Trump and the financial markets – media training for wealth managers
Donald Trump might have caused severe ructions on the stock and bond markets, but he’s put a strong buy/hold on our media training courses for wealth managers and asset managers.
Journalists are currently desperate to speak to finance experts who can shed some light on the current situation. All of our media trainers are working journalists and so they know what it’s like to report on the latest developments in the stock exchange or on the bond market. This often involves finding an asset manager, wealth manager or other expert who can translate what’s happening in the markets in London, New York, Tokyo and Singapore in a way that general audiences sitting at home understand.
So, here’s some advice for asset managers or wealth managers doing media interviews.
1. Media training for wealth managers – think about your messages and your language
You might be talking to the Financial Times or Bloomberg, but you might also be doing an interview with the mailonline or the Daily Telegraph. As we explain in our media training courses for asset managers and wealth managers, you need to ensure that the points you make and the words you use to make them relate to the audience.
The kind of financial jargon that you might use among colleagues won’t resonate with the public. If they do work out what you mean, during the time it’s taken them to do so they’ve missed your next point. Not only that, but you’re literally not speaking their language – you’ve distanced yourself from them. Yes, you can introduce phrases such as “buy the dip,” but you then need to explain what they mean. This can work well because audiences like to show off the use of buzzwords. And, as they do so, they may well remember where they heard it which acts as a memory hook for you and what you’ve said.
2. Focus on your audience
Following on from the point above, as well as language and messages, it’s important to think about what you want your audience to do with the information you’re giving them. Thinking about their concerns, motivations and goals is essential. Obviously, you can’t give investment advice, but, as we explain in our media interview training for asset managers, you can think of more general tips and recommendations that will be useful to them. This is what the journalist will want to hear.
3. Media interview advice for asset managers – use stories and examples
The best interviewees – the ones that connect with audiences and therefore get quoted repeatedly or invited back to appear on programmes are those that tell stories. In our media training courses for wealth managers, we help them to identify examples, case studies and even little anecdotes that help to prove and explain their points.
We know that client confidentiality is essential and so our media coaching for finance firms helps spokespeople to tell stories in a way that won’t upset clients. We also know that time is short during these interviews and so we can advise on how to give examples clearly and concisely. Extracting the meaning or point of one of these stories is also essential.
4. Wealth managers need to be ready for difficult questions during media interviews
As we explain in our media training workshops for wealth managers and for asset managers, journalists aren’t out to get you. They’re just out to get a story. If you, as an asset manager speaking for your firm, give them something useful and relevant to their readers or viewers and you provide those stories that we mentioned that they’ll almost certainly be happy to go along with what you’re giving them.
It’s when what you’re saying is irrelevant, incomprehensible or just plain boring that they’re more likely to throw in something controversial or off-topic. “The while I’ve got you here…” question is the one that most people dread. But you can head it off by filling the conversation with information that works for you and the journalist.
That said, anyone can find themselves at the end of a challenging question, as we explain in our media coaching for asset managers and wealth management firms. The trick here is first to anticipate any weaknesses in your argument or anything that your firm has done that could be awkward or embarrassing. You’ll also want to work with your Comms team, if you have one, to identify industry issues that could prompt a tricky question from the journalist. Then you need to think about how you’re going to handle it. What can you say and, very importantly, how can you get back to your key messages?
5. Think about your delivery
Even during a print interview it’s important to think about how you come across as well as what you say. In our media training courses for asset managers and wealth managers we look at how to add the kind of energy and emphasis that grabs the attention of audiences and convinces them that you know what you’re talking about and that you really believe what you’re saying.
Trump and the financial markets – media training for wealth managers
“Every crisis implies an opportunity,” it’s often said, and President Trump’s impact on the financial markets have certainly created a crisis, not just for money people but for those concerned about their pensions and livelihoods. However, there’s an opportunity now for experts to have a calming effect by providing insights and recommendations through the media. The challenge is for them to do so in a way that benefits ordinary people, financial reporters – and themselves.
Media training courses
This is where our media interview skills training for asset managers and wealth managers can help. We have a wealth of experience and each of our courses is bespoke to meet the needs our clients. Come and talk to us. You can follow us on LinkedIn here.
