The Art and Craft of the Interview and the Rules for Being Interviewed

On the occasion of my first-ever Instagram Live interview

I’ve been interviewed on the radio, on television, on podcasts, on a text-based “ask me anything” on Reddit, on stage, on film, and of course, one-on-one for jobs and projects. What I’ve never done before is be interviewed via Instagram.

That changes this coming Wednesday at Noon Pacific when Jason Haas of Tablas Creek Winery interviews me for his ongoing series “Conversations With Jason,” at the Tablas Creek Instagram: @tablascreek

As many of you know, Jason is General Manager of the respected and celebrated Paso Robles winery, Tablas Creek—a Rhone Varietal specialist. Jason has been knee deep in the media as one of the first winery principals to produce a blog beginning in 2006. He has been actively communicating with his clients and the larger public since the beginning.

The idea of winemakers doing interviews is somewhat unique, as it’s usually the media that asks the questions of winemakers. Part of this kind of development clearly has to do with the ease with which anyone today with a social media account can broadcast themselves and others to the world as easily as ABC, CNN, or PBS can. Even just a decade ago, this kind of thing was much more difficult. Today…it’s simple.

My point here is two-fold. First, of course, I want to invite you to watch the interview. While the range of things about which I can speak intelligently is narrow, that slim strip of things I can discuss, I tend to discuss quite candidly. Knowing Jason, it should be a good interview if only because he prefers we not discuss in advance what he wants to talk about.

But this leads me to the second thing and what I really want to discuss: Types of interviews: The art and craft of interviewing. Eventually, I think we will all be interviewed. It’s the type of interview, however, that will largely determine what comes of the talk. Here are the types and what they yield.

TEN QUESTIONS
This kind of interview is usually written and lends itself to short, quippish responses. Those of you who are old enough to remember the Dewers’ ads will recognize this interview. The interviewer usually sends over 5-10 questions meant to elicit short, honest answers: “Last book read?” or “Who would you have wanted to be mentored by?” or “What caused your most recent belly laugh?” The idea is to get to know the subject without an in-depth interview.

THE RAMBLING CONVERSATION
Think Joe Rogan. In this interview, the subject and the interviewer start out with a question, then simply follow the conversation wherever it leads. This seems informal, because it is, but it’s not as easy to pull off as it sounds. The interviewer must be adept at steering a conversation without it being stilted. What usually results is a set of surprises for both the interviewer and the subject.

THE STRUCTURED INTERVIEW
These kinds of interviews usually happen when an expert is being interviewed for a very specific kind of audience. If you’ve ever been to a wine trade conference, you’ve likely seen these kinds of interviews. In almost every case, these interviews are scripted carefully so that a specific set of messages is delivered. The questions that will seem to be casually asked have, in fact, been discussed by the interviewer and the subject earlier. The Structured Interview sounds contrived because it is. However, they often result in actionable advice or ideas that the audience can use.

THE TIMELY INSIGHT INTERVIEW
What sets this kind of interview apart is that it is almost always conducted in the wake of an event. And it’s usually the media who conduct them. In my case, I’ve been asked to do short radio interviews in the wake of court decisions or breaking news about wine and the media wants an expert or insider perspective. These are the most common and usually the shortest interviews and are meant to deliver color for a larger news segment.

THE PANEL
Again, almost always something you see at a conference, where each member of the panel can expertly speak to a common subject. Usually, each member will opine on a single question. These can be either very good or very bad. The very bad panel interview happens when there is little disagreement among the panelists

THE PRESS CONFERENCE
This is a form of interview I’ve never been a part of. In fact, few people have. Nonetheless, it is the kind of interview where, in most cases, members of the press ask a person or a panel of people off-the-cuff questions. Most press conferences are carried out with a friendly group of media. It’s the rare but most memorable press conference when the group asking the questions is hostile or at least not bent on being friendly. We most commonly see this in the White House press room or on newsmaker shows. These interviews must be prepared for carefully.

These are the most common structures for interviews and the type that you are most likely to face. The point is that before agreeing to an interview, even with a friendly face, you should always ask what the structure will be. This is important for determining how you prepare. And you absolutely should prepare for any interview.

By the way, I have three rules of being interviewed that I have always driven home wth clients who were set to be interviewed by the media. They are simple rules, but they must be followed:

1. Don’t speak about things you know nothing about (It will be obvious when you do)

2. Know when to stop and don’t ramble (your points will be more memorable)

3. Don’t tamp down who you are to sound more authoritative (you want people to know YOU, not someone you want to be)

I did not always like being interviewed. There was a time when speaking in public was, for me, the most frightening thing I could imagine. Today, I really do enjoy doing interviews mainly because I really love conversations. Directed, deep conversations seem so unusual today with our screens, texts, and social media.

Jason is likely to treat me well, and though I can’t be sure because Jason does not like to discuss the content of the coming interview with his subjects beforehand, I have a very good idea what the subject matter will be. What I am looking forward to is an in-depth conversation with someone like Jason Haas.

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By Tom Wark

Tom Wark is the publisher of Fermentation, a source of commentary on the wine business that he has written since 2004. He is also the publisher of THE SPILL, a free, daily newsletter that curates the best wine content on the web.