4 Secrets To Becoming A Guest On Top Tv Talk Shows

The phone rings. . That is the big moment, the break you’ve been waiting for.

You are being screened to be accepted or eliminated as a guest on their show.

Secret #1: Ask Before You Speak

Before you open your mouth to start pitching yourself along with your narrative to the producer, ask them a simple question: *Would you tell me a little bit about the kind of series you envision? * In other words, ask the manufacturer the angle he’s planning to take.

Doing so has two advantages. To begin with, it offers you a minute to overcome the shock and also to collect your thoughts.

Second, as soon as you hear the manufacturer’s answer, you can gear your pitch to the kind of information he’s seeking. Listen carefully to the angle that he’s interested in and tailor your points for it. Publicists frequently use this technique to get their clients booked on shows. They get* until they give* – so they are in a good position to tell only the most pertinent information regarding their client.

Secret #2: Wow the Producers with Brevity

Follow the advice of jazz musician Dizzy Gillespie: *It’s not how much you play. It is how much you exit. * Maintain your list of talking points by the phone when you call a producer (or a producer calls you), so you’re going to be succinct. You may already have rehearsed your points so that they’ll seem natural and inviting. Be ready with several distinct angles or pitches, different tactics to slant your own information. *Nobody puts on those shows with no pre- interview,” states publicist Leslie Rossman. *Be a great interview but don’t worry about the product that you need to sell them because if you’re a great guest and you make great TV, they’ll want you. *

And keep in mind the words of Robert Frost: *Half the world consists of those who have something to say and can’t, and the other half who have nothing to say and keep on saying it. *

Secret #3: Prove You’re Not a Nutcase

If you area nutcase on the air, the manufacturer will lose their job. What constitutes a nutcase? You may think that it’s a positive trait to be enthusiastic (and it is), but anybody who is overly zealous about his passion is considered a nut. Best-selling writer and screenwriter Richard Price talks about this happening as *The dangerous joy of goodness. * He says, ” Everything happens is you’re able to become very excited by your power to do great. * Don’t get carried away with this particular thrill.

1 way to tell if you’re being overly zealous is that you’re hammering your stage at top speed with the power of a locomotive pulling that toot lever non-stop. I recall a guy calling me up about the way he had been single-handedly taking on Starbucks – that, he believed, had done him wrong. He wanted me to promote his own cause. While this could have been a great David versus Goliath sort narrative, he was long on emotion and short on details. Some statistics or figures could have tempered his mania.

But he never checked with me to determine whether he had my attention. By speaking loudly and barely pausing for a breath, he appeared to be a man who would not take direction well.

When you are talking to a producer speak for 30 seconds or so and check in by asking, *Is this the kind of information you’re looking for? * Listen for other verbal cues, for example encouraging grunts, or *uh huhs. *

Secret #4: How Would You Mark *The Significant Point? *

This is the moment that the narrator gives his view on the narrative in an attempt to lift it from the mundane into the universal.

He tells long, rambling stories (not good tips for you), then ties up all of the narrative strands in a coherent and satisfying manner. As a great guest, you want to illuminate your story with a significant standout point which enables the audience see the importance of your narrative inside their world and the world at large. As opposed to hitting them over the head with a two-by-four, you want to share your opinions with a feather-like touch. By framing your story you alert the manufacturer to the fact that you’re a thinker and can contribute fantastic insights and clarity into your narrative consequently increasing its appeal.