General Tips for Men and Women
- Check your appearance and smile in the mirror before you go on camera.
- Make sure you are comfortable with the way you look, the way you are seated and the overall setting.
- If you wear glasses, make sure they are clean. If they're photosensitive, wait until the glass is clear. If you are interviewing outside, you may want to remove your glasses if they remain dark. Don't wear sunglasses.
- Eye Contact. Look into your interviewer's eyes most of the time, or look at fellow panelists if you are talking to them. Try to make eye contact changes smoothly. Don't look at the monitor or stare into the distance when someone else is talking. Try not to let your eyes wander or dart back and forth from the interviewer to the camera – it will make you look sneaky and disinterested.
- Keep good posture. This sounds obvious, but remember to sit up straight – without being stiff. Keep your feet on the ground and your hands in your lap or on the arms of your chair when you are listening. Sit forward in your chair. Don't scoot back because it makes you slouch. Lean forward slightly to show interest or when you want to make a point. If standing, put your left hand by your side and use your right hand for gestures when speaking. Do not clasp your hands in front of you. To stop side-to-side swinging, put one foot half a step ahead of the other. Back and forth swaying will not be detected on camera.
- Smile. Smiling will make you look and feel friendly, accessible and relaxed.
- Focus on your interviewer's eyes, even if he or she is looking at his notes or stopwatch. Ignore everything else happening around you.
- Don't let it throw you if a reporter or interviewer asks the same question twice. Simply answer the question again, perhaps more concisely. Keep your answers short because, in most cases, you will be given about 45 seconds on the air. Remember to start with your conclusion to make your main point immediately.
- Even though you may actually be reaching millions of viewers during your interview, imagine yourself talking to a group of two or three people – quietly, in their living room. Your voice level should be pitched slightly below that of the interviewer.
- Should a reporter try to speed up the interview by interrupting or pulling the microphone away before you finish your point, don't talk faster. Briefly state your point with every answer that you give. And if the reporter leaves the microphone under your chin after you've made your point, don't ramble on. You can always restate your main point – if it's too repetitive, it will be edited out.
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