Short list of interview do%27s and don%27ts

1. A SHORT LIST OF INTERVIEW DOs AND DON'Ts
DO:
 Have an agenda. The interview is your chance to express your messages.
 Use facts, figures and anecdotes to make messages credible.
 Use illustrations to tell your story in a way that’s more relatable than numbers.
"More attendees than at the Superbowl" is better than "85,000 people.”
 Anticipate the range of questions you may get, and practice your answers.
 Be yourself. Reinventing yourself for an interview sinks your credibility. Be
engaging, likable, enthusiastic — but not manic.
 Use simple terms. Avoid jargon, acronyms and technical language.
 "Flag" key points with phrases like "The most important thing is ..." or "The bottom
line is ..."
DON’T:
 Repeat a negative question as you answer. Questions rarely appear in the final
story, only answers – but if you repeat a bad one, you air the charge.
 Over-answer. When you've delivered your message and backed it up, stop.
 Be afraid to pause. A few seconds to think feels much longer to you than to your
listener(s) and provides valuable thinking time.
 Lose your cool.
 Imagine the reporter knows everything about your topic. You’re the expert.
 Guess. If appropriate, assure the reporter you will provide the needed facts in a
timely manner, or refer him/her to another source.
 Say something in an "off the record" discussion you wouldn’t want reported.
 Lie.