Mom Invented

I remember my first time on Good Morning America. During a live segment, I lost my train of thought and I rolled my eyes because I was annoyed with myself that I lost my train of thought. I had to quickly recover to get my brain back on track while in my head I was saying, "I just rolled my eyes on national TV!"  Before this happened, I could never have understood how long 2 seconds could last.

Whether you're doing an in-person interview, a remote taping or even a call-in segment, going on TV for your first time is nerve-wracking, so I talked to some moms participating in our PR partnership who recently went on TV to see what their experience was like and what tips helped them get through their big PR moments.

Doreen Rutherford of Potty Pony Pals shared her experience:

"I have done one taped interview and the rest were live. Of course, I preferred the taped. TV is like having an out of body experience. You're there talking, but your mind is racing, thinking 'What do I look like?' 'This camera angle is on my bad side,' 'Which camera should I be looking at,' and 'How long should I be talking?' I thought I would have that Charlie Brown moment where they asked me a question and I would go blank and hear myself say 'uhhhhh...' Thankfully, that hasn't happened.

"I never like to watch my segment until at least one or two weeks have passed. Then if I hated it , the world is already on to new things and I feel better.

"I try to stay focused and relaxed before any appearances.  It's common for me to take some deep breaths and think good thoughts to stay positive. Always wear something you really like and feel you look good in -- it helps with how you present yourself."

Barbara Baughman of Emma's Inspirations says:

"I think the best advice is the advice Ann gave me: 'Stay focused and keep mentioning the name of the website.'

"The evening before I went on, I thought about why I created Emma's Inspirations, and instead of thinking about the cameras, I thought about the idea I wanted to present. The next thing I did was keep eye contact with my interviewer and block every other distraction out of focus so I could have a conversation.

"The thing I should have been aware of was the microphone I blocked with my folder, which caused some major static in the beginning."

Angela Larson of Fierce Fun Toys tells her story:

"I was lucky that my first TV experience was on a national program that was very well organized.  While it was intimidating to walk in and see multiple cameras, and be walked through staging directions, movement cues and makeup, the team doing the work was cohesive and professional, and they didn't need anything special from me other than following their directions. 

Be prepared for one take, and you can alter your script slightly if they offer a second. However, don't change your script drastically if there are multiple takes. Usually the multiple takes are for things like timing, camera angle, sound or other things that really you have no control over."

Marti Wymer of Spoonful of Comfort shares her story:

"When I heard the news about my first TV interview I was excited and scared. What was I going to say? What was I going to wear? I had SO much I wanted to get across about all the great things about my company -- then they told me I would only have a minute to do it. Condensing the most important parts about my business down into one minute was probably the toughest part for me. You really have to be choosy about what points you want to get across. So really work on the classic "elevator pitch" rather than wasting your time on multiple trips to the mall to find just the right pair of shoes -- that they won't even show."

Karen Wildman of Bheestie & Co. shares her first TV experience:

"My sister and I were quite unsure as to what would happen on our first interview. We were both at the beach packing up to get back home to do the interview on Fox Business News, so needless to say we were a little crazy. We got there and it was just a small room, one cameraman and no monitors, so we could not see who was interviewing us. I then had a problem hearing on the earpiece and had to quickly decide that Lisa would answer all the questions. The hardest part I think was not being able to see anyone. It gave you a disoriented feeling. The other hard part was how rapid the questions were with little time to answer. At one point we were asked something we didn't want to disclose and found that humor works great.

"Hints:  smile, stay focused, stop worrying, enjoy the ride."

If your business is ready for a great publicity push, we have an amazing PR opportunity available for you through our partnership with Pitch Public Relations. If you’re interested, please fill out the inquiry form or contact Ann Noder at Ann@PitchPublicRelations.com or 480-263-1557. October is sold out! There are still slots available for November.

Tagged as: Ann Noder, Business Advice, business marketing, Pitch Public Relations, PR, public relations, TV, TV appearances