Make a Great First Impression

“The first impression will either open the door or close it. It’s that important, so don’t mess it up.” This quote always sums it up for me regarding TV interviews, though I don’t know who said it originally.

Every day we are judged on how we look and sound. This is very much the case when being interviewed on TV.  The audience makes a decision whether to continue listening or flip the channel based on our appearance and how we deliver our message. None of us is a natural at doing this and that’s where good interview training comes in. Something as simple as learning complimentary interview attire is going to make a big difference in how you are perceived.

What Your Eyes Can Say About You

Eye contact is of utmost importance.  We associate eye contact with telling the truth if you want to get your audience to believe, you need to have good eye contact with either the interviewer or the camera.  And remember when you are speaking to the camera you are not just speaking to a camera lens you are speaking to your audience.

Also be aware of your eye movement if at all possible try not to blink, you want as little eye movement as possible. In our mind eye movements can be associated with shifty or dishonest characters.

Lots of eye blinking can be distracting to your message.  You don’t want to look like you are sending out a Morse code message with your eye blinking. If you need to, use some eye moisture drops before you go on camera to minimize the dry eye blinking.

As you go through your interview coaching sessions you will have a chance to practice controlling your blinking and being aware of it will help you look and feel more confident.

Posture

Posture is all important, both sitting and standing. Do not rock back and forth  I think we do this as  a way to dissipate nervous energy.

When we rock, it looks like you have to go to the rest room.  You also look nervous, and most of all–unprepared and unprofessional.

Stay focused on your posture and steady yourself so you don’t rock. And also try not to bob your head.  If we put that together rocking and head bobbing, you will like a human slinky.

Try to keep your torso lifted, your chest up and your neck long.  That will also help you with your vocal delivery so that you speak in a more natural and relaxed way as well.

A good interview training program will include various breathing exercises for you to learn so that you can resonate your message as clearly as possible

Gestures

It’s a challenge initially to stay focused on your message without looking like a store mannequin.  We’re not mannequins, you want to have natural movements and gestures but don’t overdo it.   Keep your hands in view but make sure you are not making extra noise.

Avoid gestures like thumping the counter or thumping the jacket. One of the worst things you can do for your audio  is what I call  the “but, you can fix that audio.” It just ruins it.  So again be natural and let your gestures help you tell your story not take over the scene.

Practice makes the difference between a smooth polished interview and being asked back as a repeat guest or being the person producers never want to see again.

 

All these skills can be learned in a good interview coaching program. From the proper interview attire to posture and breathing to poised gestures and movements. Practicing one on one situations in an interview training environment can prove invaluable to you if you want to come across a “The Expert” when you are interviewed about your subject on television.