A founder-led economy has changed how companies build credibility. Today, investors, customers, and employees expect to hear directly from founders. Furthermore, studies show audiences find a company more trust-worthy if their founder directly communicates with them.
Media training transforms how founders communicate. It helps them express ideas clearly for broad understanding, builds awareness around tone, body language, and message control, and handles tough questions with composure.
Here are 13 media training best practices for startup founders:
1. Know Your Core Message
A founder’s story loses power when it shifts with every audience. Define three anchor points, which incorporate your purpose, proof of traction, and vision. Responses should connect back to these. And skip the jargon in favor of clear, outcome-driven language.
2. Speak in Outcomes, Not Features
Investors and journalists care less about what your product does and more about its impact. Replace technical details with real-world outcomes including revenue saved, hours reduced, or customers acquired and retained.
3. Prepare for the Hard Questions
As you grow in popularity, you’ll face questions about funding, layoffs, competition, or market challenges from all audiences.
Media training helps you anticipate who will ask what, and how to control the narrative, naturally with bridging techniques that enable you to deliver your key messages.
4. Build a Clear Company Narrative
Connect your startup’s origin story, milestones, and vision into one compelling storyline that makes people feel something real. Layer this consistently into interviews, panels, speaking engagements, announcements or into a conversation at your next networking event.
5. Practice Soundbites That Stick
Reporters need quotable lines that carry your brand’s main message. Limit the overexplaining and filler words. Build a structure for your soundbite and always include an insight.
6. Work Tone and Body Language
Maintain open posture, steady tone, and composed expression. Avoid defensive gestures or rushed speech under pressure. Controlled body language signals confidence and authority, even in tough interviews, and reinforces trust in your leadership.
7. Avoid Overusing Jargon
Technical language alienates audiences outside your niche and makes you appear out of touch. Replace acronyms with plain terms and describe benefits of your products or service, instead of how you made it happen.
8. Anticipate Common Misinterpretations
As part of continuous media training, review past coverage to see how your story has been framed or misunderstood. Identify where your wording invites misinterpretation, and adjust accordingly.
9. Stay On Message Under Pressure
Prepare short bridges that help you redirect without sounding evasive — phrases like “What’s important to note is…” or “That’s one part of the story, but…”. Situations like these reinforce your leadership skills.
10. Work With Legal and PR Teams
Before public appearances, confirm the kind of information you can share with your legal and PR teams. This keeps compliance issues at bay and consistent messaging across all external channels.
11. Rehearse With Time Constraints
Airtime is precious, so work on limiting your answers to 30 seconds. The more concise your delivery, the more likely your message will survive editing without distortion.
12. Build a Library of Proof Points
Keep key data, growth milestones, and case examples ready to reference. Facts turn passion into persuasion and reinforce your authority.
13. Learn to Bridge Back Gracefully
Bridging helps you steer the conversation without sounding evasive. Use transitions like “What’s important to understand is…” or “To put that in context…” to refocus attention on what truly matters.
Media Training in Toronto
Meet Victoria Kirk, a seasoned media trainer based in Toronto with a 20-year portfolio across North America in PR and communications. She has helped executives and founders step into the spotlight when it counts, and avoid it when necessary.
In a complimentary 20-minute strategy session, Victoria will assess your current media readiness and identify one or two key actions to improve your on-camera presence and message control.
Book a free session today.
