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Get Your Words' Worth
By Brian Jud |
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Two concepts determine your relative success in answering
questions during a television or radio performance:
preparation and flexibility. In most cases you will not know
the questions you will be asked during the interview. But if
you know your topic and know beforehand what you want to get
across to the audience, you will be able to perform more
successfully.
What makes a good guest for the show does not always make a
good show for the guest. If all you do is answer the
interviewer's questions informatively (whether or not they
lead to meeting your goals), the host will think you are a
great interviewee and perhaps ask you to return. But there is
no future in being a professional guest if you do not sell
your books in the process.
Your objective is to sell books, and this may seem at odds
with the goals of the host and audience. But you can meet
everyone's needs if you provide information in an entertaining
way, stimulating them to purchase your book for more details.
As a general rule, you will sell more books if you entertain
people, piquing their curiosity, showing them how they can
reach their goals by reading your book.
You have to charm the audience while communicating important
information. And you may have to do it in three minutes,
perhaps while the host is asking you questions that have
nothing to do with your book. Reaching your goals under these
conditions requires you to blend your understanding of the
audience, knowledge of your topic, diplomacy, and training to
create a polished, effective performance. You can do this if
you know the answers to these questions: |
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- Given a limited time on the air, what are the major
points you want to impress upon the audience? Since you will
participate in shows of varying lengths, decide in advance
how many points you can communicate reasonably in different
time periods.
- What information is important to each audience? Your
presentation will change depending upon the composition of
the audience.
- In what order should you discuss your agenda items?
Communicate interesting information in descending order of
importance.
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Succeed Through Planned Spontaneity
Reaching your objective does not mean you ignore the
interviewer's questions. If you do not answer, it will look as
if you are evading the question. Instead, allow the host time
to fulfill his or her agenda (being a good interviewer) to the
extent that your purpose is not compromised. If you sense the
conversation going off in a different direction and you
haven’t addressed your critical points, you must begin to
respond differently.
Your success depends upon your ability to make a brief, yet
smooth, transition from an irrelevant question (from your
perspective) to one of your agenda items, making it relevant
to the audience. Then once you make the transition, give an
example to demonstrate your point. Concise anecdotes,
particularly those germane to the audience, can make your
presentation more personable and convincing. People like to
hear examples to which they can relate.
But this must be done cautiously. In a three-minute interview
on a national show you do not have time to relate a complete
story. Practice making your transition statement and giving an
example in about 30 seconds. Here are three illustrations:
Interviewer's Question.
"That's an excellent point, but what your audience really
needs to know about that is (Your point #1). For example...
Interviewer's Question.
"That's a great question. But if you look at it from a
different perspective (Your point #2). Here is what I mean...
Interviewer's Question.
"Most people think that is true. However, if we put it in the
context of (Your point #3). For instance...
You have acknowledged the question, complimented the
interviewer, and led the conversation back to where you want
to be. During a longer show you will have more flexibility in
your answers. You will be able to expand upon the
interviewer's questions while still covering your agenda
items.
In any case, know how much time you have on the air, what
points you must communicate in that time, and how you can get
those across graciously. You will sell more books and be asked
to return on more shows. |
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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 and our special offer. You can also
visit
Book Marketing Works for more information or contact Brian
Jud directly
brianjud@comcast.net.
©2003 Brian Jud |
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