In addition to distributing surveys, you may want to interview audience members. Ideally, you will do so in person, but you also can conduct interviews over the phone or even via e-mail or instant message. Interviews allow you to interact through conversation, in which you learn facts and hear stories you couldn’t have gotten through a survey. Interviews also allow you to get to know members of your audience before you speak. This can serve as a great icebreaker, especially if you don’t know the people you will be addressing. Finally, you may find it more practical to interview a few audience members than to distribute a survey to a large group.

If you use interviews, carefully consider your interview subjects. Often, it’s easiest to talk to audience members you already know. Also, if you are presenting to a professional group with a leader, it would be logical to interview him or her. And if your audience has diverse backgrounds and interests, be sure to interview a range of audience members.

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When conducting interviews, ask the same sorts of fixed-response, scaled, and open-ended questions that are used in surveys. It is often a good idea to use fixed-response or scaled questions to get an overall impression of your interviewee’s views on a topic and then ask open-ended questions to gain more insight. During your interview, make sure to put your listening skills into practice by paying attention and always being respectful. Make sure to observe the following: prepare your questions ahead of time, show up at the interview location as scheduled, observe appropriate grooming habits, and be friendly. Also, make sure to thank your subject with a card or e-mail after the interview is over; after all, she or he is helping you out with your presentation!