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The Opening

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Jay Leno’s interviewees are always welcomed with a grand entrance and the audience clapping and cheering (Babad & Peer, 2010). But if you’re not a movie star plugging your latest project, you probably won’t have to worry about this. Your interviews will begin in a calmer manner, setting the tone for the discourse to follow. Before or just as the interview begins, you should always think about three interrelated issues:

The task: the nature of this interview and how it will proceed
The relationship: whether you like or trust the other party
Motivation: what you hope to gain by participating in the interview

For example, Eva is doing a telephone survey on student attitudes about parking on campus. The students she calls want to know about the topic of the interview and how long it will take (the task). They want to know something about her and how the information she gathers will be used (the relationship). They want to know how they (or someone else) will benefit from participating in the interview (the motivation). Eva needs to plan what she can say or do at the start of the interview that is responsive to these needs (see Table A.1).

Table A.1 Sample Interview Opening Techniques
Goal	Description	Example
Clarify the task	Orient the interviewee, who may not be well informed about the reason for the interview.	“As you may know, we’re looking for ways to increase productivity among our sales associates. I’m hoping you will give me information to jump-start this initiative.”
Define the relationship	Make a connection to a third party respected by the interviewee if the interviewee doesn’t know you and you want to put him or her at ease.	“I was referred to you by Liam Fitzpatrick, who told me that you’ve done great work for him in the past.”
Determine the motivation	Request the interviewee’s advice or assistance with regard to a problem.	“I’m hoping that you can help me get insight into the way things work between your division and marketing.”