Know What You’re Going To Say

The first thing to do is to know what you’re going to say once you get to your interview. By knowing what you’re going to say, you have a better chance of sticking to the point. So instead of going off topic and waffling, you’ll be able to cover the important points, while still keeping it professional.

Knowing what you’re going to say will not only help you stick to the point but it also helps you to feel prepared. When you know what you’re going to say, you are a lot less likely to panic. People panic and then they freeze, and this is not something that you want to happen to you. Knowing what you’re going to say is a great way to avoid this.

Try Not To Say No Comment

When you’re preparing your answers, try not to make any of them “no comment.” If you can, try to anticipate what the questions are going to be and this way you’ll have an answer no matter the issue. You might need some crisis management media training but after completing this you won’t feel the need to respond with an evasive “no comment”.

The reason we’re suggesting you don’t do this is that it makes it seem as though you’re not sure of the answer. Either this, or it tells the interviewer that you don’t want to share the information they’re asking for and this will only make them more curious or suspicious.

Time Your Responses

The next thing that you should do is to time your responses. You don’t want to be rambling on about something that isn’t relevant. Instead time your responses beforehand and keep to swift and succinct answers. By doing this, you’ll be able to provide answers that are to the point, without adding in stuff that isn’t relevant, as well as stuff that you don’t really want to be saying.

Don’t Over-Prepare

The final tip that we have for you is not to over prepare. There is such a thing as being too prepared for something and if you know word for word what your responses are going to be, this will be as bad as having no answer.

You’re going to be involved in a conversation with two or more people and this should be natural, so you don’t want your answers to come out like a rehearsed speech. When a crisis or major incident has occurred, you need to be able to answer questions about the incident without veering off topic while also sticking to succinct answers.

We hope that you have found this article useful and have a better idea on how to prepare for your first crisis interview. Follow the steps outlined above and you’ll be fine. If you need more in-depth training, check out our crisis management training course and contact us for more information.