How To Pick The Right Interviewer For Your Video Interview
It’s possible your expert knowledge is difficult to communicate, so having the right interviewer is vital to conducting a great interview.
I once met with a client prior to us conducting her interview, and it turned into the worst interview ever. Before the interview everything went great, but here’s what she had to say about it after:
“I think he was a bit intimidating. That he had an agenda for himself. He couldn't steer it to get me to open up.” Even though the production environment was beautifully-lit, the energy between these two people wasn’t.
Today’s blog emphasizes how vital choosing the right interviewer is to creating great content.
As you begin the process of narrowing down which person you choose to interview you, the first action I recommend taking is gaining clarity on what your short and long-term goals are.
Picking an interviewer based on short term goals:
Minimize costs and maximize quality
Picking an interviewer based on long term goals:
Maximizes the long-term benefits of the interview, so it can drive your content strategy for the next 6 months
As you prepare to create video content for your business this quarter, picking the right interviewer either on your team or outside your team could help or hinder your overall content strategy. Here are four things to take into consideration when picking the right interviewer for your video interview:
1. The interviewer is a researcher for you
Ideally, your interviewer will have a background with your area of expertise: they’ve read what you publish, watch any interviews you’ve been in and understand how your work is relevant to your audience. Research will inform the conversation and ensure your communication goals are met. Another plus is if the interviewer has prior experience with your industry.
Dave Nottoli of WANTED Brand Strategy prepares to interview Ted Ning 21 June 2017. Photo courtesy of Malachi Tharp.
2. The Interviewer is someone who can humanize your expert knowledge
Our motto is to capture and deliver your expert knowledge, and part of being able to do that is setting you (the interviewee) for the delivery. The interviewer elicits a genuine authentic response -- that’s the secret sauce that’s going to help you resonate with people as a human and not a conveyer of information. The interviewer's role is to bring it all together by covering the important topics while keeping the focus on you.
3. The interviewer keeps you speaking to the right audience
Keeping you the interviewee speaking from a point that is appropriate for the audience you’re speaking to and what your intention is when using the videos is essential. For example, where are your potential customers in the buying cycle for your product, service or idea? How much do they probably already know about the subject matter? What technical or industry-specific language do they use?
4. The interviewer helps you speak to multiple audiences
During your interview, it’s important to cover as many relevant points as possible to ensure you are reaching all the main audiences who will be consuming your content. For instance, a more general audience may have very little knowledge of your area of expertise, so the interviewer should ask you questions that establish who you are and what you do. For audiences more familiar with the subject matter, the interviewer can drill into more detailed questions.
DocuKnowledge workshop "Video Strategy for Brands and Service Providers" 24 Aug. 2017. Photo courtesy of Malachi Tharp.
The key to successful interviews is to choose an interviewer who not only knows your work, audience and goals but is personable and receptive to you. An effective interviewer will create a safe and loving space that primes you to deliver your expert knowledge authentically. By choosing an interviewer with great energy and steers the conversation in line with your communication goals, you will have great material to fuel your content strategy for 6 months and beyond!
What could you do with 6 months worth of content?