5 quick tips for more effective stakeholder interviews

Good interviewers listen, great ones know when to probe.

I’m a big Louis Theroux fan, and while his approach might not be best suited for your general client I think there are some valuable takeaways from his interview style.

• 😶 Pretend you know nothing
• 👂 Listen — I mean really listen
• 🙊 Don’t be afraid of silence
• 🕺 No power suits
• 👉 Probe, probe, probe

😶 You know nothing

The first one seems odd, right? Don’t act dumb — but it’s good to go in without any preconceived ideas about their business or product. This allows your participant to tell you everything from the basics and beyond.

Also, don’t forget to talk about their customers. It helps highlight what they know, but more importantly how much they don’t know. Which is great as that’s one of the reasons why they’ve hired you!

Which brings us to our second point.

👂 What was that again?

Listening isn’t always as easy as it sounds. How often have you waited for a gap in the conversation so you can add your two cents in? #Guilty 💁

Instead, take a genuine interest in the person you’re interviewing. It will help put them at ease and they won’t feel like they’re boring you with the details. Hint: we want the details!

🙊 Silence is golden

Silence is always a tricky one. I’ve yet to master this and don’t think I ever will.

If there’s a gap in conversation try not to jump in straight away. They might be collecting their thoughts or hoping you’ll move on to something different. If you think they need more guidance try asking them the question again. Word it differently as it might trigger a different response.

🕺 Put down the suit

Now hear me out, don’t dress like a slob but don’t go too formal. Business casual will work but it’s all about making people feel at ease. No one likes an interrogation, be friendly and approachable.

Instead of an interview think of it as a conversation about their business or product. We want them to be energetic and passionate rather than nervous and coy.

👉 Keep digging

Making sure to probe is probably one of the most important ones on this whole list. Always try to get more out of them from their first answer, don’t just move on to your next question. Sometimes it’s as simple as repeating their answer back to them. They’ll often pick up again and tell you some more insights in further detail.

Don’t forget to ask ‘Why?’. If they don’t like something — Why is that? What in particular puts them off? Is there a scenario where it would be suitable? How could it be improved? You get the idea…

It’s all about gaining a deeper understanding about them and their business. This can often feel like you’re repeating yourself. Yet it can encourage people to reveal more of the granular details!

Practice makes progress

At the end of the day being a good interviewer takes practice. I learn something new every time I do it. Always record the interview (with permission) so you can listen back and see how you could improve.

Conducting stakeholder interviews is a great opportunity for them to get to know you. Don’t be afraid to make it more like a discussion or friendly conversation.

Feel free to go over ideas, how you’ll run the project and what extra insights you’d like to gather. It will show you have a real vested interest in them which is great for building a solid relationship.

Good luck! 🍀

👏 if you found this handy at all!