Tips for giving a press interview on Aromatherapy topics
By Kelly Holland Azzaro RA, CCAP, LMBT, OCN, FAAIM
Atlantic District Director

An interviewer may be contacting you thru NAHA about questions on aromatherapy, or they may have found your information locally and want to do a story on you and your business. Most personal interviews will include your contact information and a short bio about your training and experience and what type of service you offer. Sometimes it will include your business name and phone number for readers to contact. Otherwise, most publications will only include your name and aromatherapy comments.

Please note that you may also be contacted for aromatherapy information from a marketing company representing a small or large firm that wants to market their aromatherapy products, this is a totally different type of interview that you will be compensated for your time, knowledge and use of your name and sometimes a percentage of the sales, depending on what you are contracted for.

Arrange a time that is convenient for you and for the interviewer. I usually ask if a time can be set up for the end of the day when I am done with treatments. I also ask what is the main topic of the article therefore I can take some time to do some additional research. Most of the time you will not be given the opportunity to set up an "appointment" time for the interview, most writers are on a deadline and need the information yesterday!, if that is the case, here are a few tips to help with last minute interviews.

Get the name of the writer/interviewer, the publication’s name and the phone number. Then give them your name (Spell it out for them, A as in Apple, S as in Sam, etc. I’ve been amazed at all the different ways my name has appeared) and any credentials you want listed. Ask what is the topic and what audience are they trying to reach with this article.

Take a deep breath and answer the questions that you feel confident and comfortable with. Don’t be apprehensive to ask for clarity about any of the questions you are asked, quite often the writer is not familiar with aromatherapy and they are not sure themselves how or what to ask. They are looking to you for guidance and accuracy based on your knowledge of aromatherapy.

Don’t be afraid to say "I don’t know", however I can check into it further and get back to you or refer them to a fellow aromatherapist or NAHA for more detailed information.

Some of the common questions asked are how and where does someone get essential oils, aromatherapy products, how to use essential oils, what common ailments are essential oils beneficial for, isn’t aromatherapy just a massage, is aromatherapy that stuff in potpourri or candles, etc. Or you may get lucky and get an interview that pertains to a specific topic of aromatherapy and it particular uses. That type of interview is stimulating and exciting to be a part of, because it is a sign that aromatherapy is making it to the "press" and the public wants to know more about the world of aromatherapy and its many uses.

I have found that the following suggestions have been very helpful to the writers that have interviewed me:

A brief history of aromatherapy
Spell out the essential oil’s common and botanical name.
Go over dosage amount, how many drops to how much carrier oil.
Essential oil common uses
Safety issues
Range of pricing and origins of essential oils
Aromatherapy applications: massage, inhalation, bath, compresses, diffusing etc.
A short list of aromatherapy books available for the layperson. (NAHA has a bookstore on their website too)

Being a NAHA director you will no doubt get called for an aromatherapy interview.
If you have never been interviewed or get nervous with public speaking etc, then here are a few helpful tips:

Make up a large index card with the above suggestions in large bright lettering, have the index card laminated and hole punched in the top corner and place cards on a binder ring. Keep these cards by your office phone, desk or computer wherever you have easy access and will remember.

Interview Check List: This guideline can be complied from your own ideas or from this article, be creative.

Pick a few of the common essential oils and make a index card for each one with its common name, botanical name, history, indications and contra-indications, safety etc.

Pick a few of the "not so" common essential oils and do the same as above, this also makes for a more interesting interview and lets the public know that there are so many different essential oils to chose from and not just "lavender"

Keep a bottle of Rescue Remedy, a Bach Flower essence that is a safe and natural homeopathic formula for anxiety and stress. This remedy is also useful for public speaking jitters. Follow directions on the bottle, 2 drops under the tongue or in water and sip throughout the day.

Keep a bottle of your favorite aromatherapy blend, mist spray or essential oil at your desk for inhalation during the interview. I love to use Lemon and Rosemary, as it clears my thoughts and keeps me focused. I also use these same oils while working at my computer or when I go to a Continuing Education seminar. (it makes for great conversation and an opportunity to talk about aromatherapy).

Refer the interviewer to NAHA’s website, even if that’s how they found you or not, it is good to have a national organization for a reference listing in the article. This referral when listed in the story will give the reader and opportunity to get more information about aromatherapy, as well as to find an aromatherapist in their area. It is also good karma.

Before ending the interview go over your "check-list" and double check if you have the interviewer’s name, phone number and the publication they are writing for. I also ask the interviewer if they feel comfortable with the information given and if they have any other questions to feel free to call or email me. By having the writers phone number you can also call them if you left out any information that you think would pertain to the article.

Ask how you can obtain a copy of the article for your records. Articles look wonderful on your website, laminated or framed in your business, and you can also make copies for your clients to give out to spread the word about aromatherapy.

If it is a personal interview that includes photos of you and your business etc. you have the right to ask for a copy of the photos. Some publications will even give you a computer disc with the photos. If you use the photos or articles on your website or in any brochures etc. you are required to give credit to the photographer and writer.

Most important do not forget to thank the writer for giving you the opportunity to talk about aromatherapy. I always drop a thank you note sealed with a mist of aromatherapy in the mail after viewing the publication. Every writer that I have spoken with has been so appreciative of the information that I have shared and they mentioned that they are now going to use aromatherapy in their lives.

I was told by a writer that if the press gets 95% of the information accurate that they are doing their job. That got me thinking that I better be 105% accurate when giving the information to make up for the 5% inaccuracy.

Have Fun, smile and be yourself this is a wonderful opportunity to share aromatherapy with others.