It’s not an everyday occurrence that we find ourselves in the middle of a Radio Interview, but for like with my TV appearance posts I’m about to outline some tips on how to not go running and screaming into a dark hole after a horrific radio spot.
The difference between TV and Radio is rather obvious in the fact that people can’t see you, so no matter the faces you pull, if your voice doesn’t convey what you want, I’d start to prepare there. Your voice is the most powerful thing in a radio interview, so make sure you’re using that emphasise your points or feelings on the topic at hand. Say goodbye to the monotone and hello to bright and expressive.
Even though you can’t be seen by the people listening, it’s always good to continue having good manners, that will come through during the interview; speak clear and directly to the interview or the listeners to make them feel involved. With your manners, it’s always nice to stay alert in your surroundings, taking a break to make a comment or joke on what’s happening around you can help you seem more ‘human’ and listeners will be able to tell your comfortable and confident.
For most Radio shows the host (and listeners) are more interested in actually listening to what’s being said than waiting for the crucifying that you might see on TV. I believe that’s mostly down to the fact it’s a lot more enjoyable actively watching someone squirm themselves out of a sticky situation, instead of just hearing it- you want to see it for all its glory… or failure. The listeners of local radio shows will have material that’s relevant to them- a lot of the time, what is used on local radio is something that isn’t looked at nationally; in national radio the material can affect the nation as a whole (again, this might be obvious but can sometimes be overlooked.)
While radio and TV interviews can seem completely different the preparation behind it is actually pretty similar: painstaking and through. Once again, you want to have 2 or 3 main points that you can always lead the conversation back to. At the end of the interview you want to be confident you’ve gotten those points across, no matter how good or bad it might’ve gone. It’s the most important thing to remember because sometimes you can draw a blank. Remember those points means you can always talk about something and that something is always the information you want to get out to the listeners.
Along with your main points, sub points can also be really helpful. If you feel you can’t get back to one of your main points, but a sub point is related; talk about the sub point and rely back to a main point. Use them as links from the conversation to your hit markers and vice versa.
Even more so in radio, you want to tell a story. It’s even more crucial for Anecdotes to come through for the listeners, because without a story it could be hard for them to understand your points. If you tell a story or parable that links to the conversation, the listeners will eat it up. You need to paint pictures in the listeners mind, once they have something physical (in their mind) they can relate to, it’ll be a lot easier to get your points and feelings across.
Making sure you stay focused during the interview is a given; radio studios can often be more distracting than TV. This is mainly because you’re closer to things you can touch a ‘play’ with when you get nervous for example. You sit in a small room with the interviewer, at a desk with a microphone and most times a set of headphones.
It can be hard to keep focused on the interviewer with everything happening around you, and what the interviewer may be doing themselves; if they keep moving to turn the sound up, to play music, that can be really distracting. So, make yourself comfortable and focus completely on the task at hand. Whatever happens behind the scenes around you is out of your control, so don’t worry about it.
Unlike with TV the microphone isn’t hidden and therefore cannot be ignored, so don’t ignore it. Before the interview there’s more than likely a voice test to make sure everything runs smoothly, so if your given any prompts on how far to sit away, make sure to follow them so your voice is at perfect balance. No matter what you do, never ignore the microphone, that is crucial…
What makes a good radio interview is usually down to the interviewer. They are the ones that should be making sure everything keeps moving, and that there’s enough time for all your points to be made. If you’re having a waffle and not noticing, the interviewer will and interrupt to push you along. If they do interrupt, it will be for a reason, so don’t take it personally. Because of this, a good radio interview can hold the same weight as a good TV interview, so never think that radio is worse or less than getting your face onto households up and down the country.
It’s very rare but sometimes information could be twisted; what is known as a stitch up can occur. This is when you’re invited on a show for a particular reason, to embarrass yourself or to paint you in a bad light. If you can see this happening beforehand, still take the interview, if you don’t, they can sit there and slate you however long they won’t- you aren’t there to defend yourself.
If you take the interview and it turns out good- then great! If you don’t find yourself coming out on top, at least you’ve been able to show your human side. If you do find yourself so concerned, I’d suggest consulting a specialist PR firm or even a lawyer on being able to navigate the minefield.
To finish off I wanted to give a quick rundown of some other types of radio interviews; sometimes they aren’t as I’ve previously described, but the basis of the tips still remains.
1. Panel Interviews: There’s little attention solely on you, so make sure you speak at the right times. - think about being resourceful with the time you have. Sometimes to make yourself heard you have to be forceful.
2. Down-The-Line: Otherwise known as solitary confinement. You’ll be remote from the interviewer, so it’s best to just pretend your own the phone but do remember good manners and be clear and direct with your answers.
3. Telephone: One that’s definitely become more popular in the last few months, telephone interviews are a good avenue for information. Your most likely at home or in the office, so in your own territory which gives you a psychological advantage. Try not to interrupt though, and don’t listen to the radio as your being interviewed; it creates back howl, something nobody wants.
And there you have it. A quick rundown of radio interviews and some tips, once again from the minds of professionals. You can grab the book that I grasped the information from here.
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