Planning a Successful Interview

The interviewing process a be exciting or nerve wrecking. Below are four great steps to a successful interview.

Research the subject. Nothing is worse than asking an obvious question. Asking questions that are considered general knowledge is not only embarrassing to the interviewer but potentially annoying to the interviewee. Collect all available background information on your subject to craft intelligent and sharp questions for the interview.

Outline the angle/focus. Not having an outline based on the angle or focus on the topic is like cross country driving without a map, one will get lost very quickly. The writer will lose track of the message and overwrite and the reader will lose interest.

Develop impactful questions. Ask a great question and your subject will be an open book, telling you everything you want to know and then some! Open-ended questions ask for explanations, details, advice and opinions on the subject matter. Great questions also pithy quotes that in turn create a great article.

Establish rapport. An interviewee never wants to feel interrogated. Diving into a barrage of questions creates tension and receives short and many times curt answers. Making "small talk" eases the interview process and allows the interviewer time to connect with the subject, discover similarities and personality. Again a subject at ease shares more information, gives great detail and doesn't mind taking time to explain a complex idea.