Interviewing candidates for your company can often be a time-consuming and nerve-wracking process. While you want to find out as much as you can about the candidate and how they will benefit your company, you need to avoid asking questions which are deemed inappropriate or illegal. The following are examples of ways to find out information about your candidate without being inappropriate and still respecting the limits of the law. Be cautious about these topics during the interview.

Great news! You’ve been invited to be on your local morning news show.

So, how do you prepare, especially for an in-studio TV interview?

The first four steps in preparing for an in-studio interview are the same as preparing for any TV interview:

1. Consider who watches the show. What they are interested in, especially in relation to your topic?
2. Decide on your desired result for the interview. What do you want the audience to do?
3. Create your message. Keep it simple and pertinent to the viewers.
4. Craft powerful sound bites so your listeners will remember what you say and act on it.

If you’ve never seen the show, watch it. If you have seen the show, watch it again. This time pay attention to the mechanics of the interview.

Hear are some specific things to observe:

1. Where will you, as the guest, be sitting?
2. What will you be sitting on?
3. Notice other guests. How do they sit? Do they appear engaged in the conversation? Decide how you will sit to look engaged. Tip: leaning in slightly toward the interviewer usually projects engagement. Sitting on the front edge of the chair helps.
4. What outfits and colors look good on guests? [This usually applies more to women than men, as women are a) more interested, and b) have more options than men.]
5. What is the interviewer’s style? Does the style change depending on the guest or topic?
6. If there is more than one host, how do they interact with each other and the guests?
7. Is there a live in-studio audience? If there is, what are the demographics of its members?
8. Does the host take questions from the audience?
9. Do viewers call in to ask questions?
10. How long do the interview segments last? (3 minutes is fairly typical.)

With this information, you will be prepared to enter the studio already feeling at home and confident on the set.

And now to keep you focused during your interview, I invite you to claim your Free Instant Access 400-year-old tool I’ve adapted to help you stay on message by visiting this site

From – Lou Hampton, The QuoteAbility(tm) Coach and Speak to Lead.com

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Tags: pr, interview, relation, studio, tv, step

Recently I watched Larry King interview Janet Jackson. I was really looking forward to the show because I remember what an impact she had on my life as a teen. I wanted to wear my hair like her, dress like her and I especially wanted to dance like her. But after seeing the interview, one thing is for sure-I would NOT want to do interviews like her and as a long-time radio and TV personality I definitely wouldn’t want to have a guest like her. As much as I hate to say it, Janet’s performance was downright bad!

Though she looked great as always, Janet just didn’t deliver the kind of insight that would warrant a one-hour with Larry King. That time could have probably been better spent interviewing my 5-year old son!

A media interview is your time to shine. It’s your opportunity to dispel myths, share new information, promote yourself (Janet was promoting her new CD Discipline), win new supporters, build your brand and shape your image. Janet’s interview was a major disappointment because all she did was fill time with the same old stories we’ve heard before, warmed over for Larry King.

Thanks to her mega-superstar status, Janet’s less than stellar performance probably won’t hurt her. In fact, most people probably didn’t think the interview was all that bad. But to help everyday people like you avoid what I consider a media disaster, I’ve put together a list of the top 3 things that you should never during an interview:

1.) Don’t succumb to political correctness.

One mistake Janet consistently makes during interviews is that she thinks too hard about how to respond to certain questions for fear of saying the wrong thing. My advice: just be honest when answering questions and tell it like it is. I’m not suggesting you say things that are hurtful or damaging, but don’t be afraid to speak truth to power! Whoopi Goldberg is one example of someone who is not afraid to speak her mind and she is a breath of fresh air. True, Janet is no Whoopi, but if her sexually suggestive music is any indication of how open she can be, she should let her music philosophy guide her in interviews.

2.) Don’t display fake modesty or humility.

Janet just naturally has this aura of shyness but for God’s sake Janet, you’re 41 years old! It’s time to stop acting shy! In interview settings it is vitally important to show confidence and self-assurance. This helps audiences feel comfortable with you. Janet’s false modesty only makes me feel like she has something to hide.

3.) Don’t hold back interesting information that your audience wants or needs to hear.

Throughout Janet’s interview I kept waiting for her to drop a bombshell on something-her family, her home life, her wardrobe malfunction-anything! But she never did. If you get invited to do a media interview, deliver the goods. Give the audience something that they won’t get anywhere else. Then they’ll look forward to your next visit and be more willing to support you. More importantly, TV and radio producers will keep calling you back for more.

Note to Janet: if you need media training, I’m available!

Monique Caradine is a Chicago-based broadcast media professional and President of Momentum Media Group, Inc. A former radio host and currently the host of “Perspective,” a community affairs TV program, her specialties include program development, media training and publicity consulting. She is also a noted speaker, workshop presenter and commentator. Please visit her website

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Tags: public, relation, lesson, media, interview

When creating a marketing plan for a business, many people rely heavily on paid advertising and promotions to get their messages across to their target market. While paid advertising and promotions are a critical part of the marketing mix and can be extremely effective, they can also be very expensive. Often overlooked, a regular cycle of newsworthy press releases distributed by a business can be a powerful addition to a company’s marketing efforts. Additionally, there are few things that stretch a marketing budget farther than a press release. A well-planned press release campaign can produce great dividends, and it starts with a well-written release.

This is where press releases get a bad name. Using a press release just to try to make a sale is not an appropriate use of the medium. A press release is not an advertisement, but an opportunity to share something that is newsworthy about your business. That said, there are many opportunities that go overlooked when it comes to developing newsworthy content. Developing a new product or service, partnering with another company, sponsoring a charity event, receiving an award or other recognition, and sharing the results of research that you’ve carried out are all appropriate topics for a press release.

Start Strong
Using an attention getting headline is important to catch the attention of editors who are bombarded with information each day. The headline and first paragraph should tell the whole story. If someone has to read further than that to understand the purpose of the release, they’re likely to lose interest. Using an active voice instead of a passive voice is critical as well. An example would be using the word “partnered” instead of “entered into a partnership”.

Remember the four W’s

First and foremost, a press release should answer the who, what, where, and when. In presenting your information, be sure to avoid jargon and hype. Don’t use all capital letters, exclamation points, or other detractors. Also remember that you’re writing for busy people so word economy is important. Don’t use 500 words to say something that you could have said in 250 words. Building credibility is extremely important, especially if press releases become an on-going part of your public relations efforts. Stick to the facts.

What’s next?

After you’ve written the release, you’ve got to get it into the hands of the news media. Submitting your release to the right media contacts is extremely important. Find out who the right person is for the media outlet(s) you are pursuing. Also find out how they prefer to receive the information whether it is by e-mail, fax or some other means. If you intend to distribute your release more widely, there are also PR services that have well developed distribution networks and can get the word out effectively for relatively little cost.

The last step in this process is to evaluate the effectiveness of the release. By monitoring the outlets where the release was submitted to, you can gauge how newsworthy the release was and make adjustments for the next one. Also, developing a mechanism to measure customer awareness of the release will help you to calculate the return on your investment and zero in on issues that are important to your customers.

Shane Turner is currently Professor of Entrepreneurship at Arizona Western College. His interests include nursing education, welding, and helping individuals with their new venture.

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Tags: press release, power, news, newsworthy, interview

Are your story pitches to reporters working? If you succeed in landing an interview, congratulations! Now, you need to follow a few easy steps before and during the interview to make it a great public relations win:

Before the Interview

·Never do an interview cold. Prepare yourself.

·Learn what you can about the publication, audience, interviewer and story. Read the reporter’s last couple of stories.

·Start with a goal. Visualize the “headline.” What would you like the story to say?

·Review your 5-6 “must-say” message points that make your case.

·Practice answers to all potential questions. Have your staff grill you. They will enjoy it. You probably won’t, but it will make your answers more potent.

During the Interview

·If it is a phone interview, remove distractions. Get into the proper mindset.

·Keep message points in front of you. Repeat your messages 2-3 times during interview to make sure they get into the story.

·Speak through the reporter to your audience (see above).

·Learn to take yes for an answer. Skilled salespeople say that once you make the sale, don’t keep selling! Same goes for interviews. Once you make your point and you are sure the reporter gets it, shut up and move on. There is a temptation to embellish your answer for a few more minutes because you know so much about the topic at hand.

·Be engaging and friendly.

·Speak slowly. Remember, the reporter has to understand you well enough to explain it to others.

·Don’t repeat a negative question; it will end up as part of your quotes in the story. Stay positive.

·Don’t criticize your competitors by name – you’re giving them free PR. If you hammer home what makes your product or service unique, your potential customers will figure out the differences for themselves.

·Never lie. Just say you can’t discuss a particular topic.

·Don’t guess. “I don’t know. I’ll get back to you on it,” is a fine answer. Say you will call back and then DO it.

·Make your points easily understood, e.g., Use clarifying statements to get a reporter’s attention to make sure he/she pays attention when you give your messages:

o “The three most critical issues are…”

o “There are three main points to remember here….”

o “The most important aspect of this whole situation is….”

o “The people who will be most affected by this are…”

o “Let me summarize.”

· Let the reporter use a tape recorder for accuracy. You can use one too for verification. Might come in handy if there is a dispute later on a quote.

· In a confrontational interview, keep to the high road. Don’t be defensive. Avoid emotion.

· Always stay in control of an interview. Even if the reporter is rapid-firing questions at you, it is OK to think before you speak. They can’t quote you on something you didn’t say. In this day of one-minute TV stories that are considered in-depth, pausing to think before answering a difficult question can be perceived as being stymied. Still, go for substance over style.

· Never say flatly, “No comment.” It makes it appear as though you are hiding something negative. Always give a reason, even if it is non-committal, e.g., “We can’t discuss anything in litigation,” “We don’t discuss personnel matters,” “We don’t respond to rumors,” or “Once our new product is ready to announce, we will do so.”

Robert Deigh is principal of RDC Communication/PR and author of “How Come No One Knows About Us?” (coming out in May 2008 from W Business Books), the PR guide for organizations large and small that want to win big visibility. Deigh helps organizations increase their visibility and build their brands by creating strong and positive relationships with the press and other audiences. He is also a frequent speaker and trainer on media and PR topics. He can be reached via email at rdeigh1@aol.com, his website here

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Tags: win, media, interview, news, press, strategy

The first thing you should do when asked to do a radio or television interview is say, yes, then control the panic that may set in.

A lot of people unfamiliar with doing an on-air interview are daunted by the prospect and get very nervous. This fear can stop us moving ahead and saying no to the chance of promoting our businesses. You need to put this fear into its right perspective – what is the worst thing that is going to happen to you?

You might think you are going to die or pass out and faint once a microphone is put in front of you but it is highly unlikely. The knocking knees and shaky voice you might think will give you away but generally nerves are pretty normal and not noticed so much by other people even though you may be feeling it strongly.

Nerves can be used as a source of enthusiasm to show your commitment to the subject you are talking about. So let’s look at how we might eliminate unnecessary fears from an interview situation.

Prepare

You only have one chance to get it right with live radio or television. You know your subject better than anyone else so think about some possible questions they may ask and prepare your answers. Ask your partner or a friend to ask you a few questions and have a rehearsal – practice. Find out as much as you can about the program on which you’re being asked to appear – is it live or pre-recorded? What angle are they taking? What are they expecting from you – what are the question areas? Is the audience completely general, or is targeted at housewives or business people? Think about the points you could make which are most interesting, useful and relevant to the appropriate audience.

Stick to the Point

What’s really useful is to prepare three or four main points which you wish to convey. Write them down on a sticky note and refer to it. Most radio interviews are less than four minutes long so always keep to the point and avoid being drawn into side issues. Always try and take control and use every opportunity to get your message across. Don’t wait to be asked the appropriate question.

Give Yourself Time To Think About It

The phone rings, and out of the blue a journalist is on the line asking you some tricky questions about your company’s activities. How do you handle it? Your company’s reputation may depend on the answers you give. Don’t be afraid to call the journalist back rather than talking straight away off the top of your head – but find out when their deadline is and don’t leave it too late. Use the time to think through what you should be putting across, particularly in response to any controversial issues that are likely to be raised.

Have Something To Say

If there are controversial issues in your area of expertise, work out where you stand, and what you should say. It is better to respond rather than say “no comment”. Don’t be afraid to put your point of view across.

Make It Interesting and Relevant

Make your message more memorable by using real stories and examples. Use word pictures. Cut through the clutter with words that paint a picture in the mind of the listener. When you have facts and specifics to back yourself up, you will come over as more authoritative. Remember to stress the points that are likely to interest the listeners or viewers rather than just your own internal messages.

Make it Personable

Use the interviewer’s name to make it more personable when answering questions. If you’re doing an interview face-to-face use eye contact and try and interest the interviewer in what you’re talking about rather than thinking – do I sound OK – do I look alright on TV. If your eyes flicker around during a TV interview, you look uncomfortable, and possibly a bit shifty. If you keep your eye-line focused on the interviewer, you will come over as being in command of your subject. Focus on getting those main points across.

Be Buoyant & Enthusiastic

Be bright and buoyant in your answers – boring answers will probably be edited out and boring interviews will be dropped altogether. You need to be slightly more animated and larger than life. Pep up your delivery so that it is bright and enthusiastic, rather than dull and low-key. Remember broadcasting is a performance! If you do not hold the audience’s attention, there are plenty of rival channels people can switch over to.

Mind Your Language

Think about the way you talk in your work life – is your conversation peppered with abbreviations, technical terms and other jargon? For the outside world, this will just not do. Imagine instead that you are chatting to someone who is perfectly intelligent, but who simply doesn’t know anything about the subject. People often make the mistake of addressing their remarks to the interviewer (who may be well informed) rather than the audience.

Keep Your Comments Concise

Catchy short answers work best in the media especially for television news. They’re known as “grabs” and can be slotted in to a news story. If you watch the news, or listen to radio news, you’ll notice that the grabs or “sound bites” are about 5-7 seconds long. If you don’t give enough information the journalist will simply ask a follow-up question.

Be Available

Always make yourself available for radio interviews. Be available to go into the studio for better quality than over the phone. If you’re on talkback radio use a landline not a mobile phone and be aware of external noise. When you do radio interviews make sure the background is as quiet as possible.

Warm Up Your Voice

Always take time to warm up your voice so you sound more articulate, intelligent and authoritative. This will give you more confidence.

Call to Action

Most people will remember the opening and closing of a radio interview. Always have a strong closing with a call to action, something you want listeners to do i.e. attend the event or buy the product. And finally remember to smile – when you smile you feel and sound much friendlier – and enjoy it!

Sue Currie, the director of Shine Communications Consultancy and author of Apprentice to Business Ace – your inside-out guide to personal branding, is a business educator and speaker on personal branding through image and media. To learn more about how you can achieve recognition, enhance your image and shine, sign up for free monthly tips here.

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Tags: media, interview, media relations, educations, press

If you are going to embark on press and media interviews then there are some basic rules worth considering:

* Asking the right questions – you need to know where the journalist got the story from and who else they have spoken to. This helps to put you in the best position regarding the possible angle the journalist may be looking at and whether this is an opportunity worth pursuing.
* Preparing your material – you should never think about speaking to the press and media without doing some preparation. What are the points you want to get across, what the are examples and anecdotes, statistics etc that you can use to support your points.
* Researching and understanding your audience – to get your points across effectively in a press or media interview you need to know who the audience is – what they know about you and your organisation, their profile etc. You need to tailor what you say to suit. Don’t use industry jargon if your audience is the general public – they won’t appreciate it and chances are you won’t be asked back.
* Rehearsing – get colleagues to fire questions at you. Some people find that it is useful to do this just before an interview to ‘warm up’ – you’ll find what works for you but do take time to think about and rehearse handling questions.
* Checking the corporate line – always check standard corporate information and lines on key topics before an interview. You need to ensure that you are up-to-date.
* Dress Sense – follow basic guidelines for what to wear and what not to wear. Avoid black and white for television interviews as these colors can make you look washed out. Busy patterns are also best avoided so too is jewelery that could be distracting for the audience.
* Body language – this is important whether you are on television, radio or doing a press interview. You need to ensure that your body language is open and that it matches the tone of the interview. Even if you sound convincing the audience will not believe you if you look defensive with arms folded and eyes shifting about the room.
* Logistics – give yourself a good amount of time for the interview. Be at the right place ahead of time. For television and radio interviews you may need to wait around a bit but that is, of course, much better than arriving late and flustered or missing your slot completely.
* Stay calm – and believe in yourself. Whatever a journalist throws at you, you can handle it. Using a media trainer is helpful, particularly to help arm yourself with the tools to handle difficult journalist questioning.
* Persevere – you will only improve if you keep on doing it. The more experience you get the more confident and in control you will become.

If you are looking to raise your profile then it is a good idea to get support form a media trainer. It’s much easier to iron out any issues in the training room rather than in front of the camera. Coming across well in a press or media interview is a skill that can be learned and is a great asset to your publicity efforts.

Using PR to build your profile and protect your reputation can help you influence the audiences that are important to you – I invite you to access more free articles, tips and information on this, and other subjects related to public relations, by visiting this site

Debbie Leven – Profile Matters Ltd PR Consultants UK

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Tags: media , interview, coverage, press release, news

As you read the headline, I can almost hear some of you asking, “How can there be anything positive about media interviews? I would rather go for a painful visit to my dentist than participate in a media interview.” Well, I want to tell you that in more than 35 years of media interviews in my professional career, I remain positive about media interviews and will share some thoughts with you. And just in case you might believe that all those media interviews were fun & friendly, I can assure you they were not.

Many business people, especially corporate leaders, have great disdain for the media and hold the belief that a journalist’s job is to find sensational stories and details and then present them in ways to make CEOs and other business leaders look bad. And with this kind of attitude, we witness corporate leaders and business people going on the defensive, when they should be doing the opposite – being proactive ad looking at the interview as an opportunity rather than a crisis.

So you are wondering how to look at media interviews in a positive light and view them as an opportunity to tell your story. Here is my prescription for you.

1. Be positive. Even thought the subject mater of the interview may have negative elements.

2. Be honest. If you do not know the answer to the interviewer’s question than sincerely respond that you do not know. Do not try to make up an answer or “wing it” with something that cannot be substantiated.

3. Be prepared. I always advise my clients to know whom they are doing business with before any business takes place. The same advice is appropriate for your doing business (interviews in this instance) with the media. Research the interviewer and his or her background, interviewing style, subjects usually covered by them, format of interview, the physical location of the interview, etc.

4. Develop your key message(s) with 2 to 4 key points and weave these into your interview responses.

5. Anticipate questions you would rather not have asked. Do some “what if” planning for these questions. Prepare to briefly address those questions and then tie back into your main points.

6. Build relationships with the media as an ongoing goal, even before media interview opportunities occur.

7. Capitalize on every media interview opportunity and when you are asked at the end of the interview (which almost always happens) if there is anything else you would like to add, be ready to reiterate key messages and provide a positive summary of the interview.

8. Seek and engage outside counsel and training to develop your media interview skills.

9. Practice, practice, practice to hone your media interview skills.

10. Commit to viewing media interviews as opportunities, not crises.

If you would like to learn more about achieving positive successful interviews and positive media relations, please contact Glenn Ebersole through his web site at: http://www.renaissanceman4u.com/ or by Email at jgecoach@aol.com

Glenn Ebersole, Jr. is a multi-faceted professional, who is recognized as a visionary, guide and facilitator in the fields of business coaching, marketing, public relations, management, strategic planning and engineering. Glenn is the Founder and Chief Executive of two Lancaster, PA based consulting practices: The Renaissance Group, a creative marketing, public relations, strategic planning and business development consulting firm and J. G. Ebersole Associates, an independent professional engineering, marketing, and management consulting firm. He is a Certified Facilitator and serves as a business coach and a strategic planning facilitator and consultant to a diverse list of clients. Glenn is also the author of a monthly newsletter, “Glenn’s Guiding Lines – Thoughts From Your Strategic Thinking Business Coach” and has published more than 225 articles on business.

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Tags: interview, media, public relations, relationships, pr steps

Public relations are about communication as a whole. In order to get positive publicity out of a televised opportunity, one should consider every detail from the first to last impression. The publicity’s outcome can spin in any direction– and it all depends on the show’s viewers. Winning an audience is not just about being entertaining or informative. The guest needs to establish a bond with the host, the audience and the viewers. The situation is largely psychological.

Here are some factors that go into a good TV interview:

•You need to be yourself—and show genuine emotion. If you are acting fake, it is very likely to come through to the audience. If people see you as fake, you lose credibility and the publicity is deemed useless.

•Body language is huge. You cannot look too relaxed or stiff. Since you are usually seated on a big chair or couch, you need to make sure you don’t lurch or fall too far back. Sit up straight but facing slightly forward. It helps keep you alert and you look more relaxed.

•Cross your legs at the knee and not the ankle.

•Speak clearly and use laymen’s terms. Don’t expect your audience or even your host to know as much about your topic as you do. Using specific terminology will not make you look respectable—you can lose your audience.

•Eye contact is crucial when you are on television. It can get confusing when you’re around so many cameras, so you should always look into the eyes of the person you’re talking to at the moment.

•If you use gestures when speaking, practicing speaking while keeping your movements below your chest level. It is distracting to watch someone gesture to high up towards their face.

•If the discussion is boring, consider adding a bit of controversy in what you say. Be bold and take a position.

•Make sure that you know what you are taking about– if you get stuck with a question you don’t have the answer to, lead into another subject by saying, “I am not too sure about that but I do know that…” Then lead into something you want to promote.

•Find out about the show’s topic. Be sure to have a clear understanding about the topic at hand. Whether it is about your band’s new record, your book’s new tour or your new movie—you should know some details.

•If possible, be sure to show your lighter side at least once or twice through humor or words of kindness. A good time to do so is at the end of the interview. The impression sticks with the audience.

•Remember to smile once in a while.

•Shake the host’s hand. Sometimes people forget.

•Practice makes perfect. Go over some notes and speak out loud as often as you can about the subject to prepare for the interview.

•Thank them for having you.

Mona Loring is the president of M. Loring Communications PR. MLC PR provides quality public relations for businesses, entertainment industry individuals and literary industries. Visit her at: site Copyright 2006 Mona Loring

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Tag: public relations, media, interview, media tips, communications

“Privacy?There is no privacy. Get over it!” That comment just a few years ago by Scott McNeely, then CEO of Sun Microsystems, stated a condition that most people did not want to hear. A truth they did not want to believe. And a situation most people refused to deal with.

But in the ensuing years it has become increasingly harder for people to keep their heads in the sand, especially if you are about to undergo media training for an interview with any investigative journalist. You should assume the reporter has details of your private life as well as your private business dealings. This is especially true if the issue your are being interviewed about has been involved in any civil or criminal litigation.

It used to be that only shows like 60 Minutes, 20/20, or Dateline, or select print journalists (Robert Woodward, and the late Jack Anderson, for example) created great discomfort, if not outright panic. on the part of subjects of their investigations. These reporters had the staff resources to do extensive and often time-consuming research to get the goods on an interviewee. They also often had the help of whistleblowers inside an organization to leak them negative information.

That exclusivity has changed. Now the internet has made access to “private” records available, easily and often at little cost. (A Wall Street Journal article, quoting Breit, Drescher & Imprevento PC, gave these figures: credit card transactions-$75; full list of assets-$295; list of brokerage accounts-$350.) It has also made public records easier to access. And practice of disaffected insiders to leak confidential memos and emails seems to continue to gain popularity. With these increased sources of information, even the lone freelancer can now become an investigative reporter with clout.

So how do you identify what issues you need to prepare for during media training?

1. Find out what has already been said about you and your organization in the media. List the concerns and questions you will need to address. Here the internet works to your advantage; search engines make it easy to find this information.
2. If you have already been interviewed on this or a related topic, list your quotes the reporters have used.
3. Identify all reports, studies, internal memos (including emails), etc., that contain comments or recommendations contrary to your current position or that contain inflammatory, threatening, or pejorative words or phrases about the opponents. Even when supposedly said in jest, such language creates fodder for tough questions. And even though they were private, assume that the juiciest will be leaked.
4. List any personal information (personal or business relationships, financial transactions, investments, contributions, memberships, etc.) that might be embarrassing or cause guilt by association.

Now, in conjunction with your media trainer and pubic relations counsel (and legal counsel if the issue is or likely will be litigated), go through the list and determine how you will respond to each issue. The aim is to be able to diffuse the issue so you can maintain your credibility, stay on message, and avoid becoming media roadkill.

Lou Hampton is president of The Hampton Group, Inc., a Washington, DC firm specializing in media training, speech coaching, and message development. For tips, tricks, and techniques on how to communicate as a leader, go to Lou’s blog

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Tags: interview, preparation, training, media, skill

Morning or breakfast TV programs are a great way to get your message across.

They are usually more informative, relaxed and friendly than current affairs orientated interviews.

They are often hosted by a team of two presenters – male and female. This format is a popular genre across the world.

It is a really good way to get known fast, build a profile and gain community support for a new idea.

Through a recent experience being interviewed for a breakfast TV program called Wake Up Perth, I want to share with you my insights and reflections.

Learn from my experience so you can perform at your best.

Here are Five Ways to Maximise Morning TV Interviews:

1. Prepare.

You must work out what your angle, hook or spin is. What is your key message? How can you make this unique, distinctive and memorable?

2. Look Good

TV is a visual medium. You must look good and dress well.

3. Supply Suggested Questions

Presenters and producers on breakfast and morning TV work bakers hours (for example they often start at 3 or 4am in the morning) – and this means they often are under time pressures. Make their life easier by supplying a suggested list of questions, short 1-page biography and suggested short introduction.

4. Share Something Personal

Make it personal – remember your audience and the interviewer will want to connect at an emotional rather than logical level.

5. Warm Up Your Voice

Sounding bright and bubbly at 5am or 7am in the morning is a real challenge. Always warm up your voice and be more animated than you normally would be.

Thomas Murrell MBA CSP is an international business speaker, consultant and award-winning broadcaster. Media Motivators is his regular electronic magazine read by 7,000 professionals in 15 different countries. You can subscribe by visiting this Site. Visit Tom’s blog Here

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Tags: tv, program, interview, media relations, publicity

An associate producer from a local TV program called you. He is interested in having you appear on the show, but before scheduling an appearance, he would like to schedule a phone pre-interview with a senior producer. Pre-interview? What’s a pre-interview?

First of all, congratulations. You’ve won round one. What it means is that the producer likes your information and is interested in having you appear on the program, but before having you on, he wants to make sure that you can deliver the goods.

Will you make a good guest for the program? Are you a good interview? And that is going to be determined by how well you do on the phone pre-interview. I can’t emphasize strongly enough how important pre-interviews are. If you take them lightly and decide not to practice or prepare your information, chances are you’re going to fail to impress the producer, and you’ll never make it as a guest on the show. I’ve had clients lose national shows because they refused to prepare for the pre-interview. They figured that they’d dazzle them once they got on the show. It’s like a comedian saving his best material for the Tonight Show. Well, if no one sees how funny he is, he’s never going to get on the Tonight Show.

The pre-interview is of vital importance. Often it’s more difficult than the actual interview itself. Remember, there are droves of people trying to get on that very program that’s interested in you. If you don’t deliver the goods, someone else will. So be prepared.

Make sure you understand exactly what the interview is about and what the media wants from you. Don’t be shy. Ask questions. Make sure you understand exactly what the producer is looking for. The initial objective is to meet that particular story’s needs. Once you’ve accomplished that, you can work on meeting your own needs. Find out exactly what they’re looking for, so you can clearly discuss the topic. Find out if you are going to be the lone guest, if it’s going to be a panel, or if there is going to be a guest representing an opposing view. Find out as much as you can.

If you have any facts or information that will help the segment, let the producer know, but don’t just give him a litany of fact after fact. If necessary, during the pre-interview, keep a cheat sheet, have your information written out in front of you, but only use it as a reference. Don’t read the information. It will sound like you’re reading. Nail the pre interview and the segment is yours.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2007

Anthony Mora
President & CEO

For further information visit this site

Anthony Mora began his media career as a freelance journalist for such publications as Us, Rolling Stone and other local and national publications. He also served as editor-in-chief of two Los Angeles-based entertainment and lifestyle-oriented publications. In 1990, Anthony formed Anthony Mora Communications, Inc. a Los Angeles-based media relations company that specializes in media placement, image development, and media training. AMC Inc. has placed clients in: Time, Newsweek, 60 Minutes, CNN, The Wall Street Journal, The Oprah Winfrey Show, The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and other local, national, and international media outlets. ! Anthony has been featured in: USA Today, Newsweek, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal, The BBC, CNN, Entrepreneur, Fox News, MSNBC, and other media. He has written three books. The most recent, “Spin to Win,” is a step-by-step guide on how to define goals and utilize the power of the media to achieve success in any field.

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Tags: mean, interview, media, relation, press

Would you like to be the next Dr. Phil, Suze Orman or Guy Kawasaki?

When I ask people that question, they usually say something like, “I’d be happy to be able to reach $100,000 in revenues,” or “Hey, I’d settle for being able to take a week-long vacation.”

My challenge to you is to Think Big.

Because if you don’t Think Big, you will always be running in place, never able to catch up.

Now, I don’t mean that you have to have a huge office building, or many employees, or a number of locations. What I mean is, you need to think about the big picture.

For instance, do you want to be known as an expert in your field? Do you make the best barbecue sauce in America? Do you want to have the degree of success in your business or career that allows you to take off two months every summer?

To do any of these things, you need to Think Big. Then you need to work on making things happen.

One of the best ways to accomplish this is through a targeted publicity plan that takes you to a whole new level. Why not take a Giant Step into the realm of national media?

But why, you may ask, would I need national media if my customers/clients are from my home area? Why would a candy maker in Kansas City, or a marriage counselor in Miami, or a financial advisor in Los Angeles want national publicity? My answer is this: Because they Think Big. They want to be viewed as the trailblazers in their fields . the experts people seek out . the ones who have a national reputation.

In other words, when you’re a small business or professional featured in the Wall Street Journal or on Good Morning America, you appear bigger than you are. And when you are mentioned in several publications, people think, “Wow — this person is everywhere. He/she is obviously successful.” And, as we all know, people want to do business with successful people.

So, if you want to be the next Oprah, start Thinking Big.

Copyright 2008 Margie Fisher All Rights Reserved

Margie Fisher, President of Zable Fisher Public Relations, is the author of the Do-It-Yourself Public Relations Kit. For more information on the Kit, the Pay for Results Publicity Program, and to sign up for the complimentary PRactical P.R. newsletter, visit this site.

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Tags: public, relations, tips, interview, company

I’m what we in the business (the “business” being journalism) call a poacher turned gamekeeper — that is, a journalist turned press officer. As a reporter I spent a huge part of my day sifting through a slush pile of press releases, all sent out by eager business owners desperate to get some publicity for their latest project. As a press officer, I was the one writing the press releases and trying desperately to get them published.

Quite apart from leaving me with some pretty good conversation openers, it left me with a good understanding of what kind of story makes the news, and what kind of press release gets filed straight under “bin”. Here’s how to make sure your press release is one of the good ones…

1. Get your story straight

Before you even think about writing a press release, you need to make sure you have the right story. The fact that you’ve just started a business isn’t a good story. Trust me on this. At the last newspaper I worked on, I lost count of the number of press releases we received, which basically boiled down to, “Hey! Guess what! I started a business!” Well, so did a lot of people. If you want your press release to work, you’re going to have to find an “angle” that your target publication will be interested in. There are various different ways to do this:

- Tell a strange/funny/touching story about how your business started, or how you helped one of your customers.

- Run a competition, offering your products or services as a prize.

- Offer your expertise in an “ask the expert” feature or column (if your paper isn’t running one, offer to write it for them)

- Conduct a survey and present your findings in the form of a press release.
Sponsor a local student or organisation

- All you need to get your “angle” is a little bit of imagination. And once you have a story to tell, it’s time to start selling…

2. Writing your press release

First things first, remember it’s a press release you’re writing, not a novel. Of course, you want to make sure you get all of the relevant facts across, but try to do it concisely. It’s worth bearing in mind that the newspaper will probably re-word your release to make it fit their style or the space available in any case, so don’t worry too much if you’re not exactly Stephen King. Focus on your main points. Tell the reader:

Who
Where
Why
What
When
How

These are the building blocks of any story: as long as you get these down, you’re off to a good start. And speaking of starts…

3. Get your opening paragraph right

It’s a sad fact of life that editors are overworked individuals, and their time is precious. If the opening paragraph of your press release doesn’t grab them, they probably won’t bother to read the rest. In newspaper journalism, the convention is to make the opening paragraph short and snappy, and to use it to sum up the story as best you can.

4. Use quotes

Quotes are more interesting to read than straight text, and if you don’t include some, the journalist who receives your press release will have to find them for herself. Including a few ready-made quotes in your press release will reduce the amount of work the reporter has to do, and that will give your release a better chance of being used.

5. Include your contact information

No matter how hard you try to get it right, there will inevitably be some small point which the journalist writing your story will want to clarify, and to do that, they’ll need to be able to contact you. Making things easier on the journalist, makes it easier for them to give your business some publicity.

6. Follow up!

If your press release doesn’t appear in the very next issue of the newspaper you send it to, don’t panic! Sometimes it can take a few weeks for a release which isn’t time-sensitive to appear, but it doesn’t hurt to give the paper a quick call to make sure they received it, just don’t go overboard and take up too much of their precious time…

Amber McNaught is a director of Hot Igloo Productions. Hot Igloo are small business specialists, offering website design, online marketing, public relations and more. Their new press release writing service is now available here, visit for details.

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Tags: pr, tips, product, press, interview