Recording Phone Interviews (Need Advice)

[JJOrana]

Hey Guys.

Got a deal from a known copywriter in my place and we'll have a phone interview and will convert it as a product.

This is my first time so I have a newbie question?

What recorder should I use?
What should I prepare before and after the interview?

Thanks!

- Jon

[Stephen Clark]

I have used Hi-Q Recorder in the past, and it has served me well. There is a free and a paid version. Do a google search for it and see if it's for you.

[Quentin]

The best way I found is to use skype as you get a far better quality recording. You can ring your person on their phone.

Quentin

[JJOrana]

Thanks guys but I read somewhere that any online services produces not really a quality result.

Any other options?

[freudianslip27]

Give skype a try, you might just be blown away. I sure was! I love talking to people on there, they can be across the world and it sounds clearer than my phone

I use a program called pamela, that records skype conversations. Just make sure you choose a high quality setting to save it.

Matt

[Emailrevealer]

I record a lot of telephone interviews and without a doubt you want to get https://www.usbrecorder.com .
You can record to your HD , make notes during the call, edit. The sound quality is 100% professional quality and you can also record the room too.
It's all one button operation.

[JJOrana]

Any other options?

[Ray Erdmann]

I have the free version of Skype and can't make calls to 'landlines', as it requries a paid account. However, if I had that type of an account, there's a plugin for Skype called "SuperTintin Recorder"...read the web site (SuperTintin Recorder : KishKish Products) to find out more about what it can do for you.

I've got it installed, but just haven't found the time to test it w/any of my friends.

Hope that helps?


Ray

[CmdrStidd]

If you have a regular recorder at home, you can get a telephone recorder adapter from someplace like Radio Shack and then record it that way.

No matter how you do it though, make sure that on the copy you keep that you have the other person agreeing to be recorded or you could run into Federal Wiretapping Law issues. I know it sounds crazy but if it is not on the recording then you don't have the proof and now a days it is guilty until proven innocent.

[R Hagel]

Originally Posted by JJOrana

What recorder should I use?
What should I prepare before and after the interview?

Looks like the good folks in this thread covered your technical question about the recording pretty well. So let me throw in a couple cents on how to prepare...

First off, you should prepare a rough outline of the direction you'd like to take the interview. Sketch out some possible questions. If there are specific topics you'd like to cover, make those particular questions a priority.

Next, send those questions to the person you're interviewing (at least several days to a week or more in advance). However, tell him that these are POSSIBLE questions just to give him an idea of the interview flow. Then ask him if there are any topics he'd like you to include (as well as any topics he doesn't want to talk about).

I always like to do something like ask for the person's "best tip" or best secret at the end of the call. Tell your interviewee that you're going to do this so he can think about it.

Now you've drafted an outline and sent it to your interviewee. Great. But here's the important part: DO NOT SCRIPT THE CALL.

That means that you should NOT read the questions directly off your outline. And your interviewee should NOT have scripted answers. The outline is just that -- an outline. Something to keep you both on the overall path, but you should not stick so closely to it that the interview is scripted or stilted.

Instead, create questions that will naturally lead to other topics. You want your outline questions to spark discussion so that you can ask follow up questions that you didn't think of until the moment you were interviewing the person.

That means you shouldn't ask yes or no questions. Ask open ended questions. Prod the person to give details and examples (e.g., a follow up question could be, "could you give me an example?").

Don't be afraid to give your own examples and add to the discussion. While this is an interview, you don't really want it to sound like a stuffy interview. A free-flowing, go where the wind blows discussion tends to relax the interviewee (and you), which means a more natural-sounding interview. And it usually means you can coax more secrets and tips and other good content out of the other person.

Finally -- get on the phone and talk before the interview. You don't want your first contact with this person to be the interview. Even 5 or 10 minutes on the phone the day before works great to relax the both of you and build a rapport.

HTH,
Becky