Savor the Success

It's been two weeks since I met with Bill McGowan at Clarity Media Group for media training. I promised to tell you all about it, like, well, two weeks ago. Then I almost got on national TV only to not get on national TV. Then I got mired in depression. Then my website crashed.

So here I am two weeks later to tell you about media training! I scheduled four hours with Bill for three reasons. First, my publicist suggested it. Second, I did a radio interview not too long ago and when I listened to the result, it was quite apparent to me that I was in dire need of some serious training. Third, the idea of being on TV is about as comforting to me as the idea of public speaking, yet both are quite necessary for PR and for building a platform.

So, two weeks ago, I found myself sitting across from Bill and telling him all about how I sounded as if I was giving my own eulogy over the radio.

"I don't think I sound monotone in person," I said. "Do I?"

He told me that I didn't. More important, he taught me about the ins and outs of TV--how far I could expect to be sitting from the host (so close the I should be able to smell his or her pits), where the cameras would be, and so on. He helped me craft my messages and figure out how to mention my brand without sounding as if I was trying to sell something.

And then he filmed me.

This is what I learned:

1) I am a bobblehead. I nod my head too much! Waaaaay too much. It's my way of telling the person who is talking, "Right on sister!" but it makes me look like there's something wrong with my neck.

2) I lick my lips a lot. And, on TV, it makes me look like a lizard.

3) I tend to trail off at the end of my message rather than ending my point with a strong period.

4)  I play with my hair a lot.

5) I'm really good at smiling! A little too good, though.

6) I tend to roll my eyes up into my head when I'm trying to think of what I want to say. It's not very attractive.

Thank God I learned all of this in Bill's studio! I can't even imagine how mortified I would be if I saw myself nodding, licking, and eyerolling incessantly on national TV with all of my friends and family watching!

So in the past couple of weeks, I've been working hard on keeping my head stationary, my tongue in my mouth, and my eyes focused straight ahead. I've been practicing talking in short sound bites, even with my friends.

I feel a lot more comfortable about the idea of being on TV now. I wouldn't recommend media training for everyone. One day ran me $3000. But I do recommend it for anyone who wants and needs to get on TV in order to build a brand, because you don't want to be known as a lip licking bobble head. You want to be known as someone who doesn't look half bad on TV--10 extra pounds and all.

Alisa Bowman

www.projecthappilyeverafter.com