Sometimes in my training sessions I am asked if it’s a good tactic to give long answers during interviews to prevent the journalist asking further hard questions. The short answer is an emphatic NO!
While there may seem to be some logic in giving a long answer during an interview with a limited time frame, like live radio or TV, it’s generally a bad approach to take.
It’s risky because:
- You may be boring.
- If you are boring, the journalist may not use you in the story or if it is live they will not ask you back on their show.
- You are more likely to say things you didn’t originally intend to as you are trying to fill in time.
- You are less likely to get your message across effectively.
- The journalist may end up butting in and asking a question over the top of you, turning the interview into a confrontation or competition rather than an informative conversation.
The best tactic is to keep your answers interesting, truthful, brief and simple.