In 14 years of media training we’ve never told a single person they talk too slowly in interviews. Here are 5 reasons why people talk too quickly on air:

1 – People speed up over the familiar. Phrases and sector specific terms you are used to using regularly will be rattled off at 100mph. It’s exactly the point in the narrative that you need to slow down.

2-  People speed up when they’re nervous. Being in the right headspace for interviews is crucial and something we get into at length in our media training courses.

3 – People speed up when they are overly-energised. Conviction is important in interviews but not at the expense of a well-paced delivery.

4 -People speed up when they are trying to say too much. Trying to cram in those 5 crucial factors in one answer will inevitably cause you to rush.

5 – People speed up when other people are speeding up. If a fellow guest or a presenter pressed for time is talking quickly, don’t let their pace become yours.

E is for Echo

It can be because you’re trying to be empathetic. It might me because you’re playing for time. Whatever the reason, it’s a dangerous habit to echo back the words of the question. Say a leading question is put suggesting your organisation is in the wrong. This requires a clear rebuttal. But some will echo the accusation in their response:

Q:“ surely the number of job losses you’re making shows you’re putting shareholders before people’s welfare…”

A: “ we’re not putting shareholders first what we’re doing …

The damage has been done. No matter how good your defence is, it’s undermined by that reinforcement of the accusation – which you could have avoided. A simple ‘ “That’s not the case” will suffice to get your fight back off to a firmer start.

Five on…off air briefings

This short telephone chat with a producer in the lead-up to going on air can be a good way to control the flow of information. Here are some tips:

1) Be proactive

Some producers will demand off-air briefings, but many won’t. When the idea of an interview is first mooted, always request a short telephone interview with the producer assigned the story

2) Be prepared

A bad off-air briefing will leave the producer more confused at the end of the call than they were at the beginning. Work out the direction you want the interview to go in before you pick up the phone

3) Don’t be too subtle

Preface your key content with phrases like “What’s new about this is…” or “the real game-changer here is…”

4) Ask questions

An off-air briefing is a chance for you to build a logistical picture about the interview. Questions might include: Is the interview live or pre-recorded? Are other guests expected?”

5) Plug your social media

If you are going to tweet about your appearance on the programme, flag this up to the producer in the off-air briefing