If you need to interview someone for an article but you have never interviewed before, it can be frightening. Here are some tips for preparing for and conducting a successful interview.
If the person is a known author or speaker, take the time to read or listened to his/her work, or at least get familiar with his/her most recent or most important work. If the interview will cover events, review whatever is known publicly about those events.
Being a recording device(录音设备). You can use your phone or an audio recorder. In this way you needn't struggle to write things down. And this will make it easier to include direct quotes when you start writing.
Remember to make it a conversation rather than a list of questions. Prepared questions are just a guideline. . You can also try to ask your interviewee about his/her personal thoughts and reactions to events and people they deal with.
Appropriate feedback(反馈) is also important. Feel free to say words that show you are listening, like “yeah” and “Mmmm”. You can also give more facial feedback like smiling.
If the interviewee changes suddenly from one line of thought to another, lead them back to the area you are focusing on. Guide the interview but don't keep interrupting with many questions.
A. Politely ask if you can interview them.
B. Do your homework before you pick up the phone.
C. Then you can focus all your attention on the interview.
D. Consider how all the questions can be asked in a short time.
E. Nodding your head can be an encouragement to the interviewee.
F. In order to get the information you need, you should guide the interview.
G. You can try to ask questions based on what they have said to you in previous responses.
