Both interviewees and interviewers need to make the most out of their limited time by ensuring effective communication and delivering valuable content to their audience. That’s one reason that pre-approved question areas are so popular. It can save time and cut down on the pressure of the interview. It does, however, come with a few caveats.
What Are Pre-Approved Questions?
These are simply a set of questions areas that are shared with the interviewee before the actual interview takes place. They are usually carefully crafted by the interviewer or media representative, ensuring that key topics or areas of interest are covered.
What are the Advantages?
- Knowing the question areas in advance allows you to thoroughly prepare your responses. You can research, gather supporting information, and coherently organise your thoughts. This in turn should boost your confidence, enabling you to deliver your key messages more effectively during the interview.
- Agreed question areas enable you to align your responses with your overall messaging strategy in a wider sense. It gives you the chance to refine talking points, ensuring consistency across various interviews or media platforms. This is particularly important if you are being interviewed by several outlets.
- Miscommunication can occur due to a variety of reasons, including nervousness, ambiguity in questions and general misunderstandings. Pre-approved question areas provide a framework for you to understand the interviewer’s expectations clearly.
What are the Disadvantages?
One of the main drawbacks of pre-approved question areas is the potential loss of spontaneity. There is a risk that your answers may become rehearsed and lack the genuine authenticity that spontaneous responses can bring. This can result in an interview that feels scripted and less engaging for the audience. In some cases, it can even weaken the impact of your messaging.
How Media Training Can Help
Media training helps you to articulate your messages concisely and effectively. It enables you to identify key points, create impactful sound bites, and compellingly convey their intended message, aligning it with the overall messaging strategy.
You can gain valuable experience in handling different interview formats and scenarios when you undertake media training. You get the chance to practice responding to pre-approved questions while still maintaining an element of spontaneity and authenticity. This should help you become more comfortable and adaptable during media interviews.
Media training can teach you simple techniques to infuse spontaneity into their prepared answers. That could include introducing storytelling, using analogies and metaphors or how to engage with the interviewer more conversationally.
Pre-approved question areas in media interviews offer both advantages and disadvantages. While they can enhance confidence, ensure message consistency and reduce the risk of miscommunication, they can also limit spontaneity, potentially compromise authenticity and restrict more challenging questions.
If you want to leverage this interview format, media training is essential, helping you to strike a balance between preparedness and spontaneity.