Delivering Sound Bites
Leading a startup often means being the face of and speaking for that startup. Here are a few tips and techniques gleaned over the years on how to nail interviews by delivering useful sound bites.
The responsibilities that come with leading a startup include being the voice and face of the company by providing “sound bites” or “notable quotables” or “useful quips” that tell the startup’s story effectively. You may find yourself generating “bites” for press releases, news articles, podcast special guest appearances, interviews, fireside chats, ads, videos, guest presentations, pitches, testimonials, panels, recorded references, and any number of other contexts as you promote the work of your startup.
Since startup leaders often must take on any number of tasks that just need to be done, even if you are not very qualified for them, this post collects some of the “sound bite” techniques I have picked up over the years.
What makes a good “bite”?
A good “bite” is short, catchy, clear, and aligned with the communication goals of the communication under development. If you initiate or are being asked to provide a “bite,” prepare by reflecting on the purpose of a content creator. For example, if a reporter wants to get a quote, try to quickly get a sense of the theme of the article to align your quote(s) with that purpose, increasing the chances that your quote will be selected and included. Similarly, if you are asked to be a podcast guest or provide a video reference, it helps to understand the purpose the creator is trying to accomplish to guide what you choose to highlight.
As you think about the communication purposes, you should also be thinking about your most important points. This will likely be related to the target audience for the communication and how you are positioning your startup relative to that audience. For example, if the communication will touch your potential customers, you will likely want to weave in information about the value proposition you offer. If the communication targets potential investors, you will likely want to mention the stage of development of your company. By knowing your essential points, you can look for opportunities to weave them into the answers to the questions you are asked while still giving good, quotable material.
Tell them the time, not how the watch is made
Sometimes, when asked a question, we are inclined to answer with a long, involved description. For example, when someone asks the equivalent of “What time is it?”, sometimes entrepreneurial leaders will launch into a discussion of how the watch was made and how it works rather than simply saying the equivalent of 2 p.m. Remember that the best “bites” are short. Try to give short, declarative summary statements. There is no room for elaborate justifications because usually the creator is looking for a concise quote that advances their story. Your quote is more likely to be selected if it is short, declarative and crisply conveys a key point or two. Go ahead and just tell the time!
Producing a “bite” does not feel like a normal conversation
When we converse with others, we tend to have a back and forth dialog that builds on each person’s contribution. This is not what you should do when producing a “bite” or even a whole interview that will be trimmed and edited. Producing good, editable content using the tips below modifies normal communication patterns, and it will feel like an odd communication cadence. However, this approach is effective, and I routinely get lots of appreciation from the producers when I give them what they need using these tips.
When you are being recorded to contribute content for an edited video or audio product, there is usually a host or interviewer who is helping to extract valuable content from you that is aligned with the producers’ objectives. However, usually, the goal is NOT to include the interviewer’s questions. That means that, as the interviewee, you need to begin your response by restating the interviewer’s question to frame your response. For example, the interviewer might ask, “What were your goals in choosing a [product type]?” Instead of saying, “We cared about price, breadth of feature set, and compliance with regulation X,” you want to incorporate the question into your answer. “At company X, when picking a [product type], we were looking for the best combination of price and breadth of feature set while being sure that the solution was compliant with regulation X.” Note that by adding the question into your answer, you produce a standalone quote that can be easily inserted into the finished communication product.
Another critical tip is to be extra intentional about the beginning and end of your “bite” so that the editors have appropriate breakpoints they can use to chop up the content. If you let your thoughts run together, then they cannot find clean places to snip out the material they want to use. To put in breaks between thoughts, insert what feel like long pauses at the beginning and end of each thought. One way to do this is to take an intentional breath before and after each thought. If you are on video, make sure your facial expressions reflect the creation of a “chunk” of content as well. This will feel unnatural; however, it does wonders for getting the content collection right on the first take. Of course, if you do not like how your answer flows, stop, mention you are starting over, take a breath and begin again with the framing element from the question and better delivery of your point(s).
Finally, smile and be enthusiastic in your delivery. Even if you are only doing audio recordings, your positive energy will flow through and improve the appeal of your tone.
Hopefully, these practical tips will come in handy the next time you are asked to generate content – and will make it desirable for others to seek you out as a great source!
