Ask These Questions When Journalists Call

Entrepreneurs want journalists to be interested in their businesses, but can often be intimidated by the prospect of dealing with the media.  There’s really no need. Ask these questions when journalists call:

Ask the journalist:

• What do you need?
• What’s your deadline?
• Where can I reach you?

Then, whatever you’re doing, explain to them that you’re in the middle of something and you’ll call them back in a couple of minutes. In addition to getting a direct contact number for the journalist, taking a couple minutes allows you to ask yourself the following questions:

Ask yourself

• Can I meet deadline?
• Am I best person to talk?
• Do I want to talk?
• What are the three points I want to make
• Will coverage help grow my business?
• What are the risks?

Taking a couple of minutes to go through this checklist allows you to take a deep breath and think about whether you can add value to both the journalist and your business. It also avoids any off-the-cuff comments that could do damage to both your personal reputation and that of your startup or small business.

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