Many business people dread doing interviews with the press. Do them well, however, and you will get valuable coverage for your company.

Always be friendly and helpful when a journalist requests an interview. Don’t, however, feel pressurised into responding then and there. It’s always best to give yourself time to prepare for an interview. You can ask the journalist what questions they have and then call them back when you are ready, deadline permitting.

Make some notes on the key points you want to make and phrases you want to use. You can even ask to respond in writing by email if you are concerned about saying the wrong thing.

Bear in mind that journalists don’t have to show you copy before it is printed and they cannot guarantee that your story will be published. If you are helpful and respectful, however, they’ll contact you for quotes time after time.

You’ve landed the radio interview and it’s time to get ready to actually do it. Now what? As a book marketing expert and publicist I have booked my clients on thousands of radio interviews. Here’s a list of tips I give to my clients prior to their interviews. Keep this helpful list of interview tips nearby and you’ll be glad you did!

If you’ve got something to talk about — a new product, an event or an area of expertise — then it’s well worth approaching your local radio stations to see if they would like you to come in and do an interview. But how do you prepare and what makes a good on-air performance? Dee Blick of the Marketing Gym has ten top tips to help you tackle a live radio interview successfully

I was thrilled when the producer and the news scout of a local radio station that had interviewed me previously askec me to go back and share on a new project that I am involved in.

I personally find live radio more daunting than filming for television. At least with television, if you make a mistake or fluff your lines it is simply a matter of a retake or two if it’s not live. With live radio, there is no rewind button.

You have to get it right first time.

So, I wanted to share with you what it was that I believe led to me being invited back. When you get the opportunity to promote your business on live radio, you’ve hopefully got a starting point with these tips.

I believe that success boils down to three things: preparation, passion and understanding the audience of listeners.

  1. Preparation means going on the radio website, understanding the profile of listeners that will be tuning in at the time of your interview and discussing with the presenter how long you have for your interview. Will it be interspersed with music or adverts? What kind of content are they looking for from you? You have to make sure that you are both working on common ground and that the content will be relevant and appealing to listeners.
  2. Don’t take a script with you to your interview. This will turn off the presenter and the listeners. Instead, compile a sheet of bullet points and make each one stand out, either by highlighting with different colours or circling key points. I have found these indispensable. It is easy to get carried away in an interview and then realise afterwards that you barely included your key points. Listeners cannot see that you are referencing a crib sheet and the presenter will not mind.
  3. Dress to impress! I tend to get booted and suited for business radio interviews and I always take my business cards. It’s good to leave a lasting positive impression with the producer and presenter, especially if you want an invite back.
  4. Arrive early so that you can get a car parking space if one has not been allocated for you. I get there about an hour earlier than needed; I sit in a nearby cafe and run through my crib notes. I also do lots of positive self-talk which means that the people nearby think I am losing my marbles!
  5. Book in with the radio station itself about half an hour beforehand unless you have been given different instructions by the team. Either you will be lucky and you will meet other presenters and some of the team or it will be a matter of sitting in reception and calming the butterflies!
  6. Run through your expectations of the interview with the presenter before you go on air. I tend to chat through with the presenter the questions they want to ask me and we agree the content that I would ideally like to communicate. Make sure that the presenter has got your name and your business name correct. Ask them for a copy of the interview.
  7. When you go on air, really focus on speaking clearly and enthusiastically. I make a conscious effort not to umm and err and I am as enthusiastic and passionate as I would be if I were doing a presentation face-to-face. There is time to think through what you’re going to say and by not rushing you sound professional and you don’t fall into the trap of saying something that is inappropriate.
  8. It’s important that while you are talking and responding to questions you maintain good eye contact with the presenter because you don’t have the luxury of asking him or her live on air whether you have said enough or you need to shut up! Non-verbal communication is vital here!
  9. If you are allowed to give your contact details, do so very clearly at the end and repeat them for good effect.
  10. Thank the presenter when you are off air, pat yourself on the back and ask for a copy of the interview. The fun really begins on the way home when you replay your interview. If you’re like me, you will be smiling and groaning in equal measure. There’s always room for improvement…

 

Further Tips

 

  1. Go to a quiet room in your home or office; be sure staff and/or family know you are on a radio interview and cannot be interrupted.
  2. Turn off other phones, cell phones and anything else that could create background noise including air conditioners and the radio, etc.
  3. Have a glass of water nearby; there’s nothing worse than dry mouth on a radio interview.
  4. Disable call waiting: dial *70 and then call the studio number. This disables call waiting for the duration of the phone call. As soon as you hang up, it will be reactivated.
  5. Be on time. Call the station exactly at the time they tell you, or be at your phone waiting if the station is going to call you.
  6. Use a land line phone for best quality. Some stations won’t allow a cell phone interview. If it is not possible to reach a land line then use a cell phone in a stationary location and not while you are rolling down the road as the reception could be interrupted mid interview.
  7. Do not use a speaker phone or a headset; again, it’s about good sound quality.
  8. Be self-assured. Remember, you know your topic inside and out. Be confident in your ability.
  9. Smile, smile, smile, whether on radio or TV You’ll feel better, and for TV you’ll look better too.
  10. Put some pizzazz and energy into your voice. Try standing while you speak to liven things up a little.
  11. Research the show and tailor your message accordingly. Just Google the host’s name and station and check out their web site. Is it a national audience or a small town in Ohio? What is their format? Is it News/Talk, NPR or Classic Rock or something else? You need to know.
  12. KNOW exactly how much time you will have on the air as a guest, three minutes or 30 minutes…so you can tailor your answers to the time allotted.
  13. Practice your sound bites out loud before the interview. Communicate your main points succinctly. Practice this out loud.
  14. Be informative and entertaining without directly pushing your book, product or service. Make the audience want more.
  15. A kind word about the host can go a long way. It’s good manners and good business.
  16. A person’s name is sweet music to them so commit to memory or jot down the name of the host and use it throughout the interview. When taking calls, use the names of callers too.
  17. Be prepared for negative comments, from the host or listeners.
  18. Be careful not to slide into techno-babble, jargon or acronyms that few know about.
  19. Never talk down to your audience.
  20. Be respectful of the host because everybody starts someplace. Today they’re interviewing you from a college radio station; in a few years they could be a nationally syndicated host.
  21. Don’t Oversell. Remember you are on the air to provide useful information to the listening audience. If you are an author or selling something, limit yourself to TWO mentions of the book, product or service. You must make it interesting without the commercialism. It takes finesse but you can do it. Often times the host will do this for you and you won’t need to mention it.
  22. Think of a radio interview as an intimate conversation with a friend and not a conversation with thousands.
  23. Radio interviews require verbal answers, not head nodding or uh-huhs. Hand gestures don’t count in radio either.
  24. Radio will often use interviews live and later cut them up for use throughout the day giving you more airplay. So keep your answer to a 10 to 20 second sound bite. You can say a lot in that amount of time and then you don’t sound like you are babbling on. Don’t go on more than a minute without taking a break.
  25. Don’t just answer questions. Tell listeners something you want them to know, something they wouldn’t know unless they were tuned in, with the promise of more of the same when they buy the product or come see you!
  26. Have three key messages. Short, not sermons. Sometimes the host opens the door, other times you have to answer a question and segue to a key message. A compelling message will have the host asking for more. Usually people can get in two key messages; the pros can get three. But even if you get in only one, you get a big return for the time invested.
  27. Lazy hosts open with a lame: “Thanks for being here.” Boom! Give a :15-:20 sec summary message. If the host introduces you with a question, be polite, deliver your summary message, then answer the question. “Thanks, (use name), for the opportunity to talk about….Now, to your question (name)…”
  28. Maintain a Positive Attitude. BE GENUINE OR TRANSPARENT. Don’t fake enthusiasm or sincerity. If you’re in a bad mood cancel the interview. Don’t pretend to know stuff you don’t.
  29. Re-read the press release or pitch that got the booking since the host is going to be using that as a starting point. Often a book publicist such as myself, will tie into a breaking news event that relates to your expertise. Be aware of that tie-in.
  30. After the interview write a thank-you note. Since so few people do this, you’ll really stand out from the crowd. And most importantly, you may get invited back.
  31. Whether the interview is live or taped-live, if you stumble, or flub up just keep going. Often what you perceived as a mistake, the listeners won’t even notice.
  32. Ask for an MP3 of the recording before the interview. Often if you ask ahead of time the producer will record the interview and then you can use it on your web site. Be sure to listen to it later and critique your performance.
  33. Ask for a testimonial. Often that MP3 will arrive with a note from the host saying how much they enjoyed the interview, or that Scott Lorenz was a great interview, he really kept our audience engaged, or the phones rang off the hook when Scott Lorenz was being interviewed. You can use those testimonials in future pitches and on your web site, blog etc.