Currently, an interview in business communications has the status of a full-format image material. Therefore, the preparation of exhaustive questions for future publication requires serious analytical work. When preparing a conversation, the interviewer's tasks include not only presenting a member of the business community, but also deciphering information for the target audience. Next, we will present a professional interview development guide from our publication, which is based on 50 interviews with business representatives, first-rate show business stars, designers, fashion designers, psychologists and many others.
Monitoring sources for interviews
Before starting to compile a list of interview questions, it is necessary to comprehensively study all information sources about the represented organization/opinion leader. This includes: a corporate website, publications in the media, and social networks of key employees of this business.
Special attention should be paid to previous interviews (if any). In this case, it will be easier to find out which questions about the business already have answers, which allows you not to repeat yourself when compiling your own pool of questions or ask other wording that will "highlight" already known information from other sides.
Sometimes, in general terms, it is worth getting acquainted with the field of activity of the future interlocutor, in order to be at least partially "in the topic".
Number of questions
Optimal number: 10-15 questions. Some questions can also be composite: the main question is supplemented with clarifying ones if necessary. For example, the question " Tell us what is the reason for such a huge success of project N?" can be updated. We add the question "How do you see the future prospects of this project?", and so on.
Main topics of the interview
The following positions are designated as defining semantic blocks of the interview::
- general information about the organization/person;
- corporate philosophy;
- success (preferably in numbers);
- key projects;
- key employees;
- industry issues;
- business social responsibility issues;
- prospects for development;
- hot announcements of planned projects;
- expert recommendations.
Questions about personal matters should preferably be avoided. They are appropriate in cases where the interviewee's field of business is closely related to this aspect. For example, organization of weddings and children's parties, family business, etc.) or on the eve of big holidays (New Year's Eve) as eyeliners for one of the topics.
Visual support
If a video format is being prepared, then everything is clear here. In the case of a text interview, the ideal design option is a personal photo shoot. If you can't hold a photo session, you should request 5-10 corporate photos from the organization. It is important that the photos fully reflect the topics covered.
Final provisions
The use of humor is appropriate in a professional context. At the same time, provocative questions "for the yellow press" in a business interview are unlikely to roll.
Be prepared for the fact that the text version of the material will be edited. This is necessary to ensure the integrity of the final material. And no one canceled edits from the interlocutor either.
Publish the material only when the final layout of the interview has been approved by the interviewee or their representatives.
This list goes on and on, but in this article we have outlined the main aspects that should be followed when preparing an interview. We wish you to try out this information genre as soon as possible in the framework of your business projects!
