Nice Work! You’ve landed a TV interview. Now what? Like most anything, it takes prep and practice to succeed. The same goes for giving a great TV interview.
A TV interview is great PR not only for your personal brand but also the company you represent. Before preparing your main message points, one of the first things you should do is ask the producer, reporter or anchor (whomever you are working with at the TV station) some basic questions to help you prepare for the TV interview.
Top questions to ask before your TV interview
What questions will you ask me?
This is the most important question to get answered. Get the list of questions so you can have ample time to prepare your answers. If you are working with a producer, he or she will typically write the questions an anchor will ask you during an interview. Versus if you are working with a reporter they will most likely prepare their own questions for you.
*Cool Tip! Suggest providing the TV station with a list of potential questions they can ask you. One more reason they will like you AND you being able to take control of the interview.
What time should I be at the studio?
Get the time you should arrive at the studio and then arrive 20-30 minutes early! You never know what type of hiccups may occur. Plus you don’t want to appear frazzled or unprepared. Arrive early to scope out the studio, go over any last minute notes, reapply makeup and anything else you need to do to prep for a fantastic interview.
For example, I once arrived 15 minutes early like I typically did for a regular TV appearance but I couldn’t find a single parking spot. Even after driving around for 15 minutes I still couldn’t find one. I ended up squeezing into a tiny spot due to 2 large SUVs parking badly on either side. I rushed into the studio just barely making it on time.
But the worse part was when I came back out to my car. One of the SUVs had decided to scrape the entire side of my car to get out of the parking stall. No note, no nothing. Karma SUV – I hope it comes to get you. But I digress. Main point – arrive early, make sure you get parking and walk into the studio poised and ready to go.
Do you have a makeup artist or should I do my own makeup? (Yes both men and women)
If there is a makeup artist you can be rest assured that you will appear with a great finish before going on air. But most local TV stations don’t have a makeup artist so you will want to be prepared to look your best upon arrival.
You should ask what type of makeup they would provide as well. If they will only touch you up and apply some powder to avoid shininess then you should still plan to do your own makeup prior to going to the studio.
Will we be standing or sitting during the interview?
This just helps you visualize at home how the interview is going to go. If you are going to sit down – practice sitting down and using correct posture. Ladies – if you are going to wear a dress make sure you can sit down properly and not show the world anything they shouldn’t see.
Should I bring any props? (If applicable)
Depending on your business offerings and what you are talking about you may want to bring in props. For example, if you represent a 3D printing company it would be a good idea to bring in some example 3D printed objects for the news station to get close-up shots of the products.
Also ask if you will need to hold props during an interview. If so, you should make sure you practice holding the object still during the interview. This is because typically during a live interview they will have one camera zoom in on the object you are holding. But if you are moving it about, it will be hard for the camera to get a close up. So incorporate your best Vana White as you prep to showcase something on air.