10 Tips for Better Interviews with Health Professionals

Marketers rely on interviews to add substance and credibility to our efforts – we can't just create this stuff out of thin air! The problem: doctors, nurses and administrators are busy. Chasing them down for interviews and coming through with dazzling quotes requires a bit of skill and some luck.

This week someone asked me how I got a general surgeon to open up for a physician profile. To be honest, the magic happened when I got him talking about Big 10 football. While every interview has a different dynamic and set of challenges, being prepared (and using your bag of tricks) can make life easier for you and for the people you interview.

Here are some tips for interviewing:

1. Write open-ended questions that lead down a logical, and ideally, conversational path.
2. Send an email with questions to the interviewee in advance. This gives the person an opportunity to review what you'll be covering.
3. Confirm the interviewee’s information. Ask for the spelling of their name, title, credentials, certifications and how they want to be referred to in the article.
4. Put yourself in their shoes. Some providers or administrators may prefer a fast-paced interview due to time constraints. Others may want to schedule an interview over lunch or choose the option to answer questions via email after hours.
5. Warm them up. Gauge the comfort level of the person you're interviewing. You may want to engage them in conversation to get things rolling.
6. Stay on track. Don't hesitate to refocus the conversation if an interviewee goes off in unintended directions or tangents.
7. Be clear about what you're after. Tell the interviewee you need a few strong quotes to support X, Y or Z, and they are likely to cooperate so you can get the job done.
8. Allow awkward silences. Don't break silence with your next question too quickly. Some of the best material comes a few seconds later, as an afterthought.
9. Rephrase the question if you aren’t getting the responses you hoped for. Or, move on and come back later, giving it time to ruminate.
10. Speak up if you don't understand something. This usually helps doctors and other professionals remember to keep it simple and straightforward, which is key in communicating effectively with your audience.

I hope these tips help you prepare for your next interview. Do you have any tips to add? Please share below.

This blog post was originally published on the Priority Blog at priorityresults.com/blog. Priority Integrated Marketing is now BlueSpire Strategic Marketing.