Politicians often appear to be skilled at handling interviews because they receive extensive media training and coaching. This training is designed to help them effectively communicate their messages, stay on point, and navigate potentially tricky or challenging questions.
Here are a few reasons why politicians may appear to be good at interviews:
1. Media Training: Politicians typically undergo media training to learn techniques for delivering their messages effectively. They are taught strategies such as staying on message, bridging to preferred topics, and deflecting difficult questions. These training sessions also help them develop skills like public speaking, body language, and voice modulation.
2. Preparation: Politicians and their teams invest significant time and effort in preparing for interviews. They research the interviewer, the media outlet, and potential questions that may arise. They gather facts, statistics, and talking points to support their positions. This preparation helps them feel more confident and enables them to respond to questions with well-prepared answers.
3. Messaging Discipline: Politicians often have carefully crafted messaging strategies to convey their policy positions, values, and political agendas. These messages are repeated consistently across various interviews, speeches, and public appearances. The repetition helps reinforce their ideas and makes it easier for them to stay on track during interviews.
4. Experience: Many politicians have extensive experience in public speaking and media engagements. Over time, they become more adept at handling different interview scenarios, anticipating questions, and effectively communicating their ideas. This experience allows them to remain composed, confident, and articulate during interviews.
5. Spokespeople and Media Advisors: Politicians usually have teams of communications professionals, including press secretaries and media advisors, who assist them in preparing for interviews. These experts provide guidance, review potential questions and answers, offer feedback on performance, and help strategise the politician’s media presence.
If you’re an executive or leader in the corporate, government or not-for-profit sector, you can also benefit hugely from considering the factors above when preparing to speak to your most important audiences. You may not have a big team of media advisors or speechwriters at your disposal, but it’s vital to get the support of your corporate affairs or communications team if you have one, or a trusted colleague to help you to workshop your messages. Media and presentation skills training is ideal for anyone who wants to work on better verbal communication and to improve their relationship with their organisation’s stakeholders.
If you want to improve your communication skills when being asked a question on a hot-button issue, engage with us by sending us an email at mediaman@commsmanoeuvres.com.au. We can definitely help you.
