The art of interviewing

Storytelling works great for non-profit organizations, as it allows you to directly show the impact your organization has made on someone’s life. But in order to get those good stories, you need to know how to ask that someone the right questions.

Everyone has a story to tell but some will naturally tell theirs better than others; you need to know how to carefully and gently draw it out. 

Over the years, we’ve interviewed dozens of people to tell their stories; stories that show the impact an organization made on their lives. Often, these stories are not easy ones to talk about. We’ve interviewed survivors of domestic violence, parents of children who suffered an anaphylactic reaction, people who once struggled with homelessness, and refugees to Canada. 

There’s an art to interviewing when your goal is to tell a person’s story. Preparing a list of questions beforehand is helpful but not if you’re going to just jump into interview mode and ask all the questions on your list. The interview process isn’t about an interrogation, it’s about having a conversation. 

Here are some tips to holding good interviews.

Put the interviewee at ease. One of the easiest ways to start any interview is to simply say: “tell me about {insert topic here}.” It’s an uncomplicated conversation starter that sets the tone for an easy-going chat. They start talking, you listen and ask follow-up questions. Sometimes an interviewee will tell the entire story just by being asked that one simple question.

Ask one question at a time. You don’t want to overwhelm your interviewee. Asking multi-part questions will only result in the person answering one part of the question and disregarding the rest. 

Use playback tactics to check your understanding. If you’re not clear on something, say: “so what you’re saying is…is that correct?” Not only will this help you better understand what they said, but it will often prompt the interviewee to elaborate even further, filling out the story with even greater detail. 

Listen, listen, listen. Your follow up questions won’t come from your list, they’ll come from listening to what the person has to say. A great follow-up question is to ask, why. The best or deepest part of the story is often found in that answer.

Finish with an open-ended question. The best way to end an interview is to ask if they would like to add anything else. It may not feel like a sophisticated question but it’s as useful as the uncomplicated conversation starter and helps make sure you get the whole story.  

Remember, every day we use stories to inform, entertain, teach and persuade. Listening closely to everything your interviewee has to say will help you build a meaningful, more authentic connection, which will help you share more meaningful, authentic stories.