Article Writing: 16 Tips for a Better Face to Face Interview

I have done hundreds of face to face interviews throughout my writing career. What follows are sixteen tips to help you have the best and most enjoyable interviews possible.

Tip #1 for a face to face interview: Watch TV interviews.

Pay close attention to interviews conducted by TV news reporters. You will be doing something similar. Also, read interviews in newspapers and magazines.

Tip #2 for a face to face interview: Research your subject before you call.

Before you even consider calling the interviewee, learn as much as you can about your subject. A little knowledge may get a hesitant person to say, "Yes," instead of, "No." But don't act like you know it all. If you come across like you know everything, the person will feel as if there is no need to talk to you. Also, if you are denied an interview, you may still be able to write an article from your research.

Tip #3 for a face to face interview: Have your questions ready before calling.

You never know when a person can do the interview. I once called a man who said he wanted me to come to his office within the next fifteen minutes. I didn't have my questions ready, so I had to turn him down. Luckily, he agreed to meet a week later. I never let that happen to me, again.

Tip #4 for a face to face interview: Choose a quiet place.

If your subject wants to do an interview in his/her office, great. This is one of the best places since it is normally quiet. Some people may agree to do it in their homes. This is a good place, too, as long as there aren't children running around the house yelling. However, most people prefer to do an interview in a restaurant or coffee shop. I have found weekends are not a good time for this. It's too busy and noisy. On weekdays, most restaurants are fairly quiet between nine and eleven in the morning and two and four in the afternoon. Ask to be seated as far away from the kitchen as possible. You don't want to be forced to yell over pots and pans banging together. If you plan to meet in a coffee shop, pick one that is not well known. They tend to be quieter.

Tip #5 for a face to face interview: Always go prepared to take notes.

Even if you take a tape recorder, always go prepared to take notes. You never know if your recorder is going to work. I always take my plug-in cord and new batteries, but that does not guarantee the recorder won't die. The last thing you want is to be fumbling around trying to find pen and paper to take notes. It's a good idea to take notes even if you are recording it. You don't want to get home and find you have a blank tape and no notes.

Tip #6 for a face to face interview: Get to the chosen place early.

You never want to keep your interviewee waiting. This will get you off to a bad start. It is better for him/her to find you waiting rather than the other way around. Always know where you are meeting even if you have to make a special trip to the location a few days beforehand. If you have never met make sure you give a description of yourself and your vehicle and he or she does the same. Always wait in the waiting area. This way you will not miss seeing each other and you will be seated at the same time.

Tip #7 for a face to face interview: Offer to buy coffee if you meet in a restaurant or coffee shop.

Many times the interviewee will be so grateful you are interviewing him/her that he/she will turn your offer down and buy you a cup of coffee and something to eat. If you are meeting in someone's home and they offer you something to eat, accept it. This makes the person more comfortable. I once interviewed a restaurant owner at his restaurant and felt I should not have a free meal. He insisted I eat something and finally he said, "I'm going to fix you a chicken dinner," and went to the kitchen and returned with a complete meal and a soft drink. I learned he was so grateful I was interviewing him, that he would have given me the most expensive item on the menu if I had asked. (I was interviewing him about why he choose our city for his restaurant business and not about the food.)

Tip #8 for a face to face interview: If possible, don't jump right into the interview.

If you have time, chat a bit before you start the interview. This tends to relax both of you. You may even pick up a bit of information that you didn't think about.

Tip #9 for a face to face interview: Never ask an unpleasant question first.

If you need to ask an unpleasant question like, "How long did the affair go on before your spouse found out?" never ask it first unless it is the subject of the interview. You want the interviewee to be comfortable before you hit him/her with a question he/she may not want to answer.

Tip #10 for a face to face interview: Don't interrupt.

Once you start the interview and the interviewee answers a question then wanders off the subject, don't interrupt him/her. Let the interviewee talk. You might gleam some information you didn't know or thought about. I interviewed a local TV personality several years ago and by letting her talk, I was one of the first persons outside of her family and the studio to know she had been raped by a man who had raped several other women in the area before he was caught. She also told me her husband had divorced her because he couldn't handle the fact that she had been raped. Of course, I did not use this in my article. This just shows you that you never know what someone will tell you if you don't interrupt them. Some time later she told her TV audience about the incident but I don't think she ever told her audience her husband had divorce her over it.

Tip #11 for a face to face interview: Jot down any questions that occur to you during the interview.

Questions always pop into your mind during an interview. Jot them down and don't be afraid to ask them when you have the chance.

Tip #12 for a face to face interview: Always ask if you can contact the interviewee after the interview.

Once the interview is over, always ask if he/she can be contacted at a later date for any followup questions you may have. I have never had anyone turn me down, but you don't want to surprise someone with an unexpected phone call to clarify an answer.

Tip #13 for a face to face interview: Always thank the interviewee.

You always want to leave a good impression since you never know what will happen in the future. So always thank your interviewee. I have ended up interviewing people a second time some years later and have always been welcomed. It's even a good idea to sent the interviewee a thank you card.

Tip #14 for a face to face interview: Never include in you article information you were asked not to include.

You will be surprised how fast it will get around that you can't be trusted if you have written something you were asked not to. You don't want to find yourself on a list of interviewers no one wants to talk to.

Tip #15 for a face to face interview: If possible let the interviewee check the facts of your final draft before sending it in.

Before sending your article in, let the interviewee check it for any mistakes you may have made. However, always get approval from your editor before you do this. One editor became so angry when he discovered I did this he rejected everything I sent him after that--even if I told him in my cover letter that I did not let the interviewee check the article. I think he sent my articles back unread. On the other hand, I have had other editors tell me they wanted me to let the interviewee read the article before it was published to prevent errors.

Tip #16 for a face to face interview: Always make sure the interviewee receives a copy of the published article.

You always want the interviewee to see the finished product. And be prepared to explain any changes you or the editor made. This keeps you in good standing.