Interview

The phone rings, and there’s a journalist on the line. What do you do? You tell him you’ll call back. First of all, it’s a matter of principle. No journalist can expect that a busy executive like you could spontaneously find the time to talk to him. By the way, how did this person get through to you anyhow? Might you have been too liberal in giving out your cell phone number? Perhaps it’s time to get a new one and restructure your contact system. But let’s get back to that journalist. You told him you’d call back, preferably stating a time. Now consider calling your press department. In most cases, that’s a good idea.

They will know who the journalist is, or they’ll find out for you. They will also find out what he is working on and what he expects from you. Will he be filing an interview? Or just some quotes? Or mere background? Would his story involve more than one industry representative? Is this a deadline-bound story? Whichever way, you now have time to think of what you want to say. And no, you don’t really need to know the journalist’s questions to do that. Your answers are more important than his questions. Though you may not always get away with skirting a question, you might, and it’s often worth a try. And there’s another reason to prepare your answers. Technically, a journalist cannot quote you without authorization. But in practice, a journalist can quote whatever you say, as long as he does not bend it totally out of shape. So preparation is the key, even in telephone interviews. You can make sure you have the right answers, and you certainly should, whatever the questions.