This week, we will cover the daunting task of interviewing. As a public relations professional, you will most likely have to conduct interviews at some point in your career. Here are some practical tips you can use to feel prepared and confident when the time comes for you to interview others.
The biggest piece of interviewing starts way before you even consider conducting one. An interview is pointless if you haven’t done any research. The last thing anybody wants is for someone to waste their time, which is exactly what happens when you conduct an interview without gathering background information first. There are many places to look for information as you curate your list of questions. You should start by doing an online search about your topic and about the person you are interviewing. This will eliminate many of the standard background questions and save you some time. Do some social media monitoring for the topic or organization that may be part of your search. A company website is a great place to start as well. There are so many places to look before you create your questions, but this research saves you time and aids you in uncovering the real story.
The next step is how to actually handle the interview. No matter how well you know or don’t know your source, they should be treated with the utmost respect. PR professionals should be communication experts, so I trust you all know what I mean when I say use your active listening skills. Shake your interviewee’s hand, then give them your full attention. If you are concerned with taking notes, it would be a good idea to record your interview so you can give good eye contact and nonverbal cues. You also need to be capable of reading the room. If your interviewee is bored, you may be asking questions you could find online. If they get excited, build on that. Your prepared questions are an outline, but for the sake of getting the bigger story, don’t be legalistic about sticking to it.
Lastly, interviews over email are a little different. Many of the same things apply such as doing your research and not wasting people’s time. But in an email, you will want to narrow your questions down to the most important questions you want answered. Narrow your questions down to a maximum of about six questions. Too many questions will make your source feel overwhelmed or too busy to respond at all. Keep it short and keep it simple. Here is a sample email to show you how it’s done.
Good morning,
My name is Trinity Goode, and I am doing some research on the upcoming Flannel Fest event held by your university. If you have some time, would you be willing to answer a couple of questions listed below to be featured in a press release?
- This is your first year helping run the events for Olivet! What has it been like seeing them come together from behind the scenes?
- What role do events like this play in building community at Olivet?
- How does this year’s event build on or differ from previous Flannel Fest celebrations?
- How do you hope students feel when they leave the event?
- Is there anything else you would like to add about Flannel Fest?
Thank you for your time. Please let me know if there is anything I can do for you.
Blessings,
Trinity Goode
