How to Prepare for a TV Interview

Preparing for your first TV interview may seem like a daunting task. Even if you've previously been interviewed in print and on radio, you are likely about to face your toughest and largest audience to date. Ironically, effectively preparing for a TV interview largely involves forgetting about all that. Here are some helpful tips on how to prepare for a TV interview.

Firstly, whether you are promoting a book or a good cause, it is imperative that you know your material before going on air. You must also prepare for your interviewer's style. Research his or her background so that you will know how questions are going to be asked, and work hard to shape your answers to appeal to your interviewer's interests.

Know your talking points. Television is a very fast medium, and interviews seem to move at the speed of light. If there are important points you want mentioned, be sure to work them into your early answers. Know how to segue. Keep in mind that most TV interviews last only two to three minutes. Make certain you can work in all vital information within that time frame.

Rehearse. Create a list of questions you may be asked, then have a friend or loved one ask you those questions in the comfort of your own living room. Remember to speak conversationally. While you need to rehearse, you don't want your answers to sound rehearsed.

Be ready with anecdotes -- interviewers and audiences love them. Also have handy all relevant facts and figures that support your arguments, if any. "I'll have to get back to you on that one," is not an effective answer in a TV interview. Not for a candidate for Vice President, or anyone else.

How else to prepare for your first TV interview? Know how to act on television. Be upbeat and energetic, but be careful not to speak too fast. Experts such as Jacqueline Deval, author of Publicize Your Book!, recommend literally sitting on the edge of your seat, which shows that you are interested and enthusiastic about the topic being discussed.

During your interview you don't want to fidget, since such tics distract the viewer and the interviewer. You want your audience listening to your words, not watching your hand gestures. If the interviewer intends to take calls during your interview, be ready for the occasional hostile caller. Always be polite '" let the caller look small without stooping down to their level.

Prepare for your TV interview as you would any other, and once you get on the set, imagine you are speaking not to an audience of thousands, but to a few individuals sitting at home in their pajamas. After all, regardless of the actual numbers, that's really all you'll be doing.