Featuring Eric Soderberg and Michael Kingsley, Forefront Communications
Welcome to the latest episode of At the Forefront: Fintech Conversations! Launched in 2020, this ongoing audio and video series has been developed to help you stay informed as we highlight key industry developments and delve into the people, companies and thought processes that keep the capital markets and fintech sector humming.
To learn more and listen to our previous episodes, click here.
In this special CMO edition of our podcast, Forefront Co-Managing Partner Eric Soderberg sits down with SVP and Head of Media Relations Michael Kingsley to discuss one of Forefront’s key client offerings: our media training program.
“Media training” at Forefront is actually an umbrella term for an in-depth curriculum designed for any speaking opportunity, whether public or internal. This includes media interviews, sales presentations, company town halls, podcast or panel appearances, investor days, webinars and much more.
On that point, Michael and Eric discuss how our media training program is not just for C-suite executives but for everyone who will be talking on behalf of the company. Forefront has trained employees across every part of the organization, from leadership to salespeople to engineers, to stay on message. The end result is spokespeople who can tell a consistent, memorable and compelling story about what a firm offers, gaining credibility, attracting talent and winning more business.
They also discuss how the changing media and financial landscapes have transformed the way firms view media appearances and the necessary steps to prepare for them. In addition, technology has reduced everyone’s attention span – whether it’s a phone in their pocket or another desktop tab open during a webinar, there are countless ways to lose an audience’s attention if a presenter is not compelling and engaging. By training clients to stay on message, we help them cut through the noise and stand out from the crowd.
Lastly, Michael and Eric discuss the fact that media and presentation training does not need to be in preparation for a specific media appearance or campaign. Leaders in the fintech space should always be prepared to tell others who they are and what their company’s unique value proposition is. Our program of storytelling and presentation techniques, on-camera mock interview sessions and interactive exercises prepares teams to do just that and provides them with a framework through which to examine and benchmark their performance.
Forefront’s media and presentation training program is available as part of an integrated suite of marketing and communications services or as a standalone offering. To find out how Forefront can help turn your team members into effective storytellers and persuasive advocates for your company, click here or reach out to Michael at mkingsley@forefrontcomms.com.
See below for a breakdown of what was discussed. Happy listening!
Timestamps:
0:30 – Can you explain what Forefront’s version of “media training” involves?
1:05 – Who is our media training offering for?
1:45 – What is the focus of the training sessions themselves?
2:30 – Has the need for media training changed over the years? How so?
3:30 – When should people go through media training?
4:15 – How would you respond to an executive who is reluctant to participate in media training?
