How to Get the Most Out of an Interview
Are you a nervous interviewer? If so, when you have a source on the phone, chances are you rattle off your list of questions shotgun-style and then hang up the phone with relief.
While it’s important to work from a list, when you stick to it too closely, you’re missing out on some potentially great quotes and information.
I always advise writers to make a list of interview questions just to keep them on track and make sure they get their most important questions answered, but then be open to what the source says and ask additional questions where needed.
For example, I recently interviewed someone from a credit union for an article on how to attract and maintain senior members. I had only a bit of information from the source’s response to my Help a Reporter request, so this is the list of questions I wrote down…notice there are seven of them:
- Why are seniors an important market for credit unions?
- Is the senior market typically overlooked by credit unions?
- You mentioned you have a program designed for seniors. What is it?
- How long have you been running it?
- How did you decide to do this?
- What have the results been?
- Can you tell me about the focus group you did?
And based on the transcription I got back, these are the questions I actually asked:
- Why are seniors an important market for credit unions?
- Is the senior market typically overlooked by credit unions?
- When you talk about attracting new members who are seniors, do you do a lot of that? And where were they usually coming from? Are they with banks? Are they with other credit unions?
- [Source talks about word of mouth from other seniors.] Wow. Have you had any experience with seniors bringing in new people that way?
- [Source mentions "shred day."] Did you only recruit seniors for the shred day? You know, was it specifically for them, or for anybody in the community?
- Tell me more about your seniors’ group.
- Are there people who are not CU members in the group…are these people that the group brings in from the outside?
- [Source talks about day trips the CU puts together for seniors.] And so where do they go, for example?
- Are all these free, or is there a fee?
- How many people are in your seniors’ group?
- How did you choose the people who join the group? Are they self-selecting, or do you approach people who look like they would fit?
- And when did you start it?
- [Source mentions a focus group the CU did with senior members.] When did you do this focus group?
- How many people participated?
- [Source mentions the results of the focus group.] You know, that’s really interesting, but I wonder if you did a focus group of the younger members, would you get any different responses? I mean, I think everybody wants things to be solved right away, and not pay extra for paper statements.
- Do you do any marketing specifically to seniors?
- I didn’t have any other questions. Is there anything else you wanted to let me know, anything you thought I would have asked but didn’t?
Notice that I asked 10 questions that weren’t originally on my list.
Part of the reason I’m good at leading this type of conversation is that I record the interview and have it transcribed. When I try to trascribe the interview as I’m doing it, I’m so focused on the typing that I’m not open to cues in the conversation. If you have the same problem, you may want to try having your interviews transcribed, or recording them and then listening to the recording and jotting down only the quotes you think you’ll use.
Remember, interviews are a conversation. When you get that flow going, you’ll get better quotes, information you weren’t expecting, and ideas for future articles you can pitch.
Do you treat interviews like a conversation, or do you stick to your list? What are the pros and cons of your tactic? [lf]
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Mar 26, 2012 Advice, Interviewing, Sources
Great post. I pretty much follow the same interviewing tactic as you do. The only difference is, I come up with a list of ten questions to help me stay on target and let the conversation flow naturally from there.
I also record and transcribe my interviews. Can I ask what technology you use to record and transcribe? I still haven’t found the method that works best and most effective.
10 questions — great idea! That would really force you to think about your topic.
I do my interviews via Skype — it costs around $3 per month for the ability to call any US number from Skype. And I use a Skype recorder that cost around $15. It saves recordings as .mov files, which I upload to my transcriptionist’s FTP.
Oh, I agree so heartily! Interviews MUST be a conversation. If your typing/transcribing skills don’t allow you to engage in conversation then I guess you’re forced to transcribe it. I avoid that like car accidents, however. When possible, I interview on the phone so I can type directly onto the computer and I find most people can hear my fingers clicking in the background and will slow down their speaking to accommodate me. Furthermore, I’ve developed some shorthand over the years (eg: w for “with”) that helps speed things along. Also, if you review your notes quickly after making them you can usually fill in any gaps.
I have a Plantronics headset that keeps my hands and shoulders free while typing. IF you are recording, I think it’s essential to always have TWO recorders. I was recently interviewed by an academic for a doctoral thesis she’s writing and was pleased to see she had two recorders going. Also, she asked me permission to do this. Don’t forget to do that if you’re recording!
I think it’s a great idea to use a headset. Since I use Skype, I have my hands free to type in occasional notes…for example, I’ll often type in additional questions that I want to ask later in the conversation.
I ask if I can put them on speaker phone and record the conversation on my digital recorder — but I do take notes at the same time. I go back and forth between my questions and keeping the interview more “open/free” depending on what they say. When we finish, I immediately type sentences from my notes, only turning to my recorder if I want a direct quote or think I might be off-track with remembering something. I don’t always write the article right away but having the “notes” typed out makes the process much faster when I do. I rarely transcribe or pay someone to do it, but I do hold onto the recording for a while (at least until the article is published.) One other thing I also always do: Ask if I can call back if I have any questions; of course, they say yes, but I like to plant the seed that I might need more help — just in case — and like to think that I get a faster response when I have to do this (maybe only a few times in 20 some years.)
It sounds like you have a great system that works for you!
I didn’t include this, but I do the same as you…I ALWAYS ask if I can call or e-mail if any additional questions come up. Sources are always happy to oblige.
I pretty much do the same thing as you, eg., use a digital recorder and jot notes. I usually have a few questions I ask that cover the must-have info, but I also like more conversational interviews – so many interesting things come up when people aren’t just answering questions forthright. And, I do transcribe pretty much all of the tape. It is amazing the great quotes and little details you can find that perhaps you didn’t jot down or remember. For me, a transcript lays an excellent framework for where the story goes. Sometimes it practically writes the whole story. Often, extra stuff makes for a good sidebar. I also ask if I can reconnect if I have further questions or need clarification. Thanks for the great post.
Really good points on why you might want to transcribe your interviews…especially using material as a sidebar!
Great post! I will have to try to calm down for my next interview. They do make me nervous.