Radio Guest Jitters?

by Linda Mackenzie

Are you nervous when you thinking about being interviewed on the radio? Well that is just normal. Even the top radio professionals in the industry may get some nervous jitters before being interviewed or going on air.  Most radio stations want sensationalism or controversy and may even set you up negatively to entice their audience, even if they don't believe what they are saying to you. So the only way to really prepare for an interview is to know your topic inside out, be honest, truthful and be prepared for the unexpected.

Most radio hosts are very busy, so when you approach them to get on air you may want to include 8 questions or 'Talking Points' about your topic. In most cases the  radio hosts will use some, or all of them, which puts you ahead in the interview game. However, NEVER read your answers on air. Listeners know when you are reading. A really good radio host will actually hit you with an off the wall question to force you back into conversation mode if they suspect you are reading.

It may help to rehearse these 'Talking Points' once or twice with a friend or family member before actually going on air. You can also have your friend or family member make up their own questions that you don’t know in advance about your area of expertise. The trick is to NOT to rehearse too much because you will sound like a canned response and people will lose interest, including a really good radio host. A good host will have you off the air in record time if your interview sounds canned.

Don't be afraid to make a mistake, listeners usually find this endearing instead of horrifying, because it makes you human. You can either quickly ignore and pass over the mistake, admit the mistake or make a joke about the mistake. To err is human and everyone makes mistakes - just try not to make mistakes about the integrity of the information you are presenting.

Remember a radio interview is just a conversation between two people, which happens to be going out to many. Focus on the conversation and just go with the flow. Remember the only way to really prepare for an interview is to know your topic inside out, be honest, truthful and be prepared for the unexpected.

Follow this blog each week to learn more hints on how to be a great guest on radio!

Since 1996, Linda Mackenzie has been a record-breaking call-in radio host on traditional radio, where she was syndicated and/or simulcast on 246 radio stations/channels. In 2002, a pioneer in internet radio broadcasting, Linda can now be heard worldwide on internet radio.  She is the Founder and General Manager of HealthyLife.net Radio Network.