Expert media training in NYC
Whether you’re speaking on live television, in front of a large audience or among a small group of peers and colleagues, confidence and delivery are everything. As a veteran broadcast producer, Michael Sorrentino has over 10 years of experience working in national television and knows the ins and outs of a working newsroom, as well as the importance of having perfect delivery in front of any audience.
New and experienced communicators alike can benefit from media training, as speaking and presenting skills can always be adjusted and refined. Mike knows exactly what anchors, hosts and audiences are looking for in a spokesperson, and can teach essential tips, tricks and techniques that will transform anyone into a polished, effective and valuable speaker, both on and off the air.
Remote Media Training During COVID-19
The most common method of media training is doing a mock interview inside of a studio, emulating a real-world situation with bright lights, nervous energy and assorted distractions. It’s easy to mimic these realistic situations when you’re in a similar environment, and it gives you a true feel of how you would perform and react under pressure.
Through these in-person practice sessions, you are building muscle memory and working out the kinks in your on-air presentation skills.
But the COVID-19 pandemic changed all of that – and the pivot to remote media training brought a lot of unexpected benefits.
The media is doing many broadcast and digital streaming interviews from remote locations. Zoom is the new normal. It’s forced us to deal with the drawbacks and limitations of working from home – such as finding a room or a location in your home that has decent lighting, some texture in the background and adequate sound.
Additionally, most computer cameras are not full HD, and they’re no where near as good as broadcast cameras. But all these aspects of working from home have made media training so much more important because you must work even harder to get your message across – especially when distractions are more likely to happen, such as the sun coming through the window, dogs barking, car alarms, or children running in the background.
Another benefit has been the ease of scheduling remote media training sessions. Since we’re using technology, we no longer need to meet in a studio in-person, and we can choose a time that works best for you. We can do a quick 30-minute refresher before a live interview, which is more effective because it’s fresh in your mind before going on air. We are also able to record the session and play it back, allowing us to provide immediate feedback and allowing you to see your own progress.
While clients are returning to our production studio in Midtown, we’ve found remote media training to be a very successful method of getting the same understanding and appreciation for message delivery. If you have any questions about remote media training, don’t hesitate to reach out!
What is Media Training?
Simply put, this particular kind of communication training teaches individuals how to adjust their pitch, tone and body language, how to avoid common mistakes, and how to confidently tell their message or story in an appealing and strategic manner. The valuable advice and guidance a person obtains through media training will teach them key changes to make in the personal interactions between their host, interviewer or audience, as well as the overall delivery and flow of their speech.
Why is Media Training Important?
Even seasoned speakers and TV guests have found themselves feeling nervous and unsure just moments before going in front of a live audience.
Media training will help you deliver your message with confidence, credibility and poise, while feeling completely relaxed and in control. Many don’t realize that the simplest mannerisms or smallest choice of words can have a long-lasting, and at times detrimental, effect on how you present yourself and your message. Media training will teach you how to anticipate the questions of your host, avoid filler words such as “um” or “like,” and how to adjust your body language and tone of voice.
Michael has conducted numerous workshops for Google, training up-and-coming YouTube creators with 10,000-plus subscribers.
Additionally, your first TV interview is the most important, because if that first appearance doesn’t go well, there is little chance that you’ll have the opportunity to work with that network again. We want you to nail that first time in front of the camera! Working with us will teach you how to balance the fine line between answering the host in a way that will weave in your message organically, as opposed to pivoting the conversation back to your company after each question.
TV Guests & Broadcast Interviews
Be a thought leader! We use easy to understand visuals and graphics to convey your message, educate your audience, explain the issues, and show your expertise.
An explainer video is a great way to tell your company’s story and increase brand awareness in an impactful and memorable way. A message received via the use of visuals is more readily retained by an audience than that of messages received by only audio or text, making explainer videos incredibly effective and all the more essential in today’s media-driven world.
Facebook Live
As social media demands more from your team, companies are putting people on camera that have little or no experience. We work on maintaining your authenticity, confidence and credibility, while projecting to reach viewers and fans.
Public Speaking
Whether it’s the stage or the boardroom, confidence is everything. We work with clients to quickly spot development needs and address them with practice and custom mechanisms. Whether it’s the flow of your delivery or minor quirks that need to be adjusted, we will work with you on becoming the best speaker and presenter possible.
Reporters/Anchors
Seasoned TV anchors and reporters breaking in the digital world have to break old habits. Young reporters might understand the digital world better than TV veterans, but there’s still much to learn. No matter which category you fall under, Michael’s unique skill set brings TV sensibility together with a command of the digital landscape.
Panels and Conferences
By combining mock interviews with a focus on your messaging, we ensure that your delivery is on point. By nailing your first panel, it opens many new windows of opportunities for your career and personal growth. We’ll make sure you stand out among your peers and are invited back to the next conference.
Group Workshops
Our group workshops are a great way to build confidence in your team. We have worked with groups as small as two people, and others as large as one hundred. This is a fun and interactive session where we teach you team the basics of media. We begin by watching entertaining clips that showcase both good and bad TV interviews, teaching the things to do, and even more importantly, the things you definitely should not do as a guest speaker. We then break away with each member to conduct a mock interview, providing essential techniques and tips on a personal level.
Everyone receives clips from their mock interview and a tailored notes with tips for improvement. Each attendee comes away with a better understanding of meeting and presentation skills, as well as personalized advice for TV and print interviews.
TESTIMONIALS
What Clients Are Saying
“Michael was the ideal person to help our digital and print writers and editors feel more comfortable being on-camera. To produce an hour of live content for Facebook Live each day requires staffers to do 10-15 minutes of live content straight – no small feat for anyone really! Michael played a key role in the success of our broadcasts. His warm demeanor encouraged our team to try new things. I had several staffers approach me to tell me how wonderful it was to work with him, and what a great personality he has. Mike brings out the confidence in people, resulting in authentic, polished delivery. ”
Kimberly RittbergExecutive Producer of Video, Us Weekly
“At Contently we think it’s important to have both younger and seasoned executives participate in speaking and press engagements. Michael has been a great resource for getting them the speaking and media training they need. He makes them feel comfortable during the training process and we’ve seen great “improvement in their ability to confidently connect with audiences.”
Ann Fabens-LassenCommunications Manager, Contently
“Mike performed a fantastic media training session for over 30 of my colleagues across six different product groups within the company (not an easy task!). He was extremely knowledgeable, detail-oriented, and kind but honest with his feedback. All of my colleagues reported how much they enjoyed the session and how informative and important they found it. There’s no doubt that I will continue to hire him for future media training sessions and recommend him to anyone who asks”
Chrissy CarneyPR Director, The Mergermarket Group
“Michael is a hard working, sincere, passionate and very knowledgeable media professional. His years of experience assures he will be providing you expert feedback to get one thing: results”
Rob FletcherFounder, America’s Next Great Trainer
“Michael has done an incredible job working with my clients. He is truly a professional who provides total guidance in creating a confident and eloquent media personality. In just a class or two he can transform a beginner into an on-camera professional. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Mike to anyone who wants to make the jump to being in front of the camera”
Alix AbbamontePublicist
“Mike’s work with our team has tremendously improved our TV appearances, both in developing messaging and delivery. Group sessions are incredibly informative, fast-paced, and terrific team-building experiences. From first-timers to TV guest veterans, everyone on our team has benefited from working with Mike”
Lynn RaynaultVP Global Marketing, Wealth-X
“Two intense hours with Michael improved my on air performance by leaps and bounds. The “ums” are gone and the blinking has decreased. He also made it fun. If you want to be your best on camera, I highly recommend working with Michael”
Patricia Salber, MDHost, The Doctor Weighs In
“Michael’s instruction has been very helpful in preparing my clients for their media appearances. He is smart, knowledgeable and my clients love his approach”
John CummmingsPublicist
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Media Training FAQ
What are the benefits of media training?
Everyone benefits from media training – whether they are a seasoned speaker with years of experience, or a new speaker with little to no experience in speaking with media professionals. Since most do not realize that even the smallest mannerisms or word choices can have a detrimental impact on their overall message delivery and brand representation, it’s important to seek out the expert advice and coaching of a media trainer.
What’s more, if your first interview doesn’t go well, the chances of being asked to do another TV segment or interview in the future are slim. That’s why it’s important that your first time in front of the big screen is a success.
Media training will benefit speakers by improving their:
- Body language, posture, and hand gestures
- Tone of voice and pitch
- Use of filler words
- Self-confidence
- Delivery of message
How do I prepare for media training?
Whether you’re an expert in the art of speaking or are just starting out in your speaking career, our team can help hone your skills to get you to where you need to be. But there are a few things you can do in order to prepare for a media training session, such as:
- Know your story and prepare talking notes. You need to know your story so well that you can effortlessly guide the conversion back to your overall message no matter what question may arise.
- Anticipate questions. An interview doesn’t always go as planned, and questions may be thrown at you that you didn’t prepare for. It’s important to anticipate unplanned questions rather than being caught off guard.
- Expect distractions. Our team is going to do things that will distract you, just like on a real set. It may include loud bangs, people talking audibly around you or movement in the background. When you come in for a media training session, don’t expect it to be quiet – know that we will make the studio look and feel exactly as it would in real life.
How much does media training cost?
The cost of media training services varies for each client. While fees may be as low as $2,000, they can also exceed past $15,000 depending on the number of people that need to be trained, how many sessions or the length of time involved, and the complexity of the interview that we are preparing for.
What does media training teach?
Media training is a very nuanced form of communications coaching that teaches a person how to adjust their tone, pitch and body language in a way that will have a powerful impact on their delivery, and ultimately allow for them to tell their in a confident, calm, and positive manner. The truth of the matter is that, when you are on live television, your words are not the only thing that people are noticing – they are also paying close attention to your body language, facial expressions, hand gestures and tone of voice.
Media training and media coaching are virtually one and the same. A media coach, or a media trainer, is the person that will provide you with feedback and instruction when you are being interviewed by the media – whether that interview be on live television, a radio segment or podcast episode, or with a reporter for a feature article. The ultimate goal of media trainer or coaching is to improve the speaker’s delivery – including their tone, facial expressions, body language, and even the overall message itself.
Get in Touch
Anyone that is seeking opportunities to interact with the media at any point in their professional career would be wise to seek media training. The invaluable tips and advice you will receive from Mike Sorrentino and his team are long-lasting and can propel you forward in your professional career and personal goals. If you have any questions about media training and would like to learn more, or are interested in scheduling an appointment, reach out Sorrentino Media online or give us a call at (212) 203-8419. We look forward to hearing from you!