One of the things I love most about my work is asking people questions. Because, if I can understand it, then I can write about it, and the better I understand it, the more like my clients the documents I prepare for them will sound. Sometimes, my clients just let me loose to find information on their topics, with directions as sparse as, “Research it.” But, often, the key to my understanding lies in effective interviewing. That’s when I get to sit down with someone, either in person or over the phone, and ask them questions about their area of expertise. My ability to write accurately and compellingly on a client’s behalf is directly dependent on how well or poorly the interviews go. Here are some strategies I’ve found helpful for getting the information I need:
Keep the End in Mind
Find a document that is similar to what you want yours to look like when it’s completed. It should match as closely as possible in length, tone, and purpose. It doesn’t matter who it was written by; it’s the structure that’s important. Now, look at that structure. Note what’s happening in each paragraph. I actually print the document and write in the margins when I go through this exercise, things like, “benefits,” “intro,” “problem/solution,” “features,” “call to action,” “contact info.” Now you can use those items to craft your questions: “What are the top three benefits of this product?” “What problem does this service solve?” “Who can readers contact for more information?” Etc.
Prepare in Advance
Although the person you will be talking to is the subject matter expert, do some research in advance to get a handle on the topic. Using this approach, you can get a high-level overview on your own and ask your interviewee for deeper details, or facts that may be specific to that person’s company, organization, product, service, or promotion.
Be Ready for Surprises
If the interviewee says something you don’t expect, be prepared to determine whether or not the new tangent is relevant for your piece. If it’s not, don’t be afraid to do what you need to do to get your interviewee back on track. (Try asking the next question or saying, “That’s interesting. Maybe we can come back to it once we’ve gone over the basic information.”) Remember, your purpose is to gather information that will help you write convincing copy for a website, brochure, article, or blog post, not to hear the interviewee’s life story.
Ask and You May or May Not Receive
Some people are just hard to talk to. They are shy, are afraid of giving the “wrong” answer, resent their boss making them talk to you, or simply don’t have a lot to say. There are a few strategies to try here:
- Try to warm up the interviewee with small talk about the weather, the current project, etc.
- Tell them what you’re getting at. Say, “In order to really showcase your abilities, I’d like to get some more details….” or “This is a really complex topic. Can you help me understand….”
- Ask questions in a way that can’t be answered “yes” or “no.”
- Accept brief answers as you go through your questions once, then go back and ask them again, requesting more details. Use phrases like, “I’d like to know more about….” or “I think readers would be interested in….”
- Ask questions in different ways, or multiple times.
Ask MORE Questions
Once you have covered the questions you prepared in advance, ask further questions to clarify, especially with technical topics. Remember, people love to talk about things they’re passionate about. Once you get them talking (see the section above if you can’t), they will usually have more to say than you really need to hear. So, don’t be shy about asking follow-up questions or additional questions that come to mind during the interview.
What other strategies have you come up with for effective interviewing? Let us know in the comments.
About the Author: Karen Marcus, M.A. is a Northern Colorado copywriter who has been helping clients in a wide range of industries to put their best word forward for 13 years.
Need assistance with an interview? Karen can help! Click here for contact info.
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[...] Effective interviewing = convincing, effective copy. And tech writing, too [...]