Make the camera your ally

The year was 2008. I’d been a junior television reporter for four years. I was on the precipice of finally cracking the ‘big league’ by doing my first live cross on national television. I was based in Parliament House, Canberra. The topic was the Global Financial Crisis. With sweaty palms and debilitating nerves, I paced the halls of the Press Gallery in preparation, learning my lines off by heart. I had a marvellous spiel prepared, talking toxic assets, margin calls, share market blood baths and Australia’s AAA credit rating. Then, it was time to sit in the studio, look down the barrel of the camera and face my fears. I don’t remember the news anchor’s question, but my opening line was “Good Morning, Ron.” Which would have been fine, except the presenter’s name was actually Frank. Realising my error, I fumbled through two minutes of television, tripping over sentences, drawing blanks, shuffling notes and enduring utter humiliation. 

That debut was soon outdone a few months later. While again on live television, I meant to say, “Yemen is the latest terrorist hotspot,” I accidentally said, “Yemen is the latest terrorist hot tub.” Media Watch and The Project had a field day!  

Obviously, in time, I went on to become one of the slickest live broadcasters in the country. Certainly, the most humble… and sarcastic. 

The point is, TV is scary. I get it. I’ve been there. I’ve interviewed some of the highest-profile and wealthiest people in the world, many of whose bank balances are only surpassed by their intellect.  And yet, they still crash in an interview. Why? Because you don’t know what you don’t know. Managing the media is a genuine skill. One slip up, and it’s game over.  

There is tremendous thought, scope and strategy that underpins acing an interview. It’s an artform, but one well worth learning. Engaging with the media means your business and your brand will benefit in the form of raising your profile and articulating key messages that deliver positive outcomes.

Similarly, we live in a 24-hour news cycle where the news is not just constant, it’s instant. That means if you’re running a business, you need to be prepared at a moment’s notice for things to go pear-shaped. Effective crisis management is crucial. Proactive protocol is vital. Being prepared for a hit you hope never happens is essential.

That’s where the SAS Group comes in. We offer media training to teach you the tips and tools to navigate your way through an interview, press conference, podcast or presentation with confidence. We also excel at empowering you to tackle the trick questions with precision and ease, as well as avoiding metaphoric landmines like the one Vice President JD Vance tripped over recently. 

A CNN presenter asked Mr Vance what his thoughts were on a fellow Republican politician allegedly taking 50 thousand dollars in exchange for a favour. The visibly irritated Vice President’s response was, “I don’t know anything about a 50-thousand-dollar bribe.” BOOM! Just like that, the words “50-thousand-dollar bribe” venomously sprayed out of the VP’s mouth. Forget that he prefaced it with “I don’t know anything about” – he repeated the negative connotation, and that becomes the headline.  

This is just one example of a plethora of scenarios where a person can triumph or tank in an interview, depending on how they handle it. If you’d like to learn more about nailing interviews and harnessing free publicity, we are happy to help. I promise I will not call you ‘Ron’, and there will be no mention of terrorist hot tubs!