A masterclass in how to do an interview

Here’s a link to a profile in the Evening Standard of Ian Livingston, BT’s CEO. It’s an object lesson in how and why to inject humour, intelligence, humility and anecdote into a conversation with a journalist.

I had the good fortune to work with Ian at what was then the Dixons Group (now DSG international). I’d like to be able to say that I taught him something about media relations, but I didn’t, being a relative newbie at the time. Instead, I learnt a great deal through osmosis and observation – and much of it feeds into the advice I give clients today.

There’s an art to conveying an idea through metaphor or analogy in a way that brings the idea to life. It doesn’t have to be innate – it can be learnt – and it makes a huge difference to the reception the press will give you - and to how much slack they will give you - through good times and bad.