Entrepreneurs wear many hats. One of your most important hats is one of the PR person or Marketing Coordinator. In Public Relations, which is only one part of Marketing, the best rule of thumb is to maintain "maximum disclosure, minimum delay;" however you should be in complete control of disclosing information that will be sent out through the airwaves.
All communication is Marketing, even if it is not meant to be. Why not maximize every opportunity to present your message accurately?
A journalist may have their own agenda, or none at all. It is your responsibility to make sure your product, service or message is always conveyed to your audience without any form of distortion.
The following list will help you control your message effectively as you leverage various media outlets when appearing for an interview.
1. Do you have your questions prepared for the interviewer?
Be sure to have your questions set up for the interviewer prior to the interview and be sure you know what you are going to say. Getting caught with your pants down after an interviewer asks a question you were not prepared for is a recipe for disaster.
2. Do you have the contact information/location/call in number?
This may seem like a simple thing but for the busy entrepreneur such simple things like phone numbers can create last minute stress that makes it difficult to focus and show personality in an interview. Having an assistant or fellow family member to help you organize this is essential.
3. Has the interview been properly confirmed? Do you have it in writing?
Nothing is set until you have it in writing. Be sure to confirm and reconfirm so that you are not in a situation where there is a potential miscommunication mishap.
4. What is the background on the station and host/journalist who is interviewing you?
Do you see eye to eye on issues, particularly related to your field of expertise? You will want to know what the platform is for the show in addition to having the list of questions so that you are not caught off guard by conflicts of interest. Being able to creatively weave your message into many different settings is essential to your media interviewing success.
5. Always assume the mic is hot even when the mic is turned off or someone says "off the record."
When you have an opinion be prepared to stand by it; but always assume the mic is live so you don't have to explain saying things that are not meant to be part of your promotion or interview.
6. Be sure to check the pronunciation of all names and words relevant to the interview and current topics.
The last thing you want to do is mispronounce the name of a person who is relevant to your industry. Your audience will question your authority and professionalism if you don't appear informed about the topic.
7. Review current events for the week so you are not caught off guard by relevant questions.
Be prepared to answer questions that are not on the list but may be relevant to current events for your industry. Again you do not want to appear uninformed. Looking and sounding stupid in front of people is no fun…this should only take about 10 minutes of your time.
8. Have a plan for what you will say if you are caught off guard.
Be prepared with what you will say if you are put on the spot. Have a preplanned phrase that you plan to use when someone asks you an off topic or inappropriate question. You do not want to appear irritated or unprepared.
9. Always have swag, fliers and marketing material
Take advantage of promo opportunities and lead your viewers/listeners to action! You don't want to miss any opportunities to capture new audience members to your product or service. Every event and promotion should be a stepping stone to the next.
10. Don't rely on the interviewer to make the conversation interesting.
Be prepared with quick anecdotes if you feel the conversation dying. You may think wow, what a boring interviewer, but your audience will be affected by the overall interview and may not know who the culprit is. Be prepared to carry the interview if necessary.
