TV interview tip: Don’t use the anchor’s name

The next time you do a TV interview, follow this tip from TV producer Shawne Duperon’s newsletter.

Only use the anchor’s or reporter’s name when you’re saying hello. Never repeat it when you’re answering a question. 

“Your goal, as an interviewee, is to have the audience feel like you’re talking to them.  Repeating the anchor’s name can make the audience feel excluded rather than included.”

By repeatedly saying the anchor’s name, you get in your own way of connecting with the audience, says Shawne, who was my guest during a teleseminar on “How to Get on the Local TV News Tomorrow.”