How I Beat Radio Interview Nerves

Recently, I was the featured guest on Global Talk Radio’s “Calling All Authors”. And since I am fairly new to media interviews, I was pretty nervous right before the call.

But as a new entrepreneur, I know it’s important to use the press to build awareness and credibility for my business. With this in mind, I worked with my publicist to prepare, and here are my suggestions to help you get ready for your next radio interview:

Listen to the program.
This may sound fundamental, but you really need to listen to the show you are going to be on.

Be aware of the host’s style and how he or she interacts with guests.
What kinds of questions does the host ask? Does he or she put the guest in the “hot seat” with tricky questions?

Also visit the radio program’s website for additional information about the host, the target audience and past guests. If you conduct research in advance, you’ll be less likely to face surprise questions while on the air.

Create talking points.
Once you review the show, develop a list of the things you’d like to discuss on the air. And if applicable, share it with the show’s producer so both of you know what to expect.

Perhaps you’d like to talk about a new product or service that relates to a current issue or news story?

Maybe you’ll be giving your expertise and opinion about a particular industry trend?

Whatever you decide to discuss, just be sure to provide valuable information. Rather than using your interview strictly as a sales tool, think of it as a way to provide interesting and useful information to listeners.

This way, you will establish credibility that helps to attract new customers.

Practice.
When you have a list of talking points ready to go, practice what you are going to say. You don’t want to sound like you are reading from a script so really know the material backwards and forwards.

If possible, tape a practice interview with a friend or co-worker and then listen for mistakes. Try to speak slowly and really enunciate your words.

I was ready for my interview, but I still had butterflies in my stomach when it was time to make the call. And that’s o.k. It helped me focus on what I needed to say and kept me energized (due to the time difference between Germany and the U.S., my interview was at 11:00 p.m.!).

Best of all, the interview flew by, and I was able to get all of the key information in that I wanted to talk about. So if you are nervous about doing radio interviews, just remember that it’s natural. And by taking the time to adequately prepare, you’ll feel a lot more confident and improve your chances for success!