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© 2015 Enroll America and Get Covered America
EnrollAmerica.org | GetCoveredAmerica.org
Lights, Camera, Action
Going on the Record and Perfecting Your Interview

EnrollAmerica.org | GetCoveredAmerica.org2
•  Almost 40% of consumers say they got enrollment
information from the news, the highest percentage
of any source.
•  In fact, when asked for their single most important
source of news, “local television news” alone came
in third behind “family” and “friends.”
Why does this matter?

What we’ll cover:
•  Live Television: Getting ready for your
close-up!
•  Non-verbal communication.
•  Know your core message.
•  Dealing with tough questions.
•  Your turn: practice your interview
techniques!
•  Tips and tricks for different kinds of
interviews.
•  How to prepare, what to wear.
•  Live vs Recorded.
•  Television vs Radio vs Print.

LIVE TELEVISION
Getting Ready for Your Close-Up!

On TV, non-verbal communication matters!

Weak Strong
Cold
Warm

The Happy Warrior
• Successful
speakers
have

a
presence
that
is
both

relatable
and

formidable.
They
hold

their
ground,
but
avoid

dismissiveness,

defensiveness
and
anger.

Strength

and

Warmth

Smile!

What do I do with my hands?!

For a Stand-Up Interview
•  Stand up straight, with your face and body facing
towards the camera.
•  Don’t put your hands in your pockets, and don’t clasp
them together.
•  Leave them at your sides, or cupped in front of you.

For a Sit-Down Interview
•  Sit towards the front of the chair, so you’re not tempted
to lean back.
•  Your feet should comfortably reach the floor, one
slightly in front of the other.
•  You can rest your hands on your lap, or on the table.

•  Don’t go overboard, but it is totally okay to gesture
with your hands!
•  Never look to the side off-camera – you’ll look shifty!
•  Same with looking up (don’t know the answer) and
down (apologetic).

KNOW YOUR CORE MESSAGE

Speaking to your audience
•  You are not speaking to your interviewer,
you’re speaking to your audience.
•  In other words: Give the message you want to
convey, not necessarily the one the reporter
asks about.

Know Your Core Message
•  The one simple argument you want the
audience to remember an hour after hearing an
interview with you.
•  Clearly getting the core message across
should be your primary goal every time you go
into an interview.

Financial help is available
to help you enroll in a
quality insurance plan, and
you can get face-to-face
enrollment help in your
community.
Example of a core message:

Don’t be afraid to repeat your core message
– you want to make sure your audience
remembers it!

Always have a story:
•  A story helps make your
argument real, and the
interviewer may ask you
for one, so it’s best to
have one in mind before
you start.
Use one key statistic:
•  Viewers will tune you
out if you use to many
numbers, but one
impactful stat can really
clinch your case.
Almost 9 out of 10
people who enrolled
through the Marketplace
received financial help
to lower their costs.
Thanks to the financial
help she received,
Rebecca from Colorado
found coverage for just
$12 a month.

Include a specific call to action:
•  This Saturday, come down to the Public
Library at 2pm and you can get help
enrolling in a plan.
OR
•  Visit GetCoveredAmerica.org/Connector
and you can sign up for a free
appointment with an enrollment expert in
your neighborhood.

How long should you talk?
•  Find the middle-ground:
•  You should never give one or two word answers.
•  But once you’ve said what you want to say, STOP TALKING!
•  Your first answer should be your longest, but generally
you should stay in the 20 to 30 second range.
•  Make sure you say everything you want to say in your
first answer – you may not get another chance!

DEALING WITH TOUGH QUESTIONS

How do you handle tough or
argumentative questions?
It’s as easy as ABC!

The ABCs of Staying on Message:
•  Agree with a shared concern: “You’re absolutely right that…”
•  Bridge to your point: “That’s why…” or “What we’re seeing is…” or
“The good news is…”
•  Convince your audience: end strongly on core message.

ABC Examples
We just talked to a consumer who said this process was too complicated,
so she gave up – why can’t you simplify the enrollment process?
Question:
Yes, we hear a lot from consumers who have questions about the
enrollment process, and what plan is best for their family.
The good news is, personalized help is available!
Anyone who visits GetCoveredAmerica.Org/Connector can schedule an
appointment to meet in-person with an assister in their neighborhood.
Find a shared concern to AGREE with:
BRIDGE to your point:
CONVINCE your audience:

AGREE BRIDGE CONVINCE
1. Don’t be hostile or combative!
2. But don’t accidentally agree with
something that isn’t true!

LET’S PRACTICE!
Find a partner, and decide who will
role-play the interviewer, and who will
be the guest.
We’ll have five minutes for a practice interview, and a few minutes for
feedback.
Focus on your non-verbal communication, and one getting all of your core
message across!
Enroll America Communications staff will be circulating to answer
questions and give feedback as well.

Questions for interviewer:
What do consumers here in [MY STATE] need to know about the Affordable Care Act?
What is your organization doing to get the word out about these opportunities?
Is financial help available for those who need it?
How can consumers get answers to questions they have about enrolling?
Core message: Key Stat: Story:

PRACTICE,
ROUND 2!
Same structure as before, but this time,
the interviewer is skeptical of the
Affordable Care Act and the enrollment
Effort.
Focus on getting your core message out to consumers, without being
combative or defensive.
We’ll let you know when to switch roles!

Questions for interviewer:
I heard that premiums went up again – what makes you think insurance is affordable
for working families?
The ACA is a government takeover of healthcare – why would anyone enroll?
We just interviewed a man who is so confused about enrollment, he gave up –
why is this process so complicated?
AGREE BRIDGE CONVINCE

INTERVIEW TIPS AND TRICKS
Answers to the questions you’ve always wanted to ask.

A few tips:
•  Don’t rush into an interview cold – take some time to
practice and prepare.
•  Learn your interviewer’s name, and use it!
•  Ask whether you should make eye contact with the
interviewer or look into the camera.
•  If you’re in studio, you can ask to see yourself on the
monitor, but make sure you can’t see the monitor while
you’re talking!
•  Don’t talk to fast, and watch out for filler words!

What to Wear
•  Don’t wear any loud patterns, like plaid or stripes. And
stay away from particularly shiny or dangly jewelry.
•  Generally, steer clear of white, black, and bright red.
Pick a color in the mid-range that works with your
complexion.
•  Simple, plain, professional, and comfortable are the
key words here.

Recorded
•  Make sure you’re ready to give all
the important information in a
succinct way.
•  It’s okay to repeat yourself a bit.
•  Use simple, straight-forward
sentences.
•  Answer each question like it’s the
first question.
•  Remember: You can start over!
Live
•  Find out how long your
segment will be and the
format: i.e. Debate vs Panel
•  Don’t ramble. Make your
point… then stop talking.
•  Stick to your core message –
you’re live, so your audience is
guaranteed to hear it!
•  SMILE!

Print
•  With a print reporter, you can
share more context and detail.
•  Remember, though, that your
quotes can be taken out of
context.
•  Say what you want to say…
then stop.
•  Limit the length of interviews
– it makes the report prioritize
their questions
Radio
•  Since listeners will only hear
your voice, make sure you’re
not speaking in a monotone.
•  Bring your notes with you and
keep them in front of you.
•  Smiling still helps! Often you
can hear it through the radio.
•  Repeat your core message
often for people who are just
tuning in.

QUESTIONS?

IF YOU ONLY REMEMBER THREE THINGS:
•  Hammer your core message early and often.
•  Focus on reaching your audience, the uninsured,
not the interviewer.
•  Remember to smile!

JOIN THE PROGRAM!
www.EnrollAmerica.org/Communicators
•  Weekly email messaging update
•  Earned media best practices
•  Localized messaging resources
•  Social media content

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