10 tips for TV interview prep
Having your first media interview can be exciting. It also can be extremely nerve-racking.
No matter how many times you’ve appeared on TV, it’s always good to remember these 10 tips:
1. Choose your outfit carefully: Patterns render oddly on screen and distract attention from what you’re saying. Instead, opt for bold and bright colors that warm up your skin tone, or, if you’re of darken complexion, go for basic white. Keep accessories to a minimum: Women, apply makeup that will enhance your features (slightly bolder than you might wear day-to-day) and darker lipstick. Your goal is to look good on screen without going overboard or detracting from your message.
2. Practice your sound bites: You know the topic of your interview, so spend time thinking about the 3-4 key points you want to get across. Even if you’re interviewed for 10 minutes, the TV station will whittle that down to just a minute or two. Keep your comments succinct and work on developing short statements (called sound bites) that will leave viewers associating you with your message.
3. Send questions to your interviewer: If it’s an option, send the reporter who will be interviewing you some questions to ask that you’ve already got the answers to. This will guide the interview toward familiar waters and keep you from hemming and hawing while you think of a response.
4. Control your body language: You’ll likely be nervous or amped up during your interview, but strive not to let it show. Maintain eye contact with your interviewer and avoid glancing off set. Keep your hand gestures to a minimum. Keep them in your lap if they want to wander on their own.
5. Slow down your speech: This is a really hard for me, personally. I speed up my speech whenever I get excited or nervous. If you’re the same, pause, take a breath, and respond slowly and clearly.
6. Practice ahead of time: It can make you more comfortable if you practice the interview beforehand, either with a friend or in front of a mirror. This can show you what you’ll look like to your audience and help you correct any issues like slumped posture.
7. Choose your resting listening face: Here’s another from my personal uh-ohs. I tend to look mean when I’m concentrating. For interviews, I try to remember that and paste a smile on my face so I look friendly while I’m listening to my interviewer.
8. Keep your answers succinct: You might want to go on and on in response to an interview question, but resist. Give more than a “yes” or “no” response, but wait for the interviewer to ask more questions, rather than derail her plan with your own verbose answers.
9. Prep your website and social media pre-interview: Make sure you spend at least one week and post numerous times to anywhere where anyone will listen when and where you’ll be appearing. You want them to tune in! If you can, set up a special page on your website for the station to link to when they post your interview on their website. A simple yourURL.com/tvstationname will help you track all the traffic that comes in from your segment and help you keep any discounts or special offers off your main page and for viewers eye’s only.
10. Smile and relax. You’re getting to share your brand with others, it’s exciting!
