THE MEDIA HAS CHANGED AND WILL NEVER CHANGE BACK!

A One on One Interview with Gayl Murphy, The Celebritizer… 

“To be Celebritized is to be remembered, talked about and thought of as one of the best in your field.  As “The Celebritizer” I teach businesses how to “tell it to sell it” in the media, in person, or using any other technology that moves your message forward.”

What is your book about?

“Interview Tactics! How to Survive the Media Without Getting Clobbered; The Insider’s Guide to Giving a Killer Interview” is the how-to media survival guide for telling the world about who you are, what you do and what you’re selling on TV, radio, print, online, face time and in real time. 

One of my clients calls it “234-pages of Media Gold!” because it reveals the insider tools and techniques that some of the most well-regarded CEO’s, showbiz pros, authors, experts, entrepreneurs and superstars in business and entertainment use, to CELEBRITIZE themselves and their brands.

What inspired you to write your book?
I wrote “Interview Tactics!” as a way of giving back. Really! As a Hollywood Correspondent, I’ve had the pleasure of interviewing over 15,000 of the biggest celebrities and newsmakers in the world, on and off the Red Carpet – as they endeavored to sell their latest movie, TV show, music, tour, book, fragrance, clothing line, etc., in the media.

I can’t tell you how many times – when I was interviewing some of them, that I just wanted to shake them and say, “This is no way to talk to the media, you’re just not prepared. And, you’re not giving me anything I can use to tell your story.”

I’m telling you this because, as a media and press person, I was coming away from interviews empty handed, because they didn’t know what to do in an interview. 

See, when you talk to the media, you have to know how to speak the “language of the media”, so you can give the reporter, journalist or gatekeeper the tools they need to tell the world how fabulous  you and your business are…or not. Depending on what you say.

The relationship between business and the media can be GOLDEN, if you know what you’re doing. It’s like great tennis match; I give you something, you give me something. You give me a great story to write and I give you airtime, ink or internet real estate. 

This is not exclusive to showbiz types, either. Interview Tactics! is for anyone that has a business, product or service and they want to tell the world about it, so they can get more clients, business and fans. 

I wrote “Interview Tactics!” for Media Virgins everywhere!  It’s a mission of media mercy.

How did you come to do what you’re doing today?
Today, I am a media entrepreneur. I’m an award-winning Hollywood correspondent for TV, radio, print and online news. Also, an author, media and presentational trainer, radio producer and speaker.

After several stints on local radio in Los Angeles, including the only “on-location rock reporter in LA for KLOS”, I went on to ABC Radio News as a national entertainment news correspondent, and remained on the airwaves at the network for 19 years.

It was during that time that I became inspired by the celebrities and soon-to-be celebrities I was interviewing, to help them out and let them know exactly what they should be doing and thinking about when they’re working with, and using media and press.

I quickly realized that non-showbiz entrepreneurs desperately needed this message in the boardroom as well, so they could feed the gatekeepers there and, keep their messages head and moving.

Can you describe a typical day in your life?
A typical day in my work life is working with movie studios and publicists; scheduling interviews, doing interview, working press junkets, researching and writing news stories for the air.

You can also find me “celebritizing” clients in-person, or over the phone, or Skype and writing my blog. And, then there are my latest marketing and self-promotion BBFs: Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and 200+ emails a day. As well as networking, eating healthy and going to the gym, if I’m lucky.

What do you most enjoy about what you do?
What I enjoy most is coaching my clients for media, meetings and presentations. It’s also speaking at media events. My goal is to change the way people think about the media forever, because the media has changed and will never change back.

I’ll sing the praises of my “Interview Tactics! to anyone that will listen. I mean, where else is a businesses going to get the skills they need to pitch and promote business, so they can tell it to sell it? It’s not as easy as buying a light bulb.

Here’s my take on it, with my background and experience on radio, TV and print…if anyone knows what sells in the media…it’s me.

One very significant thing I did when I revised my book is, I redefined media from the old; “TV, radio, magazines, newspapers, etc. and people in the production of…”

To,  what it is now, “Anyone, or anything that has the ability to take your message and move it forward.”

How this translates is; “We are our own broadcasters and networks. And, you don’t know this in your gut you’re in for a bit of a rocky road.”

As “The Celebritizer” I teach people how to “tell it to sell it” using media.

Are there any people and/or books that have inspired you along your journey?
The people that inspired me are more and many than I can mention. I’m inspired daily by a person, an article, or something someone says. Meeting my webmaster Bart Smith, AKA TheMarketingMan was a life-shift, in that he saw my “Interview Tactics!” as a business before I did, and he helped me enormously when it came time to breath life into it.

As an entertainment news reporter, I’m often inspired by other journalists who tell stories, and I learn a lot from them the by watching them work. And, then there are 15,000 celebrities and newsmakers that have sat in front of my microphone for 3 minutes, 20 minutes to a half hour, one at a time and have told me about how they made it into the big time, how scary it was and how hard it is to maintain. And, that being fearful can sometimes be an awesome motivator. And that joy is the best residual.

Can you share some business tips for our readers?
Absolutely, here are some of my best Interview Tactics!

One of the greatest marketing and PR tools for increasing exposure for you, your business, career, product and service lies in working with media and telling your story on radio, TV, print, podcast, website, blog or post on your favorite social networking site.

Those famous Fifteen Minutes, 140 Characters of Fame can make you a STAR – if you’re prepared for the onslaught and have the Media Skills it takes to tell your story in a way the media will use it, post it and run with it.

1 – You’ve got to PITCH IT TO PROMOTE IT, so you can TELL IT TO SELL IT. If you can’t tell your own story, who can and, who will? Only YOU can tell YOUR story!

2 – Be as honest and upfront as you can with the person that’s interviewing and engaging you.

3 – Relax, enjoy and have a good time. Being interviewed is supposed to be FUN. Whatever the circumstances, you get to be the star of THE ME SHOW starring ME, or in this case…YOU!

4 – When you’re telling your story to the media, or any gatekeeper, your JOB is to capture their attention and imagination in the shortest amount of time.

The best way to do that is by using COLOR AND DETAIL. A good story is both the SIZZLE AND THE STEAK.

To set your story up, paint a picture with your words, using color and detail – and drop the other person in.

5 – PREPARE. PREPARE. PREPARE IN ADVANCE and know what you’re going to say before you talk to the press – just don’t write a script.

Think more along the line of bullet points to keep it fluid.

TIP: You can ask in advance if there are specifics to the interview; what ground they’re looking to cover. Usually they’re more than happy to share.

Can you share something that people might be surprised to learn about you?
I’m extremely grateful for the opportunities I’ve been afforded. I’ve met and talked to just about every celebrity I ever dreamed about meeting, including Bob Dylan.

I would have loved to have interviewed John Lennon.

I have no bones to pick with anyone and life is good.

I’m extremely loyal.

I do my own laundry and I answer my own phone.

Technology sometimes drives me insane.

I love the world champion Los Angeles Lakers, even though they sometimes break my heart.

Is there anything else you would like to add?
Go to my site http://InterviewTactics.com so I can send you some free Media Tips in Media Report.

I do one-on-one coaching, group coaching and you don’t have to be a celebrity. Media Virgins welcomed!

Thank you Stephanie Chandler and BusinessInfoGuide.com for this reprint.