We’ve all watched interviews where the subject is seemingly blindsided by a question but you could see the question coming. It’s just that the subject wasn’t able to see it for themselves. The problem arises because of a lack of preparation, write Anthony Caruana & Kathryn van Kuyk, Co-CEOs, Media-Wize.

Even though the first questions may have been reasonably easy, a lack of preparation meant they were hard work. As a result, the spokesperson reached a point of cognitive overload. When the tougher question came, their thought processes were too stressed to respond logically and calmly.

The truth is that most spokespeople, knowing they have a journalist to talk to, fail to prepare answers in advance to the simplest and easy-to-anticipate questions. Most interviews for a small business or startup will commence the same way. The journalist will start out asking what you do and why the product or service you provide is special or different, before moving on to the main subject of the interview.

Journalists are always looking for one thing in an interview. They want a story. But when you’re unprepared, easy questions become hard and that increases your chances of a misstep. At best, you’ll be left out of a story. But the worst-case scenario is that you’ll be publicly shown to be incompetent.

Think like the interviewer

The majority of interviews are about finding interesting information – they are not inquisitions.

Put yourself in the interviewer’s shoes and think about what questions they are likely to ask. If the interview is for the business section of a magazine or newspaper, then you’re going to be asked questions that are likely to be skewed in a particular way. If the interview is about the technical aspects of what you do, then you can expect questions about how your product works, how you became an expert and why your way of doing things is superior to other ways.

When you’re preparing, it’s easy to have your blinkers on and only focus on what you’re doing. Broaden your research and look at what’s happening in the rest of the world so you’re aware of the wider context.

Do some reconnaissance

Read articles by the journalist you’ll be interviewed by.

• Do they have a specific style?
• Are they known for a particular type of story?
• Do they like lots of data?
• Are they highly technical?
• Are they subject matter experts that will want lots of detail from you?

When you know who you’ll be talking to you can ensure that you have the right information and level of detail at hand. If you have in-house or contracted PR support, you may be able to access a profile on the interviewer that will help you understand their style and the sorts of questions they would be likely to ask. That can be useful in helping you frame your answers.

Armed with that, you can create a list of questions you can anticipate. For each question, prepare two or three dot points that you can use in an answer. Don’t try to script answers tightly – it’s unlikely you’ll get the exact questions you expect. And avoid phrases and responses that are overt marketing messages. Know what your main talking points will be so you can adapt without burning too many brain cycles.

How to be prepared

There are many things you can do to ensure you perform as well as possible in an interview. It’s rare that interviews are organised without a specific agenda. Whether you’re going to be interviewed about a new product or service, your reaction to an event or as the spokesperson for a crisis, you need to do your research.

If you expect to be asked questions where specific data points will help you answer, have that information at your fingertips. Even if you don’t have time to commit the information to memory, have a copy of it with you so you can refer to it. Many interviewees have been caught out on errors that can be easily fact-checked.

Practice, practice, practice

Interview practice is crucial. And it’s a lot more than simply having a list of possible questions and rattling off your canned answers. When you practise for an interview, ideally with someone who is prepared to push you without fear, your answers will be challenged and you may be hit with a question you didn’t expect.

Practising your answers out loud is important. By responding to potential questions aloud, you build neural pathways in your brain that reduce the amount of energy you need. This reduces the risk of cognitive overload so you’re in a better state should an unexpected question arise.

While you have been away doing research, gathering data, anticipating questions and formulating responses, the journalist has been doing the same thing. And while you have been putting together material to tell a particular story, the journalist might be pursuing a different one.

It’s not until you’re under the spotlight that you’ll know how you’ll act when under pressure. Even Rafael Nadal double-faults at critical moments. But, through experience and practice you can be ready for those moments and understand how you’ll react and adjust.

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