Today’s post where I share some TV appearance tips has been compensated  by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. 
All opinions are, as always, mine alone. #MyBoldMoments #CollectiveBias

As a lifelong musician, I’ve been performing since the third grade. Being on stage never seemed to shake me. But when I landed a gig on television as a morning television host, my eyes were opened to a whole new dimension of confidence and performing. For when there is a camera in front of you, and things are done LIVE, a whole lot more feels like it is at stake.

I’ll be honest with you guys. I’m truly a leggings or jeans wearing/flip flops over kinda woman at heart.

But that all had to change once I started my job as a television host on The Rhode Show. Suddenly I was googling things like “What do I wear on TV” or “How to Prepare for a Live Television Interview.”

Some tips worked for me, and some really did not.

I studied the videos of myself after each show, and can honestly tell you that my best days were all thanks to being very well prepared before I even sat down on the set.

I still am frequently on television here in Rhode Island, and have often shared some of my TV tips with friends who have been interviewed. I realized, however, that these tips might be something YOU would like to know. Because, who knows, maybe you too will one day find yourself in front of a camera! And hopefully after reading this blog post, you will feel prepared, bold and confident!

Being on television is exhilarating, but can also be a bit nerve-wracking.  I find it’s best to plan things out as far in advance as possible. Usually, if you are asked to be on TV, you will have at least a week’s notice.

Use the week’s notice to your advantage, and plan to tackle some of these steps each day.

A WEEK AWAY FROM YOUR TELEVISION APPEARANCE: Prepare your physical body

Television is all about the visuals. It’s not like podcasting, or blogging, where one can hide behind a computer screen dressed in pajamas (I do it all the time!)

— Because it is a visual medium, you want to feel as confident as possible.

Now, I’m not saying drop 10 pounds within a week. You can, however, make sure that your face looks its best.

Hydrate 

I drink a TON of water every day, especially because I’m a nursing mom, but I drink even more water if I know that I will be appearing on television in the near future. Water naturally helps hydrate skin, helps minimize breakouts, and makes me just feel all around healthier.

You’re Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile

I also make sure to take care of my dental health, all year long, but especially leading up to being on TV. Seriously, if there’s one thing I could recommend if you’re on television or not -it’s to SMILE more. Smiling projects confidence. It projects warmth, and positivity. So be BOLD and smile a little more than usual (especially if you’re in front of a camera!)

To keep my mouth on fleek, I brush twice a day, and have been using LISTERINE® Total Care every morning. LISTERINE® Total Care helps prevent cavities, restores minerals to enamel and strengthens teeth, all of which are incredibly important to my pearly whites.

I especially enjoy using it since I’m always interviewing someone who will need to stand or sit quite close to me. I need to make sure that my breath smells clean, and LISTERINE® Total Care actually cleans the whole mouth and freshens my breath. There’s a whole selection of LISTERINE® brand products to choose from at CVS. You can learn more about LISTERINE® by checking out their Facebook, Twitter, or Youtube pages.

Makeup Trials

A week before your scheduled appearance is also a good time to start practicing any makeup or self tanner that might be needed or used.

Gentlemen, you may not want to hear this, but it’s actually a good idea to wear some powder on your face or top of your head if you are bald, to reduce shine. Studios can get VERY hot because of the bright lights, so a matte look actually looks normal through the television.

That being said, the bright lights can often wash out a natural face – so ladies – feel free to put on more self tanner, bronzer, blush, and lip color than you normally might wear. Ideally, you’ll want to open up and bring attention to your eyes, so curl your eyelashes and wear a great dark mascara.

I find that the audience is incredibly drawn to smiles and eyes – so if you practice the week before your appearance, you’ll be in good shape!

A WEEK AWAY FROM YOUR TELEVISION APPEARANCE: Practice

If you are being asked to come in and talk about a certain topic, make sure you know that topic inside and out. Better yet, if you can help collaborate with the producer on the anticipated questions, you can practice your answers all week long. 
Sometimes you will not know about your topic of conversation until the morning of your interview, but when you do find out the exact topic, try to figure out your main objectives and keep them short. Most interviews are only a couple of minutes long, so having some rehearsed answers or bullet points will greatly help make sure that you get all of the information in.
Practice speaking in the shower, in your car, or even have a friend or loved one ask you the practice questions. If you’d like to take it to another level, actually video record yourself, so you can see your mannerisms and posture. 
Practicing these questions and answers will help you formulate your ideas and points, and will help your confidence on air.  In the end, make sure you have have three to five key points that you will get across during your interview. 

THE DAY BEFORE YOUR TELEVISION APPEARANCE: 

Lay out your wardrobe

Your face and smile should be ready the night before your appearance, but you’re also going to need to make sure that your clothing is ready as well. Don’t leave your outfit decision to the morning of, but instead, plan a day (or even several days) ahead. 
Try to avoid busy patterns, stick to solids if you can, and avoid elaborate loud jewelry. Bangles actually make a great deal of clatter, and some necklaces can get caught on microphones if they are clipped onto your shirt or dress. However, nice fun colorful statement necklaces look GREAT on camera. 
Make sure that your outfit is not see-through under extraordinarily bright light, and have on appropriate undergarments. The camera lens  is not very forgiving!
That being said, I have a killer trick to see if an outfit will look good on camera or not…because some dresses that I have look stunning in real life, but not at all appealing on television.
Take a picture of yourself in the outfit with and without the flash. If it looks frumpy, unflattering, or odd at all in either of the photos, choose another outfit. Honestly. Our eyes and a mirror just don’t do this justice!  Take your phone, stick it across the room with a self timer application, and let it snap away. Don’t worry about doing your hair or makeup for this trial run – you just want to see how the color looks, and how the fabric holds up when photographed. 

Prepare your body and mind

It should go without saying, but try to get a good night’s sleep, and make sure you eat and drink well. Nerves can sometimes make people skip meals, but the last thing you want if you’re on air is to feel like you may faint.

Go to bed early, and set an alarm (or possibly two alarms if it’s an early morning appearance!)

THE DAY OF YOUR TELEVISION APPEARANCE:

Eat Breakfast

It’s been said time and time again that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and I 100% believe it. When I don’t eat a good breakfast, like a granola/fruit/greek yogurt parfait, I have an incredibly anxious stomach. Butterflies LOVE hungry tummies!
So calm your nerves, sit down and have breakfast, and envision what you will be saying on air later that day over your cup of coffee. 

Put Your Best Face Forward

You’ve been prepping your skin and smile, and today’s the day to put it all to test! Wash your face, brush your teeth, and most certainly use some LISTERINE® Total Care so you don’t have coffee breath during your interview. 

Remember to add a bit more color to your face, as well as pressed powder to create a more matte look if you’re going to be under the bright lights in a television studio.

Get dressed, add some more hairspray to keep your locks in place, and try to listen to some nice music while you get ready.

Early Bird

Get to the television station a little on the early side. You NEVER want to be late for a television appearance, especially if it is LIVE.  So just put in your calendar that you need to be there 10-15 minutes earlier than you actually do. You’ll be golden. 
Style your hair so that it is out of your face, and take the time to use hairspray to get those annoying fly-aways before you get to the studio. 


Be Friendly

When you get to the building, be friendly to everyone you meet. Honestly. Some of the nicest people I have ever met work in TV, not only in front of the camera, but also BEHIND the camera – like my friend Nick who was our editor (pictured below.)

Saying hi and introducing yourself to everyone will make you feel more comfortable on set as well. Feel free to ask them questions if you are confused at all. Remember, they do this job every single day, and no question is a silly one! You want to be your most confident and bold self, and they are there to help you achieve that goal.

Relax

If they offer you a cup of water, feel free to take it. Take some deep breaths. Introduce yourself to other people waiting in the Green Room to break the ice. 

Remember how I talked about smiling earlier in this post? Start smiling even before you get on set. Now’s the time to start showing off that smile!

Turn off your phone, and stow it away so there will be no interference during your interview.

When you are brought to your seat on set, be comfortable yet have tall posture. I recommend sitting on the front half of the chair or couch – you never really want your backside to touch the back of the seat.

Ladies, if you are wearing a skirt, try to cross your legs either at the knees or ankles.

Take a couple of deep breaths when you get into your seat. The rest of the room will be full of busy activity, so just take a moment to breathe, and smile again. You are almost there!

The Interview

Maintain eye contact with the person interviewing you – do not answer the questions by looking at the camera. I know it sounds odd, but you almost want to pretend that there is no camera, nor anyone else in that room besides you and the interviewer. Look at them when they ask you a question, and continue to look at them while you answer. The more natural the conversation, the better it will be translated through the camera lens. 
Do not take a lot of time in the beginning of the interview doing small talk. The interviewer will most certainly thank you for being there, and you can respond with something as small as “thank you for inviting me,” or “it’s my pleasure.” Do not ask them how they are doing, or really ask them any questions at all. Remember, you only have a couple of minutes to get your points across, so skip any small talk. The interviewer will not think that this is rude. They want to get right to the questions as well.

Relax and take your time answering your questions, and speak at a normal pace.

Have fun during the interview, try to stay positive, use enthusiasm in your voice, and don’t worry about shaking hands at the end.

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So there you have it! If you follow these tips, you are sure to have an amazing interview on television. Above all, enjoy yourself, and be proud of your work!

Have you ever been on television before? What was your experience like? Would you add any other tips to this list? Let me know in the comments below!

Talk soon, friends!


-Mary






If you’d like to see some behind the scenes footage, here’s a fun video my friend Corey Welch made on one of my days back on the show!