5 Steps to Take BEFORE Doing an Interview
Interviewing an expert can be one of the most time-consuming and potentially frustrating parts of writing copy. But if done correctly, it can be the most important thing you do to create a successful sales piece.
The person you’re interviewing has knowledge you may not be able to get anywhere else. But, especially in the healthcare and investing fields, experts you’re interviewing speak "a different language" that you’ll need to understand and then translate into layman’s terms for your sale.
Properly worded questions can help you uncover differences between the product you’re selling and your competitors’ product. A well-conducted interview will also give you an outsider’s perspective on your product. With the right preparation, you can uncover all the information quickly.
So, knowing how important the interview is – and that you only get to do it once – here are 5 steps you can take to prepare.
KNOW YOUR TOPIC AND YOUR PURPOSE FOR WRITING THIS MARKETING PIECE.
Whether you’re writing a sales letter, a new website, or a feature article for a newsletter, you need to clearly define your objectives. Is your goal to prospect for new clients? Is it to sell your product? Is it to inform and educate readers of your newsletter?
SCHEDULE THE INTERVIEW RIGHT AWAY.
The person you’re interviewing is busy. So you can’t expect him to drop everything on the spur of the moment to talk to you for 30 minutes.
Call to set up an appointment as soon as you know you’re going to need to speak with him. Set up the interview at his earliest convenience. This shows you are respectful of his time and gives both of you time to prepare.
FIND OUT WHERE YOU CAN GO TO LEARN MORE ABOUT YOUR TOPIC.
This is a question you should ask when you are first hired for the assignment. Whether you will be gathering materials that have already been published or researching information online on a complicated subject, you need to start thinking about this immediately.
The more complicated the subject or procedure, the more difficult it may be to find information. But that may be one reason you are writing this piece – because there is a need to disseminate the information to the public.
KNOW WHERE THE MARKETING PIECE IS GOING.
If it’s going in a magazine or newspaper, check out the publication. What are other articles in that publication like? Who advertises in it? What concerns these readers? How can you grab their attention? Also, take notes on the tone and voice of the publication. What grade level is it written to?
If this is a sales letter or website, who are your prospects? What are their interests? What are their buying habits? Learn as much as you can about your prospects and how they will be introduced to your piece.
PREPARE INTERVIEW QUESTIONS AHEAD OF TIME.
Preparing 10 or so questions ahead of time forces you to plan ahead so you can ask intelligent, specific questions. Send the questions to the interviewee ahead of time so he can prepare his answers. It shows him you’ve done your homework and are trying to not waste his time. This earns respect and can make for a much more productive – and ultimately profitable – interview.
[Ed. Note: The author of "Healthcare Copywriting Secrets Revealed" and "The Healthcare Copywriters Toolkit," Kelly Robbins is a copywriter and marketing coach/consultant. To subscribe to her free e-zine "The Healthcare Marketing Connection," or to receive her free report, "5 Critical Things You Must Know When Writing for the Healthcare Industry," contact her at Kelly@KellyRobbinsLLC.com or 303-460-0285.]
© Kelly Robbins LLC, 2005. All Rights Reserved.
How to Land Clients in 21 Days with Just Your Computer
How do I land my first client? It’s a question every aspiring freelancer asks eventually. Now, there’s a proven system for landing clients that removes the guesswork. Best of all? No cold calling. Learn More »
“I now have the freedom to work at home, or at any place in the world, as long as I have a laptop and Internet connection. And, not having to battle the brutal Houston traffic each day is a huge plus!”
If yes, you could be in big demand, earning big money, writing just a few hours a day from anywhere in the world you choose to be.
Get Nick Usborne’s step-by-step system for creating money-making information websites.
In just 6 hours and 35 minutes, you can be in business earning $60 – $150 an hour writing simple resumes.
Learn the secrets behind succeeding in this in-demand career.
The work is plentiful … the pay scales are generous and the competition is scarce!
Get the answers to the hundreds of questions and concerns commonly asked in specific, step-by-step details.
Use this eight-step plan to make the leap from aspiring copywriter to professional copywriter this year.
Let your fellow AWAI members show you firsthand the easiest, most powerful way to land your first client … BEFORE you finish the program.
Writing for the web is a huge opportunity for copywriters. Let web expert Nick Usborne show you how to write blockbuster web copy in record time … even if you're a complete internet “rookie”!
It’s an opportunity to make $50,000, $75,000, $100,000 a year or more … working just a few hours a day.
A once complicated profession is now something you can do on a standard computer – even if you have little or no “artistic” ability.
It’s one thing to have a website. But if your website can’t be found by the search engines, it may as well not exist.
The Internet creates new income possibilities every day. The biggest among them: online video marketing.
Get the very techniques top-performing copywriters use to rattle off one groundbreaking control after another.
In his new book, Michael Masterson teaches you his very own formula for powerful persuasion and how to apply it to direct mail sales letters as well as online promotions.
Guest, Leave a Reply
Please Note: Your comments will be visible by everyone.