People have started to hear about you and it's obvious that your visibilty marketing campaign has left everyone thinking that you are THE expert in your field. You've even been invited to be a guest on a radio show that will attract tons of listeners from your target market.
Haven't got a clue what to do to make sure the radio interview goes off without a hitch? You might want to consider some or all of the ideas below as you prepare for your debut.
1. Send a bio to the producer with all your accomplishments. The host will use parts of this as your introduction. More importantly, though, you need the host to have buy-in into why you are an expert in your field. When s/he is in your fan club and conveys that to the listeners, their ears will perk up.
2. Make the job as easy as possible for the host. Prepare and send a list of 10 questions you would like them to ask you. My experience tells me that they won't ask them all and they will have questions of their own that they will add, but it will help you going in.
3. Practice your answers to the prepared questions and try to keep your answers to just a few sentences or to about 20 seconds. You can say a lot in 20 seconds. Most commercials are 30 seconds and they can tell a complete story.
4. Have a friend create a mock radio interview for you. Give them your questions and ask them to ask you more. If your interview will be done on the phone, conduct it that way. If the real interview will be in person, then meet your mock interviewer in person.
5. Dress as if you were standing in front of an audience even if you are being interviewed on the phone. That means yes to hair, make-up, and business attire. For men, that means shaving unless they normally have facial hair. It also means saying "no" to sweats and fuzzy slippers. Sounds silly if nobody will see you, but trust me, it will really put (and keep) you in "The Zone."
It's a lot easier to think professionally (and project yourself professionally) when you feel good about your appearance. If you're feeling sloppy, you probably will think sloppily. If you think you look sharp, you will think sharply.
6. Keep an eye on the clock during the interview. Time goes by much faster than you think. If you haven't gotten your most important point in when you see you've got about two minutes to wrap up, make sure you weave it in.
7. Do not use a headset or cell phone. They distort the sound terribly. As uncomfortable as it is to those of us who live on headsets, use a land line.
8. Don't be nervous. Be yourself. Remember you are an expert and you have lots of very valuable information to share. You are not there to be judged; you are there to give the audience the gift of your knowledge. Remember, too, that the host's job is to make you look good. Trust that they will.
9. Send a hand-written thank-you note or small gift to the host and producer after the show.
10. I've saved the best for last: Enjoy the process! It's fun!
Copyright 2006 Leni Chauvin
1. Personalize your presentation.
Listen to the host for cues as to how he addresses his audience. He may tell you about the weather, mention what has happened in their town, allude to a recent guest or refer to a past show.
When you link your information to what is personal and relevant to your audience they will connect with you as one of them. While this is a more subtle way to relate to your host and audience, it often makes the difference between having people feel like you understand them or not.
2. Create vivid word pictures using all the senses.
The Dean of the Graduate School of Journalism, University of California, Berkeley and Chinese scholar Orville Schell told this resonant story on the radio. *In 1926 when a protest against Japan reached the gate of Heavenly Peace the War Lord then in power fired in the crowd killing 50 people, wounding 100 and the square was bathed in blood. China's most famous writer Lu Hsun said a striking line: 'Lies written in ink will never disguise truth written in blood.*
In less than 25 seconds Schell has given you a picture of a political climate visually, auditorally and emotionally.
3. Project your image through your voice.
*On the radio one is just a voice, the idea of a human presence. In life I am such a specific person compared to that,* says Ira Glass, the host of the award winning National Public Radio Show, *This American Life.*
You get the weird random comments like I met this woman who was absolutely convinced that I was a short, bald, heavyset, Jewish man like with a cigar in his fifties. Which I am not. Then you think, 'What am I projecting that says bald, short....' People will often forgive you and your voice if you tell them stories full of insight, meaning and pleasure. They'll associate those good feelings with you.
4. Tell stories, stories, stories.
People remember stories. If there is one thing and one thing only you learn from being on radio it is to tell stories.
5. Let your tone do the telling.
Tone tells how you feel about who you are-whether you are defensive, comfortable, nervous, or snotty. The other day I became mesmerized listening to a radio interview with actor John Cusack. He was all lazy, rumpled bedcovers and long gazes. There was something in his voice that let me know he was, as the French say, *Bien dans sa peau* -- comfortable in his own skin.
What was it? He was both thoughtful and forthcoming. He took his own time and didn't try to mirror or match his interviewer's style or pacing in any way. Many presentation coaches recommend you mirror your interviewer in order to gain rapport, but to a degree, I disagree. Keep your own rhythm. You might need to speed it up a tad because of the fast pace of the medium, but only speed it to your top speed. Anything more throws you off kilter.
Your audience is looking for a good customer service attitude when listening to you on the radio. Since tone reflects your internal response, when you feel yourself tensing up, one way to deal with defensiveness is to pause, take a breath, and release on the feeling in that moment -- consciously let it go before you respond.
Copyright (c) 2006 by Susan Harrow. All rights reserved.
Susan Harrow has sinced written about articles on various topics from Entertainment Guide, Interview Questions and Entertainment Guide. Susan Harrow, PrSecrets.com, is a media coach, marketing strategist, author of *Sell Yourself Without Selling Your Soul.* Clients include CEOs, authors, entrepreneurs who have appeared on/in Oprah, 6. Susan Harrow's top article generates over 3600 views. to your Favourites.