How To Give a Great Sound Bite

  • July 14, 2008
  • 1,734 Views
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Ever heard the saying, “It’s not what you say, but how you say it?” If not, you may want to brush up on your media basics before hitting primetime.

You Will Need

  • Brevity
  • A glass of water
  • An image
  • Gestures
  • An emotional stance
  • A keyword
How To Give a Great Sound Bite: Repeat yourself

Step 1: Repeat yourself

Repeat yourself. Start by telling them what you’re going to tell them. Then tell them. Then tell them what you told them.

Find a central keyword or thesis and circle your points back to it.

How To Give a Great Sound Bite: Keep it short and simple

Step 2: Keep it short and simple

Keep your comments short — around the five-second mark — and give them a definitive end.

How To Give a Great Sound Bite: Be yourself

Step 3: Be yourself

Be yourself—don’t fake it. If you’re the elbow-patch-wearing academic type, avoid the overalls and folksy phrases.

How To Give a Great Sound Bite: Sip from a glass of water

Step 4: Sip from a glass of water

Since you can’t talk while you’re drinking, use a sip to add a dramatic pause, collect your thoughts, or simply shut yourself up.

How To Give a Great Sound Bite: Leave some space

Step 5: Leave some space

Leave a small pause before and after the sentence or phrase that’s most important. This space gives it an air of gravity, and makes it easy for the news media to edit around it.

How To Give a Great Sound Bite: Don't plagiarize

Step 6: Don't plagiarize

Don’t plagiarize. Ever. You’ll never live it down.

How To Give a Great Sound Bite: Repeat yourself

Step 7: Repeat yourself

Did we mention this? Repeat yourself.

How To Give a Great Sound Bite: Use gestures

Step 8: Use gestures

Rehearse three or four powerful gestures and use them sparingly to add emphasis to your most important points. Alternate your moves.

How To Give a Great Sound Bite: Smile

Step 9: Smile

Sell it with a smile, but as with all emotions, save your pearly whites for an appropriate moment.

How To Give a Great Sound Bite: Repeat yourself

Step 10: Repeat yourself

Repeat yourself. Repeat yourself. Repeat yourself. Repeat yourself…

According to research, when someone is talking about feelings or attitudes, about 93% of their message comes from nonverbal cues.

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Comments (1)

sokrates

awesome video

over 3 years ago by sokrates

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