It’s a typical day at your desk and…You are dreading that formal performance review with your assistant.You are having a hard time focusing on that report that’s due next week.The numbers on that spreadsheet are swimming before your eyes.You are nodding out with your fingers on the keyboard. The phone rings and suddenly… 

Your heart is pounding. Adrenaline is coursing through your system.  Your hands are damp and your mouth is dry. Fear and a bit of loathing are rising from deep inside you. It is an enquiring reporter.  The name sounds only vaguely familiar, but the news organization you know well.  That reporter just has a few questions for you. 

What would you do?  Here are some options:A) Hang up immediately.B) Tell the reporter she’s got the wrong number.C) Dive right in and start answering her questions.D) None of the above. Good.  You picked D.  But what should you do? 

You should focus the story.  Zero-in on what this reporter is after, not merely what she says she’s after, what she’s really after. Before you say a word, you ought to get some information from your interrogator.  The way to do that is to ask some questions, yourself.   There are five questions anyone should ask before agreeing to be interviewed by anyone from the news media.   

First Question: What is the story about?Simple enough.  The reporter may even volunteer this information immediately after her introduction on the phone. “I’m working on a story about….”  That’s a start, but you need more than that. Second Question: Whom have you talked to?This will be revealing.  Maybe she’s talked to a competitor.  Maybe she’s talked to a regulator.  Maybe she’s talked to an analyst who covers you.  Maybe she’s talked to a so-called expert about your industry.  That will tell you something, won’t it?  You’ll have a pretty good idea what those sources had to say about you just by knowing who they are.  But let’s make sure we know what they said.  (more…)