- get yourself ready to listen. before you contact the individual you want to interview, remind yourself that you're going there for the interview to listen. even though you've been given permission for the interview, you are intruding on this person's life. he or she is doing you a favour. writers are not charged to conduct interviews with experts.
- make an appointment. do so even if you're interviewing the person over the phone. this saves you time and it lets your expert know you're a professional.
- prepare adequately for the interview. before you ever leave your office, find out as much as possible about the topic or the individual you'll be speaking with. depending on your topic, you may have to consult with historical societies and medical groups, or review back issues of the local newspaper for material that's not on the net.
- write a list of questions, even when doing a telephone interview. this lets you focus on the responses rather than trying to think up questions as your expert is speaking. should anything unforeseen happen, you'll be able to glance back down at your list of questions and jump right into the interview again.
- check your equipment. do the batteries in your tape recorder work? do you have an extra set in your brief case for emergencies? do you have a map should the highway be ripped up or there's a traffic jam and you have to find an alternate way to your appointment? did you get gas before changing into your interviewing clothes so that you won't smell like a gas station should the nozzle slip? do you have two pens? have you packed your reading glasses? do you have coins for the phone, money for the parking meter, and a tip for the parking attendant?
- confirm your appointment. people forget appointments and commitments. experts are busy. if you travel around the world or just across town and your expert is called away, you may twist an ankle kicking yourself. confirming your appointment saves time and reminds your expert that you're a professional whose time and attention are valuable.
- when you arrive, reintroduce yourself and explain the purpose for the interview. do this immediately after the introductions. your goal is to get to the point of your interview quickly, but you must also make the person you're interviewing feel comfortable. small talk helps. be aware that you may be the first writer that the expert has ever talked with. your expert might not be comfortable and awkward interviews are not successful.
- start by asking simple questions. although some writers and journalist warn that yes and no questions are fruitless, use them to help an expert warm up. you want him or her to be comfortable.
- once you're into the interview, change the tone of your questions. ask questions that have to do with the senses, such as "how did you feel the first time you.?", "in your opinion.", or "when did you think.?
- your most powerful tool to get a great interview may be silence. periods of silence help you and you need to design them into the interview time. they lead the expert to fill the silence with valuable quotes and information. pretend you are studying your notes or simply look away for a bit. don't be surprised if your expert is waiting for you to stop talking in order to give insightful information or add details you didn't even know enough to know you needed. it happens a lot.
- make sure your body language reflects that you're interested. smile. make eye contact. sit forward when the expert speaks. stay connected.
- take notes of what's going on around you while you're interviewing. as you ask questions, watch the tape recorder swirling around and take notes, jot information about the expert's surroundings, i.e., colour of the office, what he/she is wearing, notable accent, or anything that will make him or her come alive when you include the interview in your work.
- begin to wind down as your time comes to an end. then ask THE most important question: "is there anything you'd like to add or other topics you'd like to talk about that we haven't discussed?" without a doubt, the expert has been patiently or impatiently waiting for this moment and your question nearly guarantees you a great topic sentence or bit of information to include. however, you cannot ask this question until the end.
- remember your manners. send your expert a thank-you note, written in your very own handwriting, to tell him or her that you appreciate the time and information. sending a thank-you note has a possibly big payoff. you'll be remembered. should you need more information or the expert needs a writer or if you want to use the person as a reference to gain access to someone in the expert's circle, you'll be in.
feb 8 2018 ∞
feb 20 2018 +