Never, Never, Never Sell

As a guest, your job is to entertain and inform the audience. The show is not there so that you can give a commercial, otherwise you would be paying for placement. If you make the interview all about your products and services and how great you or your company is, you’ll never be asked back. Worse, you will turn off the audience.

Instead of blatantly selling, find ways to gracefully mention your book or whatever it is you are promoting during the interview—without being too obvious. For example, you might answer a question and then add, “In my book, From Entrepreneur to Infopreneur, I provide some additional examples.”

Another great way to mention what you do in a subtle way is to share examples from your clients or readers. Simply mentioning client examples demonstrates the services you offer without sounding like you’re selling anything.

Be Prepared for the Close

Often times the host will ask the interviewee to share where the audience can learn more about them. This is your chance to give your website address along with a call to action. For example, you might offer listeners and special bonus if they log on to your website and sign up for your mailing list or offer a special coupon code valid that day only.

For added mileage, it’s a good idea to run promotion ideas by the host or producer ahead of time. For example, you might want to give away an ebook to all listeners who sign up for your mailing list. If that’s the case, make sure to ask first so you don’t cross any lines. You might also partner with the show to do some kind of book give-away to listeners. This gives the host added incentive to promote your book and makes it fun for the audience.

Practice

If you’re just getting started with radio interviews, enlist a friend to do some mock interviews with you. Nothing removes fear like preparation and this will also help you sound like a seasoned pro when it’s time to do the real thing.

Take a Deep Breath

Your first interview or two may seem a little scary, but it’s not as bad as you might think! The audience can’t see you, so you can sit at your desk with notes all around you (your sample interview questions AND answers!) and nobody will be the wiser. Remember to treat it like a conversation. Take a deep breath and have fun with it. And don’t forget that preparation beforehand. If you’ve prepared interview questions and answers, you’re won half the battle. When it’s all over, you’ll realize that you were more prepared than you thought.

Bonus Tip

Have a glass of water (minus the ice since that makes too much noise) nearby during interviews since your mouth will get dry when doing a lot of talking!

Interested in conducting internet radio interviews?
Check out our Lists of Internet Radio Shows and Podcasts!

Let the Host Lead

Your job as guest is to make the host look good. That means following the host’s lead at all times. Avoid talking over your host. Be patient and wait for questions. Never offend or talk down to the host. Instead, be gracious and professional at all times.

Talk in Sound Bites

Things move fast in the media. The goal is to keep the audience’s attention, which means that interviews often move in rapid-fire fashion. To get an idea about how this works, watch interviews on The Today Show or Good Morning America. You’ll see that questions are brief and to the point. The guest’s answers should also be brief and to the point.

Guests are expected to talk in sound bites—which essentially means that thoughtful answers should be conveyed swiftly. If the producer were to edit out bits of your interview for promotional purposes, they will want to capture information and ideas in short quotes.

To shine as a radio guest, be mindful of time. Avoid going on and on in interviews and instead keep your answers to a few sentences or less, unless the question warrants a longer response. There’s often more leeway on internet radio shows, especially if you’re the featured guest for thirty minutes or more, but you should still make sure you’re sticking to the topic at hand and keeping pace with the host.

Tell Great Stories

When asked questions by your host, make the interview more interesting by giving interesting examples and real-life stories. You can do this by sharing stories from your own experiences, examples from the media, or from your clients. Great storytelling can captivate an audience and create an excellent interview. Be sure to know what stories you plan to tell prior to your interview so that you come across polished and prepared.

Pace Yourself

Talking too fast can be overwhelming for listeners, and talking too slow can hurt the pace of the interview. Pay attention to your pace.

Have a Conversation

The best interviews are the ones that aren’t forced. Talk to the host as if you’re talking to a friend. That rapport and camaraderie can translate into an excellent and entertaining interview for listeners.

Use a Reliable Land Line

Avoid taking interviews from your cell phone unless you are traveling and have no other option. Ideally you should have a functioning land line with a corded phone or high-quality headset. Turn off call waiting or just get rid of it altogether.

Prepare Your Answers

Whether or not you decide to provide a media sheet with sample questions to your host, be sure to make a list of potential questions that you think a host might ask you, along with thoughtful answers. Preparation in advance can make a big difference in helping you stand out as a great guest.

Watch for Part 2 of How to Be a Great Radio Show Guest.

Interested in being a guest on internet radio shows?
Check out our Lists of Internet Radio Shows and Podcasts!

I’ve been a fan of internet radio ever since I wrote my first book. As a guest on internet radio programs, you often get 15 to 60 minutes of air time, compared with the 5 to 8 minutes of time allotted on traditional drive time radio. Plus, internet-based radio and podcast hosts promote you to their online networks before and after the event, and often archive your interview for years to come.

If you’re working on a PR campaign, promoting a book or anything else, internet radio can be quite powerful! You can do the research yourself to find shows, though I can tell you that it has taken months to compile such comprehensive lists.

We offer two primary lists: Business and Lifestyle, each with over 400 programs that have been on the air for at least one year! Lists are organized in Excel spreadsheets for easy viewing and navigation.

Get more details about our Internet Radio Shows and Podcasts lists here!

1. Comment on industry trend
2. Holiday tie-in
3. Piggyback on breaking news
4. Industry statistics
5. Contest launch
6. Contest results
7. A contest you’ve won
8. Announce a new product or service
9. Innovative use for your product/service
10. Off-the-wall promotion
11. Special event
12. Comment on news story
13. Charitable contribution
14. Fundraiser you’re hosting
15. Fundraiser you’re sponsoring
16. Demonstration with broad appeal (i.e. cooking, organizing)
17. Award received
18. Free samples/giveaways
19. Free demonstrations
20. Free classes/events
21. Company anniversary
22. Industry predictions
23. Survey/research launch
24. Survey/research results
25. Alliance/joint venture with another company
26. Tips round-up
27. Release a new whitepaper or special report
28. Announce new patent
29. Community involvement
30. Partnership with a celebrity
31. Open house
32. Company executive to appear at event
33. Incorporation change or IPO
34. New employees or officers
35. Change or launch of board of directors
36. Financial reports
37. Grants you’re giving or receiving
38. Scholarships you’re giving
39. Sponsorships (i.e. local sports team or Super Bowl)
40. Media coverage received
41. Participation in local events
42. Business expansion
43. Classes or workshops
44. Mergers and acquisitions
45. Take a position on a political issue
46. New location/facilities
47. Authored a book
48. Mentioned in a book
49. Appointment to a board or committee
50. Changes to policies/procedures

Are you interested in conducting internet radio interviews? Check out our lists of internet radio shows and podcasts!

If you’re pursuing media coverage for any reason, this wouldn’t be a good week to do that—unless you can somehow tie-in with current events. For example, in recent weeks there’s been a lot of coverage about the royal wedding. The interviews and related stories around that featured dress designers, experts on royal policies, fashion gurus and etiquette experts. For these folks, the royal wedding created a media homerun. For non-wedding related topics, it was much harder to capture media attention.

For those who may have been planning to launch a media tour this week, it’s probably a good idea to hold off until the news settles in a week or two. Otherwise your press releases and pitches will likely land with a big thud.

This is the nature of media and the news, and it’s important to understand the trends so your PR campaigns have the best chance of taking off. Good times to hit the media are when news is slow, like before a long weekend. Timing can make all the difference in landing that coveted media coverage.

Industry Statistics
Staying on top of recent stats for your industry can lead to great PR exposure. When you can tie-in a message about your business with a recent statistic, you can hit a media homerun. Television news, radio programs, newspapers and magazines are always looking for interesting topics to share with their audiences. When you use Google Alerts to locate fresh new statistics, you can help media outlets report on interesting news by providing your expertise as a source.

For example, if you’re a professional organizer and a new study comes out that says that families with cluttered homes are twice as likely to get divorced (remember, this is hypothetical!), then you can take those results, reach out to media both locally and nationally, and provide them with suggestions for creating a clutter-free, divorce-free home. By sharing the statistics and a unique story angle, you’ve just made their jobs easier—making you an ideal source for an interview!

Incidentally, to reach the media, you can write a press release with your tips or send e-mail directly to reporters, producers, and editors with the details. The most important point is that you reach out immediately—before another source beats you to it!

Related Stories
Another powerful way to use Google Alerts is to track industry-related stories and then follow up. For example, if you’re an IT consultant who specializes in cloud computing, you would create an alert for “cloud computing.” Upon receiving notifications with related stories published on blogs and major media outlets, there are several ways you can benefit:

- When a major media outlet covers cloud computing, reach out to the reporter (contact information is usually easy to track down). Let him/her know that you enjoyed the article and then add an additional perspective that may not have been covered (a couple of sentences, max), along with a friendly note letting them know that you’re available as a source if they write a follow-up article. While this may sound like a long-shot, you may be surprised by the results you get from this strategy. Often times a reporter will keep your information on file and contact you about a follow-up story weeks or months later.

- If a blogger writes about cloud computing, post a thoughtful comment on the blog. Many blogs will link back to your business website, which can bring traffic and ultimately increase your Google ranking because you’ve just added a relevant back link to your site. While this isn’t exactly a ticket to major PR, commenting on blogs has many visibility benefits. Business owners should stay on top of blogs that cover industry-related topics and then track the results you get (such as increased traffic and new client leads) as a result.

Be Available When the Media Calls

Things move quickly in the news world and most of the time reporters and producers are working on a deadline. With this in mind, make it easy for the media to reach you by providing a special hotline they can call, your cell phone number or an e-mail address that gets priority attention. I once missed a HUGE media opportunity when I stayed home with my sick kid and didn’t check voice mail until the next day. By then it was too late and they found someone else. Don’t let this happen to you!

Know Your Talking Points

In the event that you are interviewed about your book, a new program you have launched, or anything else that is news-worthy, make sure you are clear about what points you want to make. Without a clear plan, your answers could ramble and you risk making mistakes. To prepare, make a list of potential questions you think you would be asked and how you want to answer them. Read and practice them over and over again until memorized. Trust me; this is what the pros do.

Be Prepared for Rapid Fire

Television news programs move through segments at lightning speed. To get a better understanding of how this works, study The Today Show. Guests are typically on for just a few minutes and questions move fast. Your answers should be brief and to the point. In fact, you should be speaking in sound bytes so that each statement you make could stand on its own. This is where those talking points really come in handy. T.V. and radio show producers like guests who keep up with the pace, demonstrate their expertise and show confidence. Preparation in advance will set you up for success.

Avoid Selling

Landing a media interview is not a license to sell, sell, sell. It’s a give and take situation and you walk a fine line when promoting something. Beware of coming off like you’re giving a sales pitch. Instead, work some examples into your talking points such as brief client stories or say something like, “In the book I talk at length about xyz.” Your talking points should also elegantly include your business or product name and a mention of your website. For example, you could mention a free quiz viewers can take at www.mysite.com. Though you want to get the most from your media appearance, you also don’t want to give the producers—or the audience—the impression that you are just there to sell.

Be the Ultimate Interviewee

An interview with a print journalist isn’t as high-pressure as a live T.V. or radio interview, but it can hold just as much value. You need to know your talking points and prepare for anything. The journalist may have a set list of questions to ask you when he calls, and then mid-way through the interview he could change things up if he decides to take a different slant for the story. Go with the flow while being professional and gracious. In some cases, you can actually help shape the story. Remember, you are the authority on the subject matter. If the reporter’s approach isn’t quite right, you can suggest covering the story from a different angle, which could end up being a win-win situation for both of you.

Ask Questions

You have the right to ask when the story is going to run and also for a copy of the article or video clip for your website. Just know that many media outlets will either charge you to reprint the story on your own site or forbid you from using it altogether. If that is the case, you can still mention your appearance and link to the story if it is available online.

Make a Lasting Impression

When you give a good interview, you greatly increase your odds of being interviewed by the same outlet again in the future. To really be memorable, send a thank you note after the interview. Not enough people take this crucial step so you will definitely stand out. You can also touch base with the producer or reporter again months down the road to remind them that you are available for interviews. Better yet, send along an interesting story pitch and a reminder about your previous appearance. Make their jobs easier by being a ready-made source and you will build media relationships that can be leveraged again and again.

The community on Ryze includes forums and the chance to network with other members. Free and paid subscriptions are available.

Denise O’Berry runs the Minding Your Own Business forum where entrepreneurs swap ideas.

LinkedIn offers forums for locating clients, announcing your services, and other business networking opportunities.

The forums on the Business Owner’s Idea Cafe allow entrepreneurs to swap business ideas and advice.

Visit the Biz Help Forum for more ideas and networking opportunities.

The Small Business Forum offers a variety of topics for entrepreneurs.

There are more than a dozen topics for small business owners on About.com.

The forums at Business Know How cover employee issues, business start-up, marketing, and more.

Check out the Directory of Small Business Blogs to list your blog or read through some interesting blog posts.

If you are a work at home mom (WAHM) then check out the forums on the Internet Based Moms site.

You can join or host a group on a wide variety of subjects with Google orYahoo.

Interested in starting your own blog or setting up a forum? Here are some resources for you:

Blogs:

Blogger

Thought Blog

Tripod

WordPress

Forums:

World Crossing

Phpbb

Bulletin Boards

Phorum

Small Business Brief

Business Networking Groups:

Business Networking International (BNI)

Team Women

Le Tip

Trade Pals

Business Networking Books:

Marketing and Public Relations (PR) Resources

Small Business Marketing Tips:

• Promotion Strategies to Crank Up Sales in a Slow Economy
• 8 Ways to Grow Your Business Online
• Grow Your Business by Speaking
• How to Market Your Business with Information
• 30 Online and Offline Networking Resources
• Secrets to Successful Networking: Set Your Business on Fire!
• 20 Great Ways to Market Your Business Locally
• How to Write Articles to Promote Your Business
• How to Build a Niche Site with a Blog by Linda Bruton
• Marketing on the Cheap: Write? Right! By Floyd Snyder
• How to Get Others to Market Your Product or Service for You by Debbie LaChusa
• How to Write a Press Release

See All Articles

Special Reports:

• 101 No-Cost and Low-Cost Ways to Advertise Your Business Locally
• 600+ Websites That Accept Article Submissions
• 114 Powerful Strategies for Business Networking

Mail and Media Info:

Interested in sending direct mail advertisements or newsletters? Find out how to get bulk mail rates from the US Postal Service.

Do you want to purchase the big directories of media contacts? Check out Gebbie Press orBacon’s.

Newslink provides the following free directories:

• Business newspapers
• Business magazines
• News/Talk Radio Stations
• Business News Services

Industry Info:

The American Marketing Association conducts industry research and holds meetings at local chapters throughout the US.

The Marketing Idea Shop offers ideas for marketing your business and a free newsletter.

O’Dwyer proivdes PR news and has a listing of PR firms.

Online PR has hundreds of links to PR industry information.

The Public Relations Society of America is an organization of PR professionals.

Other Marketing Ideas:

National Public Radio (NPR), link to pitch story ideas.

FMAM Radio provides PR for rock bands & musicians.

Great Teleseminars is a service for creating teleseminars, reproducing and selling them.

Publicity, Publicists & Media Placement:

Web Based PR – Loaded with tips for getting publicity online.

PR Leads – Gets reporters in touch with you!

News USA – Publicity services on retainer.

Annie Jennings PR – Pay for placement publicity.

Party Line – Subscription service providing weekly media leads.

PR Secrets - Susan Harrow’s site with publicity tips and info on how to get booked on Oprah!

The Publicity Hound is Joan Stewart’s site for publicity tips and a free newsletter.

Radio Resources:

Voice America Radio – Online radio programming.

Radio TV Interview Report – RTIR is a paid publication sent to radio producers.

Talkers Magazine – Talk radio industry magazine.

Radio Space - Free content for radio stations.

Radio Locator – Displays radio stations by location.

Artist First – Radio interviews with independent authors.

National Public Radio (NPR) – Pitch your story idea to NPR’s network of stations.

News Media Resources:

News Directory is a directory of newspapers and magazines.

News and Newspapers Online is a directory of websites for news.

Newslink is a directory of daily and weekly newspapers and magazines, as well as TV and Radio stations.

Newspapers.com is a directory of over 10,000 newspapers.

News Voyager is another directory of daily and weekly papers.

Online Newspapers is a directory of newspapers across the globe.

Article Placement Opportunities:

Writing authoritative articles and then having them published with a link to your business website is an excellent and inexpensive way to advertise your business.

Baby Boomer Cafe accepts articles for its large database of subscribers.

Ezines and Newsletters accepts submissions of your ezine or newsletter.

The Business Journals includes a directory of business journals across the U.S.

Geekspot provides a listing of college newspapers.

Eurekalert is a source for articles on science, medicine & technology.

Idea Marketers is a source for finding or submitting articles for eZines, newsletters, etc.

Ezine Articles website allows you to submit articles for distribution in eZines, newsletters, etc.

*Get our Special Report: 101 Websites that Accept Article Submissions–just $9!

Book Marketing:

Book Market provides information for marketing books, eBooks, etc.

Book Page provides book reviews on all subjects, advanced review copies accepted.

Para Publishing is self-publishing guru, Dan Poynter’s website for publishing information.

Karen Villanueva is a publicist for authors.

The Midwest Book Review publishes influential book reviews.

The Self Help Salon offers marketing information for writers of self-help.

Small Publishers Association of North America is an association for independent authors and self publishers.

Publishers Weekly is the news source for book publishing and book selling.

Vendors:

EZEzine is a source for managing broadcast newsletters and ezines.

World Crossing provides online chat forums and message boards for your website.

Zebra Music LLC, your one stop shop for jingles, radio production, custom music, library music, and sound design. Visit our web site and get free monthly music that you can use for your productions.

Books About Marketing and Public Relations:

Magazines:

My phone rang while I was in the dressing room at Macy’s. It was a reporter who was prepared to interview me on the spot. I sat down and as we chatted, I realized that I was completely unprepared. I hadn’t anticipated her questions and therefore, my answers rambled.

Last week I conducted a media tour in support of Project Rev, which included 18 back-to-back radio interviews. Things are much different these days because I know how to prepare and what reporters are looking for.

And the reality is that whether you contact the media or not, there’s a good chance they will call you at some point. Over the years I’ve conducted countless interviews from reporters who found my blog, my books and even from some following me on Twitter!

Here are some tips so you can be prepared when the media calls:

1. Anticipate questions. Write them down and develop a list of bullet points for each that cover details you want to mention.

2. Know what messages you want to convey. Though you might end up answering questions for 15 minutes, it’s likely that only a few quotes will end up in the story. Every comment counts so make sure every answer has impact.

3. For radio and TV, there’s little or no editing. Everything you say is recorded for all eternity. All the more reason to know your key messages, practice them, say them out loud in the car, have your kids interview you at the dinner table—whatever it takes to always be ready.

4. Talk in sound bites. The media likes short answers that are to the point, especially on radio and TV. Questions come in rapid-fire fashion and your answers should keep up with the pace.

5. Be available for at least a week after sending out a press release. Don’t go on vacation or disappear for several days. If a reporter calls and leaves a message, call back as soon as humanly possible. There are always deadlines involved. I learned this one the hard way too when my son was home sick and I failed to check voice mail until the next day. I missed a great opportunity.

6. Have fun with these interviews. You want to be prepared without sounding like a robot. Let your personality shine through and make the reporter’s job easy. When you’re a good interview subject, there is a good chance you will be contacted by that reporter again in the future. The reporter who interviewed me while I was at the mall still calls on me year after year.

7. Thank the reporter after the interview. They do not get enough appreciation for what they do and when you take time to send a quick note, it will be noticed and remembered. Reporters need a lot of sources and they are people too. Show that you are a great source and you can build a relationship that endures.