Interview Techniques
By Michelle Steel
The main purpose of interviewing is to collect information, while paying attention to detail, through a number of interviewing techniques. The first challenge to interviewing is getting a subject to agree to an interview and keeping them in the right frame of mind. ‘Interview’ carries many negative connotations and tends to make people feel very nervous and therefore reluctant to talk so don’t call it an interview.
Establishing a first name basis creates a connection between the interviewer and interviewee and makes the whole process less intimidating. Be funny, open, interested and generally likable because people are much more likely to interact with you. It may be a challenge to get past ‘gate keepers’ people, such as secretaries, who control access to the people you want to talk to so try to establish a friendly connection and avoid seeming like a forceful reporter.
Be prepared for unexpected answers, do your research and be a good listener. Before you start and during the interview be aware of you story and what you want to achieve. Get a step by step account, that covers the who, what, when, where, why and how, by starting at the beginning when things were still normal and going slowly through the events as the interviewee saw it. Simple questions produce much better results then trick or clever questions.
And don’t forget to carry around a notebook to record important information or questions you might forget.
Don’t let them Bullshit you
Make sure the interviewee explains jargon but also be aware of euphemisms that are used most commonly to camouflage reality. Read between the lines and ask what they really mean.
Listen to the Answers
Rather then concentrating on your next question, appreciate the significance of what’s being said. Don’t be distracted, listen.
To ask the cheeky Question
Lead up to a blunt of personal question in and open and spontaneous way that often results in a telling answer, outburst or good quote.
Stop Rambling
An interviewee may often drone on providing little useful information. An effective technique to stop this is to interrupt with something trivial and then ask the question you intended to ask.
Review Answers
Before concluding the interview double check everything, by doing this you may discover holes in the information or squeeze more info out of a subject.
Never Make Promises
Subjects will often want to know what if going to appear in an article. Only the editor is in control of what is being published. If a subject asks you don’t answer but give them your editor’s name and number.
By Michelle Steel
The main purpose of interviewing is to collect information, while paying attention to detail, through a number of interviewing techniques. The first challenge to interviewing is getting a subject to agree to an interview and keeping them in the right frame of mind. ‘Interview’ carries many negative connotations and tends to make people feel very nervous and therefore reluctant to talk so don’t call it an interview.
Establishing a first name basis creates a connection between the interviewer and interviewee and makes the whole process less intimidating. Be funny, open, interested and generally likable because people are much more likely to interact with you. It may be a challenge to get past ‘gate keepers’ people, such as secretaries, who control access to the people you want to talk to so try to establish a friendly connection and avoid seeming like a forceful reporter.
Be prepared for unexpected answers, do your research and be a good listener. Before you start and during the interview be aware of you story and what you want to achieve. Get a step by step account, that covers the who, what, when, where, why and how, by starting at the beginning when things were still normal and going slowly through the events as the interviewee saw it. Simple questions produce much better results then trick or clever questions.
And don’t forget to carry around a notebook to record important information or questions you might forget.
Don’t let them Bullshit you
Make sure the interviewee explains jargon but also be aware of euphemisms that are used most commonly to camouflage reality. Read between the lines and ask what they really mean.
Listen to the Answers
Rather then concentrating on your next question, appreciate the significance of what’s being said. Don’t be distracted, listen.
To ask the cheeky Question
Lead up to a blunt of personal question in and open and spontaneous way that often results in a telling answer, outburst or good quote.
Stop Rambling
An interviewee may often drone on providing little useful information. An effective technique to stop this is to interrupt with something trivial and then ask the question you intended to ask.
Review Answers
Before concluding the interview double check everything, by doing this you may discover holes in the information or squeeze more info out of a subject.
Never Make Promises
Subjects will often want to know what if going to appear in an article. Only the editor is in control of what is being published. If a subject asks you don’t answer but give them your editor’s name and number.
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