How to prepare for an on-camera interview
You’ve scored an on-camera interview with the news.
Way to go!
Now what?
You’ve got to prepare.
Do not wing the interview.
We repeat— DO NOT WING THE INTERVIEW.
Even the most skilled on-air professionals take time to prep before a speaking engagement.
You should, too!
This is your shot to showcase your brand to millions of viewers.
You don’t want to forget to mention any key points, and you don’t want to misrepresent your brand.
With adequate planning and preparation, you’ll ace your interview.
We’ve outlined some basic steps you should follow to ensure success in your interview.
CREATE A LIST OF POTENTIAL QUESTIONS
Draft a list of questions you may be asked relevant to the topic of discussion.
It’s also important to think of any difficult questions you may be asked during the interview.
Write-out responses to the questions and study them.
Organizing your thoughts ahead of time will better position you for delivery of concise, yet informative responses.
This step will help build confidence.
CRAFT THREE KEY POINTS
Draft three key points you’d like to drive-home in your interview.
Continue to come back those points throughout the interview.
This will give you a sense of a control in an intimidating environment.
Remember that you are in control!
In the event of a difficult question, craft a response that bridges back to one of your three key points.
DO A MOCK INTERVIEW
Find a friend, relative or colleague to pose as the interviewer and host a mock interview.
It may feel awkward or silly at first, but that’s totally normal!
Interviews are a performative act that falls outside of many people’s comfort zones.
Get all the awkward feels out, ahead of the real deal interview.
Remember that we experience growth when we force ourselves outside of our comfort zones.
This mock interview exercise will give you the opportunity to hear your drafted responses out loud.
In doing so, you may realize you want to refine those responses.
A mock interview will help you walk into the actual interview with an elevated sense of confidence!
DO NOT PREPARE A SPEECH
Interviews are a back-and-forth dialogue.
Remember, you’re not presenting-- you’re doing an interview.
Do not prepare a speech.
It’s important to let the interviewer do their job, which is to guide the conversation with questions.
We’ve seen people make the mistake of answering every potential question in their first response, which is a no-no.
It’s important to let the conversation flow naturally.
Additionally, there’s no time for a speech.
Most television interviews are about two minutes long.
The interview will FLY by!
It’s important to be concise, yet informative with your responses.
DO NOT MEMORIZE RESPONSES
For multiple reasons, do not memorize responses.
It’s good to walk into an interview prepared with an idea of what you want to say, but do not come prepared to recite scripted lines.
There’s a difference between memorizing responses and familiarizing yourself with how you’d like to respond to questions.
When people memorize responses, they risk forgetting their lines or coming off as disingenuous.
The conversation should be sincere and organic.
Sincerity helps build a foundation of trust with your audience.
It’s okay to bring notes to your interview.
We don’t recommend notes for a live interview, but if the interview is pre-recorded and shot from the chest up, it’s perfectly acceptable to reference your notes in-between questions, as this will be edited out.
PROVIDE VISUALS
Because television is a visual platform, you may be asked to bring some visuals to support the conversation.
For example, if you’re a spine physician, a mini spine model could help demonstrate key points throughout the conversation.
Perhaps it would make most sense to provide some photos or video that support your message?
If so, you can share these images with the producer to utilize during your segment.
EXUDE CONFIDENCE
As the subject matter expert, it’s very important to speak with confidence.
Practicing your responses will help with this, but it’s also important to remember body language.
Slumped shoulders signal that you’re not confident in what you’re saying.
Nonverbal cues like posture really do matter.
Sitting with your shoulders up helps establish authority through body language.
Interviews can help build trust and loyalty with your audience, so be sure to look and sound like the expert you know you are!
DRESS THE PART
You may be asked to dress the part.
Because television news is a visual platform, what you wear helps distracted at-home viewers quickly identify your role.
This also helps establish authority.
For example, it may be appropriate for a physician to wear a white coat during the interview.
If wearing general professional attire, avoid busy patterns and jewelry.
Solids are best, and minimal jewelry is advised.
Why?
Because it can be distracting.
The goal is to deliver a compelling message to viewers.
You don’t want them focusing on your outfit or jewelry, instead of listening to what you’re saying.
When appropriate, wear branded attire, like a polo with your brand’s logo.
This helps with brand awareness.
SCHEDULE YOUR MEDIA TRAINING TODAY
If you need help preparing for an interview, Coghill Communications offers professional media training services.
From crafting responses to hosting mock interviews, and all the in-betweens, we will arm your team with the skills necessary to confidently tackle any interview.
Contact us today to learn more.
