Put your feet up on the radio

"You are live in 30 seconds"

Getting the call to say you have been invited to appear on radio, is for some, seen as a fantastic opportunity and for many others a terrible idea that fills then with dread.

Thousands of hours of speech radio needs filling with news, views and differing voices, so why miss out?

The best interviewees are often quite nervous ahead of their appearance and nearly always, in my experience, go on to deliver the best result for themselves on air.

Countless times, I’ve met someone behind a microphone who when asked if they are fine and need anything before the Mic goes live, tells you how relaxed they are and that this appearance is their 4th interview and its old hat.

Sadly, I have seen a few of those people fall a bit flat, get tongue tied and probably not enjoy their time on the radio.

Some nerves are good! Some of the biggest stage stars have shared how they feel physically sick before they walk on stage – walking into a radio station is no different and especially if your business is in the spotlight during the proposed radio interview.

So with twenty plus years of meeting and talking to people through radio, whether news related stories or feature pieces,

I am ready to share the secrets of sounding great on the radio.

All the media trainers in the world could save you some money and just tell you this.

• Be yourself
• Be prepared

Yes there is more to media appearances than just that but they are the basic skills anyone needs. You know your subject and business better than the person asking the questions.

Don’t ask the interviewer for an advance look at the questions they are going to be asking you  - They might ask something completely different to your carefully rehearsed response.

If you don’t know the answer, be honest.

Listen to the radio station before your appearance, understand their style and how you might fit in to their model.

Remember radio interviews tend to be short, so if you want to get some use out of your appearance, go with three simple points (written down if you want) if at the end of your interview you managed to get 2 out of 3 mentioned… consider yourself a winner.

Being prepared is fairly obvious

Why are they inviting me

What is their take or agenda surrounding my sector

Remember you can decline their invite, Don’t feel you are obliged to appear, it is often better to send a written response and simply say nobody is available, should the news agenda have your business sector in the spotlight.

Most radio interview requests come from a radio station team that need to fill their output with interesting content and you can be part of this FREE media appearance.

So imagine the positives -

Be Prepared, be yourself, enjoy the exposure this gives your business or brand and remember it is in the interest of most radio presenters to get the best out of you, if you sound good, they sound better.

My work at MENTA includes offering FREE media interview tips and advice as well as a series of courses designed for business people wanting to enjoy greater media engagement and exposure.

Nick Pandolfi has worked in frontline broadcast media for more than twenty years, And has twice been named BBC radio presenter of the year.

Email for advice or a chat nick@ment.org.uk