Interview Lessons

Welcome to the January 08 issue of Shine Communiqué. I hope my tips on personal and professional PR will continue to help build your personal brand so that 08-09 is your time to shine.

Since launching my first book Apprentice to Business ACE, last year I have been consistently profiled in the media. It's been a fantastic vehicle to raise my profile, enhance my credibility and build my brand. Just recently I was invited on to Sky Business News and had the opportunity to answer viewer's questions on branding and PR for small business. So in this month's feature article I would like to share some lessons I learned from my TV appearance.

I've also included details on my first public workshop for the year on How to Plan and Manage Your Own Public Relations Campaign. Perhaps you too can reap the rewards of a successful publicity campaign.

Keep shining!

Lessons Learned From a TV Appearance

You Know Your stuff

TV hosts and producers don't want to give you too much information about the questions.Why? Because they don't want you to sound stilted and rehearsed when you give answers.You are generally there because you are the expert (or say you are) on that particular subject and because you do know your subject better than anyone else you will be able to answer questions spontaneously.

But you should think about some possible questions they may ask and prepare answers beforehand. Ask your partner or a friend to ask you a few questions and have a rehearsal practice. You can find out what angle are they taking? What are they expecting from you what are the question areas?

Research

Watch the program beforehand to get a feel for the type of show it is if you can. At least look up the website and perhaps view a video clip or listen to a podcast. Find out as much as you can about the program on which you're being asked to appear. Is it live or pre-recorded? Is the audience completely general, or is it targeted at housewives or business people? Think about the points you could make which are most interesting, useful and relevant to that particular audience.

Arrive early so you can meet and chat with other guests, hosts, producers to feel a bit more comfortable and familiarise yourself with the surroundings.

Get to the Point

Do try and get to the main point of your answer quickly without wafting on. A short, sharp, interesting point works best in the media especially for television and will be easier for viewers to remember. If you don't give enough information the interviewer will simply ask a follow-up question.

If you have something to promote (such as a book) keep it in mind and look for an opportunity to get your point across. All well and good being great media "talent" but you could use the opportunity to at least promote your business name. Try and be in control and use every opportunity to get your message across.

Be aware of the latest news, gossip or current affairs stories particularly that relate to your topic. Read the papers, listen to radio and be as informed as you can because you never know what might come up during the interview. If there are controversial issues in your area of expertise, work out where you stand, and what you should say. It is better to respond rather than say "no comment". Don't be afraid to put your point of view across. If you don't know the answer, say so.

Make It Interesting and Descriptive

Make your answers more memorable by using real stories and descriptive words. Cut through the clutter with words that paint a picture in the mind of the listener. As an example in a radio interview I did, I told a story about a young journalist interviewing a well know media personality and used the word hyper-bowl, the media identity kindly corrected her and said the word is pronounced hyper-bo-lee. We made it a fun, interesting reference to the issue being discussed.

Friendly and Attentive

Remember that what you're really doing is having a conversation. Listen to the interviewer's questions.The host will appreciate your attentiveness. Use the interviewer's name to make it more personable when answering questions.

If you're doing an interview face-to-face use eye contact and try and interest the interviewer in what you're talking about rather than thinking - do I sound OK - do I look alright on TV. If your eyes flicker around during a TV interview, you look uncomfortable, and possibly a bit shifty. If you keep your eye-line focused on the interviewer, you will come over as being in command of your subject. Just try and relax and take your time. And remember to smile, you will look and sound a lot friendlier.

Animation and Gestures

Be bright and buoyant in your answers. You need to be slightly more animated and larger than life. Pep up your delivery so that it is energetic and enthusiastic, rather than dull and low-key. Television is entertainment after all and broadcasting is a performance! The more engaging you appear the more interested and involved the audience will feel.

It's perfectly okay to move, rather than sitting stiffly and looking unnatural. Just be aware of exaggerated movements or unconscious movements such as flicking your hair or tapping your fingers. If you always "talk" with your hands, like I do, that's okay; just don't over do it. Also be aware of knocking your microphone, movement or other sounds that may interfere.

Look & Sound Good

Always take time to warm up your voice. You will come across as more articulate and authoritative. It will help prevent a "frog in the throat" during the interview. Sip room temperature water before and during the interview. Never drink anything too hot or cold and nothing with milk in it otherwise you'll be constantly clearing your throat.

Dress well and look your best. Take your cue from the presenters on the show you're appearing on. Perhaps it's business casual for a morning show or more business corporate for a news show. Wear make-up. Ok guys maybe just a touch of powder to eliminate shine.

If you stumble, or slip-up, or use the wrong persons name like I did during my interview, just forget about it and move on. Even top TV presenters make mistakes.

Did I manage all of the above in my interview? Probably not. But the key is to relax and enjoy the interview as much as possible - after all it is your opportunity to promote your business, product or service and hopefully raise your profile and profits.

If you enjoyed reading these tips, please forward this newsletter on to your friends and colleagues. And remember as a subscriber you can download a copy of my free eBook, Brand Yourself to Stand Out and Shine by clicking here.

Shine Seminars

If you want to practice being interviewed on TV, come along to our next seminar on Wednesday, February 20. We will cover media interview skills in this full-day seminar on How to Plan and Manage Your Own Public Relations Campaign.

Book now!

The workshop will cover PR skills; media release writing, campaign planning, understanding and working with print and electronic media and more...

Designed for those with their own small business, just new to a PR or communication role or perhaps from a marketing background.

This workshop will help you:

In this workshop I will work with you to discover what is unique about you and your business and how you can use that to maximum effect. We will incorporate practical examples and exercises in writing a media release for you to use immediately. Take a sneak preview of how to write a media release.

When: Wednesday, February 20 from 9.30am until 5.00pm

Coming up on March 19 will be our Brand YOU seminar, ideal for new graduates entering the workforce or those perhaps re-entering the workplace. Also ideal for that New Year reinvigoration. Read more about our personal branding seminar.

To reserve your place or make an inquiry please contact us.

Hi Sue, the feed back from your presentation today was great good take home value! Your clear presentation is very effective and explains what the media is and how to use it effectively, you have a good product and I have no hesitation in recommending you to all business owners and senior managers.

Sue made how to put together a media release sound so easy. Will find out when I implement the great information.

Some comments about your presentation PR Strategies to Shine in the Media included: Very informative, gave me some gems in such a short period of time; Very clear and easy to understand and gets everyone involved; dynamic, articulate and obviously well-versed in her subject matter; Sue was fabulous, absolutely Fabulous; Absolutely brilliant, one of the best presenters I've seen, every single second of the workshop was jam-packed full of information and learning.

We felt you delivered a very professional and informative presentation. Your wealth of knowledge in regard to the media and strategies to promote small business through the effective use of public relations tools was very educational.

We felt that you helped us achieve our objective which was to provide a mixture of new skills and to brush up existing skills in developing great media skills. Your interactive style and light hearted but professional approach made the learning easy and memorable.