Ask a question; received an answer.
Ask the next question; Get the next answer.
Repeat until done.
This is the basic formula of every job interview.
But having a successful interview requires more than just asking questions and having the interviewer answer them.
A good interview involves a thoughtful approach that makes the interviewer comfortable enough to share their thoughts and takes them on a journey that can lead to surprising answers (for both the interviewer and the interviewee).
As a reporter, editor and content marketer, I have interviewed thousands of people, from the random person on their street for a walk-and-talk segment to the well-known person sitting on stage in front of an audience. The way I approached interviews early on is different than the way I do it now.
To help you shorten the learning curve, here are some of the tricks I learned:
Know the purpose
Content marketers interview all types of people for all different reasons. You want to gain knowledge from a subject matter expert. You need to ghostwrite a thought leadership article for an executive. You want to know more about your customers’ experiences.
This is the basis for your interview strategy.
But you also need to know how the interview will be used. Do you take notes or get a transcription and write a written article? Will you post audio clips on social media or your brand’s website? Are you going to publish a video on YouTube? Are you conducting the interview live in front of an audience (virtual or in person)? Or do you use the interview for multiple tactics?
Knowing how to use the interview will help you get on the right path and get what you need out of the interview.
Prepare for the interview
You need to research both the topic and the person. How much research you do depends on your level of knowledge, but never overdo it.
A lot has been written about researching topics, but less about researching the interviewee. But both are crucial for a successful interview.
I look at what the person said or wrote. It may be on the same topic as the interview, or it may be something different, but it’s all informative. It gives me a better understanding of what they know, how they think, and how they communicate those thoughts. Not only does it help inform respondents, but it also allows me to prepare for how they might respond to these questions.
For example, if someone typically gives yes-no answers or writes absurdly short sentences and paragraphs, I’d better be prepared to ask follow-up questions to glean more information from them. If someone is writing tomes on a topic or going on and on about a question, I better be prepared to pause and move the conversation if someone deviates from the original topic.
If you’re conducting a live interview, such as a livestream or in-person event, conduct a pre-interview with the subject if possible. Use a video conferencing tool so you can meet face to face. During the 15-20 minute conversation, ask some of the planned questions and develop a rapport on the topic.
Wear the interviewee’s shoes
Building a bond, even if temporary, with the interview subject goes a long way toward providing great content.
Think about it. This person is trusting you, whom they know little or little about, to tell their story or share their insights with a public audience.
Some people feel comfortable with that. Others are hesitant, worried that the information they share may be misrepresented (unintentionally or intentionally).
Include a short bio, LinkedIn profile, and any other relevant links about you and your work in your early correspondence with the subject. This gives the interviewee an easy way to find out more about you.
Then tell us a little about yourself at the beginning or in the preliminary conversation. Share something that interests you about the topic or how you learned about the person. Talk about where you live or even the weather. Perhaps explain your role to them or provide a brief background on your relevant experience. You don’t have to verbalize your resume, but including parts of your life can help you build rapport and establish some credibility.
Before the interview, some subjects ask to see the questions. I completely understand it. You want to be prepared and not be faced with a question that surprises or upsets you. However, I do not send a list of all planned questions. Instead, I send a summary of what to expect in the interview and some of the questions. I explain that I cannot send out a long list of questions because I often leave the interviewee’s answers as the impetus for the next questions.
Do the interview
During my school years, I wrote down my questions and left space for the answers. I quickly learned that I never left enough room for the answers. I also learned that the formal question-and-answer style leads to stilted, banal interviews.
Now I write down a few key points or questions to create a coherent narrative. This helps me craft the story in front of a live audience and shortens the post-interview process of figuring out what to include in the content.
Find a style that suits you best. Just make sure you feel prepared and leave room for flexibility.
Too many interviewers stick with their planned questions. You just listen until the respondent completes the answer so they can move on to the next question. You don’t really hear what the person is saying. You miss the opportunity to ask a valuable follow-up question or invite the respondent to continue down this path.
If you listen well, you can also sense when the other person is going off topic or getting too deeply involved in the topic. You can bring the conversation back to the current topic. First, use non-verbal cues, such as: E.g., opening your mouth as if to speak, stopping nodding in agreement, or shuffling your note cards.
If they don’t understand the keyword, speak up to get the conversation going. Say something like, “That’s so interesting. I realize we could work on this for a lot longer, but I want to respect your time, so let me ask another question.” If the interview is live, say something like, “That’s great information.” I wish only, we would have all afternoon to talk more about it. But since we don’t, I ask you this…”
At the end of the interview, ask some form of these questions: “What haven’t I asked that you wish I had?” or “What else should our audience know about this?”
I find that these final answers often elicit responses that become the key quote or crux of the resulting content.
Repeat, repeat, repeat
When it comes to interviews, you never know what you’re going to get – that’s both the fun and the challenge of speaking to subject matter experts, executives, customers, etc. But know that every interview is an opportunity to refine your process. You can assess the style of the subject more quickly. You can find out what types of questions elicit better answers. You can see how much research you really need to do.
Luckily, improving your interview style doesn’t require practice, practice, and more practice. It requires interview, interview, and more interviews—all the while creating publishable content.
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Cover image by Joseph Kalinowski/Content Marketing Institute