3 Things I Learned Interviewing Sheriffs, CEOs, and Disaster Survivors That Apply to Your Business
By Mike Miller, founder of Local Lift - Media & Marketing
Over nine-plus years in TV news, I interviewed just about every kind of person there is: sheriffs at crime scenes, CEOs defending layoffs, families who lost everything in a fire hours earlier. You learn fast what makes people trust you, what makes them shut down, and what makes an audience believe what they're hearing.
Those lessons turned out to be a marketing education. Here are three I use every week at Local Lift - Media & Marketing.
1. People decide whether to trust you in about five seconds
Walk up to a grieving family with a camera and you get one chance to not be 'the media.' What worked was never the pitch — it was eye contact, honesty about what I was doing, and shutting up long enough to listen.
Your website gets the same five seconds. A visitor lands and subconsciously asks: is this a real person, do they get my problem, and can I trust them? Stock photos and corporate jargon fail that test. A real face, a plain-spoken promise, and a clear next step pass it.
2. The best sound bites are short, concrete, and human
On air, you get maybe twelve seconds per quote. The interviews that made air weren't the polished executives reading talking points — they were people who said one true, specific thing: 'We lost the roof, but everybody got out.' Specific beats impressive, every time.
Most small business marketing does the opposite. 'We provide quality solutions for all your needs' says nothing. 'We'll answer your Google reviews within 24 hours so one bad night doesn't define you' says everything. Cut your copy until only the specific, human part is left.
3. Preparation beats improvisation — but authenticity beats both
The worst interviews were the ones where the subject tried to control every word. The best were prepared people who still talked like people. They knew their three points, then had a real conversation.
That's the sweet spot for your business content too. Know your message cold — what you do, who it's for, why you're different — then say it like you'd say it across a coffee table. Customers can smell a script. They can also smell genuine confidence. Aim for the second one.
The through-line
Whether it's a sheriff, a CEO, or a survivor, the people who connect are clear, honest, and human. Your marketing should be the same. If yours isn't there yet, that's literally what I help with — grab a free strategy call and we'll find your real voice.
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