May 2005

by Edward J. Barks

The floor director points. The anchor begins reading her introduction from the TelePrompTer. Camera 2 is focused on you.

The anchor completes her brisk introduction and turns to you with that first question. Now comes your moment in the sun.

Live television interviews differ from most other forms of media encounters. What is the most important difference? Since you are on the air live, no reporter or editor can slice and dice your words. You control the content. Sure, the stakes can be high. But there is a distinct advantage: Your message goes out over the airwaves unfiltered.

How can you improve your appearance on television so you can achieve your communications goals? Let us review some TV interview basics:

• Sit up straight: Just like mom always told you, it is important to show good posture while seated. Slouching makes you appear disinterested. Plus, it collapses your voice box, reducing your vocal effectiveness
• Maintain eye contact: The camera never blinks. If you eye contact strays, you could appear shifty-eyed or, at the least, unconfident. Lock in eye contact with your interviewer and keep it there for the duration. In a related note…
• Do not stare into the camera. This looks wholly unnatural to viewers. You look like a huckster on an infomercial (important note: The only exception to this rule occurs when you are being interviewed over a satellite link. In that case, the camera takes on the role of your interviewer).
• Get used to your new environment: If you can gain access to the studio a few minutes before you are scheduled to go on, do so. It is usually fine to stand and observe as long as you don’t make a pest of yourself. Get a feel for the rhythms; once you take to the air, the setting will not seem so strange.
• Introduce yourself to the crew: If the situation allows, offer a quick handshake to the audio technician who clips your microphone on, the camera operators, and the floor director. These professionals can make you look real good—or real bad. Granted, in the hectic world of live television, this is often not feasible. You need to make a judgment call and remember not to get in their way. These people need to move a mile a minute.
• Drink water: No coffee, no tea, no juices. Those beverages will dry your mouth. Save that cup of java for your post-interview celebration.
• Avoid the green room: You don’t need a snack before going on air. You need to focus on delivering your message and on familiarizing yourself with your new surroundings.
• Ignore the pandemonium: Cameras will be moving, crew members will be snapping their fingers and holding up cues for the interviewer. Pay no attention. Focus your energies on your conversation with the host.
• Leave the viewers with a call to action: TV news and talk shows love to leave their viewers with a concrete next step. For example, while on book tour in support of The Truth About Public Speaking: The Three Keys to Great Presentations, I landed an interview on the NBC affiliate in Hartford, Connecticut. In advance, I made sure they had the web site address for my book (www.TruthAboutPublicSpeaking.com) so that they could superimpose it on screen during the interview. In addition, they put a link to it on their web site. Months later, I still get hits that I can trace to that interview.