If you’re very clear about your objective, you’ll also be able to keep your interview more focused and to make sure you don’t drift off-topic.
Don’t ask any “yes” or “no” questions or questions that can be answered in just a few words. Ask questions that allow the person you’re interviewing to expand. Ask just one question at a time. Asking more than one at a time will overwhelm your interviewee. Ask questions that are relevant to your objectives. This is an important point. You can make them creative as long as they meet your needs. Don’t ask questions that are so broad that your subject doesn’t know how to answer them. Your subject should be directed enough to know what type of an answer you’re looking for.
If you know something about the hobbies or side-interests of the person you’re interviewing, you can casually bring them up. The subject will feel more at ease if he can talk about something that makes him comfortable, especially if it has nothing to do with the interview.
After you introduce yourself, you can say a bit about how the interview will go – say how long it will be, if there will be time for more casual conversation at the end, or anything else the subject will need to know beforehand.
Before you even start the interview, thank the person for taking the time to meet with you. If you’re at the person’s home or office, look around the room for some objects, such as paintings, photographs, or souvenirs that are displayed. The person put them up because he’s proud of them, so ask some basic questions to make the person open up. If the person is meeting you in your home or office or even a coffee shop, make sure the environment is comfortable by providing comfortable seating, relative privacy, and some tea, coffee, or snacks if you can. Make the person feel at home.
Always start out with questions that understand who the person is, understanding what they want, understand what the challenges are they’re facing, and what the path is they want to take so that you can help them achieve those goals. [5] X Expert Source Brett BaughmanLife Coach Expert Interview. 22 November 2022.
Pick up on important words or phrases that the person says. If they trigger something, you may be able to ask a completely new question that you hadn’t planned on. Listening intently will also make it easier for you to notice when the person is veering off track. If you don’t understand something the person says, don’t be afraid to ask. Getting back on track is better than having a potential miscommunication.
You should also be comfortable with some pauses or moments of silence. Let the person think for a minute before you jump in with more talk.
If the person just isn’t giving you a real answer, keep rephrasing the question or find a new mode of attack until you start to seeing the person being honest and forthcoming.
If the person doesn’t respond much to a question, you can rephrase it a bit by saying, “Can you think of another example to illustrate what you mean?”
Remember to keep things professional. Don’t get angry if the person is gaining control of the interview; just be calm and collected and you’ll be more likely to get things back in control than if you’re visibly upset.
