What to do in a media interview if the host seems to want to trip you up...

You may have come across an interview on TV or the radio where the interviewer seemed to be harsh, maybe even rude and dismissive of the interviewee’s responses. Maybe you’ve experienced it yourself, it’s not the norm but it can happen.

However, rather than letting it put you off and choosing not to get in front of all of those people you could be reaching with your message.

What if it didn’t matter what they asked you?

What if you were so confident in how you would respond to tough questioning, or any eventuality, that you knew you could always:

- Stay calm

- Remain dignified

- Come out with an outstanding reputation

Here are some things you need to know:

The interviewer wants a good interview.

You flapping and bumbling doesn’t make a good interview, so they are highly unlikely to put you into that state. They don’t want to trip you up – they want to get the best out of you, they want you to do well... they want you to shine.

They are, of course, human and may sometimes be triggered by what you’ve said or to strongly disagree. Some will be more upfront about this than others.

To set your mind at ease, the best thing to do is to plan exactly what you would do if you were to come under some harsh questioning.

Here are 4 steps to follow:

1. Breathe.

Stop and take a deep breath. It’s OK to pause to collect your thoughts. It’s definitely preferable to diving in and reacting in a way that’s perceived as defensive.

2. Remind yourself that it’s not personal.

When Aus radio presenter, Alan Jones was quizzed on why he is such a harsh interviewer, his response was that he wants to see justice where injustice exists.

So, even though he may be accused of being a bully, from his perception, he’s trying to make things better.

You can’t control other people, their opinions and how they choose to bring them across, you can only control how you react. If you remind yourself that it’s not personal, this will help you to respond calmly, without getting defensive.

3. Be transparent.

Respond in a way that’s clear, honest and if it’s a line of questioning you don’t want to go further into, fully explain why and offer another alternative, if you can.

For example, “I don’t want to speculate, but I’d be more than happy to find the information and get back to you about it.”

4. Get back on track.

It’s your job now, to get the interview back onto your key message. Add a segue onto your response.

Examples include:

“To get back to what we were talking about earlier...”

“What’s important here is...”

“Yes, and this is a big reason why...”

Of course, it’s one thing to know what to do and another to actually be able to do it when you’re under pressure.

There’s no substitute for practice.

This is why, as part of our PR services, we include intense trainings in how to shine in media interviews. We do this by sharing techniques used by a- list actors, including role playing so that the ability to deal with any sticky situation becomes so ingrained that nothing you are asked in interviews will phase you – you'll become bulletproof!

If you want to be interviewed in the media to share your expertise with huge audiences, comment YES below!