Preparing for the Media Interview: A Quick Drill

So the media responded to your first PR pitch.  They’re interested and you’ve landed that much sought after interview.  You’ve never been interviewed before.  You’ve never been media trained.  And you’re on tomorrow.

What now?

Don’t panic.

For starters, be you.

Do your homework.  Study the media.  Study the specific journalist who is going to interview you.

Don’t put on an act.  Make sure you stay true to who you are.  Don’t try and shift your personality for an interview.  For example, if you are basically shy and retiring, don’t try to come off like a rock star. That’s not going to work.

Your mission here is not to alter your personality, but to enhance it.

The main points to focus on are:  

Pick three main points that you want out there and practice weaving them into your answers.

Breath.  It sounds silly, but it’s not.

Sit erect, but let your body relax.

Keep your voice modulated.

Listen to the questions, don’t assume you know where the interviewer is going or try to anticipate the questions.

Give concise answers.  You don’t want to give a yes or no response, but you also don’t want to reply with a three page meandering monologue.

If you don’t know the answer to a question, it’s okay not to know something.

Also, if you don’t understand a question, it’s fine to ask the interviewer to rephrase it.  Don’t try and respond to a question you’re not sure about.

Have fun with it.

Enjoy the process.

Break a leg!

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2013