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How to handle the sofa interview

Don’t get lulled into a false sense of security by the comfy looking sofa when you are invited into a television studio.

You are there to do an interview and it is an opportunity to get your message across with energy and dynamism.

In this video, one of our expert trainers, Victoria Smith, a working journalist and television presenter, has a few tips to ensure the interview is a success and you make the right impression.

What to wear for a TV interview

Your organisation is in the news and the communications team has put you forward as the spokesperson for a television interview.

You have had your media training, are well briefed and feeling confident that you can deliver the key message.

But do you know what to wear for television and what clothing you should avoid?

Victoria Smith has some tips to help you dress for a successful TV appearance.

Media training: Down the line interviews

Down the line interviews are becoming increasingly common, particularly on 24 hour news channels.

These can feel particularly awkward for the interviewee as you cannot see the person you are talking to.

But that should not stop you from producing a professional and engaging interview.

One of our expert trainers Elis Colton, a working journalist and television presenter, has some tips to help you nail the tricky down the line interview.

Delivering a good sound bite in a pre-recorded interview

Being asked for a sound bite during a pre-recorded interview is a great opportunity to get your message across clearly and concisely.

Easier said than done?

Don’t worry. One of our expert trainers, Elisa Colton, a working journalist and television presenter, has some key tips to help you deliver a great sound bite.

How should you communicate when a crisis strikes your organisation?

How should you communicate when a crisis strikes your organisation? In this short video, journalist and trainer Victoria Smith outlines what needs to be included in your crisis communication and the importance of responding quickly.

How to handle a doorstep interview

Could you cope with journalists gathering outside your front door? Doorstep interviews are particularly daunting and have tripped up many spokespeople. In this short video, journalist and trainer Elisa Colton steers you through the best approach to take in this situation.

The importance of brand image

What’s your brand image? Do you have a good reputation among your customers and the media? In this short video, journalist and trainer Victoria Smith outlines why brand image is crucial and how a good reputation can be maintained during a crisis.

The importance of preparing for your presentation

You are a newly elected councillor and want to communicate with your audience. Chances are you will have to do this through the media at some point. So how do you get it right and come across the way you want to be perceived?

In this video our expert trainer Elisa Colton, a working journalist and television presenter, shows how preparation is key and introduces you to the bridging technique.

Effective use of Powerpoint

We have all sat through dreary PowerPoint led presentations where the audience has struggled to stay awake.

Yet when we come to preparing our own presentation, the first thing many of us do is work on our slides rather than focus on what we want to say.

In this video, our journalist tutor Victoria Smith looks at how you can use PowerPoint more effectively in your presentations so you make an impact for the right reasons.

Overcoming fear in your presentations

How do you get over that awful nervous feeling when you get up to speak to an audience? It happens to us all; even the more accomplished speakers suffer.

In this video Elisa Colton, one of our expert trainers, gives some tips to help you overcome those nerves.

Presentation skills: The importance of structure

When presentations don’t flow the audience gets lost and switches off. Consequently, the opportunity to get your messages across successfully has gone.

Structuring you presentations is key to avoid your audience having to sit through a disorganised and frustrating ramble. As a presenter you need to know where you are going – and so does the audience.

In this video, Elisa Colton, one of our expert trainers, gives you some tips to help you get your presentation structure right.

The importance of pitch, pace and tone

Delivering your key message in a dull, flat, monotone way will ensure it falls on deaf ears.

You need to inject passion, enthusiasm and energy in your voice to engage the audience during the interview.

In this video, one of our expert trainers, Elisa Colton, a working journalist and television presenter, gives you some tips to ensure you make the right impact with your voice.

The importance of body language

Viewers judge a person in the first 30 seconds of watching a programme and body language is a crucial factor in making a positive impression.

In this video, Elisa Colton, a working journalist and television presenter, gives you some tips to get your body language right so that you come across as confident and credible.

Grab them from the start: Why impact matters

You have between 3 and 10 seconds to get that all important first impression right when you enter a room or head out on stage. So it is vital you engage your audience from the start.

In this video our trainer Elisa Colton, gives some tips on how to instantly gain an audience’s attention.