How to prepare for a radio interview

Congratulations! You’ve secured an interview on radio. Now what?

In a past life I was a radio producer and would it would be my job to persuade every day people like yourself, to agree to being interviewed live on-air. Prior to every interview I would talk through the basics of what the interviewee could expect during the interview, the types of questions the presenter will most likely ask and also try to find out more information from the interviewee so my radio scripts and questions had more substance.

So if the thought of being interviewed on radio scares you, I’ve shared some key things you can adopt before, during and after the radio interview.

A few questions to ask before the interview:  

• Who’s doing the interview?

• What’s the angle? 

• Why is the media organisation wanting to do the interview? 

• Will the interview be live? 

• How long is the interview expected to go for? 

• What types of questions will the presenter be asking? 

During the interview: 

• Keep your answers clear and speak like yourself. 

• Don’t say things like ‘I’m glad you asked / that’s a good question’ Just get to your answer.

• Smile when you are speaking - it brightens your voice. 

• Avoid jargon - use words everyday people will understand. I often test if I’m too jargony by talking to my husband (who’s not in the media or marketing). 

• Breathe - it’s normal to pause and take a breath.

• Listen to what the presenter is saying. Radio interviews are often meant to be a conversation.

After the interview: 

• Learn from the interview, ask yourself - what worked? What could you do differently next time? 

• Stay in contact: After the interview stay in contact with the presenter and producers. If you enjoyed the experience, let them know you are able to talk about other topics that interest you. 

If you require media training and support, get in contact with us at NDA Communications. We can provide one-on-one or group training.