What can we do to capture the knowledge that subject matter experts (SMEs) have? I’ve gathered tips to help, which I’m adding to own.
Make Them Feel Valued
I adapted these tips from an article, “Interviewing SMEs–Make Them Feel Valued,” from Writers UA. http://www.writersua.com/articles/SMEs/index.html
1. Establish buy-in with the SME. The SME is likely to have many other demands on their time and your project will probably be a lower priority. How will the SME benefit from providing more complete information for the project? Will it save time in fewer interruptions from co-workers or customers?
2. If the SME thinks the product you are working on is a waste of time, try to find out why and resolve the concerns the person has.
3. Set up clear time expectations and, if possible, a recurring meeting schedule. Let SMEs know, as best you can, approximately how much time you will require of them. Be careful not to underestimate because it can be frustrating for them to invest more time than was originally expected, especially on complex concepts.
4. Some SMEs may not think they can help much until they start explaining various procedures. Ask questions that bring out confidence; start with easy questions about the task or process and gradually build up to more complex discussions.
5. Be flexible and try to adapt to the SMEs preferred way to interact. Some may be more comfortable with a more formal, professional approach while others like to build a friendship where remembering a family member illness or current vacations is meaningful. (A great way to learn to do this is to read People Styles at Work. See the link in the My Favorites column.)
Make the Most of the Interview
Another way to make SMEs feel valued is to be prepared for the interview.
1. Set up a time for the interview and be on time.
2. Be prepared with specific, open ended questions or an outline of the content. If you will be conducting the interview by phone, consider sending the questions before the interview.
3. Ask them to bring notes about details they think should be included.
4. Listen while the person is speaking. If you didn’t hear something clearly, ask about it.
5. If possible, conduct a face-to-face interview for a more personal experience. If not, a phone interview may be the most practical choice.
6. At the end, ask if they mind if you call back if you need to clarify things. When you call back, take care of as many items with one call as possible.
7. Record the session, and be sure to get the person’s permission to record before you begin. Take some notes as a backup as long as it does not slow things down too much or distract you from listening while the SME is speaking.
8. If it’s appropriate, send a thank you note after the interview.
Consider Email Interviews
Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen, freelance writer, makes some good points for using email for interviews. She says it’s appropriate for writers to interview experts via email when:
“1. The info you require isn’t deep or complicated. If you only need a few (less than 10, say) straightforward questions answered, then an email interview should be sufficient for freelance writers. Many round up articles perfectly suit email interviews.
2. You’re conducting an opinion poll or survey of experts. The simple “yes or no” , “true or false”, or “choose A, B, or C” questions rarely require telephone calls or visits to experts. You can survey many, many more experts via email than telephone.
3. Your expert is in Bora Bora without telephone access. In most cases, editors won’t pick up the tab for a flight to Bora Bora – but of course it depends on your experience, the subject matter, and the expert. However, my point is that sometimes you simply can’t interview any other way.”
For more, go to Laurie’s article, When Freelance Writers Should Interview Experts by Telephone, In Person, or Via Email. http://theadventurouswriter.com/blogwriting/quipsandtipsfreelancing/122#comment-525
Recording
1. Use a recording device and take notes as a backup. I recently purchased a Sony ICD 620 digital recorder for about $59 at Office Max. The price was the same at Office Depot. Others recommended it, and it has worked well for me.
2. For phone interviews, point the recorder’s mic toward a speakerphone. Be sure to tell the person you are recording. In some states, permission is required.
3. Also for phone interviews, try a Removable Telephone Pickup device from Radio Shack, Part number 44-533. I bought one for $7.79. It attaches easily to a telephone handset and plugs into any recording device. According to an article at www.phonelosers.com/article/recording_telephone_calls/, it can hook up easily to almost any telephone. You stick the suction cup on the back of your phone’s handset and plug the other end into a recorder, stereo, or computer. Be sure to get the person’s permission before you record.
4. I also used the Sony digital recorder to record during a meeting so I could write about it for a newsletter I do for a group I belong to. I placed it on the table where I was sitting, and it picked up the speakers’ voices surprisingly well. As a courtesy, I asked for permission from the visiting speaker and the president of the group before I recorded.
