How to Handle a Press Interview

Don't say things that are clearly bullshit. I'd rather hear a 'no comment' than an outright lie. Example: I once asked a CEO who had laid off most of his staff how many employees he had left. His response after an awkward pause: "I don't know". Uh, right.

Stats are great and can definitely help your cause, but don't take them from an obscure source or try to make them sound better than they are.

Regarding the competition: know who's out there, what they're doing, and how you're different. If I ask you about the competition and you say you're not sure, I know you're either lying or incompetent.

Also, to the people saying that it's okay to ask about seeing an article before publication, let me reiterate: don't do it. It immediately makes me think you're a jackass, even if you do it politely.

If you know your website or company has a major flaw, you're taking a risk whenever you try to hide it. If the journalist misses it, then great. But if we stumble across it later then there's a good chance we'll get annoyed. I prefer a tactic that lawyers tend to use: preempt the tough questions by pointing out your flaws ahead of time and explain how you're going to fix them.

* If you can talk knowledgably and interestingly about the the industry and a bit of technology, apart from your specific products do so - if asked. Journalists are always on the look out for knowledgable people who can tell them little bits of information about what is going on in their patch. It is fairly easy to build up a decent rapport with an journalist if you're a domain expert.

This one was not mentioned at all:

* Know the journalist. Not all journalists are created equal, so find out a bit about what he/she has written previously. Is (s)he a tech geek? interested in the business side? After user case-stories? Where are they in terms of experience - a new staff writer who would welcome a bit of hand-holding in the technology, or an old lag who knows the industry backwards?

Knowing this can make all the difference.

In terms of showing copy, I never did. But if you have someone who you think is a bit wobbly on some aspects of the story it does no harm to say: "If you want me to have a quick look through once your done and check the detail, it's not a problem".

Regarding the advice: "journalists are generally not out to trick you or trip you up." Well actually some of us are, a bit. Particularly when presented with a glossy, to-good-to-be-true presentation, the natural inclination is to look for problems. We don't (well I didn't) like writing puff pieces. So we'll use our smarts to say "well what about this?".

Try to be straight forward when answering these kind of questions: Someone saying: "yes, you're right that is a potential problem, we are looking at it and in the meantime there's a workaround that - while not elegant - does the trick" ALWAYS works better than blushing, getting aggressive or whatever.

Finally - don't try power hand-shakes. During the '80s bloody U.S. execs always turned hand-shakes into an arm wrestling match. Occassionally, I just used to say: "ouch" it always put them off their stride wonderfully.

Only thing I would add (and maybe this is a personal thing) is that you should be prepared to answer slightly technical questions about how your product works. If the person giving the interview isn't qualified, then it's great if there's also an engineer on the line. You would be amazed at how many VPs of Marketing don't know how their products work beyond what it says in the marketing materials.

One of the books available at my public library, which I felt was helpful is this one: http://www.amazon.com/Make-Most-Every-Media-Appearance/dp/00...

If that book isn't available, get any book you can from the library and/or local bookstore on media appearances. The skill you use when interviewing for a job isn't that different from being interviewed by a journalist.

One of the essential points is that you have a few (hopefully compelling) set of "talking points." The ranter called it "stick religiously to some pre-cooked three point memo and ignore all other questions". Sticking to them "religiously" is wrong, but having 3 (and three is an extremely powerful storytelling number) points is important. The key is to not sound like a drone reading a powerpointless slide.

As for the "off the record" remark... nothing is off the record. Ever. You might say it is, but it will get printed anyway if the editor wants it in.

I've always asked to see articles before publication, and have never had any problems with it. I have, however, caught a few mistakes that have been corrected before they went out. Nothing like seeing your company name spelled wrong...