Being a guest on television is an important part of your marketing strategy to become a recognized expert in your field.

In order to have a successful TV interview, where you can focus on your message and not get completely distracted, it helps to understand the actions the team takes when preparing for your interview, and their terminology which may be completely foreign to you!

Here are some terms you should be familiar with and actions you can expect:

1. Board. Printed information about a television guest that is displayed or scrolled at the bottom of the screen during an interview is called a “slate.” When a guest arrives at the television, a member of the television crew may ask her to slowly say (and perhaps spell) her name, title, book title, or product or company name. It is important to be very clear during this process, so that the information that is displayed to the viewers is correct.

2. Balance. It’s a good idea for the guest to carry a white index card in their pocket. The cameraman uses an index card, held in front of the camera, to get the correct color balance or adjustment for the camera to ensure that the person’s skin does not appear green on the TV screen. Usually the videographer will have his own card, but it doesn’t hurt for the guest to be prepared, just in case.

3. Level. Before the interview, the sound people will ask the guest to speak into the microphone so they can set the correct sound level. The guest must speak clearly and at a normal conversational tone and volume. This is known as getting the “level” of the person. The person should speak at the same “level” when the cameras are rolling, at the same pitch and volume, and the voice will sound balanced with that of the interviewer and any other speakers.

4. stand. If someone is being interviewed at a conference or during a breaking news story, it can be done as a “stand-up” interview instead of the usual sit-down interview. The reporter or interviewer will stand with the guest in a corner or in a certain place and conduct the interview.

5. archive footage. This is the term given to video footage that is shown on the screen while a voiceover tells the real story or explains what the audience is seeing. An example would be aerial footage of a congested highway as a television guest shares statistics from his book on smog and global warming.

Television is a powerful medium. It’s a wonderful opportunity to share your message with a wide audience in a way that highlights you as the celebrity “insider”!

Above all, when the lights come on, be sure to enjoy the moment as it will be reflected in the interview and enhance your appearance as a guest!