He walks into the television studio with a big smile on his face. He’s confident and prepared. Sure, some of it is natural, but much of it is strategic. He’s planned for this interview. He knows what he wants to say and he knows how to say it in a concise, engaging, authentic manner.
Just as expected, just as he had planned, the interview is a success. It’s an interview that creates a connection with the viewers and builds his brand.
It’s the ultimate goal of any engagement with the media but it doesn’t happen by chance, it happens by choice.
Make it worth your time.
Make it worth the interviewer’s time.
Make it worth the audience's time.
After nearly a decade in news and countless interviews, the most successful interviews I’ve done started before the camera was rolling. Before we hit the air, I asked interviewees about their expectations, their goals and what they were hoping to achieve. And you know what always surprised me? How many of them weren't prepared to answer such simple questions. The brief period of time leading up to an interview isn't the time to be figuring this out and, to be honest, this kind of prompting doesn't always happen. An interview shouldn't be a Q&A session and that kind of ping-pong dialogue with no intended direction isn’t going to do you any favors.
Each time you interact with the press, you have a unique opportunity to deliver your message and gain exposure to a large group of people. To fully take advantage of that opportunity however, you need to prepare. Success isn’t up to the interviewer, it’s up to you. With an audience of at least hundreds and in some cases, thousands, why would you leave it to chance? The last thing you want is to sit down in front of the interviewer with no plan and miss out on the opportunity to share your value. Even worse would be losing the respect of the audience because you don’t come across as credible and genuine.
Define your message, create a strategy to deliver that message effectively, practice your delivery and talk to an expert who can guide you to a confident, controlled, credible interview. The audience will thank you and so will your business.
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