Interview Techniques for Reporters: How to Interview Reluctant or Talkative People

When you're struggling to make your article's deadline, a reluctant or talkative interview subject can seriously derail your writing process. The reluctant person won't give you the information or good quotes you're craving, and the talkative person gives you so much you're overwhelmed with information. Since you can't force the reluctant person to talk, and you can't yell at the talkative person to shut up, here are some tips to manipulate each into giving you a good interview.

Interview Tips for the Reluctant Person

Meet in a familiar place. People feel more relaxed at their own home than at your office. They are safe and secure in their own territory and more likely to open up. If meeting at your reluctant subject's home for an interview isn't possible, try a coffee shop or a restaurant. A cozy atmosphere will help your subject relax.

Smile, smile, smile. Put your reluctant subject at ease with a genuine smile. Chances are your reluctant interview subject has never been interviewed by someone from the media, and they are going to be nervous about saying the wrong thing.

Ask conversational questions first. If you come into the room, sit down, and start drilling your reluctant interview subject, she's going to clam up. Ask her how she's doing first. Reassure her about the process. Make some light-hearted jokes to break the ice.

Admit you don't know much about the topic. Reluctant people are often scared of sounding dumb, so by telling your interview subject that you are clueless, it puts your subject in a position of superiority. The reluctant interview subject will feel more confident in his own intelligence, and chances are he will be eager to share his information.

I have used all these tips to interview a reluctant person. For example, I interviewed a female police officer who was new to town, and she was so nervous. I met her at the local bakery, and when I asked how she was doing, she confessed her anxiety. I winked at her and told her, "Don't worry. I'm easy." She laughed and immediately warmed up to me and was able to give me the information I needed for the article.

Interview Tips for the Talkative Person

As a rookie reporter, I interviewed a woman who was famous for being extremely talkative. I made the mistake of asking a very open-ended question right at the beginning of the interview, and when we were finished, I had a couple hours of tape to sort through. It took me forever to transcribe the tape and figure out what information was pertinent to the article. These are the tips I've learned along the way to interviewing a talkative person.

Set a time limit when scheduling the interview. It's okay to remind your talkative interview subject that your time is precious. When setting up the interview appointment, let it be known you only have an hour to spend with her.

Keep your questions specific. Instead of asking how the talkative person is, get right to the task at hand. Keep to the topic by asking very pointed questions. Instead of saying, "Tell me about your project", ask "What techniques did you use to achieve this effect?"

Don't be afraid to redirect. If your talkative subject starts going off-topic during the interview, say so. Smile and say, "How interesting! Getting back to this specific project, tell me how long it took you to finish."

Keep a list of questions you need to ask. Since it's easy to get distracted in an interview with a talkative person, make sure you have a list to refer to.

Additional Tips for Interviewing Reluctant and Talkative People

Be alert. Sometimes your reluctant interview subject can become a talkative one, and vice versa.

Always treat your interview subject with respect. Both the reluctant person and the talkative person can be a pain to interview, and even though it's easy to get frustrated, do not let that show. Your job as reporter is to get that story, and that's not going to happen if your interview subject senses you are annoyed.

Although the reluctant and the talkative person are on opposite ends of the spectrum, with a little finesse, each interview will go smoothly and you'll be able to get the information you need and write your article, by your deadline.