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What is media training?
Media training is all about increasing your comfort level so you can walk into any interview with confidence, knowing how to handle the most difficult questions, and how to control the interview so your story and your messages get told.
Our training is a rigorous, interactive workshop that improves your communications skills through practice, instant feedback and more practice. It’s not about hiding or manipulation. It’s about steering the dialogue in the direction you want it to go. It gives you the tools to be an effective storyteller and communicator, whether you are meeting with print or broadcast media. It shows you, through hands-on practice:
1. how to prepare for different kinds of interviews
2.
how to handle tough questions
3.
how to look and sound your best
4.
how to deal with the press when you’re facing a company crisis
5.
how to speak in sound-bites that get quoted.
Who needs media training?
All spokespeople, such as the CEO, CFO and CMO, must be media trained. When these people speak to reporters your reputation is at stake, and they must know what they’re doing. In addition, anyone who is permitted to speak for your business or agency who might possibly come into contact with the press can benefit from media training. This can even include staffers working at a trade show booth.
Everyone who interfaces with the media and/or industry influencers should be given at least a few hours of media training. High-level spokespeople should participate in full-day interactive trainings, with a shorter refresher training every year.
Why a China-focused training?
Dealing with the domestic media in China is a whole different ballgame than what you’re probably used to.
There are cultural sensitivities you need to be aware of, and there are traditions that may at first seem mystifying, such as giving a reporter a gift and transportation money. Chinese reporters have unique needs and expect that you will give them more than you would normally give Western media.
If you want to win positive coverage in China, you need an immersion session in the Chinese media culture and traditions. Failing to take local culture and traditions into account could be a fatal error.
How long does the training last?
Training times can vary widely. For CEO and top spokesperson training, we recommend an entire day. If this isn’t feasible a half-day training will suffice, but there will be less practice time. A full-day training is always recommended.
For staff who may have some contact with the media but who are not primary spokespeople, a couple of hours is adequate to go through the ropes and learn all the basics the need for handling press inquiries.
How many people can attend the training?
We’ve done trainings with just one executive, and others with an entire trade show staff of nearly 100. Obviously the fewer people in the group, the more time each participant will have for customized practice. For your high-level spokespeople, we recommend no more than five participants to the training.
Where do you hold your trainings?
We come to you and bring all the equipment we need; we ask only that you provide us with the display, such as a big-screen television set.
How much does your media training cost?
We offer a customized full-day nine-hour media training as well as a shorter four-hour version; both are charged on a flat-free basis. Much of the time differential between the two consists of the practice and role-playing that ensure the training becomes second nature for the executives involved.
Consulting on strategic planning and implemention is billed on an hourly basis. Packages of selected services can be customized to meet your needs.
Please contact us for a quote designed specifically for your requirements.
What do we get for the money?
China Media Strategies believes in less theory and more interaction. You’ll get full immersion in all you need to know about the media in China, both domestic and foreign correspondents, but the heart of the training is practice.
Practice sessions are videotaped and played back for instant review. Prior to the training all participants receive a pre-training questionnaire to ascertain their specific needs, and afterwards each receives a customized report on the progress they made, and what they can work on to improve.
In addition to the practice and instruction, a number of video clips are shown to illustrate examples of good and bad media relations, and the entire day is more of a forum than a class, with lots of questions, answers and dialogue. It’s rigorous, but it’s also a lot of fun.
Do you have previous clients and references?
Definitely. We have been working with companies on their China media relations since 2000 and would be happy to provide you with client references.
What do we do to get started?
Send us an email or call China Media Strategies at 602.281.4458. We will discuss your needs and determine the best program to meet them. |
