Be a Better Interviewer

August 22, 2008 · Comments

I’m about to start interviewing people for my book with Julien Smith. We’re definitely planning to put our best foot forward on this, and as part of that, I’m looking into ways to be a better interviewer. Fortunately, I get to be the guest often. That’s a lot less difficult. Here I am being interviewed by the (very!) prepared Jim Canterucci.

We don’t always have to re-invent the wheel. There are some great interviewers out there doing amazing work. If you take a little bit of time to research how the pros do it, you can learn a lot. The trick is this: listen to or watch a full interview, and WRITE DOWN THE QUESTIONS and TOPICS covered. Then, go back and deconstruct what you just heard. Rate each question for how the guest answers, and whether or not the answer sung versus just flopped. Ask yourself whether it was the interviewer or the guest who could’ve done better.

Now, let’s look at some examples. Take out your notebooks and start picking this apart. Let’s look at how the pros do it, and see what we can take back.

Best of the Best

In my estimation, Terry Gross from NPR’s Fresh Air is the best in the business right now. You’re welcome to disagree. Here’s her body of work. You want to learn some great interviewing tips? Learn from Terry.

Learn from Larry

Larry King has several years of interviewing all kinds of world leaders. That can be easy. World leaders make world news. What about entertainers? That’s harder, more obscure (believe it or not). Look how Larry deals with entertainers. The lesson here? Research helps, but then, so does flexibility.

Here’s Larry interviewing Motley Crue:

Larry with Christina Aguilera:

Notice how he leads off. He gives a bit of their most recent bio. He does this thing where he says something like, “You’re doing this new thing. What got you started doing that? or Why do that?” That lets the guest go right into the thing they’re most passionate about. And that’s the good part.

Larry blows it in some of these interviews. He calls Christina a softer singer, which would be the opposite. But listen how he turns it around, and just lets it go past. That’s half Christina and half Larry. Look what Jerry Seinfeld does when Larry gets something wrong with him:

So, if you’re the guest, you have some power. If you’re the interviewer, steer that boat back out of the whitewater fast, or it could spin out of control.

What About Tricky Guests?

Another great interviewer was Johnny Carson. He did it a different way, and the show was essentially a series of promotions that could double as entertainment. But what you should learn from Johnny is velocity. Who better to test that with than Jim Carrey?

Okay, you just thought about Robin Williams as a rough guest. Here he is with Ellen:

Advice here? Go with it.

And Now for You

Lots of my blog posts end with questions. Do you know why? Because interviewers are very curious, and they want to hear from the other person. It’s a conversation, but it’s also a showcase of another person’s capabilities, ideas, and thoughts.

So now it’s your turn. What else can you tell us about interviews?

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  • Hi Chris,

    When I interview people, the first thing I tell someone before we get going is this...

    "Your words and story are in my hands. I'll be the one crafting the story, so feel free to tell me what you'd like."

    This little tip often lets the interviewee feel less nervous and more comfortable before things get going. Feeling comfortable allows everyone to have an open conversation and engaging conversation.

    Hope this helps!
  • The foundation to a good interview is research. I think from there you just have to go with the flow.

    Always end a serious interview on a light tone, and be quick to go down (new) paths that may be hinted at by the person being interviewed.

    The thing with "entertainer" interviews is they usually have something to sell. Example with the Motley interview: You notice that they totally "suck up" to Larry King because he IS Larry King. I've seen them do some shockers over the years.

    With business people, it's a different story. They're usually trying to gain publicity but at the same time not do any damage to their brand. Sometimes you have to lead them along, make them feel at ease or you'll get a dull interview.

    Politicians are the worst: You never get a Yes or No answer. They waffle along to waste time so that they don't get caught in a bad sound bite - and, the more waffle (time wasting) the less questions.

    A good interview is one where you let the guest have their say/views, question them, bring out some of their personality and doing all that should end up with a positive for both interviewer and interviewee.

    Just my 2 cents.
  • Chris,

    Thanks for mentioning me at the top of the post as a very prepared interviewer. Frankly, you're a pro, thus an easy guest.

    My job as an interviewer is to bring great content to my community - online or in the more traditional media. I think of the community as a constituency, which implies a responsibility to them. Winging it isn't going to cut it. But, like all pros, making it look like it was easy and smooth is the target. This comes from preparation.

    I'm being interviewed later today by a non-media community leader. Last week she called and asked if I should be introduced as the author of Personal Brilliance, or the author of My Personal Brilliance (our web site). Whoa!!!

    I said, "You're going to read my book before the interview right?" See, if she isn't fully vested in her guest being of value to her audience, they will be able to tell. I know it's hard and time consuming, but why are you doing this? If it's to say you have a podcast or article or whatever, stay home. Give value!

    Have you ever eaten in a restaurant and realized that the server had never gone out to eat before? Restaurant owners should allocate a budget to send their servers to competitive eateries, not to spy, but to experience what it's like on the other side of the microphone. Interviewers should do that too.

    I would have preferred being described as a brilliant, insightful, mind-blowing, or earth shifting interviewer, :) but being (very!) prepared is the only thing that makes the other adjectives possible.

    As always, You're Brilliant!
    Jim
  • Taking some time to write about the topic of the interview has helped me enormously. It creates a comfort zone - well-thought phrases articulated the way I want them to be said.

    Also, the way I write pushes me to consider possible responses. This allows me (as a guest) to map out an interview before I enter it.

    Good post. It's not easy to interview or be interviewed. It takes a lot more preparation than a brilliant host like Larry King makes it seem (the best always make it look easy).
  • Fantastic post Chris.

    Man alive, Seinfeld really got fired up. Would be interesting to see how his other interviews (Seinfelds) went, around the time of the Bee Movie.

    I imagine having (or faking really well) a genuine interest in the person would be quite important. What they are saying, who they are, what they've done.

    Which is what you and Jim have said. Preparation.
  • Chris:

    Loved your podcast with Jim Canterucci - of course I'm partial - you and Jim are BOTH brilliant! It's unique because although you talk about social media and tools we seem to learn more about what makes you brilliant. Love your social media tips!

    Holly
  • I like interviews that begin with something casual, even humorous. A totally off-the-wall question like "Boxers or briefs?" (Obviously not THAT question, but something funny). It's a nice icebreaker for everyone involved. It relaxes the situation for the person being interviewed and for the audience. Start 'em off with a smile, and they'll stick with you through the whole deal!

    Best wishes!
  • Hi Chris

    I find that a good pre-interview talk sets the interview up for success. Relaxed guests are happy and willing to share.

    Put people at ease by answering *their* questions about who you are, what you're after and what your podcast/book/show is all about. Be completely transparent about your intentions.

    Before and interview I tell my guests "You'll know the answer to every question I ask." And I make sure they do.

    And don't be afraid if during the interview the conversation wanders. Follow it wherever it goes. Often it will come back around full circle and cover some fascinating ground getting there. You can edit out the fluff later.

    In short: Be friendly, open and transparent before the interview and often people will repay you with great material during the interview.

    Just my two-cents.

    Thanks for all the great food for thought on social networking!

    Keith
  • I am a big fan of keeping it simple, start with some yes and no's to get them warmed up then move to POV oriented questions and I am a big fan of ending with "is there anything you would have expected me to ask that I did not"-- if there are some awkward questions sometimes self deprication can help in that you expose a little of yourself so they will be more open with you. Making the interviewee know some of your foibles allows them to really open up.

    Just my POV.
  • It can be really instructive to learn from bad interviewers, too. For instance, Jay Leno is not the best interviewer. He tends not to listen to the answers his guests provide... sometimes the camera even catches him looking elsewhere or otherwise off in la-la land. It's so important to actively listen, because if you're perceptive enough to ask good follow-up questions, it can lead you in unexpected (and often good!) directions.
  • As a former journalist (Time magazine bureau chief in Jerusalem and Chicago), I had the good fortune to interview all sorts of characters. I've also been interviewed enough to see what annoys me.

    A few brief thoughts:

    Prepare. Thoroughly.

    Be very forthright about why you're doing the interview and the context in which the interview will appear.

    Before you jump in with questions, give them a sense of who you are. Yes, (most) reporters are human. They just don't reveal it enough. Nothing bothers me more than when a reporter calls and starts peppering me with questions before I have the slightest sense of who I'm talking to.

    Let the silence linger after an answer when you sense there is more. There often is.

    No gotcha questions, not if you want to be able to face the mirror in the morning.

    Give them a chance to rephrase themselves if they are struggling for the right words.

    The point of an interview is not to make the interviewer look clever. Strangely, this is easily forgotten.

    Nothing is more important to an interviewee than feeling they've been understood. If you don't understand something, you're not done with the interview.

    Finally, I'll toss in a favorite quote from Rousseau:
    "What wisdom can you find that is greater than kindness?"
  • Chris,

    I like to ask "what are you passionate about?" as an ice breaker. It gives the interviewee the opportunity to take the conversation immediately to a place of comfort.

    Kevin
  • I've been interviewing stand-up comedians at my job since the start of June, and wow, this is really helps, thanks so much!
  • Ralph S.
    Hi Chris,

    Dick Gordon structures his interview so that it tells a story. The story I heard today hit a chord with me. And, as a bonus, you will find an interview on the topic of social media at 40 minute mark (with a different guest). I think you will like it :)

    http://thestory.org/archive/the_story_587_One_T...

    -Allen
  • Chris,
    Since you're interviewing people for a book and not an evening news program, you can share your questions with them ahead of time. People aren't used to being interviewed, and they can sometimes feel unprepared. By sharing your questions (not everything, but something to give them a general direction) you can help them remember that great anecdote, send you a link to the video or something else to help you in the process of telling their story.
    ahg3
  • I've found that the tips I got from Larry lawfer and Mark Blevis at the first Podcamp Boston are the best:

    1.Listen to interviews- Terry gross, Ira Glass, Larry King- the people who have a style you like, and take lessons from it.

    2. Being a good interviewer is like being a good date- you should come prepared, ask questions that let people open up and run with it, and be a good listener.

    3. I look at interviews as being guided conversations. I'll ask people in advance if they want questions in advance, so they can be prepared too, but I tell them these are only roadmaps/benchmarks for information i would like to cover.

    4. If you are going to do these as a podcast, edit them, and give people a chance to correc t what they want to say- take out some of the ums, and uuuhhs and make both of you look good during the editing process. This puts interiewees at ease, knowing that your goal is to make them sound awesome, not play gotcha.

    And, feel free to come to Podcamp Philly and we'll talk about interviews some more during a session!
  • Agree with all of these tips - they are excellent and I'll be sure to share them with my students.

    The best advice I have is to keep it conversational - being a book interview and not a live, TV interview, you'll have lots of opportunity to edit, so that's a bonus.

    Have in your mind ahead of time what you want to get from the person you are interviewing. You've already done your research on them (I'm assuming) so you will have a good idea of the answers you want from them. This will help you forumulate good questions and have good follow-up questions.

    On the list of don'ts? If it's someone who gets interviewed a lot, don't ask them the same questions everyone else does. (Example: Don't ask the Barenaked Ladies how they got the name for their band.) Memorable interviewers are ones who challenge their subjects to cover new ground.

    Canada's best inteviewer, in my opinion, is George Stroumboulopoulis, of CBC's "The Hour". You can download some of his podcasts here or on iTunes. http://www.cbc.ca/thehour/allvideos.php
  • Thanks Whitney for your comments. It seems many of the people here understand that knowing something about your subject and person before hand is essential. Being genuinely interested in what they are doing allows the artificial situation of an on air interview feel more real. It is never about you the interviewer, it is always about the person being interviewed. Being interviewed a lot of times, as Chris suggests here, does not make you good at interviewing. Being curious about the person and what they do, and being prepared with questions that are not the usual questions does allow you to engage the person on a far deeper level. That is what makes Terry Gross so good.

    It is true, as has been mentioned above, that celebrity interviews have nothing in common with real people interviews. Treating your interviewee as a star is always a good tactic unless it is smarmy, or self serving. Kissing ass, like Larry King does constantly, is fake and not to be believed outside the realm of his celebrity interviews. Use this tactic at your peril. Being honest with the person you are interviewing, being accurate with what you know and the interest you show is important. There is nothing better than leaving the scene of your recent interview knowing you provided an opportunity for your interviewee to really open up and share their story. Remember it is about them!
  • Liz
    I always start with the easy questions, how the person got started doing what they do, what was the genesis for the project they are promoting. You give them the opportunity to first tell the story they came to tell, that they are prepared to tell. So many interviewers go on and on and the guest never actually gets to say/plug/promote/teach what they are passionate about. Guide, don't control.

    Now that the person is comfortable talking and has said what they really wanted to share, you can ask more complex or challenging questions. You shouldn't have a list of questions, you should have a list of areas of discussion you'd like to touch on. Don't adhere to a strict list of questions because then it indicates to the guest that the list is more important to you than listening to her/his responses. This a typical mistake for beginning interviewers because most people are nervous when they do this the first few times and it is easier to follow a script than give up control.

    Now that they've had their chance to tell the story they wanted to tell and you have a well-researched list of topics you think would be interesting to cover, listen, really listen to his/her answers and draw your questions from what has just been shared with you.

    A lot of times when I interview, someone is reluctant to answer a very direct question. But if you can get them to relax & just talk, you can pick up on things they are saying (the mention of a colleague, their first book, a favorite teacher, where they love to vacation, the biggest obstacle they faced, etc.), and ask a follow-up question which can draw information out. I have to say that I always develop the best rapport and people reveal the most candid information in follow-up questions. It shows that you are really listening to what they are saying and what the guest is sharing is more important to you than following a script.

    So, research and have a list of "possible" topics (always more than you need), get the guest to tell the story they want to tell, gently work your way to any awkward, challenging or direct questions by listening to what they are saying and take your lead from the verbal and bodily cues (often tone of voice) that you are picking up.

    And never go too long! Don't make the guest feel like they are trapped because you want to ask every question. If you make the interview a pleasant, bonding experience, it will be easy to schedule a follow-up interview to address any areas that you didn't have time to touch on or any questions that occur to you later. Respect the amount of time the person has allotted to talk to you and don't push for more...it's easier to come back than to change the bad impression that you are a selfish interviewer.

    Luckily, probably 90% of the time, I end up with too much material or run out of time. The biggest challenge is when you have a guarded guest, someone who is miserly in giving out information or who is suspicious of you, your project or your motives. That can be an impossible situation but that could be the topic for another comment one day.
  • I agree with what many have said above. Just to reiterate the two points I think are the most important:

    1. Research. The more you know about the topic/interviewee the better. When I was first starting out as a journalist, I used to think I was interviewing the person to learn from them, so it was OK if I didn't know that much about the topic. However, I've learned now that the more research you do, the more informed and specific your questions can be and the more the subject respects you in the end.

    2. Listen. This is key. It's very easy to have your list of questions and just ask them one after another, even if it's not logical to the conversation you're having. Instead, use your questions as a guide, but let the conversation flow naturally. Like other posters have said, this can be where you get the best stuff. And you can always come back to your skipped questions later. This is also the tricky part though, because this means you may have to deviate from the script, which can be a little intimidating. But practice makes it easier.
  • I'm in violent agreement with much of the above. I would hope that preparation is a given.

    I always start by trying to find some common ground with the subject -- working mother? school age children? used to live in San Francisco? Tell them something about yourself that puts you on equal footing. Additionally, if you're 100 percent sure it's a friendly interview (lie about this and you'll lose all credibility) then say so. I think many people's biggest concern is that you're somehow out to make them look bad.

    Think of your questions as conversation starters. Go back to them if things get slow, but don't be afraid to see where they take you. If there are questions you HAVE to have answers to, highlight them in your notes.

    Like a few of the above, I always ask at the end - "is there anything you want to tell me that I didn't ask about?"
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