5 tips to be a smash hit guest on TV – that you might not think of
This morning I was watching a spokesperson from Mattel talk about Barbie’s 50th birthday. She’d obviously been prepped by her PR people well…she had the core messages down nicely. Her outfit was suitable for TV and she looked neat as a pin. But I just cringed watching her.
Of course it’s important to know your talking points well and to pick something cool to wear. But there are some subtle things people should always do that make a HUGE impact on viewers. Frankly, if you practice these five things you can wear a burlap bag and talk about astro-travel and viewers will LISTEN.
1. Your hair, makeup is all important but your eyebrows are the frame for your face – have your brows professionally done to up your attractiveness and make people want to look at you onscreen. Men, I can’t tell you how many times I see a guy whose brows are obviously the width of a razor apart. (one swipe each morning maybe?) Women, I’m sorry a lot of us don’t know how to pluck your brows and in hi-def it looks AWFUL. Let them grow in and a week before your spot have them done by the esthetician with the best reputation in your town. (If it’s LA, that’s Anastasia)
2. There are three things people say that are incredibly annoying – UM, LIKE and YOU KNOW. Everyone goes after the ‘ums’ and ‘likes’ but to me, ‘you know’ is the biggest culprit. You would be astounded how many times people say “you know” in a sentence – just listen for it in a couple interviews. Take that out of your vocabulary and you are instantly more articulate. Tell your friends you’ll pay them a quarter every time you say ‘you know’ in a conversation. You’ll be broke before ‘you know’ it – but it should break the habit.
3. Stand/sit up straight. Unless you’re a yogi your posture is probably only so so and the more anxious you are, the worse it gets. No one trusts a person that slouches, sitting or standing. If it’s a really bad problem, there’s even a posture alarm you can wear a week or so ahead of time to get in the habit. Also, you literally get more air in your body if you stand up or sit straight, which will help keep you more calm and relaxed.
4. Wear small doses of red, even if it’s just your underwear. (Except for ties – red ties are YUCK) Red is an energizing color. A client of mine had a big meeting with a major corporation recently to see if they would hire her as a spokesperson. I told her to ask for 4x what she wanted and wear red underwear. It worked. Think I’m crazy? Ask any feng shui person – or the entire country of China for that matter – why red will help you deliver a zestier performance and bring abundance into your life. It also makes you more attractive – if you don’t believe me here’s a study from the University of Rochester. Remember though, too much red turns it into an angry color. Wear just a bit if it’s on the outside.
5. Lean two inches closer toward your interviewer than you normally would. Don’t get too up close and personal, but those couple of inches break into the personal space of your interviewer and establish instant trust. Salespeople know this well – ever notice how they take a half step toward you when they shake your hand? When your interviewer has that bond, they’ll start lobbing you questions and get into YOUR rhythm rather than the other way around. Try it in your next important conversation or meeting. It’s unbelievable what happens.
Most of these are not common tips to the average person, but TV people often use them religiously. Believe me, you can get away with a ton of mistakes on camera if you incorporate these simple tips into your work. For some of the more traditional tips on being a TV spokesperson, Marsha Friedman has written a couple excellent articles.
October 11th, 2009 at 11:15 am
Thank you for a very simple yet powerful piece. I feels good to hear someone talk about Feng Shui out loud. My fav part was the lean in couple inches closer to interviewer, thanks for the great tips.
October 24th, 2009 at 7:52 am
I’ve been invited to participate at a local TV show and your tips are very helfpul for the matter. I loved your suggestion about wearing some read. that’s one of my colors of preference and I can say with confidence that I’ve seen the difference that wearing that color makes onpeople. Thanks for a friendly reminder!
March 26th, 2010 at 11:09 am
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April 22nd, 2010 at 10:32 am
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October 21st, 2011 at 9:12 am
[...] of balancing the energies in your home and work. I’ve already written about the power of wearing red underwear if you’re going to be on TV but there’s more fashion Feng Shui you can use for a [...]
October 24th, 2011 at 9:19 am
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