Interview Techniques That Work

One of the most challenging assignments I have undertaken as a writer was to interview a Zimbabwean politician named Edgar Tekere. Mr. Tekere was at that time, said to be the second most powerful man in his country after the President Robert Mugabe. There had been a fight in which White farmers had shot dead several blacks. Apparently in retaliation, Mr. Tekere, who was then the labor minister, led a group of armed blacks who shot dead several White farmers. The international outcry led to the sacking of Mr. Tekere. That was the setting of my interview with him.

I found a charming Mr. Tekere, bare-foot, waiting for me at the door of his room. The rapport was instant, so I was sure it was going to be the quickest and smoothest interview for me. However, try as I would, I could not bring Mr. Tekere to say a single word that I could report.

Inspiration Comes

At the point of despair, an inspiration came to me. I asked Mr. Tekere, “Suppose you found yourself in the same situation today, would you do what you did? “

Mr. Tekere looked at me in the eye as if I had asked a strange question. “If you go to a place where people are fighting, where people have killed others, do you go with your hands in your pocket?” The next day, an excerpt of the interview was on the front page with the heading, “I’m Proud of White’s Murder – Tekere.” A full four-page story followed the day after. I am happy to say the interview became an international top story. And it taught me a few things about an interview:

1. Decide what you want to achieve with your interview in advance.

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   Of course, the facts may force you to take the opposite viewpoint, but it is good to decide the goal of your interview ahead. What are you going to ask and why?

2. Write down your questions.

   Some writers say it’s better to write 20 questions if you intend to ask 10. Although I write down my questions, I don’t always follow them. I like to let the interview to flow naturally. But do write down your questions in advance, it helps to develop the theme of your interview, if it does nothing else.

3. Train yourself to carry as many facts in your head as you can.

   Scribbling when your interviewee is talking distracts. It breaks the flow of the conversation. And having a gadget such as a tape recorder running as you talk unnerves many interviewees. Your memory can actually do much more if you train it and trust it.

   Once I interviewed the American writer James Clavell, the author of the famous long running novels King Rat, Tai Pan and Shogun, without writing a single word down on paper. When a two-page story based on the interview was published, Mr. Clavell wondered how I had remembered “all those things” without writing them down.

4. Learn to discern the gems from the chatter.

   That means you should focus on the information you are going to use and make sure you get it right. Remember that an interview is a learning experience. Don’t be afraid to ask for clarifications, spellings of unusual words or names and so on. After all, if you knew everything, you wouldn’t be interviewing.