Don’t drop the ball when you get this ‘gimme’ interview question

They pose those questions not only as a courtesy, but also to make sure they haven’t forgotten to ask something that would improve their understanding—or their audience’s understanding—of your topic or point of view.

Unfortunately, many interviewees fail to take advantage of that final “gimme” question. They’re often so stressed out by the experience that they can’t wait for it to end—so when the reporter asks that final question and signals the interview is nearing its close, they decline the chance to offer another response.

That’s a huge mistake.

When given a wide-open opportunity to say whatever you’d like to say, take advantage of it. Here are four ways to answer that closing question:

1. Restate a point you want to reinforce.

Reporters will leave your interview with pages of notes or several minutes of audio or video recording. By reinforcing a key message, you signal to the reporter that a given point is important. It’s not a guarantee they’ll use it, but it increases the likelihood that they will. Plus, restating a point toward the end, rather than in the middle, makes it more likely to be remembered.