The best way to quickly get quality information for your blog or website is to interview an expert.

Experts provide you with a storehouse of knowledge so vast that it takes a lifetime to learn. In fact, that’s why they are “experts”; they have spent many years learning their trade and will probably be happy to share their experience.

The phrase “interview an expert” can sound intimidating, so let’s change it. You are going to meet a new friend.

I spent over twenty years in the TV production business interviewing everyone from high level politicians to psycho killers. (Okay, don’t joke about how the two are scarily similar. 🙂

Sometimes I had time to prepare for interviews, but often I didn’t.

These are the five things I learned that were necessary for any interview to be a success.

1. Help them feel comfortable.

Some people are naturals on camera, but about 90% of us are nervous Nellies. Someone who is scared or intimidated will not be able to do their best.

I always considered my number 1 priority to be helping people feel comfortable with me, the camera, and the interview process.

I did this largely by assuring them that they looked good and sounded great. Honestly, sometimes this was an outright lie, but I said it anyway.

I’d joke about using the special “skinny filter” or say something like, “Now people at home don’t want to always be looking at those skinny models on TV, they’d rather see real people like you and me.”

There. That is NOT a lie and would help calm her racing heart. Plus, including me makes me a supportive ally. I’m not a beauty queen either!

In the world of journalism, you can only go so far by reassuring your subject, but in business there are no limits. Reassure them that you are on their side. Your job is to make them look good. If you can, let them know that they will have some, or even complete control over the final product.

The reason people are afraid usually comes down to trust and control. They know that you have the power to make them look like an idiotic bully if you want to, no matter what they say during the interview.

Face it, if YOU remain in full control of the production, it would be silly not to be nervous. Make them trust you and assure them that they are not your pawn. A quiet person is willing to share the depths of his heart and mind.

2. A good interview is a conversation, not an interrogation.

Grilling someone cop-style will calm them down quicker than anything else. Ask questions as if you met this person at a party and were fascinated by his work.

Most people LOVE to talk about their interests. My job was to shut up and listen.

Just like when you meet someone at a social event, chances are if you express genuine interest in them, they’ll be happy to continue the conversation from there.

Especially if I walked into a blind interview, my first question would be something extremely broad like, “So, Dr. Smith, tell me about your work.” Then I would listen very carefully and my second question would be what seemed logical once they stopped talking. Often a broad question like that would get them talking for five or ten minutes. Sometimes that was all he needed. Interview finished!

Often my questions weren’t even questions, they were statements. After hearing someone tell me about her problems, I’d say something like, “That must have been really hard for you,” then they’d tell me the details. Asking a question like this helps you appear empathetic.

From time to time, I would share something personal about myself. That part would always be removed, but doing so helped them feel less weird.

Most interview tips start with “Make a list of questions beforehand.” Okay, I agree that it is beneficial to do that, especially if you are a beginner. However, nothing bores a listener more than an interviewer who sticks to a prepared list of questions instead of directing the conversation logically. If you stick to your prepared list, your questions often sound like they’re coming out of left field.

A list of prepared questions is best used as a reminder during the interview about the topics and angles you want to cover. On very rare occasions, your pre-written questions would appropriately sound stuck in the middle of a conversation. Rewrite them as you go to make them flow better.

3. Interview the expert with your audience in mind, not you.

As with any publication of information, an expert interview should be conducted with your audience in mind. Who are you really talking to? The answer to that question determines the language you use and the depth of your questions.

Is your audience professional in the subject area? If so, then use the jargon and go deeper. If, on the other hand, you have an audience of laymen, avoid jargon and keep it general. I have interviewed hundreds of doctors and often had to ask them to explain things to me in simpler terms. It didn’t matter that I personally understood a myocardial infarction to mean a heart attack. I knew my audience probably wouldn’t.

4. When asking questions, always remember to ask who, what, when, where, why and how.

Those six little words are the principles of journalism, and often boil down to everything there is to know about a topic.

Who cares? Who is affected? Who does not?

What is affecting them? Define all aspects of it.

When is it relevant? Give time frames to add perspective.

“Where” can be asked in various ways. The obvious is, “where did it happen?” What is not so obvious is, “where can people go to learn more?” and “where can people go to avoid this?

“Why” is also a small multifaceted gift. Why it happens? Why doesn’t it happen? Because it is important? Why is this happening? Why do you say that?

How is this possible? How do you know that? How can people help? How is all this going to affect us?

The more questions you ask people, the easier it becomes. “Really? Tell me more, please.”

5. End the interview with “Is there anything you would like to add?”

Nine times out of ten, the best interview answer would come with that final question.

After someone has explained the big picture, you’ll have all the information spinning in your head, and you’ll be able to summarize the whole thing in a few words at that point. That’s what television loves, short, sweet and to the point.

As an interviewer, he was well known for continuing the interview for twenty minutes or more depending on the answer to what was supposed to be my last question. He often brought up the most interesting aspects, usually the ones she hadn’t even considered.

To be a good interviewer, I couldn’t let my ego think I knew everything. THEY were the experts; He only had a camera and a microphone. There’s no way I can think of every question and that’s fine. My experts used to be grateful that I gave them the chance to break new ground. Unless, of course, they’d worn them out, in which case they’d say, “No, I think we’ve covered it all.”

Let’s pack our bags and go home. That was easier than I thought! More fun too.