| To help you,
here are some questions to ask when evaluating and selecting a media (or
presentations) training firm: |
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How long has
the firm been in business? |
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What are the
firm's cancellation policies? |
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Is the firm
willing to furnish references? |
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Does the firm
stress confidentiality in all of its dealings with you (including identifying
you as a client), and does it require the same from all staff involved in your
training? |
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If travel is
involved, does the company mark up travel expenses or bill for travel time?
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Does the firm
offer 24/7 support to your personnel when necessary during a crisis or prior to
an interview or presentation? |
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Do the
training fees cover the costs of any equipment (e.g., cameras, videotape, etc.)
or freelance videography, or will those expenses be added to the fees
quoted? |
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Does the firm
have a TV studio where participants can obtain a real-world studio experience,
if needed? |
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Does the firm
offer customized training or merely a standard package of existing
seminars? |
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For
comprehensive training programs involving travel to different locations (and
perhaps the use of different instructors), how will the firm ensure consistency
of training? |
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Does the firm
have a team of experienced, forward-thinking instructors who can be
specifically matched to your training project? What are their professional and
educational backgrounds? |
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How does the
firm prepare for each session? What type of information does it ask the client
to provide? Are the role players provided with independent research to make the
simulations as realistic as possible? |
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Is the
instructor who is involved in the project available prior to any training to
discuss the specific objectives for the session? |
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How many
participants are there in the seminar? |
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How much
seminar time is devoted to lecture vs. learning by doing? |
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How many
simulated on-camera interviews will be conducted with each
participant? |
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Will those
interviews be conducted by former journalists with actual "street" reporting
experience? If not, what is the background of the role players involved in the
training and what qualifies them to conduct this type of training? |
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How much
feedback does the participant receive about his or her performance? |
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When does the
session begin and end? How long is the lunch break? How many other breaks are
there, and how long are they? |
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At the end of
the seminar, are participants given the opportunity to evaluate the session?
Are those evaluations shared with the individual who arranged for the
training? |
