We’ve seen time and again that a CEO’s public image carries weight far beyond the boardroom. Public appearances, interviews, and investor briefings are business-critical moments that can influence company valuation, stakeholder trust, and market perception.
According to Brunswick Group’s 2023 Digital Investor Survey, 84% of institutional investors cite a company’s investor relations website as their primary research source, while 67% use social media for that purpose.
Yet many leaders still step into the spotlight unprepared.
Media training prepares leaders to speak with clarity and strategically across all mediums, including live audiences, press panels, TV interviews, podcasts, and virtual events.
So, do CEOs and founders need a media trainer? When public-sphere communication matters. If they want to maximize every media opportunity and avoid missteps, or rambling interviews, the answer is a clear yes.
What Does a Media Trainer Actually Do?
Media training for CEOs and founders goes beyond perfecting a soundbite.
As someone who works exclusively with corporate executives, I start by understanding the context. Are you preparing for a quarterly earnings call, a product launch, a media interview, podcast, or a crisis response? Each format demands a different approach.
Then, we build your core messaging.
From there, we practice. We run through real questions you’re likely to be asked. We simulate difficult scenarios, often with shifting tones or unexpected interruptions, because interviews rarely go as planned.
Sessions are one-on-one and personalized to your leadership style. (Group sessions are also available). If you’re in Toronto, in-person training is available too.
Schedule a free consultation today.
Founders Often Need Media Training Even More
Founders bring vision, urgency, and hands-on knowledge, but many build their business outside the spotlight. Public communication isn’t always part of that early journey.
They are often thrust into the spotlight, expected to handle media interviews, defend decisions, and lead public messaging before they have time to prepare for it.
That’s where media training can make a massive impact. It can help you:
- Fine tune key messages so they sound consistent across audiences
- Prepare for press interviews, investor Q&As, and public speaking opportunities
- Learn how to navigate tough or unexpected questions without sounding defensive
- Develop positive nonverbal presence, including body language, facial expressions, and tone
- Avoid legal or reputational risk by knowing what to say (and not say)
- Build confidence for both formal and informal media interactions
- Maintain a personal voice that aligns with company goals and messaging
How often should a CEO or founder do media training?
Media training can be a 1-time investment to last you for the lifetime of your brand. However, for best results, refresher sessions should happen at least once a year, or ahead of specific high-stakes events like IPO announcements, leadership transitions, funding rounds, or crises.
Is media training still relevant with AI tools and social media filters?
If anything, it’s more relevant now. AI tools can generate scripted content, but they cannot simulate live communication or interpret a leader’s tone under pressure. Your reputation is shaped by how you speak in moments that cannot be edited.
What kinds of mistakes does media training help prevent?
Media training helps you to respond and fix mistakes in real time. A few examples include:
- Offering too much information when asked a loaded question
- Sounding vague or defensive when under pressure
- Repeating phrases that could be misquoted out of context
- Forgetting to link responses back to your company’s long-term strategy
- Undermining trust by using jargon instead of clear, human language
Speak Clearly When It Matters Most
Verified Communications is a Toronto-based public relations and corporate communications agency trusted by startups, founders, CEOs, and business leaders since 2016. We partner with clients that demand big-brand thinking without the big agency bloat. Lean by design and built to scale, we blend strategy with storytelling to make audiences feel something real.
Project and retained PR and communications services for startups, established brands, and executives include media training, public relations, executive communications, corporate communications, media relations, message development, crisis communications, and thought leadership content development.
Schedule a free consultation today.
