How To Nail An Interview

Nov

2008

Last week, I did an interview on the Laura Ingraham show regarding our dress style at the Tatango office. The interview was a follow-up to our recent article entitled “What Sneakers Say About Your Soul” in the Wall Street Journal that touched on the same topic. You can listen in on the interview here:

I’ve been busy doing quite a few interviews lately and there are definitely some things that must be kept in mind while being interviewed. Below I’ve listed my top 5 tips for a successful interview, whether it be radio, television, or print. Feel free to add your tips to the comment section as well.

Tell a story: Stories capture the emotions of the audience, are easy to relate to and are very persuasive. Tell the story of your company, the good and bad, share some of the hardships you’ve faced and the accomplishments you’ve made.

Be an expert: The key to any great interview is great content. No-one wants to listen to someone that doesn’t know what they’re talking about. Focus on what you know, and position yourself as the expert in that field.

Reflect. Every time you do an interview, listen,read or watch your piece and critique yourself like hell. If you suck, figure what needs to fixed to make you not suck. If you kill a certain portion of the interview, figure out what it you did that made that portion great, focus and replicate it. Also, have a trusted friend listen to your performance and then give his or her recommendations and feedback.

Understand the audience. In any interview, keeping your audience in mind is a must. Tailor your speech and grammar to fit. For example, when I speak to various school newspapers and classes, I speak as if I was having a conversation with a buddy. However, when it comes to something a little more conservative (i.e. The laura Ingraham Show), I work to appeal the information and grammar to the demographic tuning in.

Keep it real. Always assume that someone will check the information you provide. Save yourself (very public) embarrassment and never lie to a journalist. If you don’t know the answer to a question, it’s better to admit it then to keep talking and prove it with a wrong answer.

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Lynn Morton 1 year ago 1 point
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Be truthful and be yourself are how I nail interviews.

Oh... and do your f'ing research on who you are interviewing with.

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Matthew Scott 1 year ago 1 point
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Lot of truth in your assessment.

I am a Managing Partner of The Trunk Club, where we have revolutionized the way men shop for clothing and define their authentic version of style. Sorry for the shameless plug, but this post ties in perfectly with our company.

http://www.trunkclub.com

I totally agree with your assessment of dressing appropriate to the situation and within one's unique authentic version of style.

Enjoyed this article very much.

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Eric Pratum 1 year ago 1 point
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I would add one thing. Politicians get pilloried for doing this, but when they do it well, they don't make mistakes. . . That is, stick to your message. You see politicians take command of interviews all the time, imparting the information they feel is most powerful, and defining themselves, rather than letting the interviewer define them. When they do this well, most people react with something like, "Wow, s/he was really impressive." As long as Laura or any other interviewer does not take you away from what Derek Johnson or Tatango do best, you're probably nailing the interview. ;-)

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Luke Irvin 1 year ago 1 point
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Be passionate! Whatever you are being interviewed about, whatever you are talking about, make sure it's something you are passionate about. Make them feel as strongly for it as you do. Keep it real like you said, don't go way out of line. Know your facts, know what you love, and talk about what you love.

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