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On the Air With a Media-Savvy CPA
Tips for Giving a Successful Interview

By Lois Whitehead, Public Relations Manager

More than 30 Society members attending this year’s annual Leadership Conference took part in a media training workshop led by Jim Cameron, president of Cameron Communications in Darien, Conn.

The following are just a few of the media dos and don’ts that the expert stressed in his workshop:

  • Find out as much as you can about the reporter and the story before you agree to be interviewed. Has the reporter covered your business and its issues before? Who else will be interviewed for the story?
  • Be prepared. Know what you want to get across in the interview. Transition the reporter’s questions to your messages, and deliver them several times during the interview.
  • Project enthusiasm for your messages. Your attitude can be contagious. If you’re not excited about your message, the reporter and audience won’t be either.
  • Don’t be afraid to admit that you don’t know the answer to a question, but offer to find the answer and get back to the reporter before deadline. Never respond to questions based on unfamiliar facts.
  • Don’t be rushed into answering. Don’t feel obliged to fill “dead air” after a tricky question. Just pause, think, and then answer.
  • Don’t use professional jargon. Keep your message simple, but not condescending.
  • On TV, always dress appropriately, projecting a cool, clean-cut professional image.
  • Don’t look into the camera. Focus your attention on the person who is talking. Avoid the temptation to look at the monitor or at other developments happening out of camera range. Remember that you are always potentially on camera, even when someone else is talking. TV directors love to get reaction shots from those being interviewed. Be sure you are ready for them.
  • Don’t wait for the media to look for you. Reach out to them with story ideas, professional commentary and fresh ideas. Call your local papers and radio and TV stations and introduce yourself to the reporter(s) covering your business or profession. Briefly tell them about your work, and offer to be “on call” to them should they need your expertise. Follow up with a note, a professional fact sheet and a business card. Your proactive approach will grab their attention.

With a little practice, these interviewing techniques will become second nature.

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