Media plays an outsize role in the trajectory of a celebrity or public figure’s career. Media training for celebrities and public figures equips them to manage the intricacies and inherent scrutiny of media interviews. And, if emcee duties or public speaking become part of the mix, they need to be covered. (Isn’t it interesting how many celebrities are weak public speakers?)
As a long-time celebrity coach, with a client list that includes five Oscar winners, the goal is always to gain the advantage through mastery of the most important role they play: themselves. By controlling public perceptions, distinguished professionals are able to attain or maintain status as a household name, and avoid being overlooked when opportunity arises.
So, you may be thinking, “I’m not a celebrity. What does this have to do with me?”
It has everything to do with you because unlike yesteryear, today, media is everywhere and how you show up counts. Not to put too fine a point on it, it’s a lot harder to come back from a media failure than getting it right from the get-go.
When I’m working on media training for celebrities and corporate executives, I focus on making sure they’re prepared for every question that comes their way, and you should be too. We especially focus on the nightmare questions. Those are the difficult questions, the ones you dread. It’s funny how many people just want to avoid those, but they’re the first questions that get asked because journalists find them so juicy. Think: clickbait.
A recent celebrity client had to deal with some controversy. For most people, the instinct would be to avoid it and to not allow questions around it. But I felt this person would benefit from confronting it head on. They agreed and it worked beautifully!
When you put yourself out there in the media, whether traditional or new, every word you say is subject to interpretation, so you need to know how your words could be perceived by others.
Most importantly, you need to be concise. Network broadcasts are generally very short; 3 minutes is common and the interviewer does most of the talking. But even for selfie videos, keeping your message short and taut is the key to viewership.
If you’re on camera, you should look comfortable and in command. There are ways to present yourself on video that differ from on live stages. This goes for broadcast interviews as well as for selfie videos, which also differ from each other.
Media training for celebrities is focused on helping them promote themselves and their current projects in the most positive ways.
Which is exactly what you are doing.