7 Interview Tips for Better Thought Leadership Content
We all have an inner Oprah or Barbara Walters who can deliver successful interview experiences and cultivate compelling content. Tapping into this skill set requires a bit of practice, though. While writers can learn these skills in a variety of places (a journalism college course, for example), you may have had to learn them on your own without much direction. To help take your skills to the next level, we’re sharing our seven best practices for eliciting thought-provoking quotes during your next interview.
Go in easy
We recommend starting your interview by asking a few questions that have basic, factual answers. These can include “What’s your title at this company?” or “How long have you worked here?” or “Tell me a bit about the work your company does.” These questions are easy to answer. They put your interviewee at ease so they will feel less nervous and more confident from the start (because they already know these answers). Come prepared with six to eight questions of your own but leave the harder stuff for later.
2. Create follow-up questions in real time
You don’t need to be tied to the questions you prepared, especially if the interview goes in a surprising direction. Remain flexible. An interview lays the groundwork for you to explore and find some hidden gems in the interview content. You may not know about this hidden content since you’re not the subject matter expert, but a good interviewer will listen carefully and remain open to more powerful stories or content from the interviewee.
3. Establish trust quickly
Part of establishing trust is doing some research beforehand on the person or company you’ll be interviewing. A quick Google search or LinkedIn page can show you the person’s professional background, but a deeper dive (social media accounts, for example) offers you a glimpse into who they are as a person.
Maybe you find out they love volunteering at a local animal shelter, and you have that in common – mention it at the start. Or you might find out they’re passionate about supporting working parents in their area – there’s no harm asking about how they got involved while you share that you're also a working parent. Just keep it brief. If an interviewee sees that you’ve done your homework, it’s easier for them to trust you with their story.
4. Listen, listen, listen
Ask a brief but powerful question. Then, sit back, and listen. It’s tempting to break the silence when someone stops talking or pauses, but we recommend staying still for a bit longer than you’re used to. Some of the best quotes show up after someone gives you their first rambling answer. But to access that second, more powerful answer, you need to continue listening and hold off on speaking - even if the interviewer has given you their first 20-second answer. Just wait. You’re about to hit gold.
5. Show confidence by leading the interview
Depending on your communication style, it may be tempting to go off track and share your own story that relates to the topic at hand or talk about your weekend plans. Resist this urge.
First, your time is about the interviewee. Second, you will show this person respect when you keep to the interview time length you originally promised. Adding your own comments extends the interview time and can throw off your interviewee’s thought process. And third, this is about the interviewee and making space for their experience – not yours.
Another thing that helps is showcasing your confidence and leadership in managing the interview time and atmosphere. They will expect you to direct them and decide when to ask the next question. If you feel timid, that’s OK. Managing is a work in progress for many professionals, and there are resources out there to help you command the room effectively if you need to brush up.
6. Don’t rely on your memory
If you record an interview on your phone (Voice Memos is a great app for this), always take notes on paper as a backup. On the off chance that your recording didn’t start or didn’t work, you have saved yourself a lot of trouble.
As you write, we recommend you draw a star or circle near quotes you want to come back to. You can also look at your recording time and write down the minute and second next to the quote you love. That will save you time when you go back to get the quote word for word from the recording.
Other note-taking tips? Keep your notes in a spiral notepad or notebook so they stay organized. Silence your technology notifications so that you can remain present as you write. Start by asking if you’ve spelled your interviewee’s first and last name correctly on your notes - putting the person’s name and title up top is an easy way to keep things organized if you’re interviewing multiple people. Finally, write your notes - don’t type them. Studies show you retain more information and keep things clear when you have to parse out the most important bits of someone’s speech through your own handwriting instead of something typed on a computer.
7. Make your last question count
Your last question will usually sound something like, “What’s the last thing you want the audience to know about XYZ?” The interviewee will respond with, “Nothing, really. I think we covered it” And, then, they typically keep talking. This is where you can find some gold nugget quotes. Even if the interviewee says they don’t have much else to add, you’ll then hear them reflect back on what they said and what’s really important about the topic. So, stay silent. This is the moment when reflection turns into powerful quotes.
If you get to the last question and you still don’t have a powerful quote, hold off. Quickly add in a more human-oriented question that encourages an emotional response of some kind. Universal questions that elicit a more human response include “What’s the biggest obstacle XYZ faces right now?” or “What’s the greatest thing you’ve taken away from XYZ?” and even “What will you remember about XYZ five years from now?” Again, these encourage a more emotional answer, which works great as a way to end your story.
Need support with thought leadership content or with finding those great quotes? Comma can help. Contact us for a free 20-minute consultation.
