Hold On

By Susan Tomai

Whenever you're in an interview and feel thrown off by a particular question, have a generic “Holding Statement” ready on the tip of your tongue. Example: "Remember (insert reporter’s name), our organization's mission is to eradicate poverty/protect low wage earners/ensure equal education to all children regardless of their zip codes” etc. Use your organization’s mission statement as a holding statement to give your self enough time to redirect and move on. If you believe in your organization’s mission this is an easy placeholder for difficult reporter questions.

Don't Just Sit There - Do Something

By Susan Tomai

When you’re called upon to do a TV interview, whether in the studio, via satellite or even Skype, the last thing a producer wants is another ”talking head” – someone who just sits there and speaks while barely moving.

To keep viewers engaged, you have to be engaging. Your interview is in fact not just an interview - it needs to be a performance. I’m not asking you to be phony, or someone other than yourself, but I am asking you to be a somewhat “bigger” version of yourself.

Dig deep into that charismatic side of your personality. Get your hands up out of your lap and use them, preferably with purpose. For example, if you say something is “huge,” hold your hands apart to indicate “huge.” If something is “coming together,” weave your fingers together. If something is “on the rise,” move your hands upward to indicate that.

Remember: what you’re saying may be spellbinding, but if you don’t reflect that with your gestures, your TV audience may not hear it.

I Think Not

By Susan Tomai 

Many speakers feel the need to preface statements with the words “I think, ” as in “I think we should work harder” or “I think the American people deserve more health insurance options.” Perhaps speakers do this because they worry that they’ll be perceived as arrogant or overbearing if they don’t. But their worry is misplaced.

“I think” only weakens a statement. The message is stronger and the speaker sounds like more of a leader if there’s no qualifier at the start of the sentence. So when giving a media interview or conducting a meeting or delivering a presentation, just say “We should work harder” or “The American people deserve more health insurance options.” Simple as that.

What Not To Wear

By Susan Tomai

A media interview can be fraught with challenges, which is why it’s important to spend time developing messages and practicing beforehand. But what you wear in the interview is just as important.

We’ve seen clients in ill-fitting suits, dresses that no longer fit, and crazy patterns that dance on the screen. Crisp simplicity is always best. For men, that usually means a well-tailored dark suit and a solid blue shirt (no stripes and no white shirts) with a straight collar rather than a button-down collar. Also, make sure your shoes are shined and your socks cover your ankles – nothing looks worse than a glimpse of skin between the top of the socks and the pants cuff.

Women should wear solid colors - suits and dresses with a pop of color and/or an interesting piece of jewelry. Don’t wear jewelry that makes noise – e.g., bracelets that clang. We also don’t recommend that women wear button-down shirts, as they tend to pull open. Women should pull a chair in front of a full length mirror and cross their legs to see if the length of a dress or skirt is suitable. Normally we recommend that an interview skirt or dress be longer than your regular office length.

It’s also important for both men and women to powder off that shine, which is exacerbated by studio lighting. In larger TV markets a make-up artist will do this for you, but in smaller towns you’re often on your own. No need for a major make-up job – just get a compact and a brush from the department store and brush the powder on lightly. Some of you (especially the guys) may feel a little funny doing this, but remember: your words in the interview might be positively riveting, but no one will hear them if you look shiny, sloppy or inappropriately dressed.

The Last Word

By Susan Tomai  A TV interview can be stressful - and to the interviewee, the ending is often a huge relief. But who controls that ending?

If you’re the one being asked the questions, take advantage of your opportunity to have the last word. This requires practice, and may even feel a little rude. If the interviewer says something along the lines of “Thanks for being here, we’ve run out of time” – you may think it’s inappropriate to say something more than just “Thank you for having me” before the show cuts to commercial or the next segment. But why waste an opportunity to repeat a message, reinforce your brand, or send the audience to your Instagram feed?

Here’s an example:

INTERVIEWER: Okay thanks, Catherine – appreciate you coming on the program but we’ll have to leave it there.

YOU: Thank you, Allison – it was great to have the opportunity to talk about the importance of XYZ – for more information go to XYZ.org.

The audience often remembers the last thing you say better than anything that came before – so make it count.