Tips for Interview Talking Points

It’s incredibly important to prepare in advance for an interview with the press. You’ll want to have an idea of what you’re going to say before you say it. You want to come off polished, professional and present – with your ideas and thoughts pulled together for a cohesive dialogue.

Even the most seasoned experts need to channel their thoughts in order to properly articulate – and talking points can help! Below you’ll find valuable information to incorporate into your talking points that will have you interview-ready!

1. One of the most important things to have in your talking points will be SCORE messaging. You can find general SCORE Media Talking Points here. Incorporating SCORE into your talking points helps promote brand awareness and visibility, especially for reporters who may be less familiar with the organization. The main goal is to have SCORE mentioned in the reporter’s article in addition to providing your expertise and knowledge.
   
   
2. When you’re drafting your points, be sure to include them in a strategic order of when you want to address certain topics – if you’re extra nervous, they can be used as a guide for the conversation to help you stay on track.
   
   
3. Keep your points relatively short, no more than three sentences and about 5-8 bullet points total. You want the conversation to flow organically, so keep your talking points on the shorter side to ensure you remember the message points you want to discuss. Talking points are NOT a script, though.
   
   
4. Include ALL of the key points you want to address in your talking points. This will ensure you are focused. Staying focused and concise is key.
   
   
5. Once you’ve written your points out, review and practice. Review our resource I’ve Got the Interview, Now What? to help you “set the stage.” This will ensure that you’re comfortable with what you’re going to discuss with the reporter.
   
   
6. You should already know the general topics the reporter wants to cover beforehand. You may even be able to get questions ahead of the interview – a nice courtesy if offered but not necessary. Whether you receive questions ahead of time or not, talking points should be in response to potential questions you anticipate the reporter asking based on the topic.

As always, our public relations team (media@score.org) is here to provide additional guidance as needed. Thank you for sharing your chapter’s success and accomplishments!