Dan Curtis ~ Professional Personal Historian

**Don’t forget to vote on my poll: How long have you been a personal historian? Click here to vote.**

You can be a first class interviewer but if you don’t ensure a good interview environment, your chances of getting the best from your client are minimized. Here are four things you can do to create a supportive milieu.

1. Choose a room with lots of “padding”. This is particularly important if you’re producing audio or video personal histories. Audio sounds terrible when it’s recorded in a room that’s all hard surfaces. Stay away from kitchens!  Living rooms usually work well because they are filled with drapes, rugs, and upholstered furniture. Try this sound recordist’s trick. Clap your hands and if you don’t hear any reverberation, the space is good for your recording.
2. Find a “best” time for your client. You want to interview your clients at a time that works for them. Some are morning people and are most animated and alert in the morning. Others find evening  a time when they’re open to reflection. For others a busy weekly schedule may mean weekends work the best. Be flexible and ensure that you arrange a time that fits your clients’ needs rather than your own.
3. Avoid an audience. You don’t want people sitting in on your interview. Ban wives, husbands, kids, friends, long lost relatives, and the neighbor next door. Be firm! Having someone present during your interview is very distracting for both you and your client.  There are exceptions to this rule that I’ll cover in a future post.
4. Turn off everything that hums, whirs, ticks, or rings. Picture this. You’re leading up to very dramatic, emotional point in your interview when suddenly the telephone rings. Kiss that moment goodbye. No matter how hard you try to recapture it, you’ll never get that special moment back. Unplug the telephones. Turn off the refrigerator. Stop the air conditioner or furnace. Silence loud ticking clocks. Just remember to turn everything back on before you leave!

Photo by John  Davey

If you enjoyed this post, get free updates by email.

Poll: How long have you been a personal historian? Click here.

Share this post.