Early in this series of guest blog posts, I mentioned that you should work smarter and not harder in your business, and one way to achieve this is to find multiple uses for your audio.

Interviews are perfect for this. They can start as a live teleseminar, then all or some of the recording can be added to a podcast and/or given away as a lead generation freebie. They can be made into products to sell or given away as bonuses. They can be added as content to membership sites. They can be transcribed so that the printed component can also be used for content and bonuses.

9 Tips for the Perfect Expert Interview

1. Research and draw up a list of potential interviewees. Remember to think laterally and include those who may not be experts in your own market but who have something specific to offer your target audience.
2. Don’t be afraid to ask for an interview. People really do want to talk about their areas of expertise and prove their skill in their field. If they have something of their own they want to promote, they’ll be even more eager to be interviewed.
3. Be respectful in your approach. When you contact a potential interviewee give them a brief outline of who you are, what the interview is for, and how to contact you for further information. Don’t inundate them with information nor send a one line request the first will make them resent the time you are taking up and the latter will appear rude and abrupt. If they are interested in being interviewed they will approach you for more information.
4. Always keep the interviewee in the loop before the interview. Let them know when and where the interview will take place and what you will be asking them. You don’t have to give your exact questions but a general overview of the structure of your interview will help put them at ease, and be a good guideline for you.
5. Make sure your recording equipment is in good condition and ready for the interview. Have a trial run with a friend if necessary. Don’t be afraid to run a brief test with the expert before you start the actual interview simply tell them you are checking the recording levels, which is standard practice for interviewers.
6. Do your homework and ask questions that will bring out the best of your expert’s knowledge. Always ask open ended questions that will give them the chance to talk for more than just a few words at a time. For example, instead of saying “You are currently writing a new book about candle making, aren’t you?” which will receive only a yes (or no) answer, you would ask “What can we look forward to in your new book on candle making?”
7. Listen to what is said and respond accordingly. If the expert answers one of your later questions as part of another response remember not to ask it again, it makes you look like you aren’t interested. Also, if something the expert says is really interesting or important, maybe something you hadn’t thought of before the interview, be prepared to ask them to elaborate further and maybe cover topics you hadn’t planned for.
8. Allow them some time to promote themselves, if they wish. You should always give them the opportunity to say how they can be contacted, what their website address is, or what their new book is called and where it is available. The interview should be of mutual benefit.
9. Always remember to thank your interviewee for their time and offer them a copy of the interview. If it is being used on a podcast, give them details of when and where they can access the broadcast they might just spread the word for you.

Naturally, these are just a few tips to becoming an expert at interviewing the experts but they should help put both you and your interviewee at ease. It is definitely worth pushing the boundaries of your comfort zone to become adept at interviews because they make such excellent sources of marketing and product creation material.

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