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You are here: Home / Guest Experts / Interviews: The one thing you MUST do

Guest Experts

Interviews: The one thing you MUST do

Editor’s Note: This is a guest post from Jennifer Miller. You can check out her past posts here.

I’ve interviewed over 500 people in the past 25 years. Many of those interviews yielded great stories. Some were a total bust. There’s a definite art to interviewing.

Researchers say there’s also a science.

Harvard researchers just published an article in the Harvard Business Review with the results of a study that dug into the rapport building that happens before job interviews. They found that small talk between candidates and interviewers — before structured questions begin — is really important in scoring how well job candidates were perceived. That’s because first impressions matter, and that small talk is part of what informs first impressions.

My take? This finding applies to any interview. I’ve found that making small talk before I interview someone for a story helps put them at ease. I simply start a conversation. When I get to the interview itself, I make sure it continues to feel like a conversation. I almost always get better, more detailed answers — and more raw emotion — this way. And that material makes for a much more powerful story.

The next time you’re interviewing someone, make sure it includes small talk. It’s the one step you can’t afford to skip.

Study cited: https://hbr.org/2016/09/should-you-chat-informally-before-an-interview

Want to know more? Contact me at: Jennifer.Miller@truesense.com

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About Vanessa Chase Lockshin

My name is Vanessa Chase Lockshin, and I want to empower you to tell your story. In my personal life, finding ways to tell my stories has been a transformational practice. In my fundraising life, I’ve helped hundreds of organizations tell their stories to engage and inspire their donors. To date, my work has helped non-profits raise over $10 million.

« Book Review: The Happy, Healthy Nonprofit
Non-Profit Storytelling Resource Round Up – Vol. 28 »

Hi there!

My name is Vanessa Chase Lockshin and I've helped non-profits raise over $10 million by telling stories that engage and inspire donors. I'm the author of The Storytelling Non-Profit: A practical guide to telling stories that raise money and awareness, and the creator of immersive online training programs that have trained thousands of non-profit professionals. Read More…

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