CNBC’s Joe Kernen interviews Xerox CEO Ursula Burns (left); Yahool CEO Carol Bartz
By Eric Seidel, CEO
The Media Trainers®
Attitude is key! How you feel about an interview going into it plays a big part in what you get out of it.
Negative feelings find a way to come out. Facial expressions, overall body language, even tone of voice (critical to phone interviews), can sabotage your prettiest words. And, vice-versa, positive feelings emerge the same way and are quite validating to what you say.
Here are two very positive examples of two women, both CEOs, who quite clearly enjoy the give-and-take of the interview.
Established relationships with the media often play a part in your attitude. The new CEO of Yahoo, Carol Bartz, obviously has some history with CNBC and the way she communicates verbally and non-verbally is very much in synch. In this video she has some fun with Squawk Box co-host Joe Kernen during a recent early morning interview.
In a separate interview with Xerox CEO Ursula Burns in this next video, she uses humor to answer a question about the company stock price which provokes some laughter and warms the environment.
Bartz took over Yahoo after founder and CEO Jerry Yang was forced out by a board of directors angered over his refusal to accept a lucrative acquisition offer from Microsoft. Of course, that came up while Bartz was talking to the Squawk Box gang, and her reaction in this next video serves to dramatize further her complete sense of being at ease.
Finally, Burns’ great attitude helps her correct what she feels is an incorrect premise posed in a question from co-host Kernen. Watch the interview and make note of the fact she does not argue or talk down to Kernen. Indeed, she even relates to his world of work in her response.
Because these two CEOs are so comfortable with themselves and the interview environment, they leave a great (and persuasive) impression with audiences they wanted/needed to reach. Both are very articulate, but it’s their body language, reflecting great attitudes, that speaks loudest of all.
Due, in part to their relaxed attitude and body language, they also project feelings of authenticity, integrity and come across as the kinds of people you’d like to either work for, or at least own a piece of their companies as an investor.