Whether you’re navigating interviews, Q&A sessions, or engaging in conversations with stakeholders, mastering the art of media training can be the key to success as it keeps the focus ON the things you want to talk about and AWAY from those you don’t.

Here are three key tips I learnt in media training to elevate your communication game:

1. Know your North Star

The key to a good Q&A is don’t answer the question you’re asked, answer the question you wish you were asked. If there’s a crucial message you want to get across, that’s your North Star. Practice answering questions that lead you back there.

Then if they keep commenting on something trivial or something you don’t know well, you can bring the conversation back to what matters.

2. Don’t speak for others.

If somebody says “You must be shocked by your competitors’ collapse” don’t take the bait. Instead say you’ll let that person comment on their situation, and then bring the conversation back to your area of focus.

3. Have command of two or three recent statistics that support your perspective.

You don’t need to be a walking encyclopaedia, but a few stats are very compelling. Make sure they are no more than two or three years old, and that you can cite your sources.

What More Can You Do?

While the strategies above are indispensable, there’s always room for refinement. Here are a few additional tips to enhance your performance during Q&A sessions and interviews:

4. Active Listening: Pay close attention to the questions posed to you. Understanding the intent behind each query allows you to tailor your responses more effectively.

5. Authenticity: Stay true to your brand and values. Authenticity resonates with audiences far more than rehearsed or scripted responses.

6. Bridge Techniques: Master the art of bridging—seamlessly transitioning from the question asked to the point you wish to convey. This technique allows you to maintain control over the conversation.

7. Practice, Practice, Practice: Like any skill, effective communication requires practice. Engage in mock interviews, seek feedback, and continuously refine your approach.

By harnessing these insights and refining your communication skills, you’ll be better equipped to give interviews which drive your vision forward with clarity and conviction.

What else would you add? What do you find helps when you’re involved in Q&A sessions or interviews?

Glossophobia. A cute name for a frankly crippling problem – the fear of public speaking.

There’s a theory that it’s rooted in evolution. At one point, if you found you had 20 pairs of eyes staring at you, chances are you were either going to be eaten or beaten . . . so feeling scared was definitely the correct response!

Depending on which source you believe it affects anything from 25% to 75% of us (me included!).

So how do you deal with this anxiety?

I asked my network on Linkedin what they do when they’re scared of public speaking. Their messages and advice was brilliant and included:

• Chewing gum before you stand up/go on stage to help regulate breathing
• Visualising success – run through the scenario in your head where the presentation goes well and the audience loves you
• Focus on the content of the presentation and not the audience (although I’m not sure about this one, surely the audience are the important people here?)
• Use the adrenaline and nerves to make you better (!)
• Create your own confidence by REALLY knowing your stuff
• Mindfulness
• . . . and of course the classic tactic of picturing the audience naked.

The main piece of advice though was practice, practice, practice.

How do you handle public speaking?

The ability to communicate well is an important skill for any Product or Business Development Manager. This means, among other things, that you should be able to present about your solution fluently and to different stakeholders, who will require a different level of information.

A persuasive presentation not only requires thorough preparation of content, but also good style. It takes considerable skill to come across coherently for any particular audience and to stay in control of the situation. For this purpose, the following 7 tips may offer some guidance to help you on the way to delivering a memorable presentation.

1. Show your Passion and Connect with your Audience

But time and again, the great presenters say that the most important thing is to connect with your audience, and the best way to do this is to let passion for your solution shine through.

Be enthusiastic and honest, and the audience will respond.

2. Focus on your Stakeholders Needs

As you prepare the presentation, you always need to bear in mind what your stakeholders need and what they want to know, not what you can tell them.

Don’t show your homework, just because it makes you feel good.

3. Keep it Simple: Concentrate on your Core Message

You should be able to communicate that key message very succinctly.

Always have in mind what are the core three points I want to get across?

4. Start Strongly you have 3 minutes to impress

The first three minutes, as when you first meet someone, is so important to a presentation. So smile, make eye contact and make sure the first 3 minutes of the presentation holds the stakeholders attention. Make them laugh!!

Think of a story that is relevant at the start of the presentation which will hold the audience.

5. Don’t use the presentation as a script

Don’t bore the audience by ‘Death by Powerpoint’. By all means use the presentation as a reminder, but do this in as fewer words as possible and use images if you can.

Remember you want your stakeholders to listen to you, not be deciphering what the slides are saying.

6. Tell stories

The best presenters are raconteurs , who can tell a story about the subject and keep an audiences attention. We all relate to stories, we also remember things better through stories.

Make your story funny and about you.

7. Relax and enjoy

Many people find it hard to relax and enjoy a presentation, but your body language and the speed you speak will have a major effect on the stakeholders perception if you know your subject and also if you can get a message across. Breath, and slow your delivery of the presentation down.

Remember you know more about your solution than your stakeholders