This morning I was halfway through a full day of media training — four delegates before lunch, five in the afternoon, all online. At one point, one of the delegates paused after a question and said:
“I’m glad you asked me that.”
He meant it. The question had landed right in his sweet spot, giving him the chance to shine.
Moments like that are great, but in truth they’re often a fluke. In real interviews, you can’t count on the journalist asking what your client wants to be asked.
That’s why, if you want to get the most value out of media training, the focus shouldn’t just be on the comfortable questions. PR professionals can add real impact by briefing trainers on the questions their clients don’t want to hear.
Start with the hard stuff
A simple but powerful exercise is to ask your client: “What do you really hope you’re not asked in an interview?” Once you have the answer, make that the starting point. Ask it in the training. Push them to answer. Refine the response. Ask it again. Repeat until they’re confident.
It might feel uncomfortable. The client might even leave the session thinking they’ve been put through the wringer. But that’s the point. A tough training room is infinitely better than being blindsided on live radio or TV.
Better tough now than unprepared later
Media training isn’t about rehearsing easy wins — it’s about preparing spokespeople for the moments that really matter. A well-handled difficult question can build trust and credibility far more than a polished soundbite ever will.
So next time a client asks you about media training, or even just about how an interview is likely to go, start here: what’s the one question they really don’t want to be asked? That’s where real preparation begins.
