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Practice Makes Permanent
By Brian Jud |
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Have you wondered why celebrities being interviewed on
television can look so calm when millions of people are
watching them? And have you ever wondered if you could do
that?
You can appear on national television and radio, and you can
appear calm and collected, just like the actors you see every
day. But like actors, you cannot just show up for
performances. Actors learn their lines and rehearse them until
they create a believable, entertaining performance. You can be
successful, too, if you approach your media events the same
way.
The key to any good performance is preparation. Just as actors
do, media guests need to know what they are going to say
during all their performances and practice their delivery of
each word. Adequate preparation will make you more confident
in your ability to perform and help you relax while you are on
the air.
You have heard it said that practice makes perfect. However,
that is not necessarily true. Practice makes permanent,
so you have to make sure you are rehearsing the right things.
Before you appear on any media event, engage the services of a
professional media trainer so the techniques you make
permanent are the right ones.
Hiring a media trainer to coach you in performing successfully
may be the best single investment you can make to conduct an
effective appearance. Therefore, search carefully and retain
the services of a seasoned media trainer. It is best to employ
one early to discover where you need the most assistance and
help you make corrections. Without the benefit of an
experienced instructor, you cannot be sure you are practicing
the correct techniques.
Professional media trainers can provide one-on-one or group
sessions. Some will even serve as your publicist once your
training is completed, helping you negotiate appearances on
national television shows. A good media trainer will instruct
you on conducting pre-show preparation, applying makeup,
wearing the right clothes, creating your presentation, using
your voice well, gesturing convincingly, and answering
questions in a poised manner. Ask your coach to videotape your
session for a complete record of what was said.
Take Two Classes and Call Me in the Morning
Practice on a regular basis and you will conduct professional
and successful interviews. Your practice sessions can be as
formal or informal as you want them to be. They run the gamut
from talking into a cassette recorder to hiring a professional
media trainer as a coach. One technique is to have someone who
knows nothing about your subject ask you questions. This
simulates most interviews, and it will help you practice
responding to unexpected questions. The important point is to
do something every day to improve your media skills.
Good, Better, Guest
Practice can be as easy and fun as listening to or watching
talk shows. On television, watch how successful guests
interact with the host and audience. Try watching the show on
which you are scheduled to appear, with the sound off to focus
your attention on the guests. How do they sit? What do they
wear? What are the seating arrangements and backgrounds? What
are the predominant camera angles? Incorporate what you see
into your own performance.
Turn the sound back on and listen to the host. How are
questions asked? How does he or she stimulate audience
participation? What is the pace of the show? On radio, listen
to the interaction between guests and host and between guests
and callers. What makes one show better than others? How are
stories woven into the author’s answers? Does the guest answer
the host’s questions directly or follow his or her own agenda?
Where to Find a Media Coach
Consult the Yellow Pages to locate a local media trainer. Or
you could reach a talk-show host or news anchorperson at a
nearby station and contract for his or her services. Seek the
local chapters of Toastmasters International and the National
Speakers Association, or take a Dale Carnegie course. The
video
You’re On The Air and its two companion guides, It’s
Show Time and Perpetual Promotion, provide
additional tools to help you get on and perform on television
and radio.
Brian Jud is an author, frequent media guest, creator of the
media-training video program, You’re On The Air, and
author of the two books, It’s Show Time and
Perpetual Promotion. Paraview authors can now
get more
info about Brian’s Media Publicity Kit. You can also visit
www.bookmarketingworks.com for more information or
contact Brian Jud
directly.
©2003 Brian Jud |
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