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Conducting Interviews? ASK MIKE

By Michael Stelzner

Whether you write white papers, articles, case studies or blog posts, interviews SHOULD BE a key source of information.

Why?

Because the best information lives inside someone else’s head.

For example, just today I was on the phone with the founder of a company. As we were talking, I asked a few questions and out came some amazing responses that are great gems for my paper. I could have never found that information any other way.

A recent teleclass attendee named Chris emailed me and asked,

Do you email questions ahead of time so your interviewees have time to prepare responses? Do you do the interview on the phone or in person?

Here is my response:

First, I presume you are interviewing an expert who knows his or her stuff.

I don’t email questions: I like to fly from the hip when I interview. The reason I prefer NOT to send questions is because sometimes your responses might be canned or worse yet, they might come over email. When you ask questions live, you benefit from the ability to dig deeper, ask clarifying questions or repeat back, “So what I hear you saying is…”

I avoid face-to-face interviews: Most all of my interviews are done over the phone. I prefer this method because it takes a lot less time for both parties and I can wear a t-shirt and jeans. I have rarely found a situation too complex that it could not be conveyed over the phone.

Actually conducting a great interview is an art form. Be sure to check out this article, Extracting Pearls from Other People’s Brains: The Art of Interviewing.

What interviewing tips or strategies would you recommend? Do you send questions ahead of time?

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, July 10th, 2007 at 5:09 am and is filed under Writing White Papers. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

  • I used to email the questions ahead of time to give them time to prepare - but it never failed that when we got on the phone the first thing they would say is "Sorry, I haven't had time to read the questions you sent over..."
  • For the record everyone, Arvind (a client) actually asked me to email him questions. Against the grain for me, but I want to make my clients happy.
  • Hi Arvind;

    Thanks!! :)

    Mike
  • Arvind Pawar
    Hey Mike, great blog.. and now i know who is interviewing me for the mobile article.

    You simply rock..

    Arvind.
  • Hi Kim;

    Thanks for stopping in!

    Maybe I need to consider FreeConferenceCalls.

    Are the really free??

    Mike
  • Well, I loved the dialogue around this issue. Certainly, with copywriting clients, I found that interviewing them on what it is they are looking for - the project parameters, deadlines and expectations - is a central part of the co-creative process. I've used freeconferencecalls.com to record the conversations, and then use the recording to write the Project Proposal. This process has worked well in the past.

    I also use their service to record interviews for the many ebooks I write for clients. It saves me time, and allows me to relax "into" the interview - I know that I don't have to do anything else but be "present", and 100% attentive.

    And, Mike, I agree with you whole-heartedly about the value of reaching into someone else's mind to provide substance and depth to any topic! Not only that, it makes it more fun for the writer - and more "fun" means better writing.
  • Hi Elizabeth;

    I like to do face-to-face interviews, however it is just not an option most of the time for me because my clients are not local.

    Thanks for stopping by!

    Mike
  • I actually like to interview in person, whenever logistically possible. My subjects are always women and I have found that I get the richest information when the subject feels a personal connection with me. In order to feel comfortable disclosing intimate details of their life, a connection is really key. So, my feeling is that the subject of the interview must be a key element of how the interview is conducted.

    Oh- and I take notes but also use a Sony ICD-P320 recorded in order to get their words exactly right.
  • Maria Doyle
    Yes, and yes, they are downloadable.

    I use The Network Connection for transcriptions.
  • Hi Maria;

    Thanks for your message.

    FreeConference charges about $16 an hour to record a call, is that correct?

    Do you know if that can be downloaded?

    Who do you use for transcripts?

    All my best!

    Mike
  • Maria Doyle
    I have been using FreeConference.com to record the calls when I interview people. The recordings generally run about $8 for 30 min. This way I can go back and check if I've missed something.

    Even better, I have started having the recordings transcribed. This is done professionally (FreeConference can send a recommendation, I use the Network Connection.). For under $100, I have a whole transcript of the call & can pull out quotes or other information I need. I have been told that you can use the free Microsoft speech tools, or software like Dragon Naturally speaking to transcribe, but I have not tried this yet.
  • I guess I focus better but I'm worried that I'm not going to get the quotes down correctly and with the writing that I'm doing, that's what makes the articles interesting. Maybe I'm just paranoid :) or just not experienced enough to listen and write at the same time.

    Thanks for your time on this.
  • Lisa - When I write my notes, I find I am processing what they are saying better and listening better. - Mike
  • Thanks for the link. I'll check it out. I've used paper and pen in the past, but I find that I can't write fast enough to keep up. Plus, then I'm thinking about what they said a minute ago and not listening to what they're saying now. I always feel one step behind. I don't know if the recorder will work for me, but here's hoping! Again, thanks for the link. I'll check it out.

    Lisa
  • Hi Lisa;

    I use very old fashion equipment...

    A pen and clip board :)

    You might want to check this out: http://www.whitepapersource.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=378

    Mike
  • Mike, I have a quick question. When doing telephone interviews, what type of equipment do you use? I purchased a digital recorder, but not the phone connection cord that I probably need to make the recordings more clear. Any tips?

    Thanks,

    Lisa
  • I should clarify that I send a high-level white paper outline, not an outline of discussion topics.
  • Tom;

    I only share what the topic of discussion will be.

    For example, "The history of mobile phones" or "The benefits of automated xyz..."

    I also send along an outline to provide context.

    Because I am often dealing with highly busy folks who are also experts, I find that by not providing questions, I make their interest in the call go up.

    Once they are on the call, I ask very challenging questions.

    I very rarely come up against the "let me research that" objection because of who I talk to.

    Mike
  • When I'm talking to someone about a specific project, I always send a short list of sample questions so they can dig out any information they need.

    That avoids the dreaded "I'll have to get back to you with that information" interview roadblock.
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