How To Prepare To Interview Executives (and Then Write In Their Voice)

If you write marketing content in any capacity, whether as a copywriter with a marketing agency or a company’s marketing department, interviewing executives will likely be a part of your job. After all, who better to give insight into a company and its industry than the people that run it?

While we’d like to say there’s an art to interviewing executives, the truth is, it's no different than interviewing anyone else. The tried-and-true principles of interviewing techniques hold true no matter who your subject might be. Whether it’s Apple’s Tim Cook or the founder of an up-and-coming startup, the process is still the same.

That said, being prepared and doing extensive pre-interview research might be the most important part of the interview process. Let’s take a look at how the beginning legwork can ensure that the executive interview goes better than expected.

Be Prepared

It goes without saying that adequate preparation before an interview is crucial to its success. Without it, you could come across as amateurish or worse, unprofessional. Executives don’t have time to waste on ill-prepared or uninformed interviewers. 

Do The Research

After getting the go-ahead and setting up an interview date and time, you’ll want to do a deep dive into the executive’s background. Gather as much information as you can so that you’re armed with deep knowledge when you conduct the interview. Find out who they’ve worked for in the past, the topics they are passionate about, past accomplishments (especially those they are most proud of), and what they’ve done for their present company. Google will be your best friend during the research process.

Research other media coverage on your subject as well as recent press releases and information from their company’s website. Be sure to check out their social media accounts to get an idea of their life outside of the corporate environment. Humanizing your subject will help give a truly well-rounded view of the person behind the executive. It goes without saying that you need to research their company and its place within the industry. Start jotting down questions as they come to you.

Be Original

The goal is to come up with an interview format that’s fresh and original. To avoid being repetitive, read other interviews, profiles, or write-ups on your interviewee to get a sense of the types of questions they’ve been asked in the past. Then, brainstorm specific questions that you feel the subject hasn’t answered before. 

You should then be able to establish the scope and objective of the interview and arrange your questions in a logical order. Once you feel ready, it’s a good idea to give the interviewee an idea of what to expect. Letting your subject know the points that will be covered will give them ample time to do their own preparation. It will also ensure that the expectations of the interviewee and the interviewer are in sync.

Got Questions About Questions?

​​Part of the challenge of conducting an effective interview is writing the right interview questions. Questions should be clear and relevant to the scope of the interview. Avoid yes and no questions. To that end, think of open-ended questions that provoke a unique, thoughtful response. Above all, make sure to ask unbiased questions that don’t make judgmental assumptions about your interviewee or the topic of the interview. An interview should be a conversation, not an interrogation. 

Be Flexible and Prepared For Anything

Be well prepared with your questions, but be flexible as well. Remember that interviews don’t necessarily go as scripted. An especially stimulating conversation could lead you down unexpected paths, so be ready to go with the flow of the conversation. 

Here’s where truly listening to your subject will come into play. If you’re truly in the moment and engaged, you might be surprised at new questions that come up as the conversation shifts and turns. Seizing on those moments could help inform your finished piece in exciting ways you may not have expected.  

How To Write in Your Subject’s Voice

Generally, an executive’s achievements, background, thoughts, and personality will be the focus of your piece. So how do you get their personality and voice to come through in your writing? As with all types of writing, that can be a bit tricky, but you can follow some prescribed steps and refine them to your own style. Picking up on the little details will help you capture their voice and personality as you write your piece.

During the interview, pay close attention to their tone, cadence, sentence structure, common or repeated words or phrases, and their sense of humor. Also, observe their body language (unless the interview is via a phone call, of course). Observe their energy and how they express themselves. Are they reserved and serious or loose and funny? Are they emphatic and animated? Recognizing these traits will help you write a finished piece built around your subject’s voice.

A Final Word

As the interviewer, it’s your job to ensure that the interview is a good one. Remember that you control the circumstances, and being fully prepared will help steer the interview's direction. Interviewing is a learned skill; the more you do it, the better you will get at it. 

Need an editor or proofreader to help you polish your interview article into a work of art? Comma Copywriters has a team of expert editors who can do just that. Schedule a free consultation today to get started.