Guidelines for Interviewing

1. Study the questions carefully to make sure you understand them and can read them easily and conversationally.  Practice by interviewing yourself or your friends or relatives.
2. Be enthusiastic when the respondent answers the telephone.  The hardest part of an interview is the first ten seconds.  Make it sound like something fun.  You are free to reword the introduction in a way that is natural to you.
3. Don't ask permission, just get started with the first question.  Of course, people have a right not to participate.  If they are just busy, however, ask when you can call them back.
4. Be enthusiastic and appreciative - you truly appreciate the respondent giving his or her opinion.
5. Never be critical or sarcastic.
6. Be neutral, don't give your own opinion or even hint at it.  You are interested in their opinion, not in sharing your own.
7. This is tricky:  read the questions as they are written, but make it sound as if you are speaking informally.
8. If the respondent is not clear about a questions and asks you to explain it, the best thing is to repeat it slowly.  Usually that is all they need.
9. Give the respondent time to think.  Often they will give an answer after a few moments' reflection.
10. If the respondent doesn't have an answer to an item, just go on to the next item.  Don't try to extract an opinion that isn't there.
11. Be sure to thank the respondent for participating.  If they ask for a copy of the results, give their name and address to Dr. Goertzel