Three Important Techniques

A lot of times while giving interviews to the media, you get stuck somewhere or get caught in a tricky situation. Following are three important techniques to remember while talking to the media, and am sure you will never have a problem again when faced with a situation. These help you channel or focus the conversation into a direction that you would like to take.

Technique #1: Bridging
Bridging is a technique you can use to change the subject from one topic to another. It is not avoiding a question by answering another question. Rather, it is responding to the reporter's questions as honestly and concisely as possible and then moving over to a more relevant topic.

For example:
- A reporter asks you a question about something that is not your area of expertise. You can bridge by saying, “That's not something I'm qualified to talk about, but I can tell you about...” Then bridge to the points you want to make.
- As you become more familiar with the technique, you will find many ways to bridge.

Technique #2: Hooking
Hooking is a technique that you can use to 'set up' or influence the next question to be asked. In essence, you can 'hook' the reporter into asking you a question you specifically want to answer.

For example:
“There are two critical things you should know about the company.” The reporter is in essence ‘hooked’ into asking you about both aspects of the product.

Technique #3: Flagging
Flagging is a way of helping someone remember what you would like him to remember. It is a technique for underscoring or prioritising what is important, either through repetition or by saying, “The most important thing I want to tell you is...”

For example:
- President Nixon used a flag that virtually everyone will recognise. He used it so often that it became a trademark. Whenever he was about to make a key point, Nixon would say, “Let me make one thing perfectly clear...” That became a signal for editors that he was about to make his major point.
- Other flags might be:
“If there's one thought I would like to leave with you...”
“The two key points I would like to make...”