22 Oct Three Ways You Can Ensure a Successful Interview

You’ve done it!

You’ve landed an interview to discuss a subject of great importance with you and your organization. Your hard work has paid off, and once the euphoria subsides, your next thought is always the same: Now what?

At NSPR, we’ve been helping clients prepare for interviews for nearly two decades. Here are but some of the tips we share with clients, all designed to help you succeed in your moment in the spotlight.

Know what you want to say. Great interview subjects focus on just a handful – perhaps three – main points they want to get across during the interview. These points should all be in the news, easy to reference, and easy for a lay audience to understand.

When developing your talking points, remember that while reporters often have access to the same set of commonly-sourced facts, they are speaking to you for context, for perspective on the news. Lead your answers with the news first, and then discuss why this news matters to their audience. Your third point should make it clear how your organization fits into the larger picture and role it plays for the greater good.

Say it clearly, and with conviction. There’s a convention in public speaking that you should tell your audience what you’re going to tell them, tell them, and tell them what you told them. The same holds true in an interview.

First and foremost, you should speak in active, not passive language. You should use simple language filled with action verbs. A successful interview subject keeps the answers short and to the point. Think sound bites, not soliloquies.

Don’t be afraid to bring the interview back around to you the topics you are prepared to discuss. If the reporter asks a question that may take you off track, take a moment to find a way to bring the conversation back to the subject at hand.

If you are on TV or radio, remember to be slightly more animated than you would be in a normal conversation with friends. Drive home your message with passion – speaking in a flat monotone will put the reporter, and your audience, to sleep.

Practice, Practice, Practice. Take the time to make sure you’re ready to shine. Learn your talking points so that you can repeat them without sounding scripted. Practice giving the interview with a friend, and tell her what you’re hoping to achieve.

When practicing, focus on sounding natural, not scripted. Make sure you can drop relevant data into your conversation without it sounding forced. If practicing for television, learn whether you’ll be sitting or standing, and replicate that scenario in your trial runs.

In the end, interviews are the single most powerful way to get your message across to a targeted audience. If you need help getting your message and organization in the spotlight, contact NSPR at 813-865-3093.