One of the primary reasons I relish my job as a freelance writer is that I love being cut off from face-to-face, interpersonal connections. With the exception of my husband, my daughter, Lorna, and my Starbucks barista, I can go days without making contact with the outside world.
So imagine my dismay when a recent job offer included interviewing not one, but two prominent nonprofit leaders. Interviewing has never been my forte, and this is human contact in one of its most harsh forms. So I immediately pawned the job off on Lorna, begging severe social anxiety. However, Lorna, as we all know, will be giving birth any day now. Add to that the fact that she recently landed an interview job of her own (and her subject was actually more intimidating than my own), and it seemed I was doomed to face my interviewing anxieties.
For those freelancers who share an equal terror of all things human-related, or for those of you who could use a refresher on a writing angle that will probably come up in your freelancing career, here are some tips I compiled to get me through the panic and right to a stellar article.
Be Prepared
Do your research on the subject you will be interviewing. Lorna’s subject actually did the same on her—he Googled her before the interview and landed, of all places, on this blog. Has your subject given interviews before? Try not to ask the same kinds of questions. Is she passionate about something? Try to work that into the conversation. Having a basic grasp of who you are interviewing will go a long way in making you feel more comfortable.
Be Unprepared
If you’re really trying for the humanistic angle, it might actually be better to go in with nothing more than an open mind. Most subjects are proud and happy to be interviewed; even the most hardened professional is happy to get a little fame. You may find that your questions quickly disappear in an easy rapport and in the storytelling abilities of your subject. Being held too rigidly in a set of predetermined questions might make the overall effect of your interview and article suffer.
Be Friendly
Don’t let any nerves show. If, like me, you get intimidated not only by having to (gasp!) talk to people, but by the actual person you are interviewing, it might be easy to fall into a pit of low self-confidence. Unfortunately, this will often make you come across as aloof or even rude. Think about it: if someone was interviewing you, would you rather she loosen up and crack a few jokes or sit there like an ice queen?
Be Detached
Don’t be too friendly. This depends on the rapport you build with the subject through the interview—you should be able to tell early on whether or not your subject wants a quick and dirty, professional talk or a more laid-back chat. In the latter case, being too laid-back might make you miss your opportunity to get to the really good questions or even to the heart of the matter. Your entire interview can be wasted if you don’t maintain some unbiased distance.
Be Professional
Whether your interview is over the phone or in person, it is important to maintain a semblance of professionalism. Don’t do a phone interview in the car. Make sure your kids are safely tucked away. Don’t eat, chew gum, or do the dishes while you talk. Give the subject your entire focus and make sure he knows that he is number one on your mind.
Be Yourself
You got hired to do this job, not some super-polished robotic interview machine who knows all the right things to say and is already an expert on the subject. If you admit to not understanding something the subject says, it might open up a dialogue. If you share a little something about yourself, the subject might be more open to sharing something deeper, as well.
Interviewing, like all things, will get better with time and practice. And if I just image that my subject is wearing a Starbucks apron and is holding out my double tall nonfat latte, I might be able to get through this thing and have fun doing it.
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These are all great tips. I would like to add: Do not–repeat, do not be afraid to ask the person to repeat something, explain something, or just talk slower. A lot of folks are just not used to being interviewed and will talk way faster than your notebook or keyboard can keep up. Even if they’re a bigwig who’s used to getting media inquiries, you’re not going to make yourself look silly with an “Excuse me, but I want to make sure I get you quoted accurately. Could you please speak a little more slowly?”
Congrats, by the way–it sounds like the piece went well.
I’ll add to the above commenter that it’s often good to stretch out a silence while you write stuff down. The subject usually fills in the silence hole with more good material.
Also: I botched my first interview horribly. The subject was a media expert, vs. me, stammering and sounding uncertain and asking the most obvious questions ever. I couldn’t use any of it. When it was over I allowed myself several hours to freak out. Then, when I thought about it, I realized 1) I could have been better prepared, 2) how to get that way next time, and 3) the guy was a total jerk. Sure enough, later interviews went MUCH better, especially after I explained I was new at this freelance thing.
@Christa–yes! Don’t be afraid of the uncomfortable silence–if you’re feeling like you need to fill the silence with talking, remember that your source probably is too, and if you wait long enough, s/he will. (But don’t, you know, make them too nervous.)
Another good tactic is to ask a throwaway question so you can finish writing down everything from the previous question. “Is that your dog in the picture? What’s his name?”
Great feedback so far! I would like to pose a question, though.
Is most of your experience in phone interviews or face-to-face interviews? I get the feeling quite a few interviews are done by phone these days. How does that impact the interviewing process?
That first interview was by phone, and so were the ones that followed it up. In fact, I rarely did face-to-face interviews, even before I had kids.
I don’t think it matters. While true that you’re missing out on some body language and what a person’s setting looks like, you can still hear the tone of their voice (like when you’re losing them, when they want the interview to end, and when they’re really into it). Phone interviews work for me, plus they allow for a broader range of experience because I can talk to anyone anywhere in the country (if I’m writing the kind of article that calls for it).
It’s email interviews that lose the most in translation IMO, plus not many people like to type so much!
My first face to face was also with a well known non profit. Weird. When I came home and listened to the recording I realized I interrupted a bit and sometimes tried to finish his sentences!
LESSON: Don’t do that! and listen to your audio for additional tips before your next interview.
Hi Tamara - Wonderful tips. I too hate the thought of getting out and about. But, once you do it, you feel so much better don’t you?
Sometimes, I think you learn far more from your encounters with other people than from anything else you do.