Why I'm so petrified of interviews and what I'm doing to overcome it
A wave of terror washes over me when I know I'm going to be put on the spot. In an environment where there are cameras, lights, microphones and strangers, it can be overwhelmingly daunting, panic attack worthy.
Any rehearsed messages I have prepared often disappear and my mind goes blank. Having a camera lens in my face just isn’t natural or in any way comfortable. I much prefer interacting with another human being.
One of the biggest obstacles I have had to overcome with being on TV was getting over the way I looked on screen. As with anything you try for the first time, you are self-critical on how you appear and focus on the physical things that aren’t working in your favour, the little twitch, fiddling, blinking too much etc. To most other people these deficiencies we see in ourselves are not even noticed. They are most often engaged and receptive to hearing the information and knowledge we have to offer.
Being able to prepare for any kind of interview has its perks and drawbacks. On the one hand, you can prepare some answers to some questions and on the other it can come across as rehearsed and therefore not natural. Having a general brief is good with a list of key words you want to mention have proven to be the best method for me.
Here are my top three tips:
One of the early tricks I used was taking selfie videos to explain an idea in the privacy of my own home where no one else could see me. Until I get familiar with the experience, I am then able to play it back, see how I am perceived and rerecord as many times as I need to. If I don’t believe the person on camera, why would anyone else. It prompts me to get really clear on what I want to say, be succinct and to the point. I will rehearse this way enough times until I feel comfortable to be able to share the idea with others.
Another method I have used is having another person sitting in front of me asking a few questions that I can create a story around. It feels natural to portray a message to another physical human being and therefore I relax and can remember the key things I want to say. This is a method that I am constantly developing to become more at ease to then progress to the next stage.
Having three key messages you want to get across in the time you are interviewed is crucial. As long as you keep those at the forefront of your mind and have the opportunity to mention them while on air you have achieved the goal you have set out to do which is getting through. In that way you won’t be distracted by other topics or lines of enquiry.
I am still very much a work in progress and I’m only just beginning but as I always keep reminding other people, getting started is the hardest part and whether you get to 100%, 50% or even 25% of the goal in the timeframe you set yourself, you are far better off than someone who is still sitting at 0%.
What will you do today to get the ball rolling? Contact me if you want some pointers.