a racist, then let it slide.

Website design By BotEap.comIf the error is more damaging, such as a misspelled web address or, say, the wrong person credited with an important invention, then ask for a correction to be printed. The beauty of web-based media is that it can be corrected at any time, unlike print media.

Website design By BotEap.comIf you think you can avoid mistakes by asking to see the article before it’s published, don’t bother. A journalist does not need your permission or approval to publish the article; It is not an advertisement that you have paid for and can control. Journalists cannot be influenced by their sources to change their stories; Your job is to remain objective and credible by telling a story based on your own investigation and interpretation of the facts.

Website design By BotEap.comIf you’re lucky, the writer will send you their quotes or any complex data for fact-checking, and that’s a wonderful courtesy. But asking to see the story before it’s published is generally considered rude and won’t endear you to the reporter.

Website design By BotEap.comRemember, you have full control over the words that come out of your mouth. This is the only chance you have in an interview to get your message across in an unequivocal way to the reporter and readers. Take the time to prepare your key points ahead of time and never stray from your main message, and you’ll always be ready for your media moment.