10 Ways to Prepare for a Televised Appearance


prepare for television appearance

The work of the small business owner is to create a customer and to communicate the value of his product or service through the mass media. Here’s how to get ready:

“The American people don’t believe anything until they see it on television,” said President Richard Nixon.

The call will come and you’d better be prepared. Your success in building your small business has generated demand for your products. And it will also generate demand for an additional service: Your experience.

This is your expertise that you willingly provide — for free. It is seldom a good business practice to donate consulting at no charge, but this is an exception. Consider it a part of your marketing budget.

There are hundreds of broadcast network, cable, and radio outlets that need expert commentators — talent — to fill thousands of hours of airtime. This is marketing that requires preparation and counsel.

George Uribe, President and CEO of GuestBookers.com LLC, writes, “We work with you to find your hook and get you placed. We don’t just book you on a show. We work with you to understand the business…Our media trainers go over physical appearance, interview protocol and content development.”

This is a form of earned media as Anita Campbell, here at Small Business Trends, “reminds” us.

Following, is a short 10 point primer to get you ready for your big showbiz marketing break:

Talking Points

Not too many years ago, talk show host John McLaughlin — would not allow any of his guests to have notes on the set. But you, the professional don’t need them. Your talking points, your elevator speech, will be memorized. The broader the audience — the simpler and narrower the message.

Practice

Cable guru Roger Ailes would evaluate an individual’s professionalism by watching that person on the TV monitor — with the sound off. Ailes says that if, as he watched, he caught himself standing up to turn up the volume, he knew he had a client he could help. But most of these compelling performances do not come naturally — presentations are learned, practiced behaviors.

Pre-interview

This is your audition where the booker/producer will run you through your paces. They claim they are looking for competence, of course. But this is show business — the producer is looking for entertainment. Are you personable? Are you likable? Remember, televised media is similar to print media reporters: the story is already written, already in the can. The writer or booker is merely looking for quotes. That’s why they’re called talking heads.

Logistics

The network will offer to arrange for a car. Accept it. Don’t burden your staff with driving — and directions.

Coach in Your Corner

Take your peeps with you — your entourage. This will give you a chance to practice your opening 8-second sound bites. I once shared the Green Room with the controversial comedian Andrew Dice Clay. He appeared — joking and smoking — with his wife(!) two kids, publicist, agent, and assorted strap hangers. The driver and his dogs remained with the car.

Non-answer

You Don’t Have to Answer Questions. Especially if the segment is taped, you answer the question with the answer you want to convey. Your message. Remember, you do not have to be perfect. The 1940’s radio personality, Fred Allen, called television “a medium” because “nothing is well done.”

Time

The appearance is time consuming. An interview can take up half a day. Here are numbers down the funnel:

  • 3 hour notice (maybe) to prepare, if you are not alerted the night before
  • 1 hour pre-interview
  • 2 hours in traffic
  • 25 minutes for makeup and mic-up
  • 35 minutes (in the chair) taping, all for …
  • 8 seconds (maybe) of airtime

Cost/Benefit

Gore Vidal once said, “Never turn down a chance to have sex or to go on TV.” But it might not be worth it. (The TV part, I mean.) Only agree to an appearance if you can advance your agenda. There are some debates that cannot be debated. Or that you should not touch — outside your expertise, or the interests of your company.

Feedback

Ask the producers how you did. Remember to have your tech guy capture a digital copy. Get — no — demand, honest feedback. There is always something that can be improved.

Exploit

Be sure that your appearance is promoted. Clips of your appearances can be shown at board meetings, in company reports, as part of your bio. Your company blog and social media. This has become vital in our civilization. The historian William Manchester writes:

In the early 1950s Max Lerner said that television was, “the poor man’s luxury because it is his psychological necessity.” Judges would agree: TV sets would not be seized by creditors for debts owed.

Mass televised media has become a public utility for delivering entertainment and information. Be available as a practiced expert for your small business.

Television Appearance Photo via Shutterstock

78 Comments ▼

Jack Yoest John Wesley (Jack) Yoest Jr., is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Management at The Catholic University of America. His expertise is in management training and development, operations, sales, and marketing. Professor Yoest is the president of Management Training of DC, LLC. A former Captain in the U.S. Army and with various stints as a corporate executive, he also served as Assistant Secretary for Health and Human Resources in the Administration of Governor James Gilmore of Virginia.

78 Reactions
  1. It’s nice to have pre-interview to get yourself prepared. This way, you know the questions coming your way and you know what to say.

  2. Aira, you are right — the presenter must alway practice and memorize the company talking points: See http://www.yoest.com/2005/09/12/memorize_your_sales_pitch/

    Cheers,
    Jack

  3. Victoria Principato

    Practicing is definitely key to being prepared for a television appearance. Knowing what to say and how to say it will make you appear more knowledgeable in a television appearance. Viewers can be extremely critical of anyone appearing on television, so it is important to do all that you can to be prepared. I like the idea of having a “coach in your corner” to feel more at ease during the interview process.

  4. Victoria, you are so right — practice and memorization is vital for a compelling presentation– either in mass media on the networks or cable– or to your team in an All-Staff meeting. See: http://www.yoest.com/2005/09/12/memorize_your_sales_pitch/

    Cheers,
    Jack

  5. I believe a great takeaway from a television appearance is definitely honest feedback. Interviews and television may be unpredictable and perfection isn’t necessarily possible. Although preparation is key to success, mistakes will still occur and it’s beneficial to ask for comments and suggestions for improvements. I think preparation for appearances is heavily important because it’s not always about answering the question but more so about getting your message across. After all, you’re on television to appeal to something or someone. There has to be a motivating factor and goal for each interview and appearance. Lastly, I thought it was unique to mention the topic of “exploit.” I learned that it’s not enough to just complete a task, but also, one must also follow through with how it can benefit the company in the future.

  6. I think that it is really important to remember that you do not have to answer all questions that you are asked. I know that personally I feel like it is an obligation that you answer every question. But for a televised interview you do not have to do this. I think that remembering to answer the question that fits most the message that you want to convey is key for your audience to hear. Also it is astounding to me that all the time put into a televised interview will only get limited airtime. That is why it is so important to answer those questions that will further the message you have for the audience.

  7. I could not have said any of this information better than you have. I think most important is practice and understanding to not always answer the question. Growing up, my best friends’ father was always in the radio and television business. Right now he is currently the head television announcer for the Philadelphia Phillies. While growing up and always being over his house, I would often see all the preparation he would go through for a game he would announce the next day. It was even more fascinating to watch him on television the next day and watch his preparation become real life broadcasting. In the context of not always answering the question, I think this is essential in broadcasting. There are certain things that should not be said on television and it is important to say what the people want to hear.

  8. I loved the breakdown of this article into ten simple and understandable steps. The article highlighted some important points. Practice and surrounding yourself by a great support system being two of the most important. The only way to give your best “performance” is by taking the time to practice your selling points. Without practice how can one be fully prepared to answer questions that come out of left field? This is where your support system comes in. They are the only ones who will ultimately give you the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Simply because, they love you enough not to let you make a fool of yourself in front of the general public. Without a great support system who are willing and able to help you prepare, is it possible to be well prepared for the interview?

    • Erin, you are right– honest feedback is good when it is nice — but the best feedback makes us better and this is actually the ‘tough love’ you describe.

      A well-reasoned comment,
      Jack

  9. Preparing for a televised appearance can be a stressful thing. You need to make sure you appearance looks good and you have to prepare for what you are going to say. By practicing both of those, you can have a successful appearance. In todays generation, anything you say is going to be recorded so you need to be carful with how you word things. You have to remember that everyone is going to have different opinions so being confident in what you say is key.

    • Joseph, excellent points — the professional presenter is sometimes wrong but never in doubt, as the old joke goes.

      But you point remains: the sales and marketing executive must be confident and this comes with practice.

      Cheers,
      Jack

  10. It seems that prepping for live airtime media is a very stressful thing. I believe that practice does not make perfect, but in fact perfect practice can help reach close to perfection. So by practicing these highlighted topics I believe that someone can be very good. I like the “Coach in the Corner” idea because it helps someone relax and just be themselves before airtime. I think a good takeaway is to just practice and learn, learn what you can improve upon to become that much better for the next film take.

  11. In my opinion, I think the most important element is to practice. Think of the most significant questions that you might ask if you interviewed someone. I agree that with more interview experience a person gets more confident and comfortable in speaking. I learned that most of the people don’t not do perfectly. In terms of the interview time I never knew that It could go up to a half a day. Feedback are very important to improve your performance and to know where your weakness, so you can perform better on the next interview. I really learned a lot from this article and also enjoyed reading it.

  12. I think it is so important to remember that you do not HAVE to answer a question for a TV interview. When being interviewed by a media outlet about an internship with the US House of Representatives, one of the questions asked was “do you agree with all of the Congressman’s views?” As an intern, you do not bring any of your own political views into the office, but simply convey the Congressman’s stances. This question, while deemed inappropriate by other coworkers, can be handled by simply stating “I would prefer not to answer that question”. This indicates that you do not wish to answer the question in a respectful manner. TV appearances do not have to be a stressful ordeal, and you always have the option of a non answer!

  13. This article gives the ten ways to prepare for an appearance in a simple way and easy to understand. However, it seems that it is a stressful thing to prepare and plan. Practice is one thing that jumps out to me in this article. Even though airtime is really short (8 seconds), this does not mean that the speaker can just go live on air and not have practiced what they are going to say a million times before that in order to deliver the message properly. Also, since the time allotted is short the message has to be something that the watchers will care about and is easy to understand. The feedback might not always be positive but it’s always helpful so that the presenter knows in which areas to improve in and how to prepare for the next airing.

  14. Donald Trump better take some notes and learn a few things from this article. While Trump has defied all of these points, people continue to support him. Explicating upon issues that are exterior to your expertise only diminish your legitimacy, which is why many potential voters and I lost interest in the front-runner GOP candidate. The best response when asked a question you don’t know the answer to is to simply admit it your lack of knowledge on the subject. Donald trump answering questions on the Nuclear Triad is similar to Steven Hawking recommending on the best weight lifting exercises to gain weight. Steven Hawking would tell you he has no knowledge of weightlifting, and nobody would discredit his genius in him saying so.

  15. I am a firm believer of the phrase “there is always room for improvement: Getting honest feedback from a tech guy or a viewer helps enhance your communication skills. A little criticism does not hurt once and awhile because it makes you more motivated and aware of what you need to work on. Without hearing a viewer’s opinion, you really do not know if you actually grabbed their attention. Your presentation could have been just a bunch of meaningless words. Honest feedback, impels you to engage your viewer emotionally and convince them that your product is worth it.

  16. I think it is interesting that they are not allowed to have any “notes” on the set. The interview is rehearsed and prepared. They know the questions beforehand, and they practice their answers and what they will say and how they will say it. I really like how they said how they always encouraged honest feedback because no matter how well you did there is always room for improvement. A main focus is always make sure you are entertaining, because being interesting and having something interesting to say is key.

  17. In my opinion, I think the most important element is to practice. Think of the most significant questions that you might ask if you interviewed someone. I agree that with more interview experience a person gets more confident and comfortable in speaking. I learned that most of the people don’t not do perfectly. In terms of the interview time I never knew that It could go up to a half a day. Feedback are very important to improve your performance and to know where your weakness, so you can perform better on the next interview. I really learned a lot from this article and also enjoyed reading it.

    • Mahmoud, True, we all want to perform perfectly — But, as you write about appearances, “most of the people don’t do perfectly.”

      Our efforts may not be perfect, so we must practice to get as close to perfection as possible.

      Well done,
      Jack

  18. Mary Margaret Sheridan

    This article has some great tips, most of which can be used for a job interview. Practice and is so important for making the best impression. In both a television interview and a job interview you will want to have prepared talking points so that you can say what you want to say. I like the point of the non-answer, tailoring your response to fit the message you want to convey. Feedback is also important for both a television and a job interview. You will want honest feedback about how you did so that you can learn from your success and your mistakes.

  19. Though I have never been asked to be on a televised show before I completely agree with the ten pointers this article gives. I fully agree with practicing before you are on TV. I know for myself I always overanalyze after I do something and realize I could have done it in a better way. By practicing your interview beforehand you disregard that problem. I thought something that was really interesting was that the author advised to not always go on television. I always thought any press is good press but now I understand that sometimes the costs outweigh the benefits when it comes to TV appearances.

    • Teddy, good observation–conventional wisdom tells us to talk on any topic in any medium — but just as you would not interview for just any job, the professional does not go on television to speak on any topic outside his/her expertise. And would decline the media offer.

      Well said,
      Jack

  20. Mary Margaret, you are right about answering only those questions you wish to answer to advance you agenda in a televised interview.

    However, if there are difficult questions in the job interview, they cannot be ducked — or you will seem to be evasive.

    If there are challenging issues in your background that might come up in a job interview — you might consider other strategies. For example, if you job requires three years experience in [X] and you have only one year, you might bring this up before the hiring manager: Who ever raises the objection, owns the objection.

    A good comment,
    Jack

  21. Whenever one is faced with the challenge of appearing in public, one has to be prepared and follow certain social cues. This is especially important for small business owners because their appearance reflects heir business which is what brings in their income. Appearing on public television may be nerve-wracking for anyone especially for someone who is not accustomed to public appearances. To be able to make a good impression following the tips in this article such as asking the producers for feedback is extremely important because it demonstrates ones willingness to improve. Also, practice is essential to perfecting ones appearance because it shows preparation.

    • Maria, you are right–we all get better only with practice. A media appearance is the most “nerve-wracking” experience that any one can undergo as you note.

      Well Said,
      Jack

  22. Abdulaziz Almuhanna

    I think the more you practice the more you look better and more professional in the interview. Also the pre-interview could help to improve your confidence.

  23. I found this article interesting, it mentioned many aspects for how to be prepared for a television interview. In my opinion, practicing is the key to do a well interview.

  24. I agree that television is an excellent way to communicate with the public. Nowadays, most things are publicized through electronic platforms. Not only are people able to publicize themselves through television, but they are also able to through social media, such as Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. It seems that people are better able to legitimize their message and publicity through television, so it is extremely important that people carefully consider their appearance and presentation. Viewers are quick to judge and blow up situations in which simple mistakes are made. When such is the case, people can immediately make a mockery out of a serious situation, and the person’s public reputation could greatly suffer.

  25. I thought this article was very interesting. I do strongly agree that practicing is one way that you can be sure you are thoroughly prepared. Knowing your own talking points is crucial to keeping the conversation at ease, but taking in to consideration the person you are withs potential talking points is also very important. Thinking on what the other person may say to you can help you to come up with ways to deflect or appropriately answer a hard question.

  26. I found this article to be very interesting. It gave many worthy and valuable points to consider when you are preparing an interview. Practice what you will say, and know and understand what you are saying well. This way when you are interviewed on camera you feel confident, prepared, and capable of engaging the audience on a matter you feel very passionate about. Another important point mentioned in the article was answer questions you want to answer, because you want the audience to be informed of important points that you are able to disclose to them. Lastly a very valuable point when conducting a TV interview, or any interview, is always ask for feedback, because no matter how great you did, there is always something you can improve on.

  27. This article is right because you have to learn how to present yourself for public speaking opportunities. It may only be a quick 8 second stint but the re are millions of people watching that interview and some people freeze up or stutter, to ruin their chance on TV. Not to say some people can’t play it off, but confidence and practice make all the difference in front of larger audiences. MY mentality is that if you believe than everyone else will believe because the majority of people like to be followers in a group.

  28. I am a currently a public relations intern, and my main role is to manage visitor relations and give tours of the building that I work in. It took me several weeks before I had all the information to give a tour on my own, but I found that in earning my independence I used several of these same tactics talked about above. I had to shadow several tours in order to get the information down, but in shadowing different people, I picked up several different talking points to differentiate my tour from that of my peers. When I felt I was getting near prepared to give tours on my own, I sought out the advice of my boss and co-workers in order to help me better understand which aspects I was not fully grasping. Finally, when I was able to to a tour on my own, I asked for both positive and negative feedback. Every tour I give is practice for the next, so I am constantly improving on the consistency of my information and my composure. Even though I am not appearing in front of a televised audience, I feel that my job and a television appearance are the same in that they have an inherent nature, in public speaking.

  29. The great takeaway from “how to prepare for television appearance” would be preparation. Six of the suggestions would be considered preparations. I was once told that you can never be over prepared. I believe this is true and applicable. A television appearance can boost your stock and completely change how people view your company. That’s why preparation is key because it is your chance and you do not want to mess it up. Talking points is also very important because that touches on someone’s “why” and explains why you do the business your in and what kind of persona and business you are trying to market. Talking points are paramount in the seriousness of the interview and when someone has great talking point’s it gets the audience engaged because they agree or disagree which will be beneficial to your company.

  30. I found this to be a very interesting read. I was taught about televised appearances when I first began to study business, when I was 16 years old. It incorporated a lot of what you mentioned here, along with 6 other key points; always be honest, prompt, believable, and concise, turn negatives into positives and always stay cool. Taking these 6 tips in conjunction with these 10 ways to prepare, it should be a very enjoyable experience. Throughout the whole post, the main thing that stuck out to me was preparation. Preparation is key in all walks of life, whether it be for an exam, job interview, or a television appearance. It is interesting to see how something so small that people tend to overlook can make such a huge difference.

  31. In high school my track coach always told me this saying, “Practice does not make perfect, perfect practice makes perfect.” And after that day he told me that, everything I do I have that mindset too. Which is why having people critique you in mock interviews is so important and improving every time finalizing your perfect interview. Regardless of how cruel or harsh someone’s remarks may be its all for the best and helping you get to that perfect interview. Since it is not practice makes perfect but perfect practice that is perfect.

  32. I find all 10 things to be very important when preparing for a televised appearance. Having absolutely no experience, I think the three biggest takeaways from this article would be practice, non-answer, and feedback.

    The media can be so manipulative so it is very important to know what you are going to say and say it correctly. Practicing your speech or answers will help you do this.
    Secondly, the media will try to exploit you and twist your words to make some type of scandal out of it. You don’t have to answer all of their questions. If you find yourself in a vulnerable position, try and connect their question with an important message you want to convey. Take some tips from the Miss America Pageant; you can never go wrong with “World Peace”.
    And lastly, the media will judge you. There are people from various places around the world that are watching you and most likely critiquing your every move. That’s ok. If you are going to be in the public eye— you better have some tough skin. Regardless, I wouldn’t listen to the negative feedback; take the positive feedback and use it as constructive criticism. You can only improve, and there is always room for improvement. (Unless you’re Steve Harvey, that’s a tough one to bounce back from).

    See? Judgment. Sorry Steve.

  33. I agree that when the call comes, you better be prepared. Of course you can deny the option to go on tv, but that would be a shame just because you were unprepared. Practice makes perfect. Not everyone is a natural at talking in front of a camera. It is also very important that you do not have to answer every question you are asked if the segment is taped, as mentioned in the article. The most surprising thing to me was the amount of time that goes into getting ready for the actual interview which is usually very brief. If I was offered one, I would hope I would be notified at least a day in advanced and no later.

  34. Although I’m in no position to judge the advice of this article, these points seem great for preparing for a televised appearance. It’s interesting to see where these principles can be additionally applied. Very similarly, several points in this guide can, and should be used in preparing for an interview. The two situations have much in common. You are speaking to someone trying to get them to believe what you’re telling them, and in both scenario us you will be heavily judged. For an interview, the first three points in this article are pivotal. In an interview you need several talking points that can be applied to whatever the manager asks, you need to practice and master what you will be saying, and you need to have experience of the one on one conversation about yourself with someone you most likely never met. Do this, and you should be able to walk in, and out of the interview with your head held high.

  35. Anthony Spadaccini

    Practicing and being confident in yourself and your answers are definitely the two most important things someone can do in and before an interview for television. There are frequently interviewees who are clearly not prepared and they freeze on camera, or give an answer that goes around in a circle like a merry-go-round. Practicing allows your message to be direct, and have the ability to get it to the viewers on the other side of the screen. Practicing also allows you to be prepared for when the unexpected question comes your way, and you deal with question full of confidence. Confidence shows the viewer they can trust you, and that you do not need to worry about conveying the wrong message.

  36. Although I have never necessarily been on live television with millions of people watching and critiquing this article does remind me of high school when I used to do “Good morning Merion.” GMM as we called it was a live TV broadcast that we aired to the entire school. My best friend and I would go on everyday during homeroom and tell the of upcoming events, sports games, and other school related news. And it was a blast! I can relate to this article in the sense of talking points. Everyday we would have a list of news topics we would have to discuss and announce to the school. Also practicing and confidence was key because when we messed up majority of the time people knew. Every time before we would go live we would typically do a run through practicing what we would say and making sure we got the pronunciations of the words correct. After it was over we would typically receive feed back from viewers in class and try and improve the next day. I wish I had read this article in high school!

  37. I found this article to be very informative. There were many points everyone should take note of if they were ever to be featured on television. I found that one of the most important ideas was to have your talking points ready. The last thing you would want to do is to get on live T.V. and have no central idea to your argument. Being prepared to say what you need to say when the appropriate time comes is a skill that can benefit all people. I know from experience that being able to deliver a good elevator pitch can be the difference between getting and not getting a job.

  38. Madalaina D'Angelo

    An interesting read for me, because it’s all my “area of expertise” so to speak, and is a crucial step of a success business that I think many people overlook. People sell a product, and the personal presentation and interaction is a huge marketing component and relatively cheap on at that– word of mouth and positive people skills and positive public reputation can make or break a small business’ success. It’s interesting to read an article and know that people make a living coaching others to do what I’ve studied a bit of, and feel comes naturally!

  39. Knowing what you are talking about and practicing ways to convey YOUR message are key when you are being interviewed on TV. If I had a dollar for every time I nit picked or critiqued people on TV I could be sailing around Martha’s Vineyard on my own Hylas 63 Sailboat. So often I notice newcomers and professionals alike rambling on incoherently without ever noticing that they have no idea what or whom they are talking about. Similarly, people are often times sidetracked when they are thrown a curveball. The talking point noted above is absolutely right, be prepared to answer ANY question with the message you want to convey. The old cliche is right, practice does make perfect; and practicing your skills and intellect before an interview is essential when attempting to be professional and knowledgeable.

  40. The most important point in this article to me was that you don’t have to answer every single question. When watching TV, I have found that people getting interviewed always seem so composed and always heightening their image. This is because, behind the scenes, they are not answering the questions that might make them look less competent or appear to fade their image. They can choose which questions to answer in order to benefit them. I also like the point of practice and how Roger Ailes would watch the individual without sound. I think this is very important as well because if you are on TV, you must act with confidence and appear to at least know what you are talking about so that people will be intrigued to watch, or in this case turn up the volume to hear what you have to say.

  41. Elizabeth Gittings

    This is article is intriguing because each point can be implemented into a typical interview, or business meeting, or night out. The main point is that you cannot be over prepared and its good to take risk every once in a while and put yourself out there. Even if it means going out of your comfort zone. TV isn’t for everyone, but I agree that if one is given the opportunity, especially to present their small business, it can only prove to be a positive investment of time. Something that came as a surprise was the lack of warning as to when a person might be told of the opportunity. This is a part of business but also something I would not suspect of a tv show. To me, I assume the show plans months in advance of a speaker to ensure them showing up and planning the show out from before the camera starts rolling to speaking to the audience after.

  42. This article has some very good points I have never thought of. The “Coach in Your Corner”, for example, is something I only thought would be appropriate for a show like The Voice; where the family stands behind the curtain celebrating their loved ones performance. The “Non-Answer” is also a clever way to avoid answering something you don’t want to answer. It’s almost like a practice politicians are familiar with using. Maybe business students should start taking classes on the art of non-answering.

  43. Nicolette Crisalli

    They say practice makes perfect! And it is true, practicing what you are going to say and or do helps the pre nerves die down. It allows you to be more comfortable and confident because you have it all planned out. Another tip that I found interesting was bringing your friends and family to support you. The best thing before an interview or something you are nervous and excited for is a pep talk from your friends and family. Words that make you feel confident and actions that make you feel loved and supported by them no matter the outcome of it. No matter if you mess up or do not get the job. This is a great tip and support is always a good idea especially when you know you are going to need it the most.

  44. When being interviewed on TV, it is important to make sure you look presentable, are confident and ready, and know what your goal and message is. It is quite common to babble on and sound unsure of what you’re saying, especially if you haven’t practiced ahead of time. The article was also spot on when it talked about knowing various talking points and being prepared to answer any kind of question. Practicing talking points and being completely aware of what the message you’re trying to convey is are two very important things to keep in mind. Be confident, be prepared, and be ready for any curveballs that may be thrown your way.

  45. The ten points made will help in preparing for a televised appearance. Implementing all of them will make you shine like a star. Your talking points should be memorized. Practice makes perfect. It is important to practice your performance. Pre-interview is a time to show people who you are and what you can do for them. Make them fall in love with you and your performance. In terms of logistics, if the network offers a car arrangement, take it. Having a coach in your corner is always good for a support system and can be people to practice your performance on. It is fine to not answer questions, especially if the answer is not what you really want to convey to people. An interview can take up more time than you think. With that being said, only agree to appear on something if it benefits you and your agenda. If it is outside your expertise, don’t take it. It is good to get feedback from people so you can improve. There is always room for improvement. Make sure people know about your appearance. Tell your company, friends, and family.

  46. Interviewing for a job and interviewing on television are equally important. You want to look your best and be your best. In order for this to happen, practice is key. You need to be prepared for the questions they will ask and practice formulating these responses. It is okay to take a moment to answer the questions that you are asked. Pausing to think about how to appropriately answer a question is better than rushing an answer and not providing the feedback they were hoping for. As is with all sports, practice makes perfect.

  47. These 10 points of advice for a television appearance are very accurate and will lead to a successful interview. The first point, practice, is crucial for preparing for any interview because you only have one chance to get your point across. Another point is to coach in your corner which is very important because you want to have your closest friends and family with you for support. It is also smart to plan out your day in advance to make sure you arrive on time and know how long you will be spending your day on set. Everyone needs feedback on how their specific performance went in order to get better and to perfect your interview responses. Lastly, exploit your appearance on social media and blogs so people watch your television interview and let people know of your professional experience. All of these tips are very helpful and show how no one is perfect and can always have room for improvement.

  48. Some Great tips in this article! Having the opportunity to be on television is huge and should not be over looked. This is your time to market yourself and pedal what you’re selling to the masses! So be prepared, be presentable, and be your best. The 10 tips are simple to follow and can easily be achieved if you just do them! Putting in some extra work will better prepare you and pay off in the long run. Calm your nerves by knowing exactly what is happening, knowing your stuff, and having confidence in how you present yourself!

  49. Appearing on TV can, in some ways, assimilate with doing an interview. In both, you are selling a product, yourself. For this it why that you need to be prepared for it even though it will only take a little bit of your time (like the 8 seconds on air). That is why I think that the 10 point that you give here are very helpful for the preparation of this big moment in your life. Always remember to be confident in yourself and know your product. that way you will be sure to win costumers and convince your audience.

  50. The ten points presented in this article are very resourceful for preparing yourself for a television interview. Public speaking is not something I have ever found easy to do so using these ten points could ease my nerves. The points I found most helpful were talking points, practice, and feedback. Talking points are most important because you can refer to them if you get lost while speaking. Television interviews are fast past and it is easy to get lost along the way. Practice makes perfect so that is a key element of preparation. Receiving feedback from a peer is also a helpful tool because it is always a good idea to get an outside perspective on your thoughts.

  51. Its always important to know what you’re going say before you say it, especially when addressing the media in TV interviews. How you present yourself to others is an important step in the marketing process because you’re not only selling your company’s goods and services, but you’re also selling yourself as a person. Its a good thing to practice before making these types of appearances to ensure you know what you’re going to say and how to say it. Its also important to dress to impress. You never want to look unprofessional, especially on live TV. Working on how you present yourself will eventually lead to a successful outcome.

  52. Although you are not paid to be on TV, the recognition you receive from the viewers is payment enough. I think the ten points in the article are very important to remember. In order to get proper recognition from the viewers, you must give a good TV interview. The most important point in my opinion was to ask for feedback, their opinion will help you to prepare for future interviews.

  53. Aubrey Gierlatowicz

    It is very important to practice in order to prepare yourself for a television appearance. Knowing what and how your going to say something will make you sound more knowledgeable and comfortable with the information. Like the article pointed out everyone believes what is said on television so it is also important to get your facts right and be honest on air. You do not want to come across as unprofessional! As for questions, it is unnecessary to answer every single one. You choose the most important questions that you are interested in talking about. Overall, this appearance is about you and what you have to say; so have a good support system, know what your going to say, and practice!

  54. I can’t stress enough how important practice. They say that practice makes perfect, because it does. If you practice at something, you’ll become better and better, so with this said, it is so important to practice before you have your TV appearance. I would also agree that it is very important to have talking points so that you know what you are talking about. Going off of that, it is important to remember that you don’t have to answer very question that someone may ask you. Finally, one the of the tips that is important is to know the time. Not only is it important to know what your talking time is but timing of events that are happening in the world so that you don’t talk about something that is majorly wrong.

  55. Preparation for a televised appearance/interview is essential for when the opportunity arises. Not only will there be other people around during this appearance (interviewer, camera crew, and potential crowd), but many people are going to see the appearance especially if it is on live television. It is important, like in a job interview, to prepare for potential questions that can be asked. Also, practicing can be a great help as well, as it can help identify any flaws or habits with posture and speaking while conducting a practice interview. Making sure that your appearance is at its best is essential as well. Once your are on television, you are going to make some type of impression on anyone that is tuned in and watching.

  56. I agree with all 10 points in reference to preparing for a televised appearance. Practicing your talking points, elevator pitch, and motions all benefit any appearance. Television networks are looking for a memorable sale, someone that is going to entertain their audience and connect with them. I also agree that bringing your supporting cast will greatly benefit your practice, seeing as you are able to bounce ideas off of them. TV time is only as beneficial as how much you can increase your agenda or company’s value. Some interviewers will spark conflict or try to steer you off-course and it is important to remain to the script or reply with no comment.

  57. Having your speech memorized is important. People will take you a lot more seriously if you are not constantly shuffling through your notes. OF course memorization does not always happen easily. You have to practice what you are going to say, which will not only help with your memorization, it will also make you more confident in your presentation. This confidence will translate to the audience. It will also help you seem more at ease in front of the camera, as will bringing people you feel comfortable around to support you. Also, it is true that in the end, not every interview is important. At times, you will get no benefit from an interview and there is no point in wasting your time.

  58. Being asked to do a televised interview is a landmark in any young businessperson’s career. There are some universal truths to interviewing, such as keeping your message, short, sweet, and to the point, especially if the audience is large, be excited and energetic about what you’re talking about to grab people’s attention and boost business, be polite to the network in order to build a relational bond with them, etc. However, I think there are other aspects of an interview that should be determined by the individual. For instance, I don’t think it’s necessary to bring an entourage with you to an interview. I like to meditate before speaking in public, as well as reciting my lines in front of a mirror instead of other people. You don’t need to spend money on an interview consultant either. As long as you bring personality and a strong message to an interview, you can’t go wrong. I think it’s smart for young business people to do as many interviews as possible in their early careers, so as to build their name recognition and form relational bonds with TV networks. As a businessperson’s career blossoms, they can be more selective about who they interview with, so as to have the most effective impact and wide-outreach on their audience.

  59. These are ten very helpful points that I will try to take with me if I ever end up on television. The one thing from this article that really resonated with me is that Roger Ailes would watch TV with the sound off and evaluate people based on what he saw, not what he heard. This explains the importance of body language and how much of human communication is non-verbal. Many people do not realize that your first impression you give someone is communicated via body language and appearance. This is even more important when it comes to televised events.

  60. I agree with your points on nearly everything, and think that this is a good “catch-all” article for someone preparing to be on TV for the first time. When you’re preparing to give a comment on television, you should definitely look up some tips and tricks on things from protocol to how to look. One of the things I think is also good to note is that you don’t always have to agree to be interviewed! You mentioned that you don’t have to say yes to it because it is time-consuming, and they truly are using you simply for a quote for a story they have already written. It is good if this is a positive article about your business, but hopefully they are not using your company in “gotcha” journalism.

  61. I think the most important tip on how to prepare for television is to know your talking points. If you keep your message clear and simple and understand what you are trying to get across to the viewers, the appearance will be beneficial to your company. Just as the article said, it is important to grab the viewers attention because sometimes you have as little as 8 seconds to say what you want to say. You have to engage the viewer in that short period of time and make them want to turn up their TV. If you know your talking points and keep your message clear, simple and to the point, then you can successfully market your product.

  62. Being practice is a major key for being successful on television interview. You want to know what you are talking about so you review all your notes and make sure you understand 100 percent of what you are going to talk about. You do not want to go on television and freeze up or look stupid because the viewers will have a field day for you. I like the idea of having a coach in your corner so that you feel more confident and I also like the idea of asking for feedback. The producers have done many interviews before so why not ask the pros how you did.

  63. Personally I do not believe anyone can practice enough to be perfect however if an individual practices the highlighted points that this article brings up in order to better ones performance, I believe you will be drastically more prepared than what you would have been prior to going into the interview. Regarding not always taking every opportunity to be on TV I think personally I would, however I haven’t so maybe if I have before I could see why you would not want to.

  64. I found this article to be very interesting because it explained how preparation time is much longer than the actual presentation. I feel as though this relates to not only television appearances but board meeting and classroom presentations as well. When preparing for these types of appearances, it is crucial to know your talking points and be able to recite them easily and quickly. Though television interviews may be nerve-racking, confidence is key. If the interviewee seems to be timid and nervous about talking into the camera, the overall interview won’t be entertaining for the audience. After the appearance is done, it is important as well as helpful to ask for feedback on the performance. Constructive criticism is key in order to fix your mistakes for future appearances, and learn how to speak to the audience in a meaningful way.

  65. Practicing is important to being well prepared for all television appearances. Being aware of what to say and the way you should day it to say will affect your appearance. People watching television are extremely critical of, so it is important to do your best to assure your public image.

  66. Preparing for a televised appearance is like preparing for any sort of speech or presentation. You have to know what you intend to talk about, you have to know your audience, and have to know how to speak well. I liked in the article how it laid out a potential time frame for an interview all leading up to only a few precious seconds of airtime. Nowadays this is the norm. We work hard and prepare for long periods of time only to perform for a brief moment that is all that matters.

  67. These I would think are very good tips, if I were ever to make a TV appearance. Unfortunately, I have not held the title or accomplishment to warrant that yet, one day soon hopefully. I would definitely say if I was going to appear on television that I would definitely know my lines. You don’t want to get up on television where thousands if not millions can be watching you and stumble over your words. The kicker to that is it will never go away it is recorded forever in time, you don’t want to be that guy that messes up so bad that you eventually become an internet sensation for all the wrong reasons.

  68. This article mentions important points and tips to help prepare you for a TV interview, however it can also apply for job interviews. First, you need to practice. It will never hurt you to be prepared and know what you are doing. This will also help with your confidence then. You will find it easier to relax and can focus on the environment that you are in better. In a job interview, you can think of these tips from the article to make sure you are presenting yourself to the hiring manager in the best possible way.

  69. This article brings up some very good points. I have seen many television interviews on both local and national news, where the both the interviewer and interviewee should have read these tips. I think that being prepared and having a good, firm knowledge is the two biggest components of these points. Because if you are confident in what you are talking about, you can answer most any question without embarrassment or questioning yourself on how you did afterwards.