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