Page 308 - Nutrition Counseling and Education Skills: A Guide for Professionals

somewhat larger than life but without being outrageous. Speakers need to behave in a way that generates
inferences of self-confidence, sincerity, and even charisma.

Hand gestures on television should be carefully controlled; they tend to be distracting on the screen.
Speakers need to sustain interest through their dynamic voice, cadence, inflections, pauses, tone, and facial
expression. Although large expansive gestures generally don’t work well, variety and variation do work.

Handling Questions and Problems

Very few nonprofessional presenters are able to improvise and come off looking professional. Answers to
questions that the interviewee expects to be asked should be rehearsed and not read from notes. If asked a
question you can’t answer, the smartest thing to do is admit it. Continue by offering to locate the answer and
forward it to the appropriate people with a clear deadline. One could also say: “While I can’t exactly answer
that, I can tell you that . . . .” This brings the discussion back to the presenter’s main message. Part of the self-
monitoring process should include the interviewee judging the length of his or her own answers. Avoid long-
winded answers or monologues. They tend to bore listeners and irritate the interviewer. Keep the response
focused. Dress is a communication vehicle itself. The best advice is to dress conservatively and in good taste
and to avoid being flashy or drawing attention through clothes.10,13,15,16–18

When one is representing an organization, often the same questions will be asked over and over, day after
day. Remember, this is the first time many in the audience may be hearing this message; presentations need to
sound fresh each time, even though it may be the speaker’s 20th time in 2 days answering the same questions.9

Bored listeners and viewers change channels. Guest interviewees and presenters need to prepare themselves
with interesting anecdotes and aphorisms. Personal experiences tend to hold attention. The deadliest mistake
is to become too intellectual or abstract.

When several guests are on the same panel or are involved in a simultaneous interview, someone may
attempt to dominate or interrupt. Be prepared to assert yourself if this occurs. Push back into the conversation
and say something like “Let me finish my point” or “Hold that thought while I finish one point.” This should
be done with a smile and kind voice, but it should, by all means, be done. Listeners and viewers respect the
person who stands up for himself or herself—politely. Never become defensive to a member of the audience or
another panelist. The speaker should simply look to the moderator to move the program on.

If you feel offended publicly, grin and bear it rather than reacting emotionally. You can say “I don’t agree”
or “Let’s look at this from another perspective,” but do not snap back a retort. This response may portray you
as being weak or overly sensitive, rather than competent and qualified.

Speakers should avoid mentioning the time, place, or date of the live broadcast. If a media clip is not
“dated,” it has a better chance of being used again by other affiliates who may need material.

There may be times when the speaker thinks he or she has been invited to talk about a specific cause, but
once there the interviewer steers to other topics. When this happens, it is the speaker’s responsibility to get his
or her original message across even if the host isn’t considerate enough to afford the right opportunities. If
questions become inappropriate or are about topics that you would rather not discuss, simply say, “I would
rather not discuss that.” Don’t waffle or use “double-talk.” Credibility is destroyed when listeners infer
deception.

Final impressions count, especially in the media. The speaker should use the final public moments to leave

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