5 Secrets to a Successful Media Interview
It's no wonder that for a successful media interview, one must be well prepared. The more you study and rehearse the better your interview will go. Moreover, keeping in mind all the psychological tricks is never too much extra practice! At the end of the day, the winner is one who knows how to appeal to the hearts of their audience. There are now online highschools that prepare people for interviews.
The main transition this year the world has been going through is due to the COVID 19, almost every business has come on the foot of the internet. Whether it be an online high school, an educational seminar, or a professional meeting, everyone has an opportunity to be on the internet. Media interviews, similarly, are not alien anymore to an online audience.
However, as mentioned above, the key factor is to have a firm grasp over the information or subject relativity you will be speaking on. Whether in person or online, you must position yourself as an expert and speak confidently about the topic.
Let's move ahead and discuss briefly the chief ingredients which assure your success; precisely for a media interview!
You Can Relax and Be Natural
In today's age, it's no news to anyone that once a business or a venture gets to be featured on television or radio, you have elevated to the next level. People, more than we think, like to see the talk of success in TV shows or other media outlets. However, television and radio are the platforms where one doesn't necessarily have to remain super professional. Don't shy away from the very casual kinds of media interviews, give it a try, talk about your venture, and yet sit like you're invited over to an acquaintance's house and not to a very professional meeting! However, talking too much or getting too comfortable can take away from the impact you would like to have, know the margin between relaxed and professional and embrace it.
You are Never Too Experienced for More Practice
Always remember, that no matter how smart or able you are, or as much as you know the tactics of outplaying the opposition, you can never forgo the practice. You never know what questions you will be asked to answer. Usually, there is a framework of questions in front of you to give you an idea. However, it's not enough. To get things in your hands, study and think beyond that framework. Look for various branches of each point since acknowledging only a specific point may leave your audience wondering what comes next.
Don't Talk Down About Your Competition
It's seen more often than not that a member of a start-up, when called for an interview, talks about the competitors more than their own line. Bad mouthing others creates an unnecessarily bad impression. Not only are you wasting the opportunity to introduce yourself, but you are also employing a startup which was supposed to be your competitor, and are perhaps boring the clients away because of your possible obsession over others. Be gracious in your answers, mention others only when it is needed, and do not forget that all the similar ventures in a market are your challenges, yet it does not make you each other’s enemies.
Dodge Over Answering
Giving an interview is mostly about being in control of your nerves. If a media person comes over to you, he/she is apparently looking to cover as much as possible, and to have more coverage, chances are, that he will try to engage you redundantly. However, if you have a deep insight into the company's plans, you'll be able to differentiate between the information to be leaked and the information to be kept confidential. That way, it will be easier to avoid giving away trade secrets.
Your Language Is Key
Probably the most important factor or secret to a media interview success is the language you use. In most parts of the world, English is the spoken or written language. That being said, it's important to realize that English is way beyond what the dictionaries teach us. With professional language comes to mind the phrases and the diction that have to be inevitably complex. In the process, we may ignore the fact of who is our projected audiences is. Therefore, we need to consult with people on our team who know the language better than we do.
Our 2020 world is a strange and challenging time to live in. It's very possible that the interview you are preparing for is an online event. You can still ace it through implementing the above-mentioned tips. Perhaps you've never been to an online media interview before, but life is all about challenges and new experiences. Just know yourself, trust yourself, and be yourself!
This blog was done in collaboration with https://www.valentureinstitute...Thank you Lindsay Johnson