In a media training session with the head of a government agency, we were practising a tough but fair question.
They answered it accurately.
Carefully.
Exactly as they’d been advised to.
But it didn’t land.
It sounded controlled. Slightly guarded. Not wrong, just hard to trust.
We stopped. Reset.
I asked them to answer the exact same question again. But this time, as if they were explaining it to the people affected by the situation (details blurred for confidentiality), rather than to a media adviser sitting beside them.
Same facts.
Same boundaries.
Same message.
Better tone, more authenticity, greater empathy.
Completely different result.
That’s the thing people often miss about media training. It’s not just about what you say.
It’s about how it sounds when pressure is added.
Sometimes the fix is removing the invisible handbrake that comes on when people think they’re “doing media”.
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Why train with ThinkBox?
At ThinkBox Media we believe in Strategic Customised Training. This means your training will be developed specifically for you; your industry, your concerns, your real scenarios.
A mining executive is not likely to face the exact same issues as a doctor, a government minister or a not-for-profit organisation. One Size fits all trainings do not work.
Some people need a lot of time to improve their performance, others get stuck on the messaging. Many bigger companies already have some bases covered by their own comms teams freeing up more time to focus on the practical skills.
Often a one-on-one training in required, other times small or larger groups may provide a more cost effective option for a team.
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