media training Archives - Clapperton Media

We recently had a chat with a colleague who had a familiar dilemma: how do you make LinkedIn posts engaging when you have to talk about a product?

The colleague’s concern was valid — they didn’t want to bore their audience by focusing only on features and specifications. They wanted to post something more engaging, something that resonated. And they were right to think that way. In the world of press releases as well as social media, people will switch off if you start talking about products for which they are not searching.

Whenever possible, content — whether for LinkedIn or the press — should be built around issues and client pain points, not the product itself. That’s what connects.

But in media relations, things aren’t always that simple. Sometimes there is a product launch that needs attention, and unless the client happens to be Apple, Samsung or Google (where “a company known for making phones is going to make another phone” is apparently thrillint), it can be difficult to make that story sparkle.

Or so it seems.

Issues with wheels

To illustrate the point, one of our trainers tried to think of the dullest but most useful product imaginable — and searched for a picture of a wheel.

Thousands appeared. Car wheels, bicycle wheels, haycart wheels, even the London Eye. It turns out that a wheel isn’t dull at all — it depends entirely on the story you tell about your wheel.

If you’re trying to attract a journalist’s attention to a new wheel, you need to explain what makes your wheel in particular matter. What problem does it solve that other wheels don’t? Who benefits from it, and how? Is there a bigger market trend around wheels that you could comment on?

Of course, even then, not every journalist will be interested. That’s where Plan B comes in: stop talking about the product altogether, and start talking about the issues it solves — the problem it fixes for your audience.

A wheel, after all, helps people travel farther than they can walk. A bicycle wheel adds exercise to the equation. A car wheel might improve safety or reduce costs if it’s more durable. Each story is different because each audience is different.

And that’s the key.

Whether you’re writing a press release or a LinkedIn post, the focus should always be on the reader, not the writer. The best messages are about the audience’s challenges and aspirations, not the speaker’s achievements.

A useful exercise is to review your own content — LinkedIn posts, website copy, even pitch emails — and ask: Is this about us, or about them? If it’s too much about you, reframe it around your ideal client’s needs and concerns.

Don’t expect instant results — the payoff is in the quality of the engagement you attract, not the quantity.

In both media training and communications, the same truth applies: the message that resonates isn’t about what you sell — it’s about the issue you address. And if you’ve read the market right then your target readers will recognise themselcves immediately you start talking about those issues.

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.

Why Internal Storytelling Doesn’t Always Travel

One of the challenges many PR professionals face is persuading clients that not every internal update makes a good media story. Announcements such as a new director of sales, a departmental restructure, or the launch of a new division can feel highly significant to those inside the organisation. But the wider world doesn’t always share that perspective.

If you’re writing for a niche trade publication, where readers may directly interact with the new team or product, storytelling like that may well resonate. In broader contexts, however, it’s often less compelling.

That’s why we encourage clients to use what we call the “window exercise.” Imagine standing by your office window and looking out onto the street. Internally, the announcement may feel vital. But if you were to stop a passer-by and explain it, why should they care? Too often, the honest answer is that they wouldn’t. Their reaction would likely be a shrug.

The Reverse Window Exercise: Finding Hidden Gems

This exercise isn’t just about tempering client enthusiasm. It’s also about uncovering stories that organisations overlook because they’re too close to their own work. Many businesses assume their day-to-day activities are routine or unremarkable. In fact, they may be sitting on powerful stories that only need reframing to shine.

A Case Study: Turning Dry Tech into a Tangible Narrative

Years ago, we worked with a company specialising in data compression – at a time when information had to be stored locally on devices rather than in the cloud. When asked about potential stories, the company insisted they had none. They could cite impressive compression ratios and technical statistics, but saw nothing newsworthy.

On further probing, however, they revealed that one of their largest clients was the US Navy. Their technology had enabled the Navy to take all ship blueprints and manuals – previously cumbersome, paper-based, and slow to access – and make them searchable on handheld devices.

This was a game-changer. Instead of crawling in and out of hazardous, hard-to-reach spaces multiple times to check instructions, engineers could carry everything with them. It saved hours, reduced risks, and made naval operations more efficient.

What the company saw as “just another contract” was, in reality, a story of innovation that saved time, money, and even lives. It was all in the storytelling – they assumed it was pretty routine. We didn’t.

Why PR Professionals Play a Crucial Role

This example underlines the value PR professionals bring when they step back and ask the right questions. Clients may fixate on what matters internally, but skilled communicators can spot the external hook – the part that connects to wider audiences and makes journalists sit up.

The window exercise works both ways:

Outward-facing: It helps curb unrealistic expectations when clients want coverage for something only meaningful inside their business.
Inward-facing: It helps uncover hidden gems – stories that clients assume are mundane but can be framed as innovative, impactful, or human-centred.

Top 3 Tips for PR Professionals

Use the Window Exercise Regularly
Ask: would a passer-by care about this story? If the answer is no, you may need to reframe it or accept it’s an internal comms piece.
Dig Beneath the Routine
Clients often undersell themselves. Probe gently with questions like: “Who benefits from this?” or “What’s the biggest change it has enabled?” The real story often emerges from impact, not process.
Translate Features into Human Benefits
Statistics and technical achievements may impress internally, but journalists and readers connect with outcomes. Always ask: how does this save time, money, or improve lives?

Final Thought

Every organisation has stories worth telling – but they’re not always the ones clients expect. As PR professionals, your role is to help them distinguish between internal milestones and external impact. By applying simple perspective-shifting exercises, you can guide them to craft narratives that resonate, inspire, and land with journalists.

The next time a client insists that a new hire or internal restructure deserves front-page coverage, invite them to look out the window – and then look inward. They may just find that their most compelling story is the one they never thought to tell.

You’re a public relations professional and you’ve secured some coverage for your client. They are going to meet a journalist but they don’t appear willing to practice for the interview. Here’s a strategy that might help.