As your company continues to scale, at a certain point, you will find yourself engaging with the media more and more frequently. Whether it’s on-air or for a print story, the chance to get your name in front of an audience is a powerful opportunity to connect with people who may not already know who you are as well as reconnect with existing followers. 

From a public relations standpoint, securing media placements for clients is part of what we do at JMG PR. Our niche focuses heavily on start-up companies and we’ve built these placements into our overall PR strategy plan. The goal is to elevate and establish our clients as thought leaders and we start by having them covered by the press.

Securing a media interview is exciting but we understand it can also be scary, especially for someone who isn’t used to, or isn’t comfortable being in the spotlight. When the apprehension creeps in, focus on the fact this a great opportunity to share your knowledge, you’re in control of your message.

For our clients who are a bit apprehensive when it comes to interviews, we provide media training to help ease the jitters. As Andrew Grant, the British writer once said, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression,” which is why we ensure our clients are ready to nail their interviews right out of the gate.

Because not everyone has the backing of a public relations company to ensure a successful interview, I’ve pulled together a few important tips to help even the most novice.

Prepare, Prepare, and Prepare!

I cannot stress enough how important it is to be prepared. Before the big day arrives, review the exact message you want to convey and come prepared with no more than four precise points you want to share. If you’re going to be talking about a specific topic or current event, do your research and read everything you can possibly find on the topic. Bottom line, know your stuff.

Don’t Ramble

There’s a good chance you may only have a short amount of time to share your message, so you need to make it count. When speaking, be informative and concise. If you ramble on, it gives the impression you’re nervous, or worse, unprepared. Talk slow, take deep breathes, relax, and smile when speaking. Even if it’s a telephone interview, because yes, you can hear a smile through the phone. 

Rehearse

In an effort to be prepared for an on-camera interview, set up your camera and record yourself. Grab a partner who can ask you some basic questions along with a few difficult ones. By doing so, you’ll be ready for whatever is thrown your way. 

Afterwards, watch it back to see how you look and sound. Critiquing the video will allow you to tweak what’s needed before your interview. This same practice can be done minus the camera if you’re interview will be via phone.

When replaying back, take note of whether you say “ummm.” Although it’s quite common, it doesn’t sound very good to the audience. Subconsciously, most people don’t even realize they’re saying it, but what’s happening is the brain is trying to get ahead of itself in thinking about the next sentence. Instead, take a pause, this will give you a moment to organize your thoughts and move the conversation along.

Bridging the Conversation

The point of an interview is for you to share key messages and/or information yet there is always the possibility the conversation may take a different turn. One way to handle uncomfortable questions and steer the conversation back in the right direction is through “bridging.” Essentially, it’s another way of taking control and smoothly transitioning out of a potentially sticky situation.

Keep in mind, when “bridging” you should at least acknowledge the question before moving the conversation in a different direction. The same goes for the “no comment” response. Instead of offering the phrase as your response, “bridge” the conversation and redirect the focus back to the original conversation.

Body Language

Did you know that within mere moments people can form an opinion? That’s why employing effective body language is as important as utilizing the right words during an interview. Body language conveys one’s emotional state and if you want to connect with your audience you’ll need to forge a personal connection with them. If they like you, they’re going to be more receptive to what it is you’re sharing. But if you do something distracting, chances are they’re not going to hear your words.

Two important parts to focus on is posture and eye contact. Proper posture is another way to exude confidence. When you’re sitting down, whether in a chair, or on a couch, feet on the floor, legs uncrossed, and sit up straight. Try to imagine a fist between your shoulder blade, this will prevent you from slouching. And however compelled you feel to lean back and get comfortable, don’t! Instead, position yourself towards the front of the chair or couch to resist the urge. If the interview requires you to be standing, place one-foot inches in front of the other to keep your energy focused towards the audience.

When speaking, look at the person you’re talking to, not the camera. You want the interview to come off natural, like a regular conversation, not appear as if you’re filming a commercial.  Eye contact also makes the speaker appear confident and creates a feeling of trust.

Being in front of a camera or center of attention can be stressful but the benefits to being featured in the press should outweigh the jitters. These are just a few tips we share with our clients to help them prepare. We’d love to hear from you on what tips and tricks you have utilized for ensuring a successful media interview.