When you are on the air, charm the audience while communicating important information. And you may have to do it in three minutes, perhaps while the host is asking you questions that have nothing to do with your book. Reaching your goals under these conditions requires you to blend your understanding of the audience, knowledge of your topic, diplomacy and training to create a polished, effective performance. You can do this if you know the answers to these questions:

• ·  Given a limited time on the air, what are the major points you want to impress upon the audience? Since you will participate in shows of varying lengths, decide in advance how many points you can communicate reasonably in different time periods.

• ·  What information is important to each audience? Your presentation will change, depending upon the composition of the audience.

• ·  How can you make the transition from an irrelevant question (How is the weather where you are?) to your message without offending the host?