Broadcast interviews can be an exciting and valuable opportunity for any business. These interviews provide a vehicle for an organization to establish themselves as thought leaders in an industry or on particular topic, provide a platform to deliver key messages to a broad audience, and put a face to an organization.
Broadcast interviews are very different from print interviews in that voice, engagement and looks can play as big of a role as content in how the public perceives the spokesperson and your company. We recently prepared two clients for on-camera interviews with national outlets Fox Business News and ABC World News. Earth Class Mail ‘s CEO Sarah Carr was sought after for perspective on the recent postage increase from USPS for ABC World News. Digonex’s CEO Jan Eglen spoke with Fox Business News about dynamic pricing’s role in the future of tickets.
Like any other interview it’s important to prepare accordingly, however given the nature of on-camera interviews, we want to share our approach for how we prepare clients for these opportunities.
The Content
- Try to secure the interview questions prior to the interview. It’s important to have a clear understanding of what the segment is about and the questions that will be asked so the spokesperson is armed with the appropriate information.
- If possible, take the time to watch some past interviews with the host/interviewer. This will provide insight into their interview style and can help play a role in how you develop your key messages and answers.
- Have a clear understanding of the top three messages you want to convey during the interview. Again, having the questions ahead of time will be helpful so that you can weave these key messages into the answers.
- Be prepared for unexpected or controversial questions. While you might not get these during an interview, it’s always good to be prepared to answer these. If you find the conversation going down a path that might be outside your areas of expertise, controversial or is a topic you don’t want to address, bridge back to those topics you are equipped to speak to and reinforce your organization’s messages.
- Conduct a mock interview. We can’t stress enough how important it is to practice. If you have time before the interview, it is beneficial to conduct a mock interview with your spokesperson. At the very least, encourage your spokesperson to practice answering the questions in front of a mirror or out loud as they’re driving to the interview.
Appearance and Engagement
- Be sure to wear neat and comfortable clothes. Bright and solid colors look best on camera, so avoid distracting patterns, stripes as well as white shirts as they don’t balance well on camera.
- Make sure that any facial hair is clean shaven or trimmed to avoid any shadows.
- Determine where the camera will be positioned and how the interview will be conducted. Will the reporter be on camera or off camera? Will there be one camera or multiple cameras? Is this a live satellite interview? This information will help determine where you should direct your attention during the interview.
- Engage with the host or interviewer. Thank them for having you on the show and/or use their name when answering questions. You want the interview to feel like a conversation between two people, not a static conversation.
- Limit the use of “talking with your hands.” Many people use body language and their hands to make points throughout a presentation or conversation. However, these can be distracting during an on-camera interview. Try to limit these to keep the focus on what is being said during the interview.
- Be sure to always smile, it evokes a warm and welcoming feel.
The more you can prepare your spokesperson for an on-camera interview the more likely the interview will be a success. For more information on how to prepare for broadcast interviews send us an e-mail at [email protected].