How to Build Your Business By Interviewing Like a Pro (Part One)

One fast and easy business building strategy for solo professionals is to get interviewed on radio, the Internet, television, and in print media.  It's easier than ever to catch a request for an interview, what with YouTube, BlogTalk Radio, and Internet TV channels.  With Webcam and VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) technologies, you might well get the chance to be on radio or TV anywhere in the world without leaving your office.  The next four or five blog posts here will cover everything you need to know to deliver an interview with ease and in a way that will make you welcome on shows and in print media, too.   I'll show you the five key steps of pro interviewing, along with these tips:

• How you can “drive” the interview in a direction you want to go
• What the people interviewing you REALLY want from you
• How to create marketing opportunities right in the interview
• How to recycle your interviews to build more presence for your business.

First, though, let's talk about where giving interviews fits into your business.  A successful entrepreneur has three things going that ensure business success.  These components are a solid business plan with financial projections that take you where you want to go, a creative and low-cost marketing strategy for the business, and a willingness to remove any personal blocks that keep the business from succeeding.  Each component is equally important to your business.

Interviewing is a part of your business's marketing strategy.  If you are unsure or resistant to thinking about interviewing to showcase your expertise and experience, you more than likely have inner blocks that are in your way.  Working to change that is a part of personal growth.  For solo professionals who decide to do it, interviewing can be easy, fun, and help you build your business.

Before you begin to accept interview opportunities, you'll need to put together a simple media kit or media page on your website.  As a beginning, this should include:

• A head shot of you (both black & white and color) that can be downloaded from your website or sent as a .jpg file in an e-mail
• A brief (250 words) bio about you and what you do
• A list of topics you can speak about
• A list of your speaking and media experience (if you have any).

My next posts will give you the five key steps to pro interviewing, and how to make each one work for you.  Stay tuned, LOL!

(c) Sue Painter