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Today, many business people are focusing on social media, new media and online media. While these efforts are important and necessary for marketing, traditional media outlets are still important and can play a major role in the success of your business.
So, the question is, “Will you be ready when Oprah or Donnie Deutsch from The Big Idea comes calling?”
If you prepare now you will be. The following are 7 tips for conducting a successful media interview:
- define your agenda: Decide what you want the audience to do. Buy your services? attend your event? support your cause?
- Know your story: To effectively articulate your agenda, you must deliver your message confidently, calmly, and concisely. You are an expert in your subject. Stay focused on your agenda during the interview.
- Develop key talking points with supporting evidence pointsPrepare three main points you want to focus on during the interview. Then support each talking point with three points that provide tangible evidence, including stories, case studies, and other examples.
- Get to know the interviewer and media outlet: Before agreeing to an interview, do your due diligence. Research the media outlet and interviewer. A quick Google search will give you an idea of what to expect and how to best prepare for an interview.
- Prepare the Interviewer: Reporters are very busy and anything you can do to help them is greatly appreciated. For this, provide sample questions on your topic along with background information. You will often find that they will use these exact questions.
- Anticipated Questions and Controversies: Your preparation is not complete without anticipating the questions and controversies that may arise in the interview. Make a list of all the anticipated questions. Then answer each question. Be sure to include questions that can be asked – remember; “If you dread it, you’ll probably get it.”
- Practice, Practice, Practice: Nothing takes the place of practice. It reduces pre-interview jitters and post-interview regrets. To hone message points and prepare for actual interview questions, even the most sophisticated speakers find that there is no substitute for practicing aloud. Better still, role play with a friend or coach. Are you getting your answers? are they brief? Are they reliable or do they need more support?
Follow these tips and you’ll be mastering the mainstream media opportunity. And, who wouldn’t want to be interviewed on the Today Show?
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