The most important factor is your voice and your ability to project enthusiasm, sincerity and vitality.
Radio is an informal medium and you should try to concentrate on talking to the interviewer and lorget the thousands or even millions who are listening to you at home. Research shows that most radio is listened to by people on their own and there is no group identity' such as you’ll find in a large conference hall or in a theater. You are not addressing a group of thousands, you are talking to a number of individuals listening to you by themselves. Your words should be simple and they should paint pictures which will stir the listeners’ imaginations. Try to illustrate your key statements with colorful examples.
I heard a story on the radio recently which illustrates what I mean. It was concerning the bad behavior of drunken passengers on chartered planes. A stewardess was interviewed about an occasion when a plane had to make an unscheduled landing because a passenger had become uncontrollable and was attempting to open the emergency door. In answer to a question about how the stewardess felt about these unruly passengers she said, “It is very, very upsetting for the younger girls who have never experienced such abuse. They look forward to doing this wonderful glamorous job and when they get on the plane they find it’s worse than being a barmaid in a rough pub." I think in a few words she painted a very clear picture.
Don’t be overawed by the studio equipment or by the interviewer. You may well be in a small, overheated studio with a glass wall through which the producer and technician will be sitting. Ignore the microphone and speak in a normal voice —a technician will adjust the level to your voice. Always ask to see the introduction to your appearance in order to check for
inaccuracies. Also ask what the first question will be, so that you are prepared.
Speak in a steady conversational tone and avoid filler words, “You know,” “I mean,” etc., and refrain from beginning every answer with “Well....” Don’t use an impersonal style, i.e., “People think that.. . .” Instead say, “I think that... .” Being long-winded and rambling is a major sin. Give brief answers which don’t run over 30 seconds and pause at the end of each one to enable the interviewer to ask another question. Radio interviews are generally 2 — 3 minutes in length, so you have a short time in which to deliver your message. Avoid yes/no answers and aim to put a smile in your voice. The section on questions should help you deal with the interview.
Find out before you begin how long the interview will be so that you can pace your answers accordingly. Never speak over someone else, even to add your agreement —“Mm that’s right” —but raise your voice if someone is interrupting you and say, “May I finish....” If the interview is recorded and you are dissatisfied with the quality of one of your answers, ask to rerecord it.
If you have a tendency to fiddle, remove any temptations such as spectacles, earrings, bracelets, paper and pens. If you need a crib sheet, write it on a card. Nerves can make you breathless, so take a couple of deep relaxing breaths before you begin and try not to hold your breath during the interview. If the program is recorded, make sure you know when it is scheduled for broadcast.