Speaking opportunities present themselves in a variety of ways. For the most part, I focus on the types of speaking opportunities most entrepreneurs and professionals are on the lookout for. Recently though, a client reached out to me for guidance with a not-as-well-known type of speaking opportunity… being interviewed about the career path they’d chosen, live, in front of an audience of “junior” professionals.
My client wanted to make sure they put their best speaking foot forward. Their concern was legitimate because when you think about it, being interviewed isn’t exactly the type of speaking most speakers are used to. When you’re speaking to an audience from within your expertise, you pretty much know everything you’re going to say.
With an interview, that might not be the case. It depends on why someone wants to interview you. They might want to hear more about you and your expertise. But how about when someone wants to interview you because you’ve recently won an award, published a book, been recognized amongst your peers for something you’ve done, or earned multiple stellar reviews?
Any way you look at it, being interviewed is simply another great way to introduce yourself to a new audience. Having said that, it shouldn’t be a surprise that just like with any other speaker-related opportunity, doing your due diligence ahead of time is required.
Decide what you want to accomplish – Rest assured that the person interviewing you has a goal in mind. Your job is to make sure that their goal is compatible with yours, and vice versa.
Research the person who wants to interview you – Every interviewer has their own style. Read, watch, and/or listen to other interviews they’ve conducted. Are they exuberant? Are they laid back? Do they go from question to question without allowing their guests enough time to deliver complete answers? If you don’t like the interviewer’s style, that’s something worth considering before saying yes.
Research the interviewer’s audience to make sure there’s a logical match – It’s always great to get in front of a new audience. It’s up to you to figure out if the interviewer’s audience really is a legitimate match for you, your topic, and what you have to offer.
How will the interview be structured? Does the interviewer have a list of standard questions they ask everybody? Will they ask you to provide a list of FAQs you’re comfortable answering? Will it be a combo of the two? Completely off the cuff?
If you decide to say yes, here are two more things to keep in mind:
Provide the interviewer with your introduction – I’m all for promoting yourself, but being interviewed isn’t an invitation to straight up brag about yourself. If you want to highlight something you’re especially proud of, include it in the introduction you’re going to provide the interviewer with ahead of time. That way they’ll have the option of choosing what they want to share about you with their audience ahead of time too. They might even pull some of your successes out of your introduction and turn them into interview questions.
Should you have notes with you? If there are a few thoughts or topics you’re nervous about forgetting, a note card in your lap is fine. If you don’t want people to see your notes, try to arrange a table beside you for a glass or bottle of water. Then you’ll be able to take a drink and glance down at your notes. Otherwise, if this is an interview about YOU, well… you’re already the expert when it comes to you and your expertise, so you should be fine!
The last and most interesting thing about interviews? You don’t have to wait around for someone to finally ask you if they can interview you. You can do your own research and approach people about being interviewed by them! Nothing says “confidence” like coming up with a proactive plan for getting your information in front of an interviewer’s eyes. You can find out more about how to get interviewed on someone’s podcase in the Speaker Tip article below.
The Quandary with Questions
