Lessons from my first radio interview

3165626090_da9b184819_bThis month I had the privilege of being a guest on a the Home Toolbox Radio show to discuss HomeSpot HQ and home maintenance in general.  Since this was my first experience I thought I’d share a few of my own “lessons learned”.

Prepare your remarks, but don’t assume you’ll use them

When we were coordinating the interview, it seemed appropriate to prepare some specific talking points.  I had a document ready that had questions and answers.  In reality, the interviewer conducted the discussion much more casually, and so the prepared answered were all but unused.

Your involuntary verbal ticks will naturally come out

In listening to the recording of the interview, I was embarrassed to hear how often I used the phrase “you know” as I gave my responses.  It is complete unconscious to me while I am speaking (you know?).  Try to prepare yourself to become hyper-sensitive to these phrases so that you will be able to catch yourself and minimize how frequently you say them.

Find a good room

Since the radio show was in Ohio, I called in as the guest.  Since I have children, the last thing I wanted was for one of them to burst in to the room and interrupt while I was on the air.  Solution?  I locked myself in the bathroom.  However, it may not have been a good choice given that it had both vaulted ceilings and lots of hard surfaces that create echoes.  The walk in closet may have been a better option since it was both smaller and the clothing would have helped reduce echo.

Be confident

Chances are you’ve been asked on the program because you’re considered an expert on the topic at hand.  When you boost your own confidence in your responses, they will come out clearer and more concise.

You can listen to my radio interview below.

Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/varresa/


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