Public Relations Tips

How to Look Great on TV When the Media Interviews You

Every entrepreneur’s dream is to get interviewed on a big TV program. But most people are painfully embarrassed when this happens.

That’s because they don’t know what to do, say or look when they appear on TV. This article will show you step-by-step how to look great on TV, when the media wants to interview you.

Step 1. Practice in front of a camera.

Looking great on TV doesn’t come natural for most people. You have to practice. Go out and buy a camera, or turn on the camera in your computer. Just say, “Hi. My name is (Add Your Name Here) and I’m glad to be here.”

Now play it back.

How do you look?

Warm and friendly?

Or cold and distant?

Is your voice clear and distinct?

Or is it muffled?

Is your tone serious, upbeat and inviting?

Or is it caustic?

By the way, there are many times when you do want to be serious, especially in a crisis situation like a flood or product recall. Being serious is not a bad thing, so don’t confuse it with being the opposite of friendly or bubbly. There’s a proper time and place for all those. What you don’t want to be is rude, condescending, mean spirited, or have any other negative tone. People will tune you out or make fun of you if you are negative.

Now look for these factors.

Are you well groomed?

Or is your hair and face a mess?

Do your clothes present the person you want to be?

Or are they at odds with your message?

For example, I had a client who shot a video wearing a t-shirt. That’s not the image you want when you are asking people to invest in a $495 training program! He suited up and the program was a success. I’m not trying to put you into a straitjacket or have you conform to something you aren’t. It’s okay to wear a Hawaiian shirt if that’s your style and it says something positive to your audience. In fact, if you want to appeal to people in a niche, then definitely wear what you think will work – and that might not be jacket or suit.

That’s probably a real eye opener! A full-length mirror can be your best friend, as it will show you any problems with your wardrobe. A camera replay will show you things you didn’t even know existed.

I had a client who always brushed her hair back with her left hand when she talked. When I told her about this, she denied it. Then I played the camera. She was shocked. Once she realized the bad habit, she easily corrected it. You might find you have annoying habits that your friends see, but are too nice to tell you about. The camera doesn’t lie.

Be aware of your faults. Then correct the faults.

Step 2 to Looking Great on TV: Focus on your message.

TV interviews are very short. You might be quoted for only one or two sentences. So write down what you want those two sentences to be. It could be something like:

“In these difficult economic times, small businesses must use publicity to get more customers and make more money.”

Or

“Be sure to avoid drinking soda if you want to lose weight.”

You have one chance to tell the world your message. Make it a good one!

Step 3 to Looking Great on TV: Get your story straight.

On some programs, you can actually tell case studies, anecdotes and stories. People love stories because stories are entertaining. These stories often contain a message or moral that illustrates the key point you want to make.

Think of a short story you could tell that illustrates your key point. It should be 2-3 sentences long! That doesn’t sound like a lot, but you can really tell a good story quickly.

For example.

“Patrick Snow had trouble filling his speaking calendar. But then he used PR LEADS publicity service to get onto the front page of USA TODAY. He was able to raise his rates and meeting planners hired him on the spot.”

Sure, I could have gone into a lot more detail but everyone gets the point.

Or.

“One of my personal training clients worked out like mad, but she continued to drink three cans of soda a day. No matter how hard she worked, she didn’t lose any weight. Finally, she listened to me and cut out the soda. In just a few weeks, she lost 15 pounds. And she’s kept it off for six months!”

See? It is easy and entertaining.

Remember the last time a friend showed you all her vacation pictures? It was thrilling for her to show three shots of the same waterfall, but for you it was a big bore. That’s what your long stories are like. You are thrilled, but your audience is bored. As people have shorter and shorter attention spans these days, you must tell short stories, not long ones.

If you follow these steps, you’ll look great on TV so more shows will want to interview you.

Do you want your press release picked up in major media? Read my special report “How to Get Your Business-Oriented Press Release Printed on Top Tier Media Sites – Guaranteed,” by visiting http://www.prleadsplus.com/toptiermedia/ Publicity thought leader Dan Janal is Founder and President of PR LEADS PLUS which offers a variety of do-it-yourself tools to help small businesses get publicity, including media lists, press release writing and targeted article marketing services and press release distribution.