Me and the Beeb
January 30, 2010 9:15 AM Subscribe
I'm going to be interviewed on the radio on Wednesday, and i've never done it before. Help!
My business partner and I are going to be on BBC Radio Scotland on Wednesday, for a segment they are doing about lingerie (we run a blog on this topic). This is so incredibly awesome, but it's the first time we've ever done anything like this, and I'm self-conscious about how I sound (i have quite a deep voice for a girl, and I hate the way i sound recorded). I'm also worried that I'll get myself tongue-tied or blurt out something really inappropriate by accident.
If you have experience with radio, can you give me any pointers? Are there any simple voice / speaking tips that we can remember for the interview? Any advice or general information about radio interviews would be very helpful!
My business partner and I are going to be on BBC Radio Scotland on Wednesday, for a segment they are doing about lingerie (we run a blog on this topic). This is so incredibly awesome, but it's the first time we've ever done anything like this, and I'm self-conscious about how I sound (i have quite a deep voice for a girl, and I hate the way i sound recorded). I'm also worried that I'll get myself tongue-tied or blurt out something really inappropriate by accident.
If you have experience with radio, can you give me any pointers? Are there any simple voice / speaking tips that we can remember for the interview? Any advice or general information about radio interviews would be very helpful!
I might not be live, so no worries. I've heard that they will even ask you all the question a first time, then tell you it wasn't recorded and do the same questions again. So you might get some practice time.
In general just tell the interviewer about your concerns and they'll be able to help, right?
posted by oxit at 9:22 AM on January 30, 2010
In general just tell the interviewer about your concerns and they'll be able to help, right?
posted by oxit at 9:22 AM on January 30, 2010
I did a short radio interview once and it was really less stressful than public speaking. The radio station people were all friendly and helpful, and by the time the actual interview started it was more like a conversation than an interview. Agree with the advice to speak slowly; that is true for all public speaking. You will probably sound better on the radio than you think you do recorded because they will likely have high quality equipment that is optimized for the human voice.
posted by TedW at 9:27 AM on January 30, 2010
posted by TedW at 9:27 AM on January 30, 2010
Oh, and take a sip of water or something similar before you start and have some at hand in case you get a dry throat (they will probably do this for you without asking) but no more than a few sips-you don't want to be squirming around with a full bladder. For the same reason you might want to take a bathroom break just before the interview. This is especially true if it will be longer than just a few minutes.
posted by TedW at 9:30 AM on January 30, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by TedW at 9:30 AM on January 30, 2010 [2 favorites]
I gave a live interview for the first and only time last year. It was for a webpage that I put together as a memorial/request.
My best advice is know your subject matter. It sounds like you already do.
The next thing is just to try to relax and be yourself. The microphones they use will do all sorts of things to your voice; you should not try to change your voice in the guise of compensation.
Do not worry about saying something inappropriate. I joked with the crew about having Tourette's Syndrome just seconds before going live. They told me that there is a "dump button" that will bleep out anything. They are ready for anything. They are the professionals in the business, trust them.
My surprise was listening to the same station six months later and hearing my interview on a "Best Of" show while the emcees were on vacation!
posted by Drasher at 9:31 AM on January 30, 2010
My best advice is know your subject matter. It sounds like you already do.
The next thing is just to try to relax and be yourself. The microphones they use will do all sorts of things to your voice; you should not try to change your voice in the guise of compensation.
Do not worry about saying something inappropriate. I joked with the crew about having Tourette's Syndrome just seconds before going live. They told me that there is a "dump button" that will bleep out anything. They are ready for anything. They are the professionals in the business, trust them.
My surprise was listening to the same station six months later and hearing my interview on a "Best Of" show while the emcees were on vacation!
posted by Drasher at 9:31 AM on January 30, 2010
Practice. Just get on the phone with your business partner or a friend (phone is better so you can't see the face of the person talking to you, just like when you're interviewed for real) and take turns asking each other likely/common questions. You'll be more prepared to hear the questions being asked, you'll have the most common phrases you'll use in your answers available in your short-term memory, you'll have rehearsed words you're likely to stumble over.
posted by Lyn Never at 9:48 AM on January 30, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by Lyn Never at 9:48 AM on January 30, 2010 [1 favorite]
Nthing relax. My bet is that you will almost certainly not be live, since there's no reason for a piece like yours to be live, and it's easier for the radio people to set up pieces before the show.
Now there are three things to remind yourself:
1. You will be edited. All of your ums and uhs, your coughs, sighs, mispronunciations, etc. will be happily gone by the time the piece makes it to air. You will sound GREAT.
2. Like TedW and Drasher say, unless the interview is over the phone, the studio where you interview will be using professional recording equipment, and the audio will be masterfully massaged by engineers who handle audio interviews every day. Don't worry if you always think your voice sounds funny when you hear it recorded. This is a whole new level. You will sound great!
3. The third and most important thing: the interviewers are on your side. If you are not a politician or a captain of industry, the interviewers want their non-tragedy-related human interest subjects to sound genial and intelligent, because they want their show to sound genial and intelligent. They will ask you questions, but it's not a trial testimony or a thesis defense---instead, think of it as them being interested in what you have to say, and of them mining your responses for pithy bons mots which they will string together in editing to give the interview a happy, glossy sheen.
Regardless of whether these three things are not strictly true (and they probably are), believing them will help set your mind at ease, and that will make your interview go better.
Congrats on your interview. To prove it will go great, I normally sound like a drooling buffoon in real life, and here's how I sounded after they were done with me.
posted by tss at 9:55 AM on January 30, 2010 [1 favorite]
Now there are three things to remind yourself:
1. You will be edited. All of your ums and uhs, your coughs, sighs, mispronunciations, etc. will be happily gone by the time the piece makes it to air. You will sound GREAT.
2. Like TedW and Drasher say, unless the interview is over the phone, the studio where you interview will be using professional recording equipment, and the audio will be masterfully massaged by engineers who handle audio interviews every day. Don't worry if you always think your voice sounds funny when you hear it recorded. This is a whole new level. You will sound great!
3. The third and most important thing: the interviewers are on your side. If you are not a politician or a captain of industry, the interviewers want their non-tragedy-related human interest subjects to sound genial and intelligent, because they want their show to sound genial and intelligent. They will ask you questions, but it's not a trial testimony or a thesis defense---instead, think of it as them being interested in what you have to say, and of them mining your responses for pithy bons mots which they will string together in editing to give the interview a happy, glossy sheen.
Regardless of whether these three things are not strictly true (and they probably are), believing them will help set your mind at ease, and that will make your interview go better.
Congrats on your interview. To prove it will go great, I normally sound like a drooling buffoon in real life, and here's how I sounded after they were done with me.
posted by tss at 9:55 AM on January 30, 2010 [1 favorite]
D'oh! Regardless of whether these three things are not strictly true
posted by tss at 9:57 AM on January 30, 2010
posted by tss at 9:57 AM on January 30, 2010
My dad was a disc jockey for talk radio and he got a kick out of putting me on the air. Some things I learned:
-Speak slowly and remember to breathe.
-Don't crowd the microphone.
-Don't be afraid of pausing to think before you answer a question. No one will notice a slight pause and it's much better than getting mixed up or lots of "uhhms" because you didn't take the time to work out your thought.
-Smile. People on the other end of the radio can tell if you're smiling and it makes your voice more appealing.
-Relax and be yourself. Laugh when you can.
-Trust the radio people to guide the conversation and get you out of any trouble. Trust them to gracefully handle it if you get tongue tied or if you blurt too. They've been doing this for years and they have tricks to make your interview go smoothly.
-have water ready for the sipping.
Good luck. I think you're going to have a blast. Being on the radio is fun.
posted by dchrssyr at 9:58 AM on January 30, 2010
-Speak slowly and remember to breathe.
-Don't crowd the microphone.
-Don't be afraid of pausing to think before you answer a question. No one will notice a slight pause and it's much better than getting mixed up or lots of "uhhms" because you didn't take the time to work out your thought.
-Smile. People on the other end of the radio can tell if you're smiling and it makes your voice more appealing.
-Relax and be yourself. Laugh when you can.
-Trust the radio people to guide the conversation and get you out of any trouble. Trust them to gracefully handle it if you get tongue tied or if you blurt too. They've been doing this for years and they have tricks to make your interview go smoothly.
-have water ready for the sipping.
Good luck. I think you're going to have a blast. Being on the radio is fun.
posted by dchrssyr at 9:58 AM on January 30, 2010
I've been a DJ and interviewed hundreds of people, as well as been interviewed on radio dozens of times myself.
Slow. Down.
Modulate your voice -- you know how you sound to yourself on the answering machine? That's how you sound on radio unless you consciously pitch your voice lower than you're comfortable doing. Speak relatively softly, and "kiss the mic" as they say in the trade.
Prepare to begin answers with place holders -- that's an interesting point/I think about it this way/ I would rephrase the question -- and give yourself time to think about what you want to say.
Be dialogic and engaged. Don't monopolize the air. Toss back questions to your interviewer or ask for clarification of questions.
Good luck!
posted by fourcheesemac at 10:15 AM on January 30, 2010
Slow. Down.
Modulate your voice -- you know how you sound to yourself on the answering machine? That's how you sound on radio unless you consciously pitch your voice lower than you're comfortable doing. Speak relatively softly, and "kiss the mic" as they say in the trade.
Prepare to begin answers with place holders -- that's an interesting point/I think about it this way/ I would rephrase the question -- and give yourself time to think about what you want to say.
Be dialogic and engaged. Don't monopolize the air. Toss back questions to your interviewer or ask for clarification of questions.
Good luck!
posted by fourcheesemac at 10:15 AM on January 30, 2010
Here's the best idea I can give: practice. But practice in a very particular way - have your partner interview you, and tape-record it. (You only need to do five minutes, though you can do ten.) Then listen to the tape and see what you could have done better. For instance, did you umm a lot? Did you make noises with your mouth or hands that got picked up? Did you repeat yourself?
The thing is, when you review the tape, you won't really need a list of things from me or anyone else to "look out for." I mean, some guidance is good, sure. But an acquaintance of mine who does media training for a living once told me, "I videotape people and then have them watch it. They pick up on the flaws and mistakes almost immediately. Sometimes I wonder why I'm even being paid!" I have done this before myself with video, and it's true - you'll spot issues right away. I don't see why it shouldn't with with audio, too.
You can also then trade places with your partner and interview her. And try not to think about how your voice sounds recorded - no one likes how their voice sounds! :)
posted by Conrad Cornelius o'Donald o'Dell at 10:37 AM on January 30, 2010
The thing is, when you review the tape, you won't really need a list of things from me or anyone else to "look out for." I mean, some guidance is good, sure. But an acquaintance of mine who does media training for a living once told me, "I videotape people and then have them watch it. They pick up on the flaws and mistakes almost immediately. Sometimes I wonder why I'm even being paid!" I have done this before myself with video, and it's true - you'll spot issues right away. I don't see why it shouldn't with with audio, too.
You can also then trade places with your partner and interview her. And try not to think about how your voice sounds recorded - no one likes how their voice sounds! :)
posted by Conrad Cornelius o'Donald o'Dell at 10:37 AM on January 30, 2010
These are the things I learned from doing a ton of radio tours as a co-author, both in-person and by phone:
Definitely practice with your partner. (Especially if you are doing these by phone, and especially if the two of you will not be in the same room you/ll need to be able to anticipate each other's responses even with out eye contact or visual cues.)
Make a plan ahead of time for things like who will take the first question (that way you don't have the "well, I-- oh, sorry, go ahead-- oh, okay, I guess I'll-- oh, sorry, were you answering that one?" issue) and who handles the salutations and sign-offs (sometimes it can be confusing if you're both jumping all over the "hello"s and "thanks for having us"s).
If there are topics that one of you feels more comfortable with than the other, plan for that -- so that, say, if the questioner says a "trigger" word or topic word, you already know to start gearing up for your answer (or to hang back and let your partner tackle the question).
Before the interview, come up with 5 or so basic points that you want to get across about your business or product or area of expertise -- these talking points will ground you and keep you from getting lost in a tangent or blurting out something inappropriate. It is awesome to be able to explore some random angle in depth with friends or acquaintances or at a reading/lecture, but in a radio interview, you do not want to get sidetracked or become esoteric, you want to hammer home your points, stay on topic, and be as succinct as possible. You may feel cheesy steering the conversation back to your talking point. Do not worry about that.
Write down your basic bullet-point talking points and have them in front of you when you're answering the questions. That way you won't forget about them if you get nervous or lost in a question.
Have a glass of water handy.
Basically, just practicing ahead of time is a great way to prepare -- you can't anticipate everything, but the more you are prepared going in, the more comfortable you will feel.
Good luck! And have fun!
posted by mothershock at 10:53 AM on January 30, 2010 [1 favorite]
Definitely practice with your partner. (Especially if you are doing these by phone, and especially if the two of you will not be in the same room you/ll need to be able to anticipate each other's responses even with out eye contact or visual cues.)
Make a plan ahead of time for things like who will take the first question (that way you don't have the "well, I-- oh, sorry, go ahead-- oh, okay, I guess I'll-- oh, sorry, were you answering that one?" issue) and who handles the salutations and sign-offs (sometimes it can be confusing if you're both jumping all over the "hello"s and "thanks for having us"s).
If there are topics that one of you feels more comfortable with than the other, plan for that -- so that, say, if the questioner says a "trigger" word or topic word, you already know to start gearing up for your answer (or to hang back and let your partner tackle the question).
Before the interview, come up with 5 or so basic points that you want to get across about your business or product or area of expertise -- these talking points will ground you and keep you from getting lost in a tangent or blurting out something inappropriate. It is awesome to be able to explore some random angle in depth with friends or acquaintances or at a reading/lecture, but in a radio interview, you do not want to get sidetracked or become esoteric, you want to hammer home your points, stay on topic, and be as succinct as possible. You may feel cheesy steering the conversation back to your talking point. Do not worry about that.
Write down your basic bullet-point talking points and have them in front of you when you're answering the questions. That way you won't forget about them if you get nervous or lost in a question.
Have a glass of water handy.
Basically, just practicing ahead of time is a great way to prepare -- you can't anticipate everything, but the more you are prepared going in, the more comfortable you will feel.
Good luck! And have fun!
posted by mothershock at 10:53 AM on January 30, 2010 [1 favorite]
these talking points will ground you and keep you from getting lost in a tangent or blurting out something inappropriate
On a similar note, the surprise for me when I did radio was how fast time goes...or how long it takes to make a few simple points. Even when I’ve been a guest for 30-40 minutes, I’ve been left wondering how I managed to say so little.
posted by thelastenglishmajor at 11:14 AM on January 30, 2010
On a similar note, the surprise for me when I did radio was how fast time goes...or how long it takes to make a few simple points. Even when I’ve been a guest for 30-40 minutes, I’ve been left wondering how I managed to say so little.
posted by thelastenglishmajor at 11:14 AM on January 30, 2010
First things first - is the interview live or pre-recorded? If it's pre-rec you don't need to worry about umming and awwing and you can probably ask the interviewer to do a question again if you fluffed your answer. Don't do this if you're live!
You need to know what you want to say before you go into the interview. If you've got a product to sell or a message to get across, think about what your key messages are. But, don't try to write a script - they don't work. As it sounds fairly non-contentious, the interviewer will probably be happy letting you know what they'll ask in advance- but don't push if they're not.
As others have said, deepen your voice and, most importantly, speak slowly. A lot of the non-verbal communication we use when communicating is absent on radio - and the people listening will be doing other things, driving cars, working, cooking, etc and consequently are less focused on what you are saying. Compensate by slowing down from your normal conversational speed. Also don't be afraid to leave pauses, or to stop speaking once you've made a point. Don't think you've got to fill - that's the radio station's job...
Most importantly, try not to worry. BBC radio are usually friendly and helpful and will do their best to help you and put you at ease. You will be fine!
posted by prentiz at 1:46 PM on January 30, 2010
You need to know what you want to say before you go into the interview. If you've got a product to sell or a message to get across, think about what your key messages are. But, don't try to write a script - they don't work. As it sounds fairly non-contentious, the interviewer will probably be happy letting you know what they'll ask in advance- but don't push if they're not.
As others have said, deepen your voice and, most importantly, speak slowly. A lot of the non-verbal communication we use when communicating is absent on radio - and the people listening will be doing other things, driving cars, working, cooking, etc and consequently are less focused on what you are saying. Compensate by slowing down from your normal conversational speed. Also don't be afraid to leave pauses, or to stop speaking once you've made a point. Don't think you've got to fill - that's the radio station's job...
Most importantly, try not to worry. BBC radio are usually friendly and helpful and will do their best to help you and put you at ease. You will be fine!
posted by prentiz at 1:46 PM on January 30, 2010
Everyone hates how their voice sounds recorded. I notice you said your voice is deeper than average for a woman's - this is traditionally considered a good thing in broadcast, so take comfort from that.
Also, most people err towards speaking too fast, but a few people (including me, occasionally) can actually talk too slowly and sound rather flat.
If it's a live interview on a non-specialist programme, there's a small chance that you'll be asked something out of the blue which is glaringly wrong and/or you simply can't answer. If it feels like it would be awkward to correct the presenter, or just to say 'er, no/I don't know', then you can do a switch. Say something like 'that's an interesting point, and actually another thing is blah blah blah' and reel off something else you CAN talk about. Experienced interviewees do this all.the.time on TV & radio. You're not a politician so no-one will mind that you haven't answered the actual question. This is also why having a few key points prepared, as prentiz suggested, is better than practising whole answers.
If you really want to be ultra-prepared, you could think in advance about how to incorporate visual imagery into the discussion - just the odd little phrase here and there, like saying 'when feedback from our readers hits our inbox...', rather than just 'when we get feedback from readers...'. It makes you more engaging to the listener, and the presenter will love it.
As others have said, the producer will usually discuss the types of questions beforehand and put you at ease. Don't sweat it; inexperienced people are interviewed on the radio all the time and 99% of them sound perfectly fine. Have fun!
posted by 8k at 8:06 PM on January 30, 2010
Also, most people err towards speaking too fast, but a few people (including me, occasionally) can actually talk too slowly and sound rather flat.
If it's a live interview on a non-specialist programme, there's a small chance that you'll be asked something out of the blue which is glaringly wrong and/or you simply can't answer. If it feels like it would be awkward to correct the presenter, or just to say 'er, no/I don't know', then you can do a switch. Say something like 'that's an interesting point, and actually another thing is blah blah blah' and reel off something else you CAN talk about. Experienced interviewees do this all.the.time on TV & radio. You're not a politician so no-one will mind that you haven't answered the actual question. This is also why having a few key points prepared, as prentiz suggested, is better than practising whole answers.
If you really want to be ultra-prepared, you could think in advance about how to incorporate visual imagery into the discussion - just the odd little phrase here and there, like saying 'when feedback from our readers hits our inbox...', rather than just 'when we get feedback from readers...'. It makes you more engaging to the listener, and the presenter will love it.
As others have said, the producer will usually discuss the types of questions beforehand and put you at ease. Don't sweat it; inexperienced people are interviewed on the radio all the time and 99% of them sound perfectly fine. Have fun!
posted by 8k at 8:06 PM on January 30, 2010
I asked a similar-but-different question about radio interviews a little while ago, and got some good answers. What helped me most was picking a few key points and rehearsing them with my partner.
You might want to also quickly practice some of the most obvious tangents that the interviewer might take. In my (limited but recent) experience, radio presenters tend to get fascinated by the same aspects of your subject that any other person who's new to the topic would find interesting. Think of the kinds of questions your friends or family ask about your business and be prepared to answer them then get back to your key points.
posted by harriet vane at 1:06 AM on January 31, 2010
You might want to also quickly practice some of the most obvious tangents that the interviewer might take. In my (limited but recent) experience, radio presenters tend to get fascinated by the same aspects of your subject that any other person who's new to the topic would find interesting. Think of the kinds of questions your friends or family ask about your business and be prepared to answer them then get back to your key points.
posted by harriet vane at 1:06 AM on January 31, 2010
Response by poster: Thank you all so much for these wonderful answers! I won't mark a best one, because i'd have to mark every single post! tss, you sounded brilliant in your interview, i'll be delighted if I come across that well! Thank you especially to mothershock, your experience interviewing with your co-author sounds spot-on to what we need to do. I feel so much better and really excited, thank you everyone!
posted by ukdanae at 4:46 AM on January 31, 2010
posted by ukdanae at 4:46 AM on January 31, 2010
Response by poster: Quick follow-up: we did it! You can listen here (start at 29 minutes, i'm the one with the bizarro American Scot accent) -- it went by so so quickly, and while i was shaking and nervous, we seemed to do okay! They gave us a briefing beforehand with some questions they would ask so we brought in some bullet-point answers in case we got confused, but it just flowed really naturally and was super-easy. I want to do it again!
Thank you all for your great advice and for reassuring me. Yay Metafilter!
posted by ukdanae at 7:10 AM on February 3, 2010
Thank you all for your great advice and for reassuring me. Yay Metafilter!
posted by ukdanae at 7:10 AM on February 3, 2010
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posted by banannafish at 9:19 AM on January 30, 2010