I’ve Got the Interview! Now What?

You built a strong, local press list, sent a solid pitch and now the reporter is interested in doing a story! It’s the moment you’ve been waiting for, so preparation is key. Below are tips on how to prepare for your media interview. 

1. Review any talking points that you think may be important to the discussion. You can always review SCORE’s 10 Tips for Talking to Reporters.
   
   
2. Another helpful tip is to do a mock interview with someone in your chapter through the interview platform (i.e. if it's a ZOOM interview, do prep on ZOOM; if it’s a phone interview, do prep on the phone, etc.). Have this individual pose questions you think the reporter may ask during the interview. This tends to help shake nerves as well as help formulate and refine your responses.
   
   
3. Do some research on the reporter conducting the interview. Read a few of their past stories and familiarize yourself with their background. This helps you appear more knowledgeable and prepared and also provides common ground for small talk before the interview begins.
   
   
4. If the interview is through a video platform that will be streamed live or recorded, set yourself up in an office or study, somewhere that’s quiet and with a nice backdrop. See more about how to set up your video framing here.
   
   
5. It's best practice to test out the interview platform in advance to ensure everything’s working. Anticipate potential internet or audio issues and have a backup plan just in case. 
   
   
6. Relax! More often than not, you’ll be leaning into your own personal experience, knowledge and expertise during the interview, so that means the answer is always within. It’s important to channel any potential nerves into confidence knowing that you have the answers you need to successfully complete the interview. 

As always, our public relations team (media@score.org) is here to provide additional guidance as needed. Thank you for sharing your chapter’s success and accomplishments!