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Whoops! How to Handle a Tough Media Interview
Copyright © 2002 - 2010 by Susan Harrow. All rights reserved.
1. When asked an embarrassing or inappropriate question.
Reframe the question by beginning with, "What I felt
was...." Then focus attention on a broader social issue or
expand it to encompass what many people might feel. An
interviewer asked one of my clients who had been raped: *Did
you feel dirty, unlovable, ashamed?* Instead of answering,
*Yes,* she might have responded, *Many women whether they've
been raped or not, have been made to feel that way about
their bodies or sexuality at some point in their lives.
That's why I've chosen to speak out on this sensitive issue
now. To give a voice to all of us, even those who have no
voice.*
2. When asked a question that is too personal.
Use humor to lighten the atmosphere. Or change the nature of
the question gracefully by saying, *What I'd really like to
say is....* Or, *The question I'd really like to answer
is....* Or, *In my book I say....* Or, *I'd like to keep
that part of my life private, but I would like to share
this....* Then offer something else delicious and intimate.
3. When an interview is lagging.
Ask to read a passage from your book or describe your
service with a tightly condensed and powerful phrase. You
will have already chosen in advance a paragraph or two that
is particularly exemplary. Don't feel shy about offering.
Most interviewers are so busy they may not have had a chance
to review or even peruse your book or the information you've
provided. You are the person most familiar with your book,
personality or business and the best parts of it! When she
was being interviewed for her book, *Some of Me,* Isabella
Rosellini delighted her audience by picking an imaginative
and lively section which she read with feeling.
4. When you're pressed on a sensitive point.
When Terry Gross pressed Chuck D, leader of the rap group
Public Enemy, about one of the members of his group making
anti-Semitic remarks, he answered vaguely a number of times
and then said bluntly, *Let's move on,* which made him
appear rude. Instead, he might have said, *I've really said
all I can say about this. Can we go on to the next
question?* Or, *I've really answered this to the best of my
knowledge at this time with the information I have
available.*
Another way to handle persistent questions on a topic you
wish to avoid is to give a series of very short responses,
or answer them with information that is so charming or
captivating the interviewer won't notice you've deviated
from his/her request. The interviewer will then feel as if
his/her questions have been answered satisfactorily without
being embarrassed by not being able to elicit a direct
response from you.
5. When you haven't been asked something you want to cover.
Offer to share something the interviewer hasn't thought of.
Most often he/ she will greatly appreciate your
thoughtfulness. Use a teaser tidbit. *I could tell you
about...if you'd like.* It may surprise you but people
rarely remember the questions an interviewer poses. What
they remember are your answers. And when they no longer
remember your answers they remember the feeling they
received when hearing you speak.
Learn how to handle the 4 most difficult types of
interviewers in *Sell Yourself Without Selling Your Soul®*
(HarperCollins). Need to prepare for a meeting, promotion,
presentation, job or media interview? Go to
http://prsecrets.com
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Susan Harrow, CEO of
http://prsecrets.com, is
a top media coach, marketing strategist and author of
Sell Yourself Without Selling Your Soul® (HarperCollins),
The
Ultimate Guide to Getting Booked on Oprah, and
Get a 6-
Figure Book Advance. Clients include Fortune 500 CEOs, bestselling authors and entrepreneurs who have appeared on
Oprah, 60 Minutes, NPR, and in TIME, USA Today, Parade,
People, O, NY Times, WSJ, and Inc. |
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