Obviously, telephone interviews are a lot more common on the radio than the TV. Either way, if this opportunity appears and you are at home or in the office, find a quiet room, shut the door behind you, and ensure small children, pets etcetera are kept well away so you do not get distracted—put a warning notice on the door if you think it will help! Have a glass of water ready in case your throat becomes dry. Hold the conversation on a land-line—mobile or cellphone signals are weaker and can sometimes drop out. Skype is often a preferred option so long as you have a strong, consistent broadband connection, as the sound quality is then much more ‘studio-like’ than the phone; try to use a head-set if you have one. Otherwise, turn your personal device off so that it doesn’t go off during the interview—there’s nothing more embarrassing or off-putting than a persistent phone ringing in the background while you are trying to make a serious point on the air. (From the book The M-Factor by Tom Maddocks.)
Tom on X
How do you cope if a broadcast interview becomes more aggressive than you were expecting?
We can now offer on-camera and autocue skills coaching for spokespeople who have to present online video material or webinars.
