This past week has included a lot of media training sessions for me. I’ve facilitated some of them, been a participant in some of them, and even had the chance to design one of them. These are a regular part of a communications professional’s diet, but this week reminded me of the importance of one key rule about working with the media: Be Yourself.
TV cameras or digital recorders, much like 360-degree mirrors, have a funny impact on all of us. They force us to take a deep and honest look at who we are, how we appear to the outside world, and how our message sounds once it leaves our mouths. It can be a lot more honesty than some people are ready for. As I sat in a room at a PR firm this week in downtown DC and watched a series of recordings of my sample interviews, I started an internal inventory of things I wanted to change and would rather not show the world. I think it’s a pretty common reaction for anyone who wants to be an effective spokesperson. Inside I was saying, “I’m being harsh on myself, but it’s only natural — but it will make me better in getting my message across.”
But as I found myself a few days later facilitating a media training, I realized just how unproductive this line of thinking can be. I wanted people to care less about how they were reading on camera and more about how they were being true to their personal brand, their message, and what they believe in. I kept reminding people that the best way to be an effective spokesperson is to be yourself. A messenger that is authentic will always convey the best message. And the best PR people will always put in front of a camera or introduce to a reporter the people who are most at ease with themselves.
So every time I heard myself invite people to “just be yourself” I took this on as a renewed personal challenge. There are plenty of things we can do to hone our message and improve our on-camera skills…but the best communication is always real and comfortable. It may be easier said than done, but we could all stand a little more “Be Yourself” in our communications today.