Training and media training: preparing the people who speak for you
An interview, a hearing, a panel, a LinkedIn video or a crisis meeting plays out in a few minutes but is prepared long in advance. Cabinet 86 trains executives, spokespeople and communication teams to speak clearly and confidently to the media, to institutions and on social media, in France and in Africa.
Why train to speak in public
Executives know their subject; they are less often familiar with the rules of the media game: a trick question, a poorly framed figure or a sentence taken out of context can weigh on a reputation for months, especially now that every appearance is recorded, clipped and shared online. Training means learning to get your messages across whatever the question, to stay in control of the pace and to recognise risky situations.
Our training draws on our daily practice of monitoring, online reputation and crisis communication: we know how a statement travels, how it gets picked up and what makes a news cycle go well or badly. That first-hand experience is what we pass on.
Our training formats
Five formats, from one-to-one media training to team training, at your premises, in Paris or in Abidjan.
One-to-one media training
A half-day or a full day with an executive or a spokesperson: work on key messages, filmed interview simulations (print, radio, television, podcast), frame-by-frame debriefing, techniques for reframing and handling difficult questions. A personal booklet of messages and reflexes is provided at the end of the session.
Preparation for a specific event
Press conference, parliamentary hearing, general meeting, keynote at an international forum, sensitive announcement: we prepare the appearance from start to finish, from the speech to the likely questions, with rehearsals in real conditions.
Crisis communication training
For executive committees and crisis units: a simulation exercise based on a scenario built with you (leak, accident, online controversy, allegations against an executive), with injected news alerts, journalist calls and social media posts. The debrief leads to an updated crisis communication plan. We also offer disinformation campaign simulations, built on our work countering information manipulation.
LinkedIn training and speaking online
For executives and teams who want to post themselves: how the platform works, choosing topics, writing a post, visual and video formats, handling comments and criticism. As a group workshop or one-to-one support over several weeks.
Training for communication teams and press officers
Monitoring and detecting weak signals, writing key messages and talking points, working with journalists, managing a media cycle, understanding search engines and AI engines: we train the teams that prepare and support executives when they speak.
Our method: practise on your real cases
Every training course starts with a diagnosis: your upcoming events, your audiences, your sensitive topics, what is already being said about you online. Exercises are built on your real cases and the questions you dread, never on generic scenarios. Simulations are filmed and debriefed together, in a confidential and demanding setting but with no gratuitous grilling: the goal is for you to leave more confident.
Sessions take place at your premises, at our offices in Paris or Abidjan, or remotely. We work in French and in English and, where useful, we bring in working journalists for the simulations.
Training extends our executive reputation and communication and influence between Africa and France assignments; the cases we work on draw on our strategic monitoring, never on abstract scenarios.
- DiagnosisUpcoming events, audiences, sensitive topics
- ExercisesOn your real cases and the questions you dread
- Filmed simulationWith working journalists where useful
- DebriefTogether, in a confidential setting
Examples of assignments
Media training for a chief executive ahead of a media tour linked to an acquisition in West Africa: two days of preparation, key messages in French and English, simulations with business journalists.
Crisis exercise for the executive committee of an infrastructure operator: an industrial incident scenario with a social media storm, a half-day simulation, an update of the crisis plan and quick-reference sheets.
LinkedIn programme for members of an executive committee: a group launch workshop, then one-to-one support for three months until each member is self-sufficient.
Training a corporate communication department in monitoring, detecting weak signals and writing talking points.
Frequently asked questions
How long does media training last?
A half-day for a refresher or to prepare for a specific event, a full day for a complete course. We recommend a follow-up session six to twelve months later, because reflexes need maintaining.
Are the sessions confidential?
Entirely. Video recordings are used only for the debrief and are handed to you or destroyed at the end of the session, as you choose. The scenarios and messages worked on never leave the room.
Can you train teams based in Africa?
Yes. Our Abidjan office runs on-site sessions in Côte d’Ivoire and the wider region, and we travel to the other countries where we work. Remote formats work well for one-to-one follow-up.
Is media training enough to protect a reputation?
It is one building block. An executive’s reputation is also built through monitoring, a regular presence online and the quality of the sources that talk about them. We combine training with our other services when it makes sense.