Preparing to give a television interview

How to do a good video interview:

So the odious task of being spokesperson in your company video falls to you.  Can you imagine any place further from your comfort zone?  We have coached nervous nellies through this hundreds of times and we’ve never lost anyone yet.  And we’ve gotten some pretty darn good interviews too.

• First and foremost - relax.  From years of coaching panicky people through the interview process we can tell you that you will be ok, no matter how uneasy you are right now.  When it’s over, nine times out of ten, the person says, “Wow, that was actually kinda fun," or  “I was so nervous but you made it easy." 

• Remember that the interview will probably be taped and edited so no matter how badly you screw it up, they will only use the good parts.  So relax and just think about the question and then answer it. 

• Try to be conversational and finish a complete thought before you move to another.  So many times people will try to say everything in one sentence.  Of course you can guess how THAT turns out.  The interviewer will be asking you questions about the things you need to talk about.  Follow that lead and don’t stray unless the question is incorrect and needs clarification.  In fact, a good interviewer might even feed you an incorrect question to elicit your response.  In doing so, you might just give a perfectly clear spontaneous answer.  (Oh, we’re sneaky little shits, aren’t we?)

• Do not … I repeat DO NOT write out a bunch of pages to refer to during the interview.  You will look shifty and dishonest if you keep looking around trying to find your words.  Chances are, no one is going to be asking you anything you don’t already know, so just answer the questions like you are having a conversation.

• It’s OK to smile.  It’s OK to laugh.  It’s OK to use your hands.  In fact all of those things are good.  So act normally and just have a conversation (how many times have you heard the term “conversation” in this essay???  Hint hint.)

• Speak in full thoughts.  If, for instance, someone says, “How do you see the outlook for your industry,” don’t say “It’s great, couldn’t be better."  Say something like, “Our industry is in position for continued growth….”  The interviewer’s questions may not be heard in the final video, so what you say needs to stand on its own without any setup.

So go do your interview and don’t worry about it.  You're going to be talking about your company - share your passion.  You know all the answers.  And you might just find it to be a very rewarding experience.  Call us if you need more encouragement.

David and Kathryn Seay are video producers in the Dallas area.

www.davidseayproductions.com