Radio interviews are a great way to raise your personal and company profile; to confirm yourself as an expert and to share news or products for your company. A number of my colleagues have used radio and TV interviews as a great platform for raising awareness.
I am sure UKIP candidate Elizabeth Jones believed a studio interview on local radio would do this, but it all went horribly wrong with her going into an angry meltdown. Of course this has been shared on social media, to the amusement of rival candidates (and parties). When entering a slightly heated section of dialogue with fellow guest, Helen Patterrson of the Socialist Party, Jones turned up the temperature and screamed (and we mean screamed): “WILL YOU JUST SHUT UP!!!”
Listen to the interview Fast-forward to 13:40…
WELL: it is said that any publicity is good publicity BUT I wonder… The outburst was a radio producer’s dream; rather like reality TV, they want an argument and drama to keep listeners switched on! Having appeared on a number of radio programmes, presenters occasionally provoke you into saying something controversial or to get you angry, but maintaining your focus and cool is the key to a successful interview! Here are my tips for ensuring you don’t damage your personal brand.
- Be well prepared; have 3 points you want to say before the interview
- If necessary ask the researcher for as much information about the interview so you are prepared.
- Write down your points
- Arrive for the interview very early
- Relax whilst waiting for the interview
- Remember, the interviewer might appear to be your ‘friend’ but they are providing entertainment – don’t be lured into saying something controversial (or losing your temper) unless you can cope with the attention later!
- Keep focused on your message
- Concentrate on the questions and take your time answering them
- if there is another guest who is provoking you, remain calm and considered; the person that remains calm is always the ‘winner’ in these discussions
- If you do feel you are losing your cool, stop talking, take some deep breaths and re-focus on your original messages.
- CALMLY respond to other RANTY guests; they’ll look foolish
Please don’t feel frightened about radio interviews: they are great fun, but a little preparation and awareness goes a long way. Good luck!
Online Communication Attacks
Very interesting. It looks like you have to do your homework on the host and other guests before you go on. If the host doesn’t tell you that you’re supposed to chat with other guests until you get to the interview, you’re in a difficult situation because you don’t know when or if the conversation might turn tricky. It happened to me – only in a small way but it was a big lesson.
Thanks for commenting Judy. I’m sorry it happened to you, but relieved it was in a small way. There is nothing like learning from an experience. And I would always recommend doing as much homework and preparation as you can!