Today, at 11:30 a friend Facebook chatted me to let me know that she had given a news station my contact information for a story they were doing. A minute later they called asking to come by the office in 15 minutes to do the interview. Not only did I have to pull myself together, I also needed to develop talking points for the interview!
GREAT!!!
When I woke up this morning I looked at my calendar and said “I have no meetings today…. no need to do makeup or hair…. and I wore jeans and a t-shirt that I got at a conference… Thankfully, I have an emergency kit at the office for these situations.
How to Always Be Prepared to Take Advantage of Media Opportunities
Here are some of the things that I do to always be prepared to take advantage of media opportunities:
1. Keep a Professional Change of Clothes Handy
I always keep a blazer, a Boot Camp Digital t-shirt and heels at my desk. This way if I have an emergency client meeting or media opportunity I can quickly transform myself into appropriate business attire.
2. Have Makeup and Hygiene products on hand
Looking your best isn’t just about your clothes…. I keep emergency toiletries at my office including makeup, deodorant, a toothbrush and mouthwash. I was able to quickly “put on my face” to jump into gear as soon as the opportunity came up.
3. Know some Interesting Stats
I always try to keep a few key/interesting statistics about social media in my head. Being able to quickly quote industry news and statistics in emergencies interviews makes me appear knowledgable. When the interview request came up I did some quick research and memorized 2 new stats that I could quote to appear as professional as possible.
4. Ask for Help
Other people can also be great resources for these opportunities. If you have time, post a question on Twitter to survey other people. I asked my team to research a few stats and dates that I wanted to mention.
5. Keep Your Workspace Presentable
So, this is one that I need to learn from 😉 Prior to the camera crew arriving I went into “CleanUp Mode” at the office…. I removed a collection of 9 coffee cups from my desk (yes seriously) and tidied up… It would have reduced my stress if we had a clean space to begin with. Also, consider creating a “press space” in your office. Somewhere that you can be filmed with your branding in the background.
Anyone else have tips?
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