The now infamous 4 corners interview with Woolworths CEO Brad Banducci earlier this week, serves as a reminder to all senior executives across industry, institutions and the professions, that being properly prepared for media interviews is critical.
An interview with 4 Corners was never going to be an easy going, friendly chat, so Banducci should have fully expected penetrating questions and a full interrogation. In fact, I advise execs to prepare for tough questions even if the interview is positioned as a friendly feature.
If you say yes to an interview, put the time n to prepare. Not only to get your facts ready, but to get your mindset right. At KDPR we put clients through a rigorous interview session ahead of key interview opportunities such as this. Prep them for a worst-case scenario. That way, my clients are ready for anything, and know how to manage the situation in lieu of walking out, which of course then becomes the headline. It pays to have a formal journalist as your media trainer, to properly put you through your paces.
Explore media training at KDPR here.