When the media come knocking…

As part of the b5 media Apprentice contest, we’ve been following the (mis)adventures of Kay and her new start up business of children’s chef hats and aprons. Read more about Kay here.

When we last left Kay, she had a scare with the Chinese made buttons she used on the children’s chef clothes she made. She tested her buttons and they are lead free.

So the PROs advised Kay to get proactive. We suggested she organized a “Get Lead Out of Toys Day” and wrote a great press release. (The press release was written by one of my fabulous interns, by the way!) As a result, the media are now coming to her for interviews. But she’s unsure if an interview is a good idea.

The tips came from a number of bloggers at b5’s Business Channel, including me. Here are our top five tips for Kay:

1. Learn More About the Reporter & The Newspaper
2. Be Prepared
3. Be Ready With Your Own Visuals
4. Stay Focused On Your Objective
5. Take a breath and think before you speak

Celine at Pimp Your Work has done an excellent roundup of interview tips: when you are your company’s mouthpiece.

I also offered a great resource for any business owner who may be interviewed: a interview prep sheet I use with my clients. If you want a copy of the sheet, send an email to prep at cherrycommunications dot com.