A lot of people I interview on television struggle with over-talking. Which means, they answer a question and keep answering it, and the message gets diluted and loses focus. And things have a tendency to go downhill from there. Perhaps it’s happened to you on camera, or at a networking event, or even a job interview. No matter where it happens, here are three ways to make sure it never happens again!

One: Practice your elevator pitch. In almost every interview, or networking event, the first question is some version of “tell me about your business or product.” You need to have a simple, straightforward answer ready to go. Just a couple of sentences with the most vital points. And make this answer interesting and dynamic, especially since it’s the first thing people will hear. As they say: you don’t get a second chance to make a first impression.

Two: give the audience credit. Don’t feel like you need to over-explain yourself. If your elevator pitch is on-point, they’ll get it. Over-explaining makes it seem like you don’t have confidence in your business, or your product, or even yourself. Say it and own it. And this leads us to the third point.

Three: think of the interview as a conversation. Your initial answer will lead to follow up questions, and that’s when you can dive deeper. There’s no need to explain everything in one soundbite. Leave it to the interviewer to ask you smart follow-up questions, and you can give smart follow-up answers. And if they don’t ask the right questions, you’ll figure out a way to incorporate the rest of your talking points into subsequent answers. That’s an important technique and one we can work on with coaching.

If you have any questions, just reach out.

Have a great day,

Dave