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Appear on TV Shows: 4 Secrets to Becoming a Guest on Best Talk Shows
Copyright © 2002 - 2010 by Susan Harrow. All rights reserved.
The phone rings. You hear an authoritative voice say,
*Hello, I'm the producer of...Good Morning America or Oprah,
or Larry King Live* or any other top talk show, you name it.
This is your big moment, the break you've been waiting for.
After you catch your breath what do you do?
Producers make an instant assessment of you in thirty
seconds--or less. When you get that coveted call from a
producer, you aren't just *talking* to him: you're
auditioning. You are being screened to be accepted or
eliminated as a guest on their show. How can you pass the
audition?
Secret #1: Ask Before You Speak
Before you even open your mouth to start pitching yourself
and your story to the producer, ask them a simple question:
*Can you tell me a little bit about the kind of show you
envision?* In other words, ask the producer the angle he is
planning to take.
Doing so has two advantages. First, it gives you a moment to
overcome the shock and to collect your thoughts.
Second, once you hear the producer's reply, you can gear
your pitch to the type of information he's seeking. Listen
closely to the angle that he's interested in and tailor your
points to it. Publicists often use this technique to get
their clients booked on shows. They *get* before they *give*
- so they are in a good position to tell only the most
pertinent information about their client.
Secret #2: Wow the Producers with Brevity
Follow the advice of jazz musician Dizzy Gillespie: *It's
not how much you play. It's how much you leave out.* Keep
your list of talking points by the phone when you call a
producer (or a producer calls you), so you'll be succinct.
You will already have rehearsed your points so that they'll
sound natural and inviting. Be prepared with several
different angles or pitches, different ways to slant your
information. *Nobody gets on these shows without a pre-
interview,* says publicist Leslie Rossman. *Be a great
interview but don't worry about the product you want to sell
them because if you're a great guest and you make great TV,
they'll want you.*
And keep in mind the words of Robert Frost: *Half the world
is composed of people who have something to say and can't,
and the other half who have nothing to say and keep on
saying it.*
Secret #3: Prove You're Not a Nutcase
If you area nutcase on the air, the producer will lose their
job. What constitutes a nutcase? You may think it's a
positive trait to be enthusiastic (and it is), but anyone
who is overly zealous about his passion is considered a nut.
Best-selling author and screenwriter Richard Price talks
about this phenomenon as *The dangerous thrill of goodness.*
He says, *What happens is you can get very excited by your
own power to do good.* Don't get carried away by this
thrill.
One way to tell if you're being too zealous is that you're
hammering your point at top speed with the energy of a
locomotive pulling that toot lever non-stop. I remember a
man calling me up about how he was single-handedly taking on
Starbucks - who, he felt, had done him wrong. He wanted me
to promote his cause. While this could have been a great
David versus Goliath type story, he was long on emotion and
short on facts. Some statistics or figures would have
tempered his mania.
But he also never checked in with me to see if he had my
interest. By talking loudly and barely pausing for a breath,
he appeared to be a man who wouldn't take direction well.
His single-mindedness was off- putting, not engaging.
When you're talking to a producer speak for 30 seconds or so
and then check in by asking, *Is this the kind of
information you're looking for?* Listen for other verbal
cues, such as encouraging grunts, or *uh huhs.*
Secret #4: Can You Mark *The Big Point?*
Contributors to the popular radio show *This American Life,*
hosted by Ira Glass, have taken to calling the wrap-up
epiphany at the end of a story, *The Big Point.* This is the
moment that the narrator gives his perspective on the story
in an attempt to elevate it from the mundane to the
universal.
Another radio personality, Garrison Keillor, is a master at
it. He tells long, rambling stories (not good advice for
you), then ties up all the story strands in a coherent and
satisfying way. As a great guest, you want to illuminate
your story with a big standout point that helps the audience
see the significance of your story in their world and the
world at large. Rather than hitting them over the head with
a two-by-four, you want to share your insights with a
feather-like touch. By framing your story you alert the
producer to the fact that you're a thinker and can
contribute great insights and clarity to a story thus
increasing its appeal.
Don't miss your chance to appear on the top TV talk shows.
Learn the secrets of the pros. In this special report
discover what it takes to make the cut when you get that
coveted call from the producer. Go to:
http://prsecrets.com/store/
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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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