So why put yourself through it?

Very simply, you stand to gain much more by putting yourself forward for interview than by standing back.

Every interview is an opportunity.

It can promote you, your company, or your product.

It can boost your authority and standing by presenting you as an expert in your particular field.

It can limit damage if there's a problem or a crisis. After all, if there is a problem for you or your company, who better to put the record straight than you?

Why pick on you?

Because, simply, you have something that will interest their readers - an idea, a product, a company. Or perhaps it's you personally who's attracted the journalist's interest.

Whatever it is, make sure you help them and try to provide what they want. The reward? Your name and your company's name in print, serving as a reminder for existing customers, and an attraction for potential customers.

But beware.

Every journalist is after a story. A straightforward story about you and your company will be OK. But much better would be something new, surprising, even scandalous. Getting you to talk about areas or issues you'd rather stay out of is a favourite trick.

So be on your guard. Don't for example give a journalist an unlimited amount of your time, with opportunity to drag you off your subject. And NEVER assume you can take a journalist into your confidence. Trusting a journalist to keep quiet about some juicy bit of information is the best illustration of wild optimism!

There are a number of different types of journalist, and you need to be aware of them all.

The young hopeful
May be pushy, aggressive, but also inexperienced, and their questions may be ill-informed, perhaps ill-considered. They're anxious, though, to make their mark - and will often press you further than you want to go.

The innocent
Very dangerous. Liable to come to you looking for help, pleading ignorance, and at the same the time getting under your guard and lulling you into indiscretion.

The famous face/voice
Don't be intimidated. They don't have anything to prove and providing you deliver the goods, they'll treat you fairly. But they can spot a weakness at a hundred paces.

The seen-it-all hack
Appear laid-back, even lazy. Easily bored - but they have a razor-sharp news sense, and comes awake the moment you deliver anything controversial, outspoken, or just plain headline-worthy.

ALL of them have one thing in common. They want a headline, or a soundbite.

Treat them all with respect, but caution.