If you feel like putting your media training skills to the test, the summer holidays are a good time to do it. Journalists are hunting high and low for story ideas because little is going on. John Key will be in Hawaii, business people will turn off their cell phones and the only obvious news will be about the weather and summer sport. That's why approaching media with ideas is far more likely to work at this time of year. They have nothing else to use. Just remember the media training fundamentals of preparing your media message, sound bites and your bridging techniques so you can return to your key points as often as possible. Getting the interview is one thing, but if you fail to use your media training skills, you are unlikely to get your points into the subsequent story. Good luck.