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Marketing Insight from Virtually YourzVirtually Yourz (56)   Virtually Yourz    Virtually Yourz Phone Interview Tips for FreelancersPosted Friday, February 29, 2008 (1 year 267 days ago.) Viewed 52 times. As a freelance writer, I am often required to interview various officials and experts to get to the heart of a story. Face-to-face interviews are always ideal when doing research for an article, but sometimes it simply isn't possible due to time constraints or geography. Phone interviews can be equally effective though, if you plan ahead. Here are a few phone interviewing tips that have helped me along the way: 1. Schedule the interview in advance, but plan to be ready when you make the initial call in case your subject has time to talk when you phone. 2. Plan most of your questions in advance, and provide them to your subject via e-mail when possible. This may not always be appropriate, particularly in the case of an investigative report, but it is quite helpful when interviewing for a business or personal profile. This helps your interview subject prepare for the call. You can always ad lib as other questions arise during your conversation. 3. Tell the interviewee who you are writing for, what the article is about, the general premise of the article, and when it is planned for publication. Let him know that this information might change and, if so, you'll provide him with status updates. This is particularly helpful if your editor pushes your story from the April issue to the June issue, for example. 4. Record your phone conversation. Get permission from the interviewee, and assure her that the recording is only for your notes and will not be shared with anyone else. Even if you take stellar notes, it is good to be able to go back to the original conversation to clarify items or to jot down notes or quotes that you may have missed. 5. Allow yourself to pause as you jot down notes and quotes. You'll find that your interviewee will likely fill the silence, answering questions you haven't even asked yet or providing information you hadn't considered. 6. I conclude every interview with this question: "Is there anything I should have asked you but didn't?" This is different than the typical "do you have anything to add?" question, and can prompt the interviewee to really think about what he wishes he had said but that didn't come up during our conversation. 7. Get permission to follow-up if you have additional questions, and let the interviewee know how to reach you if he or she has information to add or back-up documentation to provide. 8. Thank the interviewee in writing. E-mail is the trend these days, but I prefer sending a handwritten thank you note along with my business card. 9. Unless your editor requests it, do not provide an advance copy of your article to your interview subject for review. Some publications allow this, but many do not. By following these tips, you can ensure a successful phone interview with even the most difficult of subjects. -------- Copyright (c) 2008 by Dana Blozis Dana Blozis is a freelance writer and editor based in the Seattle area. In addition to writing for magazines, she writes for small businesses, municipalities and nonprofits. For more freelance writing and editing advice, subscribe to her newsletter at Virtually Yourz. 
Permalink Comments (0) How to Communicate Clearly and Professionally OnlinePosted Friday, July 21, 2006 (3 years 125 days ago.) Viewed 611 times. Some people enjoy writing. Some, like me, are even driven to write. Others hate it. They hate words. They hate writing them down, and they hate typing them. Some people even hate reading them. Regardless, the written word is a necessary part of our daily lives, particularly in a world that has become less face-to-face and more virtual. We communicate not only through the Web but through our e-mail communications, instant messengers and online chat. As a result, the words and images we use must be carefully chosen to not only convey our meaning but our tone as well. Here are some tips to help you put your best foot forward in your online communications: • “Internet speak" (LOL, b4, np, ty, etc.) is fine for casual communications with friends, but it should not be used on your company Web site or in any other professional communications. Words should not have to be deciphered to be understood. • Always use appropriate punctuation and grammar – these tried and true rules will never go out of style. Need a refresher course? Pick up a resource guide the next time you visit Amazon.com or your local bookstore. I like Punctuation Simplified and Applied by Geraldine Woods (Webster’s New World, 2006). • For those who didn’t get the memo yet, PLEASE don’t use ALL CAPS to convey a message. This is akin to shouting in the online world. • Befriend the “spell check" tool and buy a good dictionary and thesaurus. Spelling errors create the perception that a person is too busy to proofread his own work or to pay attention to little details. • To present content that is easily understood, write in clear, simple language. The benchmark is to write for an audience of 10th graders. • When possible, add descriptive modifiers (i.e., adjectives) to convey degree and tone. Compare these two ideas: 1) “With our experience, our Web design team can create Web pages quickly." 2) With more than 50 years of combined Web design experience, our creative team can develop an attractive, functional page design within 72 hours." Sentence 2 shares the same idea, but is much clearer. • Always proofread and edit your work to be sure it is error free and easily understood. For larger projects with a long-term impact, like Web copy, consider hiring a professional writer or editor to be sure your story gets told in a way that adequately shares the value of your company with others. By following these basic guidelines, you can ensure that you communicate clearly and professionally with your customers and prospective clients. Copyright 2006 Dana Blozis -------- With 20 years of professional experience and a degree in business administration, Dana Blozis is the owner and president of Virtually Yourz, a Seattle-based virtual assistant firm. Virtually Yourz specializes in writing, editing and marketing services for small businesses, nonprofit organizations and municipalities. For more information, visit Virtually Yourz at http://www.virtuallyyourz.com .
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