Mastering the Feature Interviewee

Part 2 of this story series ...

So you've been assigned what we in the industry call a "puff piece," or, to put it another way, "a thumb sucker" -- the simplistic feature profile.

But is it really that simple?

A lot of "serious journalists" I know get these stories and immediately assume that this is one of the easiest pieces to write. Perhaps it's because features, unlike hard news stories, connote feelings of good will between the interviewer and interviewee. And in that case, my colleagues would be correct about its facileness.

But have you ever had an editor say to you, "This lead is flat?"

Basically, what they're telling you (in a phrase that equates to: "This sucks.") is that you haven't captured the essence of the person. You haven't made us want to read more. This copy is just filler, nothing more. Couldn't you have done something better to rub some sparkle into it?

If you approach the feature interviewee with this shoulder-shrug attitude, your story WILL be boring, and no one will read it past the first sentence.

So how do you master the feature interviewee? Here are some thoughts:

1) Get serious about story prep. Research, research, research this person before you walk into their realm and ask them questions. The more you know about someone beforehand, the more likely you'll begin to care about who they really are. And face it. Caring is the central component here.

2) Put the person at ease. If they're nervous about being interviewed or if they don't look at "the media" in a favorable light, you're going to get a lot of stilted one-word answers and superficial replies. So right at the get go, make sure this person knows you're a friend, not an enemy. You're there simply to tell a story. What I normally do is start off with saying a simple word: Thank you. I thank every person for spending time with me, for making an effort to clear their busy schedule to chat, for being willing to share with the readers their insights or experiences. I let them know that my readers will derive great benefit from their story -- and I do this even if I'm interviewing a child. People appreciate that idea, and you'll find that the stiff body language will soften. Soon, you'll get the answers you desire.

3) Use positive body language. Smile a lot. Laugh. Even if you're on the phone and they can't see you smiling, your positive vibes will come through to them. No one likes to talk to a grouch. So be nice, and your story will begin to take shape even as you type the person's words while they talk.

4) Decide in advance that you care. If you go into a story like this with the attitude that this is just a simple slam dunk assignment, your story WILL be boring. Convince yourself before you meet with the interviewee that your editor gave you this piece for a good reason (even if you don't see it). Then work like crazy to find out that reason for yourself. When you care about something genuinely, the questions will become profound, and the interviewee will sense that you have their interests at heart.

5) Don't let the interviewee's nervousness derail the interview. Be professional but courteous. If you're doing an interview where you're the one who is nervous (have you ever interviewed a celebrity?), then get a grip! This person is a regular person, just like you, although they may have accomplished fame in one way or another. So focus on what you have in common with them, and the rest will fall into place.

Now what if your interviewee is the subject of a controversial issue or news story? That requires another approach altogether. Tune in for part 3 of this series.

Mastering the Interview

When I tell people that I've been a journalist for 20 years, their first question is, "What magazines? What topics?"

They're surprised when I list the variety of publications, which range from military, to real estate, to engineering and information technology, to human resource issues, to entrepreneur issues.

"How do you know how to ask the right questions or have enough knowledge about each of those things to ask the questions?" they then ask.

Basically, I tell them, and I'll share with you, too -- it comes down to knowing how to interview people.

So let's start with the basics: What makes up a good story interview?

I'll sum it up in one word:

Curiosity.

Convey curiosity to anyone -- anyone -- about their topic in question, and you'll open the floodgates.

And how do you do that?

In my situation, I have the luxury of deadlines that are far off. In my newspaper days and wire service days, sometimes my deadlines were "five minutes ago." I didn't have time to think much about interview questions. But regardless of whether you have a lot of time to prepare, if you always convey to the person that you care about what they have to share, you'll get your story.

Think about it this way: You're sitting at a bar and in walks your favorite movie star. He or she sits down right next to you and starts small talk. What questions would you ask them? And what do you think your demeanor would be towards them? If you're like me, you'd probably fawn over them a little, smile a lot, make eye contact, nod your head ... and ask questions that would give them a little bit of an ego boost.

OK.

Now every interviewee from now on is that movie star.

I'm serious.

If you're just a small-town news reporter doing a profile on the local elementary school janitor who has worked for 50 years among children ... give him that movie star treatment.

If you're covering a highly-technical story on an engineering firm that will be giving a nuclear power plant an overhaul ... give that expert the movie star treatment.

If you're on a crime scene and need to glean information from a hard-as-nails cop ... give that cop the movie star treatment.

It works. I kid you not, it worked for me every time.

But sometimes the story does call for a little extra prep and thought.

So tune in for part 2 of this series, when we'll discuss Mastering the Feature Interviewee.

My Secret Weapon: Profnet

I interview people all over the world for my articles.

People ask me, "How on earth do you find them?"

I'm going to tell you my little secret, one that may cause you to scoff, but it's absolutely a gold mine for source digging:

PROFNET.

This is a service I used when I was a newswoman at The Associated Press in Harrisburg, PA. Initially, it was a resource for us when we needed to quote an expert -- or a professor -- to analyze a breaking news story.

Today, it's a massive database, filled with all types of experts to quote, including leaders of major corporations, politicians, military members, small business people -- you name it, they've got it.

If you haven't used the service (which is free, by the way), this is what you do:

Go to https://profnet.prnewswire.com/ProfNetHome.aspx and fill out a membership application. From there, you can search the Profnet database for the expertise you need. Not only that, you can put out a direct query, stating your story, your deadline, your qualifications on who can be quoted ... and voila. Watch your Inbox fill with the most fascinating people!

I know I sound like an advertisement, and believe me when I say I am NOT being paid for this blog entry. I just wanted to share with you that this is a fantastic resource, and it'll make your life SOOOOOOOOOOOO easy.

--Heidi Rafferty