Finding phone interviews a tough deal?

Phone interview recording tips to liven up journalist interviews

“I hate phone interviews. You never know whether the person on the other end is yawning or flipping through a magazine”, sighs Anne a reporter for a local tabloid inNew Jersey. Though phone interviews are more convenient and save nail biting hours waiting in the reception, it is tough to know whether the interviewee is being honest or interested enough in answering.

We’ve cobbled together a list of the difficult and how to get through them.

• Do a dress rehearsal

Mid interview is not the best time to find out whether your line is clear or if there is a problem with the recording. Make a call to a long suffering friend, see if the phone line is clear and ensure your call is recorded perfectly, before making the actual calls. Dropped calls can make both you and your interviewee feeling either frustrated or disinterested.

• No rambling questions

As it is a phone interview you cannot wave your hands to make bleary eyed interviewees sit up. Keep the questions as brief as possible so there are little chances of your interviewee losing focus or not staying focused enough in the conversation.

• Sound super excited

Sound energetic throughout the interview. Don’t slouch, put the television on in mute or wear shabby clothes just because nobody’s looking at you. Dressing up professionally and standing or sitting erect can make you sound like you mean business.

It is just your voice that is reaches your interviewee. Sounding monotonous can bore people. Journalists are not voice over artists but varying the inflections of your voice and speaking like you are right there help in better sounding phone interviews.

• Stock questions will get stock answers

Straight out of the can questions get bland and uninspiring answers. While on a phone interview it is even more imperative to frame questions on the go. Weave in spur of the moment questions ones related to the answers given, to keep the conversation alive.