Anyone can be a spokesperson. The trick is to be compelling enough that people hear and remember what you have to say.

That takes skill - and an understanding of what the audience or journalist wants and needs.

PCI has been providing media and presentation skills training for more than 25 years. We ask for evaluations on every session and have consistently received extremely high marks from those who’ve participated.  Word of mouth tends to lead new clients to our service, as those who have undergone a PCI media training session pass our name on to others.

PCI’s training programs are not the industry standard.  It is far more intensive and, we and our clients believe, effective. 

Much of the training offered by former reporters and consultants is entertaining but doesn't equip  a spokesperson to really work with media, much less help spokespersons use messages and examples that are understandable to the public.

Media Training

Whether people love or hate the experience of being interviewed, most want more control over what ultimately appears in print or on the air. Our media training concentrates on giving spokespersons that control  - on providing them with an understanding of how media work and what reporters expect, while giving them a primer on the rules by which media play. 

PCI’s training is tailored to the individual needs of the client.  It is centered on learning by doing.  As much as possible we have participants out of their chairs and in front of a camera or microphone so they can experience interview formats and interviewer types.  A spokesperson does not learn how to be comfortable working with media by just listening and discussing.  We take every opportunity to make sure that seminar participants will be more than armchair experts when they walk out the door.

We work with the client to define messages. Message points are modified to fit the formats of print vs. television vs. radio and we rehearse how to get message points in even if the spokesperson is not asked the "right" question by the interviewer. 

Presentation Skills Training: Presenting strikes fear in the heart of some of the most accomplished professionals. Comfort comes with confidence.  Confidence comes with knowing your material, having solid visuals or props, and mastering  tactics that calm the nerves and capture the attention of an audience.

PCI's training is personal and tailored to the needs of the client.  Much is one-on-one, although we have an excellent program for groups of up to 12 people.

We focus on content as much as delivery and spend considerable time working on the visuals that can serve as a speaker's note cards.   Our clients come back to us again and again, ask for help with speeches or seek out a refresher session for special occasions.  Their success is our success and we take great satisfaction from the feedback we receive from those we train.