If you’re a business owner or executive, chances are high that you’re going to be interviewed for a publication of some kind. This could be your local paper, a trade publication, a blogger that writers about your industry….
It could even be me.
For over 20 years, I’ve written hundreds of company profiles and interviewed well over 500 business professionals for a score of publications – everything from my local St. Louis Magazine to national music instrument trade journals; to my city’s Tourist and Convention Bureau website to a quilting magazine; and many other outlets. I’ve interviewed golf club managers, the founder of Schafly Brewery, medical IT specialists, teachers, and professors; from executives from all walks of life to the guy who designs the lights for Billy Joel’s concerts; and most of all, small business owners.
Through all this, I’ve can be surprised at how underprepared the interviewee can be sometimes. So here are eight tips to make sure you make the most of this “earned media” (that’s “free press” to you).
Be relaxed, be enthusiastic, have fun.
Caveat: This is for people who are engaged in a friendly media situation. Not to say that tough questions aren’t thrown in “puff pieces,” but this is for folks working with writers writing about your success. It does not apply to those being interviewed by the New York Times for embezzlement of the state’s orphanage or someone who, say, is a senator prosecuted for bribery and being a foreign agent. Perhaps I’ll address those situations in a future article – I and if I do, I hope you never need that one.
- Know the Publication. If you’re not already familiar with the journal, magazine, or website that wants to do an interview with you, spend time looking at it, particularly similar articles. Are they long? Short? Are they just-the-facts pieces, or whimsical? Q&A format?
- Know the Writer. Do a little research on who is writing you up. Read other articles they’ve written for that specific publication, and check out their LinkedIn account – where they went to school, their background, etc. It’s helpful to both of you. (Bonus: If you have something in common, like, “you must be a Wisconsin Badgers fan too,” mention it.)
- Know the Rules. It’s okay to ask if you can have questions in advance. But don’t be bothered if the answer to that is, “We’re going to focus on you opening that new location” or something that vague, and they don’t want to do it. There are many good reasons why journalists will demur on this. Also ask if you’ll get a chance to fact-check the article before it goes to print (more on this later).
- Prepare – But Just a Little. Jot down 3-5 points you want to make sure come across during the interview. Don’t be too specific – they shouldn’t sound like bullet points that would be too comfortably found in a boring press release. And only do a few, because you want to trust the writer and the process.
- Have a Positive Attitude. Be sincerely excited and happy to be part of the interview. Keep your energy up, because that is infectious and influences the readability of the final article. Don’t be defensive. Know that you two share something in common: You both want a great article to come of this.
- Be Honest. Every person, every business, has ups and downs. Don’t sugarcoat anything; that includes the time your former business partner sued you, or how hard it was to fire all those people during the pandemic. The hardships make us better at what we do, and frankly, make us more interesting as people.
- Be Yourself, Including Being Funny. Everybody loves a little humor, especially writers because it makes articles more readable. Trust that the writer will handle the occasional self-deprecating comment, or that bad time in 2016 that you can laugh about now because … well, it was pretty funny. Also, as it is officially an emotion, humor helps readers remember the article better.
- Let Them Be the Writer. The most important thing to keep in mind is this: Just because an article is published, doesn’t mean people will read it. I’ve experienced people being too uptight and too “careful” about everything they say. The most egregious act is when reviewing/fact-checking, I’ve seen people try to rewrite the piece to the point it’s no longer an article, but a press release, and nobody reads those. I recently had someone try to take out a casual, almost flippant comment that was laugh-out-loud funny to replace it with something that could be on their website complete with the word “utilize” in it. I successfully fought them on that, and sure enough, people loved the article.
Otherwise, the nine words a writer never wants to hear is, “Let me pass this over to the marketing department” … do not do this under any circumstances, as I guarantee you’ll piss off the writer and end up with something that is unreadable and that makes you and your company/organization look bad.
- Be Grateful. Thank the writer for their time, and be sincere when you say you enjoyed talking to them. Make sure they know to let you know if they need anything else – a follow-up interview, photos, names and contact information of others who they could talk to, etc. Related, when the article is published, shoot the author an email thanking them again and complimenting them on how well written it was (whether it was or not). Let them know you’re always available to them. We like that!
Since I’m an author and jazz musician, even I’ve been interviewed a few times ….
In all my business-related writing, an unwavering truth for me has always been that at the end of the day, if at all possible, most of the time, people want to do business with people they like, they trust, and they feel they know. These articles are an opportunity to broaden that outreach and communicate you and your organization’s personality in a way that no other marketing tools can.
So have fun with it, and be relaxed. Oh, and then frame the finished article and hang it in your reception area or office. It’s a nice touch.
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