Preparing for a Media Interview

Don’t launch your public relations outreach until you’ve had some media training and have prepared yourself to handle media interviews. If you’re going to go through the work of launching a PR campaign, you owe it to yourself and your business to be prepared to fully maximize your media opportunities. Whether it’s a TV, print, or radio interview, don’t assume you can just wing it and hit a media home-run. Keep in mind a media interview is not a conversation; it is the meeting of two agendas. The interviewer has his or her agenda and you have yours. You want to review the various questions that could be asked and prepare your responses. With that in mind, the following are some interview tips to review before. 1. Listen. Don't anticipate questions. Don't think that you know what the interviewer is asking. Wait until the question is asked and then respond. 2. If you get momentarily confused, or lose your train of thought, that's okay. It happens to everyone. Take a deep breath and start again. 3. It's all right to ask the interviewer to repeat a question. The last thing you want to do is give an answer to a question you don't fully understand. 4. Don't be vague or use trade jargon. Speak in easy-to-understand language. 5. Show the audience what you're talking about. Use a story or an account that illustrates a point, as opposed to just giving them vague ideas or theories. 6. Keep your information short, concise, and to the point. Keep it easy to understand. 7. When trying to make a particular point, be assertive but not pushy. 8. If having clients visit your store is pertinent to your business, mention your location. The viewers may love you, but if they can't find you, you're in trouble. Don't simply blurt out your address, but weave your location into the conversation. Remember, prepare, anticipate and practice. Invest in some media training. Relax. Don’t rush things. You are there to have a conversation. Well, at least you want it to look like a conversation. Copyright © Anthony Mora 2011