A recent two-minute segment of the Today Show featured four guests from around the country talking about the role of family in education. One was a nationally known expert from Harvard. The other three had personal stories to share.
In today’s media-savvy world, I would bet that each guest prepared and practiced sound bites to share their stories. They were all well prepared and ready to dialog with Al Roker. So what happened? Aside from the national expert, each guest got to say one sentence. That’s right, one sentence.
This is not a jab at Today; they are experts at making the show entertaining. Rather, it is a lesson for everyone preparing for an interview. Know your most important message. Be ready to say it as soon as the camera is on you. Don’t try to segue into it or make another point first—you will miss your opportunity. Multiple messages sound great in theory, but when the microphone is in your hand, grab the moment to make your big point right away.
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