Our good friend Jerry Vorpahl is a professional motivational speaker and speaker’s coach. He has trained political and business leaders, including a former NFL quarterback and the President of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, in the art of straight talk for over 20 years. He willingly gives free advice to potential speakers by phone (Seriously. You can reach him at 916-949-0555). Here are Jerry’s 10 easy tips to help you prepare for your next interview:
- FRAME & FOCUS: Mentally prepare for every interview. Ask yourself, What type of interview will this be? What balance between facts and personality? What’s my Reason to Believe?? What outcome should I expect? How will I make the best impact?
- GOAL: To come across as likable; to promote the show; to sell myself.
- MEMORABLE: What clever catch line will I use in the first 90 sec? Memorize the official positioning statement. Write your own tag lines and test them out with friends.
- VALUE STATEMENT: What’s your main point? Write it down. Rehearse your opening, close and Reason to Believe. Avoid jokes, jargon and verbal graffiti.
- FACE: Keep an Open Face and smile. Make constant eye contact with the interviewer; never look into the camera. Remember, The face tells the voice how to say it.
- VOICE: Pause to sort your thoughts. Use silence for dramatic effect. Modulate – even whisper for impact. If you’re nervous you’ll likely talk too fast. Slow it down.
- BODY: Be animated and not too relaxed. Lean in and keep your hands on the table. Exaggerate your gestures a bit. Physically connect – show an interesting prop or object to visualize your point.
- ASK: Remember, Telling is not communicating. Asking a question invites your audience into the conversation, i.e. “When was the last time you saw a really great family musical?”
- TELL A STORY to create a lasting impression, “A funny thing happened…” Truth is better than fiction; yours is better than other’s.
- LOOK GOOD, BE OPTIMISTIC, ENJOY!
What other tips or questions do you have about media interviews?
-Dan, TGPR
