Issue link: https://www.ascpskindeepdigital.com/i/1415888
62 ASCP Skin Deep November/December 2021 Identify the top 3–5 points you want to cover about your content, so you make sure to cover those in every interview. Develop key messages or talking points. Some hosts will ask for those talking points separate from the questions you've already submitted. Listen to their show, or at least get a sense of what the host(s) like to offer and the format so there are no surprises. DO THE PROMOTION A major faux pas is to ignore the host's request to co-promote the interview. If you want to be valued and invited back, play the good partner and, at the very least, post it on social media. SEND A REMINDER CONFIRMATION Most hosts are busy serving their communities and marketing their own services. Now and again, they forget about the interview they scheduled with you. As a precaution, send a reminder email and include the calling details. I've seen plenty of interviews go awry because there was one incorrect number, or you're using an old Zoom link that was changed between invite and interview. Reconfirm in the email. MAKE SURE EVERYTHING WORKS You've got this great opportunity to market to the host's vast audience, but when the listeners go to your site, the link is broken. This is a lost opportunity for you, and it makes the host look bad. Check it all: websites, funnels, opt-ins, gifts, sales landing pages, scheduling software . . . everything. MIND YOUR TECHNOLOGY Let's say you're on a Zoom videocast (where the host is creating both video and audio versions of the show) and there's no time to chat before they go on the air. You are LIVE! Only . . . your camera isn't working. Or your microphone's gone bad. Ouch! Make sure it's all working in advance, and if using Skype, have the person's Skype address dialed in. For good measure, have headphones or earbuds and a microphone available in case there is too much ambient noise or feedback. BE EARLY On the day of the interview, be early. That way, if there are tech snafus, you might have a few minutes to solve them, or you'll be available if the host wants to chat with you or clarify something. Never be late, because it's an embarrassment to the host to have to deal with empty air space, and you will miss out on valuable talk time. DELIVER WITH IMPACT, INTEREST, AND FUN Be lively! Punch up your delivery so it's interesting, dramatic, empowering, and tantalizing. Modulate your voice so it's more than a monotone. Be ready with good sound bites, great metaphors, catchy titles, and phrases that are memorable. Use stories and case histories that help personify why the listeners should want more with and from you. PROVIDE GREAT VALUE The worst thing you can do is turn the interview into a blatant sales pitch. That's a guaranteed no-return ticket. But give a ton of value, and you'll be invited back time and time again. What's value? Education, solutions, tips, techniques, tricks, insights, new perceptions—whatever they can use for transformation and preparation. You don't have to give away the store, but you need to have the listener and host feel as if you've got the answers they're seeking. And the best way to do that is to give them a taste. Give them some action steps they can use. THANK THE HOST ON AIR Don't forget to thank your host before signing off. You must be the gracious guest and acknowledge their willingness to invest their precious airtime on you. The absence of gratitude will be noticed. A major faux pas is to ignore the host's request to co-promote the interview. If you want to be valued and invited back, play the good partner and, at the very least, post it on social media.