Thomas J. McFeeley Communications

I’m often approached by exeuctives and small business owners before they conduct their  first media interview. They feel excited.  They feel nervous. They feel  lost. 

My simple advice? Listen to the band R.E.M.: “Stand in the Place Where You Work.”  

Let me explain. 

(We will assume that the interview is via telephone; not one in front of a camera. TV interviews are another ball game altogether. But many of the same principles apply.)

I tell them: Close It. Shut It. And Stand Up.  You will want to eliminate as many distractions as possible. So before the interview, close the door to your office. Shut down your email (or preferably the computer itself). And conduct the interview standing up.

If you “Stand in the Place Where You Work” you will sound more energized, you will project your words more, and you will be focused on the questions and, just as importantly, your answers.  Otherwise, you will probably sink back in your (hopefully) plush and comfortable office chair, stare at your incoming e-mail or doddle on your too long to-do list. All of those things feel normal to you.

And a media interview is anything but normal.

One more tip? Figure out what one thing you need the reporter to take away from the interview. And repeat it. And repeat it again. Maybe even say “If there’s one thing about this subject you should know it’s ……”  Maybe use a dramatic pause. That will leave an impression with a reporter.

Unless you stay seated, too comfortable and distracted. Then your results may feel like  “The End of the World As You Know It.”

Sometimes the hardest things for us to do in our own business are the very things we advise our clients they must do. Turning the mirror on yourself, and your business, can be a tricky thing. Take this example.

When I consult small businesses about their social media strategies I insist they create two different Twitter profiles — one for themselves and another for their business. Even if your business has your name attached to it — as does Thomas J. McFeeley Communications — you must keep a (virtual) wall between them. I realized two weeks ago that I merely had one Twitter account, @TomMcFeeley.

Followers of @TomMcFeeley were subject to rants about the Mets, running jokes with friends, trash talking of any fan of a team playing my beloved Jets, my edgy humor blog posts, general crankiness. Only occasionally would I tweet about public relations, social media, or the accomplishments of my clients. Actually, it was more than occasionally, but it was lost in a stream of my personal life. I’ve accumulated 1,200 followers in six months. So I created my business Twitter profile, @PRSocialMedia.

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Mark Nowtarski, President of Markets, Patents & Alliances, L.L.C. on News 12 Connecticut.