>Michelle From New Rochelle, You’re On The Line: Radio Interview Tips

Business leaders, public servants, tech experts, artists, and even real housewives from New Jersey are sometimes asked to be interviewed on the radio.

Unlike a television interview, you can answer radio-interview questions and engage in friendly repartee while still in your jammies, but you should follow some basic rules.

1. Succinctly rephrase the question before you answer it.
Example: if the radio host asks what you think of Lady Gaga’s new video, don’t say, “I’d have to say the sly homage to Jane Austen.” Instead reply, “What I like about Lady Gaga’s new video is that it contains some sly references to Jane Austen.”
Bonus: rephrasing the question before you answer allows your sound bite to stand by itself.

2. Know your subject.
Obvious, perhaps, but in practice too many interview subjects try to wing it. Sure, you’re an expert on Picasso’s blue period, but did you know that just yesterday The Old Guitarist painting was purchased by Lady Gaga for her new Jane Austen-themed solarium?

3. Know your host(s).
If you sound as if you’ve actually listened to the radio program on which you’re being interviewed, you’ll achieve a degree of rapport with the host(s). And no matter how touchy the subject, try to treat your questioners as if they’re good friends who will quickly come around to your point of view. Never lose your cool.

4. Stay on message.
‘Nuff said. Think of the courtroom phrase: asked and answered.

5. If the radio host doesn’t adequately explain your background and expertise, establish your credibility by working your bona fides into some of your answers. “Well, Larry, when I served as media advisor to Ashton Kutcher, I was the one who clued him into Twitter, so, yes, I think Tweeting is one of the most effective ways to reach consumers.”

6. Ask for an audio file of your interview. That way you have another PR tool for your Website.

Because the setting is usually casual (you’re on the phone or in the studio) radio interviews are usually less intense than TV interviews, but remember your mission during the interview: presenting yourself as a knowledgeable, witty expert on all things Lady Gaga.

Felicia Knight is President of Knight Vision International, LLC: www.KnightVisionInternational.com

Image: Salvatore Vuono

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This entry was posted on Sunday, June 20th, 2010 at 9:00 am and is filed under Crisis Communication & Management, Media Relations, Public Relations. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.


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