Cher was on a talk show and she totally inspired me by her industry professionalism.
By comparison, the guest who came on before her was somewhat unprepared for the questions about to be asked, but he coasted along sufficiently, trying to answer as best he could and answer in an entertaining manner.
Then Cher came on. To every question that the host asked, Cher spun it quickly and smoothly from the direction the host wanted to go, instead to the message she needed to get across. The host tried again and again to control the direction of the conversation, but Cher had better skill crafting her words. It was like watching a fencing match, and Cher was definitely winning. The interplay was fun to watch and the messages she brought were interesting (seemingly more interesting than the direction the host wanted to go). She was a superbly professional and entertaining guest.
Thanks Cher, for reminding me to be prepared for interviews with my own messages; to practise the interview ahead of time; to craft words to improve the entertainment factor (especially for this industry); and to expect the host to have a different agenda than me!
Cheers,
Deb