The first thing you have to do anytime you're going on radio, whether you're on for a one hour on an am talk show whether you're being interviewed for a new segment, and you're only again a soundbite, whether it's a live three minute or five minute newsmaker interview regardless, you've got to ask yourself, What is your goal? What do you want to have happen? Now sometimes, it's very, very specific as far as you're running for mayor or governor, the elections next Tuesday, you want people's vote. Other times you're there simply to be a part of a larger story. And you want to burnish your reputation as an industry expert. So if there's some story about how gas prices are going up, and you're a commodities or you're an oil expert, you want to be seen in that story.

You might not have a particular goal other than you want your name mentioned, your company name mentioned and you want to be seen as an expert as relates to commodity prices, oil prices, That's the first goal. What exactly is your goal? Because if you go into the interview with no goal at all, then you're absolutely not going to accomplish anything. So that's the first step. Write down what your goal is. If you're trying to sell a book, keep that in mind.