Keep It Real: The 10 Best Tips From Michelle Obama's Speaking Coach

Keep It Real: The 10 Best Tips From Michelle Obama’s Speaking Coach

I was recently lucky enough to spend a Saturday at the Women’s Media Center for a media training organized for members of The FBomb’s editorial board. We worked on social media with Sireen Mitchell, Director of Web and Interactive Media at the Women’s Media Center, and on message development, interview techniques, and on-camera presence with Chris Jahnke, a speaking coach who has worked with Michelle Obama and Hillary Clinton. Both women were absolutely awesome and I learned more in those six hours than I have in months.

While I can’t share everything with you in one post, it’d be pretty selfish of me not to share a few pearls of wisdom. Below are the 10 must-see tips for dealing with media that I compiled together just for you!

1. Reject Negativism

When dealing with reporters, listen for negativism in questioning. If a question is asked in a negative way, pull out the key aspects of the question and rephrase it in such a way that you can approach it from a positive angle. Reporters love crisis and conflict, but that doesn’t mean that you have to feed into it.

2. Off-The-Record Does Not Exist

Nothing is completely off-the-record. If you don’t want what you are about to say published/tweeted/posted/or otherwise shared, just don’t say it.

3. Interview the Interviewer

If someone calls himself or herself a reporter or a journalist, it does not mean that they are automatically someone that you should talk to. Ask questions and a lot of them, before you answer any.

4. Always Say “Thank You”

Even if you didn’t enjoy it, thank the media people you work with. This doesn’t mean that you have to ingratiate yourself to them, but they decide what story gets published. Don’t be a jerk and piss them off.

5. Tell Stories

Personal narratives make the best news stories because they fuel personal connection. Dot your message with stories to keep it engaging.

 6. But Keep Them Short

The average sound bite is less than 10 seconds. Speak in short sentences and keep your stories succinct to make cutting your story a minimal pain in the ass.

7. Don’t Try To Sound Too Cool

Be careful of using slang or jargon in any form of media, including pieces you write yourself. Speak to people in a way that they’ll understand so that they spend their time listening, not wishing for urban dictionary.

8. Never Wear Tight Patterns On Camera

It’s been said a million times but people still do it. Whether it’s for NBC or a Youtube video, never wear stripes, checks, or anything similar on camera. If you do, your shirt will look like it has come alive on you and started dancing erratically. That’s not a cute look.

9. Engage, Engage, Engage

No matter how many interviews you do or articles you’re featured in, the best press doesn’t compensate for a lack of interaction with your fans. Choosing to not engage on social media undermines your role as an expert and minimizes your potential influence.

10. Be You.

The most important thing in any interaction with the press is to have a unique point of view. The best way to have a unique point of view is to be you. Be your most authentic and true self with a little bit of polish on!