5 More Top Tips to Be a Great TV Guest

Welcome to the newest installment of my series: 50 Tips on How to Be a Top TV Guest.  (Haven’t received the first three installments? Click here and request your FREE copy today!)

Here’s another 5 tips to help you capitalize on the valuable air-time when you appear as a television guest.

Double-check your contact information. Before you go on-air, make sure your website is up, your toll free phone number is working and you have a list of the retail outlets where your book can be purchased.  Why? If you share the incorrect contact information during your interview, you defeat the whole purpose of your appearance.  Also, if you give a great interview and viewers can’t find your book, the TV station will get overloaded with calls from viewers asking for information - and reflects poorly on you as a guest.

2.    Record and critique your interviews. Watch your interview numerous times and observe the different elements of your performance.  How well did you answer the questions?  Did your clothes send the right message?  What did your body language say about you?  Did you seem natural or rehearsed? Did you remember all of your sound bites?  Did you interrupt the host?  Identify the points you felt were weak and do whatever you can to strengthen them before your next interview.

3.    Look good / feel good. Sleep and good nutrition are obviously important to our daily mental and physical well being; it makes us look better, feel good and think clearly.  But these health points are even more important when you factor in the stress of an important media interview.  So try to get a good night’s sleep - and a healthy breakfast before your interview.  Don’t overdose on the caffeine either!  You want to be at the top of your game for your TV appearance.

4.    Be gracious on and off the air. Remember to thank the host for the interview while you’re still on-air.  Make sure to thank the producer as well.  It’s also a good practice to send a brief thank you note to the host and the producer.  It’s good manners and presents you as a consummate professional.  It can also increase your chances of being remembered in the future, when they need to interview an expert on your topic.

5.     Prepare for the pre-interview. When it comes to National TV, you may be asked for a “pre-interview”.  Don’t take this lightly.  Be prepared with your message; be energetic, informative and appropriately entertaining. The interview isn’t completely secured until you pass this test!