"Alright, I'm ready for my close up Mr. De Mille..."

Nearly every entrepreneur shares the same dream, to have their 15-minutes of fame when the media comes calling for their expert advice, while the world hangs on their every word. The question is whether that dream leaves you with the warm and fuzzies or drenched in a cold sweat.

The thought of being contacted by the media is at the very least intimidating. My version of a nightmare is having a Cindy Brady moment with me "stuck on stupid" on national television or the fodder of a You Tube clip looking like said fool, that clocks 1.2 Million hits in 48 hours and provides plenty of material for the late night talk shows. I refuse to be "that girl" so I know when to get some help.

I have some amazing friends that are actually experts in helping people like us tap into our inner talking head. Kim Lichtenstein of k101 Agency is a PR maven with offices in Chicago, Atlanta and Los Angeles whose grass-roots approach to serving her clients has them smiling all the way to the bank when her efforts have media and customers beating a path to their door. Needless to say, Kim really knows her stuff. Among the gems she tells her clients are:

• "Learn about both the media outlet AND the interviewer." - Do your homework on the types of stories they cover. Acquaint yourself with the style of the interviewer as well as the publication. Read the various feedback they receive on their stories and the tone of their interviews and their audience. All of that will help you to be ready for them when your actual interview comes.
  
• "Give them a one-sheet." - A one-sheet is a page with your pertinent information on it which will give them, in your words, the highlights of what you do, talking points, your experience as well as the correct spelling of your vitals.
  
• "Be relevant" - Remember this is NOT a commercial about how fabulous you are (they already know that, which is why they called you). This is a call for an expert to weigh in on a story or topic. By providing timely, accurate information that pertains to the topic at hand you will show yourself to be credible, thorough and brilliant.
  
• "Speak from the heart" - If you don't convey that you care about what you are an expert in, why should they? People look for cues that you believe what you are saying so they can too.
• "Be aware of what you say" - An interview has the shelf life of Spam so you can't undo what you say. When media quotes you, the do just that...QUOTE you! So you must be accurate in what you say. If you aren't SURE of what you are saying, don't say it. I would rather not be quoted at all than to be quoted giving mis-information.
  
• "Don't be afraid to get help" - According to Kim, there are scores of media readiness experts around that specialize in preparing small business owners for barking with the big dogs when it comes to attracting media. Look for Public Relations agencies or consultants that specialize in your industry. They have the relationships that keep you from re-inventing the wheel when finding the right media fit for you. Sure, it may cost a few bucks but it is money well spent if you become the resident expert in your field, getting you more returns than you could imagine in free publicity.

By doing your homework and knowing your stuff you can avoid channeling your inner Cindy Brady and become the uber-quotable, "go-to" media darling you are inside.