Since we so often get our stories by interviewing people, it’s important to make those interviews effective at not only getting the story, but getting the emotional content of it.
Here’s a LinkedIn post by Rachel Zant on getting emotional stories with some great interview tips:
- Don’t call it an interview. It’s a chat or a conversation. Put them at ease.
- Keep your mouth shut and your heart open. It can be tempting to fill any silences with your voice. Don’t let them talk. At their pace.
- Ask questions that focus on feelings rather than facts. Facts are easy to get -- by email, or from third parties. Feelings are the important part (and feelings often lead to the more telling facts).
- Ask questions about impact. Find out the difference that was made. Not just the things that happened.
- Save the best question for last: “Is there anything else you’d like to tell me?” You might even ask while starting to pack up your stuff to go.
