Guest Author - Sharlene Thomas

Sooner or later, there comes a time when the best way to get information is to call your expert, directly. Journalists refer to this as the telephone interview; you may refer to it as simply, "getting the information straight from the horse's mouth."

If your call is to get specific information, you are, in fact, conducting a telephone interview, just like the journalist, and there are some things you should keep in mind to get the best results. Of course, it’s much easier if you’re calling a friend, they’ll be easier to reach and you can cut right to the chase.

But, if you simply want to speak with somebody who can give you the right answers, prepare a “cheat sheet,” first, and do your homework. Your cheat sheet should include the obvious: the company, its products, services, personnel, and a short summary of why and how you feel that particular person’s expertise will actually be of service to you.

Armed with that information, you can explain yourself concisely to the operator who will, in turn, not only appreciate your thoughtfulness but will also be able to connect you to the right person or their voice mail. Knowing your purpose makes it easier to leave an intelligent voice message that will be returned.

Advantages and Disadvantage of Telephone Interview

The advantage of calling for information is that the person you’re talking to is unable to see you or your cheat sheet notes in front of you! They don’t see hand gestures or facial expressions, either, all signs we use to help keep the flow of conversation moving in face-to-face meetings.

The disadvantage is that you are also missing their reaction to your questions and statements and things can easily be misinterpreted, and you’ll spend an inordinate amount of time defending and clarifying what you really meant. This is wasted time and a true cause of irritation to your expert. Cheat sheets are not “cheating,” they are planning and being prepared to conduct an interview in a professional manner.

Even if you think you know the person well, take the time to prepare in the same way as you would for a perfect stranger. Unless you are looking for the simple yes or no answer, creating a "cheat sheet" will show them that you are serious about your work and respect them enough to prepare for your time together.

Personality Matching Can Backfire If Overused

Be very careful about personality matching -- you know, that salesman's trick of matching your speech patterns (and, body movements, for face-to-face meetings) with your expert. They may have read the same book and they won’t be fooled! You want to keep your voice open and friendly, your questions concise and to the point, (but, do avoid Joe Friday monosyllabic phrasing, please) and your interviewee comfortable. This can only happen if you are prepared.

Make sure that you confirm who you are and the purpose of your call and reconfirm that you have the right party to interview at the beginning of a phone call.

I can't stress enough the importance of having a short list of questions written out with plenty of space in between for noting the answers. Since you are not interviewing as a detective, allow your expert to expand on answers. You’ll be surprised at how upcoming questions will be taken care of during these moments, and you’ll be able to ask for more details generated by those responses.

Learn the technique of repeating or rephrasing any questions or responses to let the person know that you have listened carefully and heard what they, in fact, said and not some personal interpretation of what you thought you heard. Remember, you’re not face-to-face and it’s easy to get distracted. Speaking of which, please don’t attempt an interview on your cell phone driving down the expressway! (I shouldn’t have had to mention that, but . . .) Repeating or rephrasing will also give you an opportunity to clearly think about how to phrase your next question.

Mini Checklist To Get Started

Here’s a mini-checklist to get you started:

1. Make sure your smile comes through your voice.
2. Speak clearly and directly into the mouthpiece of the phone.
3. Don’t talk with your phone on your shoulder.
4. Don’t smoke, chew gum, or drink anything while on the phone.
5. If you have a “little girl” voice, stand up to make your voice stronger.
6. Practice your questions over and over, again, until you remove all the ers, ahs, and ums, in your conversation.
7. Practice their company’s information over and over, until you pronounce important names correctly.
8. If you’re going to use a tape recorder, get their permission.

That’s all there is to it. Even with all that the Information Highway brings us, nothing replaces firsthand knowledge by someone who’s been there. Show a little respect for their experience and time and most experts will gladly help you. It’s the least you can do and, quite frankly, exactly what you would expect from someone calling you for advice.