Get the best possible content from your interviews. Here’s a guide.

In a story-driven profession like fundraising, a great interview can make a massive difference to your results. 

There’ve been times I’ve been tempted to send direct mail donors just the interview transcript and a donation form in their packs because the interviews were so profoundly moving. And times I’ve had to scrap and scrape to create good work because the base interview material was poor.

Here are my tips from thirty years of interviewing for news and current affairs, documentaries, and charity fundraising.

Fundamentals:

• Set up your interview so the interviewee is comfortable. Ask them if they are happy to go ahead (even if they’re expecting you and have already given permission). If you are recording the interview, tell them so and make sure they consent. Let them know the interview is not about ‘soundbites’, but genuinely about understanding their story. Let them know they’re in control; if they don’t want to answer a question, they don’t have to. 

• Capture the plot and the reactions. Plot is ‘what happened when’. Reaction is the emotional (or other) response to particular occasions in the plot. You might choose to manage the interview by capturing the plot in a linear, methodical way, then go back and ask for reactions. Or, you can capture one piece of plot and get the reaction, then move onto the next piece of narrative, etc. The first way is probably better if you are a less experienced interviewer.

• Write out your questions in advance (use the plot and reaction method), but be prepared to adapt/ditch/change them. The preparation will help make sure you don’t forget to ask the key questions, but active listening will help you respond to what the person is saying. Sometimes an interviewee will give you wonderful material you did not expect. Don’t miss the opportunity to explore it because you’re sticking slavishly to pre-written questions.

• Try to get detail that will help paint a ‘mind’s eye’ picture. “Do you remember where you were when you told the kids about your diagnosis?” “Talk me through a typical day when you were in the camp.” “What went through your head when they told you there was a treatment that might work for you?” “What did you have to do to find a place to sleep towards the end of every day?” “Give me some examples of how your Mum’s behaviour was changing.” “What did Kid name do to comfort himself when that was happening to him?” You can go into even more detail if you like, but the important thing is to make the information as real and tangible as you can for the people you’ll eventually be sharing it with. Detail can do that.

• Always ask your interviewee if there is anything they want to say that you haven’t asked them about. Every now and then you’ll get a piece of gold from that invitation.

• Learn to be quiet and not comment, make judgement or interrupt a person while they’re talking. You may need to prompt or be empathetic, but make sure you give them the space to say what they want. 

Handling tricky situations:

• Your interviewee rambles off into territory that is not of particular use or interest to you. That’s tough, and it means the interview will likely take longer than you had hoped. But the respectful thing to do is just let them speak. Make or write notes about anything you want to bring them back to. Don’t give them any spades to dig their rabbit hole with (ie don’t affirm or ask further questions). When they are done, simply ask another question to bring them back to the main focus.

• Your interviewee says bugger-all. Also tricky – and this is where you need to help them by asking for detail. Obviously, don’t ask questions which can be answered by “yes” or “no”. Do try prompts like “Can you tell me a bit more about that?” or “What else did you feel/say/do?”

• Your interviewee gets upset. This happens a lot in interviews for fundraising. Your first job here is to not cause further hurt or harm. Start by reacting like a human. “I am sorry that happened to you.” Or “That sounds really awful and upsetting.” Give them the option to move away from your line of questioning. “How about we leave that for a bit and come back to it later?” Or, if you can give them a break by asking them a really positive/dramatically different question. “So tell me what you find most annoying about your (dying) husband? I want to know about all his terrible habits!” Or, “Do you remember what he was wearing when you met him?” Or, “What’s been the most positive thing about this experience for you?” If you can help a person get through upsetting bits, you may well earn the trust to come back and ask them hard questions again later.