Media Management Workshops

Talkforce Media run full and half day media management workshops at your office or location of choice.

Participants receive training in:

• Understanding the media;
• Planning for a media interview, including identifying the organisation's objective in going public and preparing effective key messages;
• Performing in a media interview, including intensive interview practice; and
• Managing controversial issues and close media scrutiny

Each workshop is specifically tailored to your organisation. The interviews conducted with participants are designed to give them experience answering questions on real life situations they may confront. In addition, relevant media clips are shown and dissected to enable participants to identify the key requirements for a successful interview. The full day course includes a filmed interview which is played back during the session.

Participants gain:

• Techniques for preparing for media interviews;
• More confidence in dealing with the media in all circumstances;
• Understanding how to take control of an interview, even when under pressure; and
• The ability to deal with difficult media situations.

In the three months following each of these courses, participants are invited to contact David or Kristen and seek advice regarding any media issues that may arise during that time.

Recommended number of participants: 6-8 people

Communications Skills and Team Building

Over the past 10 years, Talkforce Media and Communication Strategists has conducted a wide range of high level communication skills training. As a result of this work, it has developed a communications analysis and training exercise that helps participants identify their own, and others, preferred communication style.

This session enables those attending to develop techniques to improve their workplace interaction and overarching relationships with work colleagues, external parties and with those in their personal lives.

This workshop includes a number of activities that builds rapport between team members. This session is a fun but educational experience that has very tangible benefits in the workplace. These workshops run from two hours to half a day depending on your requirements.

Staff who participate in this workshop will explore:

• How they personally communicate and their key communication traits;
• Other people's communication and behavioural styles and how to identify them;
• How to better respond to others and understand their perspective;
• Body language and other non-verbal communication traits;
• Effective listening; and
• Techniques for building rapport.

Recommended number of participants: up to 20 people

Social Media Workshops

Talkforce Media and Communications Strategists delivers a comprehensive half day social media course for those with a need to understand the online communication landscape in Australia and how they can utilise it to best effect for their organisation. The workshop can be delivered in the location of your choice.

Participants receive training in:

• Understanding the social media landscape and the platforms used by Australians of all ages;
• The good and the bad of social media, including the pitfalls and traps and the need for honesty and integrity;
• Social media strategy, including content creation, market positioning, messaging and ways to help boost followers and generate conversations;
• Technics for social media analysis, advertising and evaluation; and
• Responsibilities of employees and employers regarding social media, staying safe, smart, on message and brand aware.

Each workshop includes contemporary case studies of real brands and individuals using social media. Workshops will be tailored to the organisation to include an analysis of their current social media platforms and senior staff profiles as well as suggestion for growing audiences and engagement. A practical element of preparing key messages and delivering a 'piece to camera' is a unique offering for this workshop.

Participants will gain:

• A strong understanding of social media and how it works;
• Practical insights into their own strategic need for social media and insights on building their existing platforms;
• Technics for content management and content creation, including a solid understanding of the right content for various social media channels;
• Confidence in utilising social media at work and in their personal lives, avoiding the pitfalls while staying safe;
• An understanding of their rights and responsibilities in undertaking social media activity; and
• Practical experience in preparing and delivering social media messages.

In the three months following the course, participants are invited to contact our trainers and seek advice regarding any issues that may arise during that time.

Recommended number of participants: 6-8 people

PR and Social Media Workshops

Talkforce Media and Communications Strategists has a half day combined PR and Social Media Workshop delivered to your office or a location of choice. The course outlines practical and strategic approaches to media management and how social media can be utilised to enhance reach and cut through for messages and campaigns.

Participants receive training in:

• Understanding the complex media and social media landscape in Australia;
• Tactics for planning PR activity and integrating social media channels to reach a broader audience;
• Content creation, from media pitching, preparing effective key messages with cut through, interview technics and powerful complimentary social media posts;
• Performing in a media interview, including intensive interview practice;
• Preparing and delivering a social media 'piece to camera'; and
• Managing controversial issues and close media and social media scrutiny.

Each workshop is specifically tailored to your organisation. Our expert trainers will outline approaches to ensuring the maximum reach for your message. The practical components of the workshop are designed to build confidence and understanding of the media and social media channels and how to ensure successful outcomes.

In addition, real and contemporary case studies from the media and social media will be used. The course includes filmed activities which can be played back during the session.

Participants will gain:

• A strong understanding of what the media wants and what translates to social media platforms;
• An understanding of the current media and social media landscape in Australia;
• Techniques for preparing for media interviews;
• An understanding of content management in social media and how it can be connected to traditional media outputs;
• More confidence in dealing with the media in all circumstances;
• Understanding how to take control of a message, even when under pressure; and
• An understanding of how to avoid crisis situations and social media pitfalls.

In the three months following this course, participants are invited to contact our trainers and seek advice regarding any issues that may arise during that time.

Recommended number of participants: 6-8 people

Communicating Policy Training

Policy development is a major driver for many public and private sector organisations. This policy may be called a White Paper, a board decision or even an initiative, but regardless of its name it would be rare that the success of the policy does not lie in it being effectively communicated to relevant stakeholders.

How a policy is communicated will influence its support, take up and public image.

Stakeholders to whom a policy may need to be communicated include the general public, particular industry associations or sectors, community groups and governments.

This workshop looks at how communication should be factored in to policy development planning, the timing and strategies that will improve the success of a communication campaign and how to clearly, concisely and effectively present your policy to the target audience. It includes writing effective policy.

Recommended number of participants: up to 20 people

Representation Skills Training

Talkforce Media and Communication Strategists provides training in representational skills to a number of government departments including several graduate programs.

This full day course teaches participants about:

• Preparing for meetings;
• Building credibility;
• How to influence others by tailoring messages to the target audience for the greatest effect;
• Negotiation skills;
• Responding to objections to ensure a positive outcome is still achieved;
• How to be assertive without being aggressive; and
• Networking

This course also includes the Communications Analysis and Training Session outlined above.

Recommended number of participants: up to 16 people

Presentation Skills Training

Even with the growing reliance on electronic communications, face-to-face meetings are still a vital part of business life. Talkforce Media and Communication Strategists provides training in presentation skills to a number of businesses and government departments including several graduate programs.

Generally this training is delivered to a group of participants through a full day training workshop, but Talkforce Media and Communication Strategists also works one-on-one with individuals preparing for important presentations.

The full day workshop provides participants with skills in:

• Preparing a presentation;
• Tailoring your presentation to the audience;
• Structuring a presentation to engage the audience and keep their interest;
• Using appropriate material to help the audience understand your message;
• Preparing key messages that will resonate with an audience;
• How to rehearse and edit your presentation; and
• The importance of body language and tone.

Participants make several presentations during this workshop in order to identify and work on areas of concern and to improve their confidence in their abilities.

Recommended number of participants: up to 16 people

Writing Skills Training

Written communication often provides clients and stakeholders with their 'first impression' of your staff and your organisation. In addition, written material can be a record of communication and may be kept and referred to in the future for a variety of reasons including contractual negotiations, Freedom of Information requests, or legal matters. Therefore it remains vital that people have and maintain strong writing skills.

Talkforce Media and Communication Strategists provides a half-day writing skills workshop that covers:

• Grammar and sentence structure;
• Organisational style guide
• Identifying your audience and appropriately targeting your message;
• Constructing effective paragraphs and creating logic and flow;
• Writing persuasively;
• Formatting a business letter and email; and
• Editing written material.

Recommended number of participants: up to 16 people

Senate Estimates Training

The focus of this half-day training session is preparation for, and performing at, Senate Estimates.

Participants in this course will achieve the following outcomes:

• Raised awareness of how specific issues impact on the Australian Government's overall agenda;
• Raised awareness of how your issues may be perceived by the Estimates panel, the media, and lobby groups;
• Improved identification of stakeholder agendas;
• Through raised awareness, improved quality of Estimates briefs and then support for senior executives attending Estimates; and
• Greater confidence at appearing before Estimates and handling forensic questioning.

Recommended number of participants: 6 people