How to Look Guilty During a TV Interview

We’ve all seen this: Some politician or business person ends up getting caught doing something they shouldn’t have and ultimately have to defend themselves on live TV. The moment a spokesperson has to go up and defend their company or government to the world in an attempt to tell their side of the story is absolutely critical to shaping public opinion. Sometimes these people pull it off, other times, they really flop.

There are many ways a person can be perceived as insincere or guilty on TV, sometimes inadvertently. Even if they are being honest, just because of inadequate preparation and lack of media training, they may leave the audience with a bad taste in their mouth. Here are some common pitfalls during TV interviews:

1. Body language and facial expressions

Without getting too into the realm of body language and interrogation experts, there are some universal signs that everyone picks up on that can take away from your credibility. Acting fidgety, wild changes in tone and volume, stumbling over words, darting eyes, all contribute to the perception you are not honest.

2. Inconsistency in facts and inability to keep the story straight

A sure way to make you look like you’re lying is to change your story in the middle of the interview or over the course of several interviews. If there are facts that have been confirmed in the public sphere, trying to dispute them without supporting evidence will raise the eyebrows of a sharp-eyed reporter who will call you out on it, and this really does not look good for you. If the facts are on your side, reiterate them and provide context to the audience and take the opportunity to refute any misinformation that is out there in the public domain.

3. Vagueness or opening the floodgates

When a reporter asks a pointed question, the worst thing you can do is answer in a general manner or with an extremely vague reply. The audience is not stupid, they will see right through that ploy or even feel like you are patronizing them. Your best response is to directly address the question if it has merit. On the other hand, responding with way too much information, going on tangents, and talking too much will also backfire.

4. Defensive

Getting defensive or angry with a reporter makes you look unprofessional and can turn off viewers. “Doth protest too much” applies in this particular circumstance. You have to maintain a balanced posture, firm and confident without being aggressive. This is the best way to convince an audience that you believe what you are saying is true.

5. Overprepared and too polished

There are cases when being too prepared, robotic, and polished can work against you. Being too slick can actually take away from your sincerity and leave viewers with a seed of distrust. Remember that people also need to relate to you during an interview. You can maintain this relatability without taking away from your authority on certain facts and statements.

6. Not talking enough

When a reporter asks a question, more often than not they are looking for more than a one-word answer. If your answers are short and don’t contain enough information you may make it look like an interrogation as opposed to an interview. By answering with not enough information, you make yourself vulnerable to more follow-up questions that you may have not been prepared for. This could even derail the entire interview into a direction you don’t want it to go. Keep control and give enough information to answer the question thoughtfully. You can use this as an opportunity to lead the line of questioning or the topic in your direction when you elaborate on certain points. Be careful not to overshare or talk too much as that may work against you during the interview.

7. Taking too long to respond

Taking more than 10 seconds to respond will make you look like you’re coming up with an answer. This takes away from your trust factor in addition to some awkward dead air time. The viewer will think of several things about you during that pause: You are either about to make something up or you are just unprepared, either of which is not a good look for you.

8. Lack of emotion

Being boring, monotone, and unanimated might not necessarily mean you look guilty, but it doesn’t help to build trust or bring people onto your side. At best you are boring and no one will care or listen, at worst you may come off as an apathetic sociopath. If you are dealing with a humanitarian crisis or an emotional subject this can make you look unfavorable.

9. Your appearance

Dressing for the interview will also add to your credibility. We can be extremely elaborate here, but for the sake of summarizing, wear colors that complement your skin tone and also represent you and your brand (a quirky tech startup spokesperson can get away with dressing differently than a CEO of a bank or a hospital). Whatever you do, you have to look professional and well put together while avoiding patterns and colors that don’t play well on camera. Sloppiness, including bad posture, is not a trustworthy look for anybody.

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Many of these issues are easily addressed when you lay the foundations down for a successful press interaction. First and foremost, get all your basics organized:

• Prepare for the format of their show (live, recorded, breaks in between, at the studio, or recorded)
• Know the show’s audience
• Who’s coming on before and after you
• Does the interviewer lean a certain way on the political spectrum
• How has this reporter conducted other interviews in the past?
• Identify all the core messages you need to hit and how you want to say them. Make sure you get these messages out and hit them with emphasis.

PRACTICE.

Run mock interviews with all the potential questions an interviewer may ask and even throw in false accusations or difficult questions during these practice runs so you can anticipate any potential problems. Answer them while remaining calm and cool so there won’t be any surprises during the actual interview.

On the day of the interview to counteract any nervousness, focus on the potential success of the interview and not how it can go wrong. Maintain a positive attitude and focus on the relationship with your interviewer, not the entire world who is watching you. All that matters at that moment is your interaction with the reporter and getting your main messages out.