Media Interview Tip: Be Prepared for Pushback

BONUS FREEBIE: Your message deserves the media’s attention. So how do you get out there in a bigger way? I’ve got you covered. CLICK HERE to grab my free “Checklist to Become a Go-To Media Expert.”

Be authentic and put yourself out there. Share your expertise. Just be your true self and people will respond to your message.

That’s good advice. But that doesn’t mean everyone will respond to your content.

It’s hard enough to ignore trolls on the internet, but sometimes you’ll face skeptical anchors on live TV as well. So it’s important to be prepared.

I’ve been on both sides of this as an expert and a journalist. Both sides are doing their job — trying to get all sides of the story out there.

Yep, I’ve gotten pushback before — on live TV!

I’ll admit I was a bit thrown off when this happened to me during an interview I did on WPIX in New York. I was talking about how to have a four-day work week and the anchor just wasn’t buying it.

He said, “How much of this is fantasy land?”

And I had to use all the skills I teach my clients about to handle this kind of situation. This is a popular topic for my clients which is why I dive into it in detail in my course Media Ready Author. ?

Here are three ways to get through someone questioning your expertise.

It’s okay for people to disagree. And it’s okay for people to question your ideas. But it’s also stressful.

Before you answer, take a breath. Make sure you respond with grace and your talking points rather than reacting to a comment or question that takes you by surprise.

This also means that it’s important to have thought through your talking points prior to your interview. Here’s an article I wrote all about how to speak in soundbites to help. This is what I help authors, entrepreneurs and experts do during our media training sessions.

2) Stay on topic.

Take a deep breath and remember — you’re not there to convince the anchor or interviewer. You’re there to share your knowledge with the audience. So don’t get rattled or take it personally. Stick to what you know.?

In my case, I stuck to my talking points and responded to his pushback to the best of my ability. I looked at the facts. People who work four-days a week report that they’re more productive. It’s hard to argue with that.

3) Keep your cool.

Not everything is going to go perfectly in every interview. Especially if you’re doing a lot of them!

If you stumble a little as you try to get back on topic, it’s okay! You did your best. You kept your cool and you kept going!

Keep getting your message out. Not everyone will be receptive to every message, video, or post. But that’s okay, you’ll find your audience.

Plus, practice really does help. When you’re preparing for an interview, stop yourself and come up with an alternative view. Then practice answering questions about that view.?

You’ll be glad you did!

BONUS FREEBIE: I have a resource for you that will help you prepare to talk with media and audiences. It’s the 10 Questions Every Author Needs to Answer . You can grab the fiction and nonfiction lists here .