The Well-Spoken Woman (25 page)

An opportunity to turn the waitress gig into a more financially stable
career path came about when several regular customers pooled $50,000 to open a restaurant. Orman jumped at the chance to become an entrepreneur and took the money to a Merrill Lynch broker, requesting that the funds be invested conservatively. The broker didn't follow her instructions, and every penny was lost. Outraged, she applied for a job at Merrill Lynch, figuring she couldn't possibly do worse. Soon she discovered her financial acumen, and after seven years of learning the ropes, she started her own financial-planning firm. Disaster struck again shortly thereafter when an employee stole all the company documents. She spent the next three years struggling to recover the lost money.

Despite setbacks, Orman's dogged enthusiasm for helping people make sound retirement investments began to pay off. When she found herself a wealthy woman in the early 1980s, she was somewhat surprised to realize she was not completely content. There was something missing, so she embarked on another journey, this time a spiritual quest to the Far East. Her travels led to an epiphany about life's meaning and the role money plays in people's lives. She began to develop a financial philosophy based on the principle of “valuing who you are over what you have.” The insights about the psychological and spiritual aspects of money were the basis of the first of several popular books. The publishing success led to her first on-camera performance, which ultimately launched “the people's financial planner.” QVC gave her a late-night selling slot, and the rest is “her-story.” Soon she was making guest appearances on the
Oprah Winfrey Show
and
Larry King Live
, and before you could say, “Lights, camera, action,” she had her own show.

Orman believes that if you try to be someone you are not, you will fail miserably, especially on television. The camera magnifies who you are. She says she can see the truth in the eyes of whomever she is talking to. It is apparent whether they are struggling or being sincere. A regular feature on
The Suze Orman Show
is the “Can I Afford It?” segment in which viewers call in to ask permission to buy an object of desire. A middle-aged man who claims he wants to purchase a $60,000 Ferrari “as an investment” immediately gets an Orman eye roll
and exclamation: “Are you kidding me?” She denies the man on the spot. His car obsession threatens his financial security because he lacks a coherent plan to make the payments. The same reasoning is used to loudly deny a forty-nine-year-old mother's desire for a $7,000 tummy tuck.

Orman's jovial, cajoling manner about the cosmetic surgery is the sugar that helps the blunt retirement savings advice go down. Orman's littered financial past gives her the license and street cred to level with people who are tempted to load up credit card debt and launch get-richquick fantasies. The “Suze smackdowns” would be too much tough love if Orman hadn't had to reinvent herself. Underlying the direct, no-nonsense style is genuine compassion that makes for good television.

Camera Savvy Step 1: The Goldilocks Rule

The small screen loves emotion, but a little bit can go a long way. Orman has been known to disregard some of the SHAPE UP techniques when she exaggerates the role of outraged financial therapist. You can avoid the biggest on-camera mistakes with the “Goldilocks rule.” Goldilocks didn't want porridge that was too hot or too cold; she preferred porridge that was just right. Overwrought expression will make you appear too hot, and a flat demeanor will make you appear too cold. The middle way is just right.

Presidential candidate Howard Dean learned the Goldilocks rule the hard way with what became known as his “I Have a Scream” speech. After Dean lost a crucial caucus, he attempted to rally his troops with a rousing speech. What sounded like a loud yell to the supporters gathered in a hotel ballroom came across as off-kilter on TV. Six months after dropping out of the race, Dean was scheduled to practice his first national speech since the scream episode at the Democratic convention. I was somewhat apprehensive about what kind of mood he would be in when he arrived for practice. Walking into the rehearsal room, he looked around with a twinkle in his eye and said, “Don't worry, I won't scream.” I breathed a sigh of relief. A number of body language and vocal techniques do not work on camera. Avoid the following gestures, expressions, postures, and vocal habits.

Camera Savvy Step 2: Emotional Traction

Orman made it her life's work to talk directly to small investors long before the explosion of money programs on the cable channels. No other on-air personality has touched a nerve the way she has. The critics charge that her advice is way too basic. Perhaps that's because Suze isn't afraid to say what she thinks about how the big banks drive her “nuts.” Her practical recommendations on how to manage credit card debt, resolve bankruptcy, save for college, and set up a will are intended to ensure the solvency of the masses. Despite all the Wall Street wizards who preach the complexity of the markets, Orman demystifies the numbers, making it possible for individuals to control their financial futures. Orman says she is the world's personal finance expert because she's “earned it.” She has lived the life, mastered the material. This authenticity enables her to speak from the gut.

Orman's message is jargon-and lingo-free. Thus it helps reduce the fear factor associated with finance. A trust is differentiated from a will. She explains how to buy the right life insurance product. What the message may lack in originality and whiz bang is made up for by its accessible packaging, literally. Orman decided she wanted to reach people at the breakfast table, but rather than produce a morning show, she formed a partnership with Total cereal to provide financial tips on the back of cereal boxes.

Suze Speak

Orman preaches that simplicity is what leads to wealth, and she embraces the necessity of hitting her core themes in a mantra-like fashion. As she says: “Forever, I've told you.” And, “Don't you watch my show?” It is clear that her message is breaking through when the viewers who call into the show launch into “Suze speak.” They will repeat Suze's core money rules about establishing “an eight-month emergency cash fund.” Other commonsense refrains they know by heart: “Stay out of credit card debt,” “Live on one's salary,” and her core philosophy, “If you expect your money to take care of you, you must take care of your money.”

There is no audience that Orman targets more consistently than women because she understands firsthand the insecurities they possess about managing a budget and planning for retirement. She cites surveys that reveal 90 percent of women worry about money. Some women admit that “the prospect of ending up a bag lady has crossed their minds.” Orman is on a mission to get women to view their financial well-being as personally as they view their health and spirituality. Women callers are her “girlfriends,” and she will say to them: “Just between you and me.” Orman feels the pain of the stay-at-home mom who wants a $100,000 dream kitchen her family cannot afford, but she won't allow that caller to make a costly mistake. There is no need to decipher the Orman message. The repetition of a simple message packaged with real-life money tales rings loud and clear.

Camera Savvy Step 3: How to Be a Good Guest

Jon Stewart wants you to come on
The Daily Show
to discuss your new book, should you be so lucky. After the euphoria ebbs, don't panic. There is a formula for how to do more than not make a fool of yourself. Making a successful in-tudio appearance is very similar to being a good dinner party guest. Arrive at the appointed hour dressed appropriately. Don't be a conversation hog, droning on about nothing. Engage others in lively repartee and tell a humorous story. Leave when there is a break. TV producers, like dinner-party hosts, consider the event a success if the guests were entertained. On
The Today Show
, guests who give long, technical answers will be
interrupted in twenty seconds or less to keep the pace of the program moving.

When sitting across from a celebrity host, above all else you need to understand your host is the star of the show. It is not your job to upstage or out-funny her. Your job is to be a supporting player in her drama. Be ready for a fast pace—it will be over before it feels like it started. Don't expect much of a warm-up. Stewart may pop into the green room or warm up the audience for only a minute or two. Sometimes you are led to the studio just moments before the camera goes live. When seated on the set, avoid being distracted by the studio audience and by the image of your face popping up on monitors scattered around the stage: don't look at the monitors, the audience, or the cameras. Keep your eye contact focused on the host or whoever is asking the questions. Once you are seated on set, you may have a few seconds before the show begins to get a sense of what is coming. In a friendly, polite way, ask the host how he or she plans to start. At that moment, the host very likely will give you a heads-up about how the opening will go. This gives you a few seconds to massage the message you've prepped in advance.

Meet the Press

For twenty-five years, Larry King and his suspenders were a top draw on CNN. Celebrity guests flocked to the show in anticipation of such probing questions as “What's it like to be you?” Not every program host will lob softballs at you. On the talk-show circuit, know exactly what you are getting yourself into. Are you dealing with an amiable host, or will you face a grilling by multiple inquisitors? Is there time for thoughtful conversation, or will you be interrupted? What is the host's agenda, and will you be given a fair chance to air your opinion?

On MSNBC's
Morning Joe
, Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski often team up with one or two guest commentators to pummel interviewees. The president of the American Federation of Teachers, Randi Weingarten, found herself outnumbered when she was asked to justify why the union protects bad teachers. Weingarten was ready for the onslaught and resisted the temptation to lash back. When finally given a chance to make
the union's case about its commitment to the success of every teacher and every student, she did so in a positive, proactive way. Her calm under fire was acknowledged by the hosts, who invited her back to follow up on the union's progress.

If you are unfamiliar with a program, the best way to prepare yourself is to watch a couple of episodes in advance. Most are available online. Getting a feel for the lay of the land will reduce anxiety. Expect a telephone call with the associate producer the day before you are scheduled to go on. This is essentially an audition, so be ready to shine with your best quotes. Don't hold back but treat the call as if it were the real deal. If the preinterview doesn't go well, don't be surprised if you get a message later saying that you have been bumped by breaking news, though the show will try to get you on in the future. During the pre-interview process, you can also get debriefed on the interview logistics. Be ready to ask the following questions so you know what to expect.

 

Interview the Interviewer First

• Will the appearance be live or taped? If it is live, then whatever you say goes straight from your mouth into your mother's ear. There is no pulling it back. Taped appearances will be edited into bite-sized answers, so keep yours succinct.
  
• What is the topic? Ask for clarification about the angle. If answers are not forthcoming, you may want to reconsider the invite.
  
• What type of program is it? Is this a food-fight show on cable TV or a roundtable discussion on public television? Is the host more likely to ask lifestyle questions? Or will there be a deeper focus on substance?
  
• Who is the reporter or program host? What is his or her reporting style? Does the host ask personal questions like Barbara Walters? Well-informed ones like Christiane Amanpour? Or does the host go for laughs like Chelsea Handler?
  
• Treat pre-interviews on the telephone like the real thing. It is an audition, and not everyone makes the cut.
  
• Will there be other guests? Don't allow yourself to be sandbagged, particularly if you are addressing a controversial subject. If there are other guests, will you all be on at the same time? Or will you appear consecutively? Always ask to go first, since doing so allows you to frame the debate and the other guests will need to respond to the overview you lay out.
  
• Always ask for the questions in advance. You will be surprised at how often they will be handed over. But expect a few new ones to pop up during the interview.
  

 

Every television studio is a little different. Arrive early, and if the crew allows, see the set before the interview begins. Meet the floor director who is in charge of the studio set. Check out the furniture arrangement to know where you will sit and what type of chair you will be sitting in. You may be asked to cool your heels in the “green room,” a small space offstage where guests wait their turn. If others are milling about, don't allow chatter to distract you. Use the time to get physically and mentally set. Here's a checklist of what to do while you are waiting in the wings.