Rock Your Next Radio Interview With These 3 Tricks

As a savvy financial advisor or business leader, you’re familiar with the media interview process. You’ve spoken with reporters and writers before, and you think you’ve gotten the hang of it. However, the time has come to try something new, and you’ve landed your first radio or podcast interview. Congratulations!

After the feelings of excitement subside, you might realize you may be a little out of your depth. Giving an interview is one thing, but doing it live on-air or during a podcast recording? It gives the impression that a lot can go wrong without there being an opportunity to fix it.

Now, it’s crunch time. You want to make sure you don’t fail to make the most out of this experience. These 3 tips and tricks will help you rock your next radio or podcast interview.

Do Your Research

This may seem like an obvious point to make, but it cannot be emphasized enough. A live broadcast interview or recording is not the time you want to stumble over your statement or come across uninformed. To make sure you shine in the segment, do your research beforehand.

Find out what the main talking points of the show will be, any specific questions they plan on asking and how long you will be on-air with the hosts. With this information you can outline what you’d like to say on the show, take notes with you and practice your answers. This allows you to prepare timely, well-thought-out responses that will turn into great soundbites for both you and the show.

Keep It Brief 

When preparing to do a radio or podcast interview, keep in mind that you will only be on the air for however long the segment is set to run. You don’t want to be one of those guests who has to get played off like an acceptance speech at the Oscars. It’s uncomfortable for you, and frankly, it is uncomfortable for listeners at home. You need to practice keeping your answers short and concise.

Think of the message you want to convey on the show and rehearse saying it out loud until you can deliver the response in around 30 seconds. While you may have more wiggle room for time, like on a podcast, by keeping your answers on the short side, you’re giving yourself the opportunity to address other questions and topics.

Don’t let your moment on the airwaves go to waste because you spent the entire segment going off on a tangent. Brevity is your friend.

Relax!

Before you go on-air, take a deep breath! Not only will this help you feel better, it will help you perform better. Even though listeners can’t see you, they can still hear the tone and energy in your voice. You do not want to come across nervous or jittery.

You know what you’re talking about, and you have done your research and practiced – you’ve got this. Find out what feels most natural for you when giving a response and work that to your advantage. If you typically use hand gestures, stand a certain way or move around when you speak to someone, do that here! Utilize what makes you most comfortable so you can be as confident as possible.

Radio and podcast interviews can seem like an intimidating feat. But with the proper preparation, there’s nothing holding you back from performing your best. Take advantage of the experience, because these opportunities, if successfully executed, can be a powerful pipeline for growing your brand.

Flackable is an award-winning public relations agency representing financial and professional services brands nationwide. To learn more about Flackable, please visit flackable.com. Follow Flackable on Twitter at @Flackable. 

This is an updated version of an article originally written by Kelly Holcombe and published on 8/15/2016.