HOW TO REMAIN CALM & SMASH THE INTERVIEW
For many of us, being interviewed for a media appearance may create even more nervousness than usual. It is normal to be nervous before being interviewed; however, there are tactics you can use to calm your nerves and increase your likelihood of doing well. Let’s take a look at some important strategies.
BREATHING IS THE KEY FOR STRESS
If you are particularly anxious about an interview, you may find that breathing exercises help to calm the nerves. You’ll want to breathe through your nose gently and deeply, inhaling for six seconds and exhaling for six seconds. Your breathing should be controlled and purposeful. Breathing exercise are particularly useful because they can be done without bring attention, meaning you can even do them whenever you like! When the camera people are fiddling around just remain calm and breeeeeaaaaaattthhhhh.
DO YOUR HOMEWORK
Preparation is incredibly important when you want to ace an interview. Researching and therefore being confident about your subject is an important part of your preparation process. This enables you to better answer the questions that you get asked. We usually advise that interviews are conducted without a teleprompter but feel free to jot points down you’d like to address. Ask for the questions from us in advance and we’ll make sure you have time to rehearse your answers. For all media interviews, understanding the potential angle being taken is vital but as with most things, this is discussed in pre-production. Don’t worry, it’s not live – we can always do a retake!
GET TO KNOW YOUR INTERVIEWER
Another important part of preparation is to get to know the interviewer. If you can cultivate a relationship of trust and mutual understanding, this will come across in the interview and you’ll SHINE! If you can relax, knowing the interviewer is there to look after you and make you look good, that’s half the battle. Then you can relax and enjoy yourself. Also remember, at Super Motion our interviewers will always have the pre-prepared questions AND any key points we need to draw out of the answers so you don’t have to worry about forgetting anything, we’ll just ask you again. 🙂
TELL A STORY
Regardless of the subject, you want to tell stories if at all possible. The reality is that stories are compelling, and people naturally gravitate to them. Highlight ones that illustrate the points you’re trying to make by giving examples and diving into back stories. It is much easier for people to relate to these than obscure facts or statistics and just as importantly, once you start telling a story, instead of worrying about forgetting something, you’ll be far more natural and therefore trusted by the viewer. Practicing telling these short, engaging stories can be great preparation for success.
FINAL THOUGHTS
So please take these little gems of advice and try not to worry. Probably the most important thing to remember though is… (usually) this is not live TV! Nor do cameras steal your souls like the Pennsylvania Amish tribe believe! I’m often staggered how natural people can be before before the cameras roll only to freeze up when we hit record! Whats the difference really? Having a good interviewer who you like and is patient is a huge step in the right direction so click the link below to book your strategy call now. I have a feeling we’ll get on well. 🙂
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