{"id":70120,"date":"2017-11-14T13:24:59","date_gmt":"2017-11-14T13:24:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.strattoncraig.com\/insight\/art-interview-7-hints-hacks-getting-nub\/"},"modified":"2025-03-07T17:18:24","modified_gmt":"2025-03-07T17:18:24","slug":"art-interview-7-hints-hacks-getting-nub","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.strattoncraig.com\/us\/insight\/art-interview-7-hints-hacks-getting-nub\/","title":{"rendered":"The art of the interview \u2013 7 hints and hacks for getting to the nub of it"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"
\nInterviews can strike dread in the hearts of people, whether you\u2019re an interviewer trying to glean some interesting titbits or an interviewee with a compelling story to tell. But they needn\u2019t be something to fear.
\nHumans are naturally inquisitive creatures and while you\u2019re no doubt there to tease information out of your subject, no one likes the idea of being interrogated. So, rule number one: if you\u2019re conducting an interview, treat it like you would a normal conversation.
\nOver the last 7 years as a freelance film and music journalist, I\u2019ve learned (sometimes the hard way) how to get the most out of an interviewee. If you\u2019re putting someone in the hot seat, these tips will help to make the interview more useful, informative and even enjoyable (no, really!).<\/p>\n

Do your research<\/strong><\/h3>\n

This may seem blindingly obvious, but it\u2019s a big one. If you\u2019re interviewing someone, be sure to read up on who they are and what their experience is \u2013 especially if they\u2019re someone with a public profile. What do you know about them already that you could potentially use to tease out some soundbytes? Have they worked with someone else of note? Do they have an exciting project in the pipeline? All of these approaches can lead to some interesting avenues of conversation.<\/p>\n

Small talk can go a long way<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Show a bit of empathy and don\u2019t be afraid to talk to your interviewee casually before launching in to your questions. The thing to remember is that, regardless of someone\u2019s profile, whether they\u2019re a CEO, an artist or a musician, they are ultimately a professional just like you. Once you\u2019ve got past any notions of awe, it\u2019s much easier to talk to them on a personal level.<\/p>\n

Think outside the box<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Chances are that if you\u2019re speaking to someone in the public eye, be it a politician or a musician, they\u2019ve probably been asked the dull stuff countless times before. And it\u2019s probably been reported in interviews countless times over. If there\u2019s something notable happening in their industry or sector, ask them for their take on the issue.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t use closed questions<\/strong><\/h3>\n

There are few things quite as inhibiting as \u2018yes or no\u2019 questions. The vast majority of interviewees will do you a favour and expand on their answers, but you shouldn’t bank on it. Just look at Michael Parkinson\u2019s nightmare interview with Meg Ryan<\/a>. Give your subject the opportunity to tell their own stories, or ask them to elaborate on statements they\u2019ve made in the past. Inviting them to tell you about something is much more likely to yield a more emotive response.<\/p>\n

Most people love to talk about themselves<\/strong><\/h3>\n

You\u2019ll find the odd exception here and there, but for the most part, people – and creative types in particular – get a kick out of talking about their processes, who they\u2019ve worked with and why they do what they do. This can only work in your favour.<\/p>\n

Be tactful<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Chances are you probably aren\u2019t an investigative journalist, so if your interviewee has made it clear that they\u2019re not comfortable discussing a particular topic, don\u2019t keep digging. Just ask Krishnan Guru-Murthy about his Tarantino interview<\/a>. It never ends well.<\/p>\n

Keep some questions in your back pocket<\/strong><\/h3>\n

It never hurts to have some default questions to fall back on if you find yourself stuck or the conversations hasn\u2019t flowed the way you\u2019d have liked. This is where a little bit of background knowledge about their chosen field could come in handy. Consider asking them more generally about their inspiration or a current event that might have affected the work that they do. Sometimes, it\u2019s some of these slightly off-topic questions that can yield the most fascinating answers, so don\u2019t be afraid to deviate away from the subject at hand.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Interviews can strike dread in the hearts of people, whether you\u2019re an interviewer trying to glean some interesting titbits or an interviewee with a compelling story to tell. But they needn\u2019t be something to fear. Humans are naturally inquisitive creatures and while you\u2019re no doubt there to tease information out of your subject, no one […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[314],"tags":[542,543,544,545],"class_list":["post-70120","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-copywriting-us","tag-freelance-journalist-us","tag-interview-hints-us","tag-interview-tips-us","tag-interviewing-people-us"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nThe art of the interview - Stratton Craig Written Communications<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Interviews can strike dread in people's hearts, but they don't need to. 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