From Interviewer to Interviewee

"I've looked at clouds from both sides now," Judy Collins once warbled. So have I. I have been both the journalist and spokeswoman. Guess which brings the biggest challenges?

In my 20-plus years of professional life I have been the person asking the questions, and the person having to answer those questions.

Really, there was never any mystery about doing the asking. Usually, it was three pertinent questions to get a 15 to 20 second soundbite, an exchange of pleasantries with my source, and we were done. Sometimes I would have to do a little finessing to get the subject to go on tape and promise that I would edit his/her"screw ups", but I was generally successful.

There were no "gotcha" questions. That wasn't the way I worked as a reporter. That's not to say there aren't those reporters who feel it's their duty NOT to accept what you say at face value. Once you've established a rapport with the reporters in your area, you'll be able to gauge who will be an easy interview, and for whom you'll have to be on your toes.

As the former spokeswoman for a political party and, most recently, the media consultant for a local labor organization, I've had to wear the other hat. Asking, I have found, is a lot easier than answering.

Here's why: We're conditioned to believe that in an interview anything we say can and will be held against us. On top of that, there's a level of insecurity that we are going to sound stupid and that will be used against us,too. When all of those concerns are swirling in our brains, it's a wonder we can even hear the questions being posed, much less answer them.

I have been invited to host a seminar for faculty and staff at a local technical college, and what I plan to teach them may be of use to you, too.

You’re the expert:
1. You are being interviewed because YOU possess the knowledge on the topic the reporter is interested in. This is your time to shine.
You have control:
1. You have the right to know what questions will be asked.
2. You can correct reporters if they make a mistake.
But, what if…
1. …I don’t know the answer to the question?
a. That’s a good question. Let me research that and get back to you.
b. I’m sorry, that’s not my area of expertise. Do you want me to have someone get back to you with that information?
c. Interesting. I never thought about it that way before.

2. …I misspeak?
a. You can correct yourself. Remember, reporters are interested in accuracy.
b. If you recall the mistake after the interview, feel free to re-contact the interviewer
Wrapping things up:
1. Good reporters will often, if not always, ask: “Is there anything else you care to add?”
a. If not, “I think that covers it. Thank you for your interest.”
b. If yes, “You know, I would like to add one thing….clarify this point…emphasize that..”
Take that opportunity to reinforce your message.
2. It’s ok to ask when it will air or when it will appear in print
3. Now relax. You’ve just shown the world why you are the expert in what you do and have shared knowledge no one else can share. Be proud of yourself. Each successive interview will be that much easier.

Jennifer Miller Media offers coaching and media seminars to help you survive your interview. Contact me at jennifer@jennifer-miller-media.com

Pub Grub: But I Have A Web Site

A friend of mine is a successful criminal defense attorney who I was hoping to land as a client.

"I have a web site." he told me as he turned me down flat.

I reminded him that I could help him establish himself as an expert on criminal law, as I did when I was a reporter and called him frequently for his opinion on cases.

"You know, no one has done that since you left the media, " he said, as his closest competitor walked by the window.

Aha!

Web sites are a necessary tool, but they are just one tool in the publicity toolbox. As I'm fond of saying, if a tree falls in the woods and no one is there to hear it does it make a sound?

If you were looking for representation by my friend and Google-searched criminal defense attorneys, you may very well find his firm at the top of the list, but you would also find numerous others. All would claim that they could represent you in everything from homicide to drunk driving, but how would you know who was the best?

By increasing my friend's visibility through media interviews, advertising, a blog, and news releases, his potential clients would remember his name, view him as an expert in his field, and would not only his web site in a Google-search, they'd be more likely to click on his name. Plus, in whatever media he did he could, and should, push his web site for more information.

Increasing visibility for you, your project, business, or organization requires a multi-level, structured approach. You wouldn't just have a hammer in your toolbox, you need screwdrivers, wrenches, pliers, and levels, too.

Contact Jennifer Miller Media today to build your public profile. (Or go to my web site: jennifer-miller-media.com)

Pub Grub: Oh, no you aren't!

Good publicity puts your best foot forward, telling the world who you are. But how you arrive at that message depends on asking yourself, "Who AREN'T you?"

Think about it. It's not so easy, is it?

But by exploring who you aren't, it's much easier to answer the question, "Who Am I?"

Are you a hawk or a dove?

Do you think bigger is better or do you believe less is more?

Are you a pragmatist or a dreamer?

Those are just a couple of the soul-searching questions you should ask yourself, whether it be for building your business, or while going through the hopefully non-stop construction of your character. Knowing who you aren't prevents you from doing or saying those things that aren't in line with who you really are--as an individual or team.

Pub Grub: Food For Thought About Publicity

For advertising you pay; for publicity you pray! Alyson Dutch, Publicist

Our culture derides publicity hounds, yet enables them by consuming their publicity.

But in the right hands, publicity can do more for you, your product, your service, business or organization than any amount of advertising you can buy.

In her wonderful book, "Selling Yourself Without Selling Your Soul", Author Susan Harrow shares 16 ways publicity can help you. Here's a partial list:

1. "Publicity markets your services more effectively than advertising or your parents."
2. "Publicity gives you instant credibility."
3. "Publicity distinguishes you from your competition."
4. "Publicity gives the perception you're the expert."
5. "Publicity can diminish stereotypes."
6. "Publicity begets more publicity."

Publicity doesn't mean making a spectacle of oneself to get attention (although that does work--sometimes). It's a smart approach to getting your message to the right people at the right time and in the right way.

For ways to get started on the right path toward publicity, go to my website: jennifer-miller-media.com.