Blogger: Kathleen Y’Barbo
Location: The Woodlands, Texas PR Office
Weather: Chilly and wet
Last week, we talked about television appearances. As promised, today is devoted to radio interviews. Because Books & Such Literary Agency has some of the best authors, speakers, and interviewees in the business, I went to them for ideas.
A few to-dos:
“Above all, I keep listener ‘take away’ at the front of my mind. What are their needs? What am I offering to the listeners? My best example of this was an interview with a Houston station right after Hurricane Katrina. The host and I tossed the ‘regular’ interview and talked about hope.” Judy Gann www.judygann.com
“Visualize the caller and talk to him or her. Radio is the most intimate form of mass communication. Make is sound as if the two of you are sitting and having a conversation.” John Thurman www.johnthurman.net
“Find a quiet room and put a note on the door for family. Make sure all the dogs are in a kennel or in a room far away. Check to see who’s calling whom.” Tricia Goyer www.triciagoyer.com
“Have a good wrap-up such as a short acrostic to sum up key points. For my book on time management, I use T-I-M-E: Trust time to God, Invest time in people, Manage the moments, and Evaluate your days.” Karen Whiting www.karenhwhiting.com
“I’ve learned from interview pros to stand up while I’m being interviewed. It helps with breath control and the energy of the conversation. I also try to smile when I’m answering questions–which allows me to sound friendlier and more engaging. Finally, I write down key talking points on a sheet of paper so I can quickly glance at it during the interview.” Dena Dyer www.denadyer.com
“I remember that ‘a soft answer turns away wrath,’ and to pray that no matter who calls in, the Lord will use the situation to reach the hearts of listeners that He has called to listen to the show.” Latayne Scott www.latayne.com
“Turn the interview around so that what you have to offer will benefit the listener. Yank off the ‘its all about me’ and focus on those who need what our books or services have to offer.” DiAnn Mills www.diannmills.com
Next week we will talk about what not to do, but for this week, tell me what you’re doing right.
Good stuff. Simple, doable, and to the point. It’s never about us, always about the audience. ‘Listener take away’…great!
Only list those relevant to the work you do, and resist the temptation to tell them about every qualification you have. If you have a degree, for example, theres no point listing all of your qualifications from school (you may want to say how many you have) as they have been superseded. All you will do is use up valuable space on irrelevant information.
different daily. I like your blog. Will be back really soon!January