Can you send me the questions beforehand?
As a former journalist, I’m very good at thinking quickly when it comes to interviewing. I can absorb prep material a half hour before the interview and fire off questions that come into my head. And the results are usually quite productive.
As a professional freelance writer, I still interview people for articles, press releases, bios, etc. And each time I call to set one of these things up, they ask, “Could you send me the questions in advance?”
This is so tough for me! I then have to delve into the topic right then, absorb the material and put together 5-10 questions without really knowing what the answers will be. It’s oh-so-tough for unorganized me to do the homework for an interview that far in advance, and frequently the questions end up being the whole interview instead of me being able to ask questions that come up naturally.
A sampling of questions I’ve written for interviews this week:
- How do you think [company name] has helped your business be a bigger part of the gay/lesbian community in San Diego?
- What are the ramifications of the recent EISA bill on the energy initiatives for your utility company?
- What are your goals for your social media outreach?
- Why did you choose those colors for the new logo?
- If your company was a shape, what comes to mind? Triangle, spiral, square?
