I was interviewed on the radio this morning, ahead of the Budget tomorrow. Though I’m nervous each time I do it – this is the fourth time I’ve been interviewed – I do enjoy the experience.
Though a relative novice – and recognising there are probably hundreds of media training courses that offer far more insight and expertise than my thoughts – here are my top 5 tips if you’re going to be interviewed on the radio.
- Prepare the 2 or 3 key things you want to say. Even if the interview is several minutes long, the time goes much quicker than you’d expect and you therefore don’t get the chance to say as much as you’d like. Thus, know the key things you want to say.
- Practice the key lines you want to say. You feel a bit silly doing this in a quiet room by yourself, but it means you’ll get your lines across better when it comes to the interview.
- Answer the question the interviewer asks you, but try and bring the conversation back round to the thing you want to say. There are some useful ‘linking’ phrases to help with this: “Not only… but also…”; “You’re right to raise that point. Another key issue is…”.
- Be friendly with the host, and try to use their name. It creates a personal connection and means you may have the chance to go back onto their show in future. (Related to this is to try and do the interview from the studio rather than on the phone. It’s not always possible, but I’ve found it easier to talk to the presented in person.)
- Enjoy it! Being interviewed is a relatively rare thing so embrace the butterflies in your tummy, try to relax and make the most of your opportunity.
If you have any tips, please feel free to add them to the comments!
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