How to prepare for a radio interview

Recently, I was on Singapore's national radio 938NOW. If you are a business leader or an entrepreneur, here are some ideas on how you can be better prepared when it comes:

1. Decide on the agenda of the interview- Some radio hosts don't have specific agendas and may want you to just talk about a general idea. It is your job to suggest something interesting that is useful for their listeners. Be clear on the your outcome of your agenda.

2. Stay on track with your agenda- It is easy to get side-tracked to talk about something else, but you need to always bring it back to the agenda, what you do and how you add value to others. Mention statements like, "In my experience working with ABC..." or "Regarding what we talked about earlier, I noticed in my work with ...."

3. Don't just give theories and ideas- share stories. Audiences love it when you can actually cite specific examples to back your ideas. This brings ideas into practical reality.

4. Talk slowly- Sometimes we get too excited and talk really fast on a subject, but ensure that you articulate your words and ideas clearly. It is better to ensure your audience hears you, rather than try to play catch up.

Be controversial. Dare to take a stand. Experts are called experts because they know something well and dare to take a stand on it.

5. End well- Remind the Radio Host of how their audience can contact you, visit your website or buy your book. Decide a call-to-action before the end of your radio interview. Write a note to ask the interviewer to include your call-to-action. It doesn't happen naturally for all interviews and you have to remind the host to do it.

All the best to your upcoming interviews! If you have more tips, do share them in the comments below.

?Kenneth Kwan is the High Performance Strategist of Deep Impact, a results based, training consultancy. As a keynote speaker, he has spoken in twelve countries and helped thousands of leaders to increase business performance. He is also the author of Small Steps To Big Changes.

Note: This article originally published on Deep Impact Online's Blog.