How to interview a ‘dud’
(Note: I’m writing this article from the perspective of a freelancer or communications pro who writes for a corporate magazine, newsletter, or something similar.)
There are “duds” in every walk of life. You probably have encountered one today.
You, to frowning checkout person at grocery store: Hey, there! How’s it going today?
Checkout person, not looking up: Beep… Beep… Beep…
You: Alrighty, then!
Unfortunately, not every person we interact with has the radiant, outgoing personality of a communications professional or freelance writer/journalist (wink, wink). Usually, we can either deal with these types quickly and move on or avoid them altogether. But what happens when we are tasked with interviewing a dud?
This is a moment when you really earn your money.
Probably eight out of 10 times, interview subjects are fairly happy to see you. They may be nervous and might not speak in perfect soundbites, but usually, people are somewhat flattered to have someone in the media (sorry if that word made you squirm a little) asking them what they think about things.
Occasionally, though, you run into a subject who would prefer a visit to a proctologist to being interviewed. Honestly, this is usually a result of the local contact for your organization not properly vetting the person to make sure he or she has the gift of gab and is amenable to the idea of being interviewed. (Ultimately, it’s your responsibility to make sure your contact knows what you’re looking for.)
The mistake often translates into interview exchanges like this:
You: Tell me, Mr. Manfrenjensen; what is your favorite thing about bullfrog farming?
Mr. Manfrenjensen, after a painfully long silence: I don’t know. Nothing I can think of.
You: Nothing? Surely there’s something!
Mr. Manfrenjensen, checking his watch and looking out the window: Uhhh… Uhh…
You: Just give me one thing. Anything.
Mr. Manfrenjensen: Well. I guess I like the bullfrogs pretty well.
And it goes on like this.
The bottom line is, not everyone likes to talk, let alone be interviewed, and there’s nothing you’re going to do to change that. Others may have been raised without any social training — not gonna change that, either. There’s probably a good reason why Mr. Manfrenjensen is a surly bullfrog farmer and not a game show host. (I’ve heard that bullfrog farmers are notoriously anti-social.) Sure, you may be able to break the ice a little by discovering an area of commonality between you, or by finding that person’s secret favorite hobby to discuss, but in most cases, you’ll be lucky to come away from this type of interview with anything good.
But you have to deliver a story.
In these excruciating cases, I’ve found that going to the basics is the best course of action. I usually begin by having Mr. Manfrenjensen give me the statistics of his farm. How many acres? How many, er, head of bullfrogs? Is it a family farm? How long has it been in the family?
Even a dud can answer these questions. It’s not philosophy, just facts.
After that, consider asking him about his wife, kids, and grandkids, if he has them. Even a world-class dud will lighten up a bit when discussing his grandchildren. Get all the hard and fast information from Mr. Manfrenjensen that you can before going in for the subjective questions.
You: Mr. Manfrenjensen, how the heck does one become a bullfrog farmer?
Mr. Manfrenjensen: Don’t know. Just did.
If he refuses to go there, then you at least have the framework for a story. But don’t give up until you give it the old college try. React to his surliness with enthusiasm and good nature, as if you haven’t noticed his behavior, and then flee the premises as soon as possible. There’s no reason to put the poor man through any more misery. Write a short profile, fill in with quotes from other sources, or make your awesome bullfrog photos a little bigger in the spread. So, what are the takeaways to interviewing a dud?
- Try to avoid it altogether by making sure your local contacts know what kind of subject you’re looking for.
- Be prepared for it when it happens; it eventually will.
- Ask questions about family to break the ice.
- At the very least, get the factual information.
- Be nice, write your story, and move on.
