How can I be so sure of this? After over 20 years of prepping clients for all types of media interviews as well as a network news producer asking the questions, I can tell with you total certainty that there are always tricky questions that come up in an interview.
Whenever a client tells me with great confidence that they really don't have any tough questions they fear and/or they have all of the answers neatly figured out, I get nervous. Really nervous. Because that's not realistic. You might think you've got it all neatly covered, but what about a side-by-side competitive comparison? Are you going to start out by trashing your competition and spend practically no time talking about your product? How about pricing questions? As simple as they may appear to be, once I start probing clients, I invariably find out this particular question makes them very queasy when the reporter ignores their response sans actual price and comes back again for the specific number. Tough question? Maybe not for everyone, but if it sends shivers up your spine then it sure is for you.
So the next time you're prepping for an interview, don't just rely on the FAQ your PR, AR or IR teams have put together. Push yourself and honestly come up with the question or questions that are going to trip you up. That tiny little bit of extra effort very often makes the difference between a successful interview and one that you'll regret for weeks.
