Spokesperson Briefing Kit

PRE-INTERVIEW BRIEF TEMPLATE

INTERVIEW BRIEF

DATE: _______________
SPOKESPERSON: _______________
INTERVIEWER: _______________
PUBLICATION: _______________
FORMAT: ☐ Phone ☐ Video ☐ In-person ☐ Written
DURATION: _______________
DEADLINE: _______________

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PUBLICATION BACKGROUND:
• Audience: _______________
• Circulation/reach: _______________
• Tone/style: _______________
• Recent coverage of us: _______________
• Recent coverage of competitors: _______________

JOURNALIST PROFILE:
• Bio: _______________
• Beat: _______________
• Recent articles: _______________
• Twitter/social: _______________
• Interview style: _______________
• Known interests/angles: _______________

INTERVIEW CONTEXT:
• Story angle: _______________
• Why they want to speak to us: _______________
• Other sources they're speaking to: _______________
• What they want from this interview: _______________

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KEY MESSAGES (Prioritized):

1. PRIMARY MESSAGE:
   _______________________________________________
   Supporting proof point: _______________

2. SECONDARY MESSAGE:
   _______________________________________________
   Supporting proof point: _______________

3. TERTIARY MESSAGE:
   _______________________________________________
   Supporting proof point: _______________

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ANTICIPATED QUESTIONS:

Q1: _______________
A: _______________
Bridge to: _______________

Q2: _______________
A: _______________
Bridge to: _______________

Q3: _______________
A: _______________
Bridge to: _______________

POTENTIAL DIFFICULT QUESTIONS:

Q: _______________
Approach: _______________
Response: _______________

Q: _______________
Approach: _______________
Response: _______________

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OFF-LIMITS/AVOID:
• Do not discuss: _______________
• Do not speculate about: _______________
• If asked about X, redirect to: _______________

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LOGISTICS:
• Time: _______________
• Location/link: _______________
• PR contact during interview: _______________
• PR contact phone: _______________

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MESSAGE DOCUMENT TEMPLATE

Core Messages

Message Level	Message	When to Use
Headline	[One sentence soundbite]	Quotable moments
Elaboration	[2-3 sentence expansion]	Detailed questions
Proof	[Specific example/data]	Credibility needed

Message Card Format

MESSAGE CARD

MESSAGE #1: [Topic]

THE SOUNDBITE:
"[Quotable version - 15 words or less]"

THE FULL MESSAGE:
[2-3 sentence complete version]

PROOF POINTS:
• Data: [Specific number or statistic]
• Example: [Customer story or case]
• Third-party: [Analyst quote, award, recognition]

BRIDGING PHRASE:
[How to transition to this message from other topics]

USE WHEN:
[Situations where this message is most relevant]

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STORY EXAMPLES BANK

Story Template

STORY: [Title]

SITUATION:
[1-2 sentences setting the scene]

CHALLENGE:
[What was the problem?]

ACTION:
[What did we/they do?]

RESULT:
[Specific outcome with numbers if possible]

USE FOR:
[Which messages or question types this supports]

CUSTOMER QUOTE (if applicable):
"[Approved quote from customer]"
- [Name], [Title], [Company]

Story Bank Categories

Category	Purpose	Example Stories
Customer Success	Prove value	[List 2-3 stories]
Product Innovation	Show differentiation	[List 2-3 stories]
Company Origin	Build connection	[Company founding story]
Market Insight	Establish expertise	[Trend observation stories]
Challenge Overcome	Show resilience	[Difficult moment + resolution]

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QUOTABLE SOUNDBITES

Soundbite Development

Topic	Soundbite	Notes
Value proposition	"[X words]"	Use early
Differentiation	"[X words]"	Vs. competitors
Vision	"[X words]"	Big picture
Customer impact	"[X words]"	Proof
Market insight	"[X words]"	Expertise

Soundbite Formulas

Formula	Template	Example
Statistic	"X% of [group] [action]"	"73% of B2B buyers want self-service"
Contrast	"It's not about X, it's about Y"	"It's not about more features, it's about faster results"
Vision	"We believe [future state]"	"We believe every business deserves enterprise-grade analytics"
Definition	"We define [term] as [definition]"	"We define success as customer outcomes, not software adoption"

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PREPARATION CHECKLIST

24 Hours Before

☐ Review brief document
☐ Read journalist's recent articles (3-5)
☐ Check journalist's Twitter for recent interests
☐ Review key messages and prioritize
☐ Practice difficult question responses
☐ Schedule prep call with PR
☐ Confirm logistics (time, location, format)

1 Hour Before

☐ Final message review
☐ Quick practice of top 3 soundbites
☐ Review "do not discuss" list
☐ Confirm technology works (if video)
☐ Silence phone/notifications
☐ Have water available
☐ Deep breaths, calm energy

During Interview

☐ Listen fully before responding
☐ Take a beat before answering
☐ Answer in complete sentences
☐ Use bridging to key messages
☐ Tell stories when appropriate
☐ Watch time and pacing
☐ Look for wrap-up signals

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POST-INTERVIEW DEBRIEF

Debrief Template

POST-INTERVIEW DEBRIEF

DATE: _______________
SPOKESPERSON: _______________
INTERVIEWER: _______________
PUBLICATION: _______________

IMMEDIATE IMPRESSIONS:
Overall feel: ☐ Positive ☐ Neutral ☐ Concerning
Journalist seemed: ☐ Friendly ☐ Neutral ☐ Skeptical

MESSAGES DELIVERED:
☐ Primary message delivered
☐ Secondary message delivered
☐ Key soundbites used

QUESTIONS ASKED:
• [Question 1]: [How we answered]
• [Question 2]: [How we answered]
• [Question 3]: [How we answered]

UNEXPECTED QUESTIONS:
• [Question]: [How we handled]

CONCERNS:
☐ None
☐ [Specific concern]

FOLLOW-UP NEEDED:
• [Any commitments made]
• [Information to provide]
• [Clarifications to send]

ANTICIPATED STORY ANGLE:
[Based on questions, what we think the story will be]

ESTIMATED PUBLICATION DATE:
_______________

Follow-Up Action Items

Action	Owner	Deadline
Send requested information
Thank you email (if appropriate)
Alert team about expected coverage
Set reminder to track coverage

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