*This post is part of Bailey Gardiner’s Public Relations Tactics series, which highlights tools and best practices to ensure a successful public relations campaign. The series will run weekly.

In my last blog post, I wrote about how to prepare for a TV interview to make sure you could tackle the hardest questions and squeeze in the most important details.  Now that you’re prepared, I’m following up with some TV interview tips to make sure that your body language, position and your mindset don’t trump your thorough preparation.

TV Interview Tips for Success:

• What appears to be a comfortable living room on TV is a distracting set in real life.  Arrive early to take in the scene and familiarize yourself with the distractions such as lighting, cameras and a busy crew.

• Have a cup of water or tea to soothe your throat before the interview.  Avoid carbonation or dairy.

• Expect last minute changes and be prepared to handle them on the spot.  Live TV almost never goes as planned.

• Always look at the reporter, not the camera.  Shifty eyes can make you look suspicious.  Envision that you are having a conversation just with that reporter.

• Turn your cell phone off or leave it with your PR “handler.”  What an embarrassing distraction that would be.

• If you MUST have a note card as a security blanket, don’t hold it.  Tuck it under your leg or next to you in the seat.  If it’s in your hand you will inevitably you’ll find yourself waving it around when you talk.

• If seated, position yourself about three-quarters of the way back and lean forward.  Don’t sit back and slouch, it looks uncomfortable and let’s face it, tacky.

• Have your hands free for gesturing and your feet on the ground or ankles crossed. This is most comfortable, flattering and the least distracting.

• Avoid crossing your arms.

• Use your head, your eyes and your facial expressions to make your words come alive.  So much of communication comes from our body language.

• Enjoy!  Remember that the reporters are humans too and it is their job to make TV interviews run smoothly.  If you stumble, freeze or falter, a good reporter will take care of you.

Lastly, if all these interview tips have your head spinning, remember that being under those hot lights doesn’t come naturally to everyone.  For that reason, it’s very common to put a spokesperson through media training.  Your PR guru should be able to coordinate an in-depth training session with practice interviews and the works to get you feeling comfortable in front of the camera.

Here’s a quick video i took last week in preparation for the Seaport Village Spring Busker Festival last weekend.  I enjoy the 10 second warning followed by a frantic moment from the buskers!  Our lovely client, Megan Capizzi, does a great job in this one!