Feb
20
Interviewing Techniques
I got an email from a University of Texas at Dallas student who asked me for some pointers and tips on how to conduct an interview. I don’t claim to know everything about getting a great interview, but I have spent three years learning. My very first interview on camera was a disaster. I chose Adam Curry, former MTV VJ and co-founder of Mevio. He’s this dynamic guy who is extremely comfortable on camera. I was still a newbie and completely intimidated! I spent the entire interview staring like a deer caught in headlights, nodding a lot and saying “uh-huh” every two seconds. I didn’t hear a word Adam actually said.
What have I learned in the three years of practice?
Preparation
Some people do better when they prepare for an interview and some people like to wing it. You have to make that call for yourself. After my first experience interviewing Adam, I moved in the direction of over-preparing. I tried to learn everything I possibly could about the person and what they wanted to talk about. I had an agenda and a list of questions I wanted to had answered. I felt like I needed to know everything about them and know exactly how the interview was going to go ahead of time. Boy, did I learn that wasn’t the best method! I was focusing too much on my list of questions and missing what the people I was interviewing was actually saying.
You have to be willing to go with the flow. You can’t plan another person’s spontaneity, and spontaneity is usually where the good stuff happens.
Learn all you can about the person you’re talking to and what you’re talking to them about. Have a few questions that you absolutely want an answer to, but then it’s most important to shut-up and listen to what they’re actually saying. We’ve all heard interviews where the interviewer moves from question to question and it’s pretty clear they aren’t really listening. That makes people who actually ARE listening uncomfortable.
They may take you in a direction you aren’t planning to go. If it’s interesting or entertaining go with it. If it’s boring or just another sales pitch, take control and take them in a better, more interesting direction.
I believe conversations are more interesting than interviews. Strive to make people feel like they’re just having a great conversation.
Technical Decisions
There are three ways you can get audio for a video interview:
- On-camera mic
- Handheld mic: moving back and forth between you and the subject
- Two lapel mics: one on you and one on your subject
What you choose to use will depend on your goals for the interview and the amount you’re willing to invest.
For audio interviews, you have many options, from the Zoom H2 Recorder to a small portable Marantz to a more complicated mult-mic, plus Skype, mix-minus setup.
On Camera Technique
Remember the interview is about your subject. Make him/her look good.
A lot of people are scared of the camera and especially, the mic. Having something unfamiliar pushed in your face is uncomfortable. If you’re going to use a handheld mic, make sure you give the subject a heads up before starting the interview that you have to hold it close, and try to get them to ignore it and focus on you instead. Lapel mics are the least intrusive, so if you’re doing a lot of interviews, they’re definitely a good idea. Even when I warn people about my handheld mic, they almost always back up.
Keep it interesting. If you have a monotone but talkative subject, and it feels like it might be getting boring, use conversational techniques to create more interest. One of these is to repeat back what he said. Example:
Him: “I ran the cable from the office through the employee’s kitchen and into the conference room.”
You (animated): “You ran the cable all the way from the office, through the kitchen, into the conference room! Was the cable long enough? Did it reach?”
Draw the subject out if you need to. If you’re talking to a real character, enjoy it. Steer the conversation if you need to, but let an entertaining person be entertaining.
To wrap it up…
I’ve learned a lot in three years, but I’m learning more every time I get a chance to do a new interview. If you have additional suggestions please post in the comments below. I’d love to hear about your experiences!
