Email the producer or host 5-10 bullet points before the interview
Most will use it as their interview guide. You just shaped the questions before they were written.
Use AI to prep before you go on
Two prompts to keep in your back pocket:
Practice those answers out loud before the call. The mic does not forgive cold starts.
Build your Media Messaging Grid
Three categories, one-word headings, kept in front of you during the interview. Radio is the easiest format for this. They cannot see you, so you can have notes right there.
Do not sound like you are reading
The grid is a guide, not a script. Glance, deliver, look up. The listener can hear "reading voice" within five seconds and tunes out immediately.
Stand up. Move around. Use your hands
Energy carries through a microphone. Sitting still flattens your voice. This applies whether you are on a studio mic, Zoom, Riverside, SquadCast, or a phone call.
Use a real microphone for remote interviews
A USB mic in the $100 range plus headphones. Laptop audio sounds like laptop audio. Producers and listeners can tell. Wear headphones so the host's voice does not bleed back through your mic.
Be passionate about your topic
Same rule as TV. Flat audio is worse than flat video, because there is nothing else to look at. If you are not excited about your topic, no one listening will be either.
Have a point of view
Radio hosts and producers love guests who take a side. Wishy-washy guests do not get invited back. Strong-opinion guests do.
Offer a takeaway
Ask yourself: what will the listener remember when they pull into their driveway? One clear, useful idea beats a flood of average ones.
Have a "killer" first answer ready
Almost every interview opens with some version of "tell us about this." Land it in 60 seconds and the host relaxes for the whole segment.
Bonus tips
Sell without selling: have a call to action
"Anyone interested can grab the free guide at MyDomain.com/guide." Hosts will mention free resources twice. They will mention bare URLs once or not at all.
Confirm the night before, show up early, kill background noise
Doorbell, dog, kids, dishwasher, cell phone notifications: silence everything. If you are remote, send a calendar reminder to your household 30 minutes before. Nothing tanks an interview faster than a barking dog at minute four.
If a producer calls cold
Most radio producers are on deadline. If you are not available, they will move to the next person who can help. If you want time to prepare, ask if you can do the interview in ten minutes. Most will say yes. That gives you time to write out your three-category grid and a killer first answer.