Erika Cohen of Business NH magazine covered this material in class on Monday, Nov. 14.
Here it is for you to review and consider as you set up your own interviews.
As always, don't hesitate to reach out with questions about the assignment or life in general. :)
Jeff R.
C L A S S N O T E S
University of NH Manchester pitch session
11/14/16
How to identify yourself:
• My name is Jane Smith of the Young Reporters Project, a partnership between Business NH Magazine and University of NH Manchester.
Arrival:
• Arrive early to be on time. Find directions, know where you are going and be dressed nicely.
Interview subjects:
• Business NH Magazine has a policy of not quoting sales people, marketing people or communications people because they want to tell you certain things and are not unbiased. These people are fine, and appropriate to talk with to set up interviews. But you want to interview the owner, president, manager or equivalent role.
How to seem to open questions:
• A great list of questions will do you no good if you do not present yourself correctly. Smile, look the person you are taking with in the eye and show excitement for what you are doing. If they do, the person will be more engaged and give you better answers.
Note taking techniques:
• It is fine to record interviews, but don’t count on technology, also take notes. And if you do record, ask your subject if that is Ok.
• If you don’t, come in with a strategy. Think about words you can shorten so you don’t miss words. With can be w, and can be +.
Interviewing:
• Interviews are in person, not by phone.
• When the interview is winding down, a nice way to end is: It was a pleasure speaking with you. Is there anything we did not discuss that you think is important?
• Also, ask for a tour if they do not offer. Seeing a place is good for you to sense the business and will get you better quotes as when people walk and talk they speak more naturally.
• People sometimes speak very softly or quickly, or both. Please do ask people to speak up or speak more slowly. That shows you are listening and is better than emailing many more questions afterward because you couldn’t hear them.
Do your homework:
• Read the company website, read news stories you can find online or any references to awards they have won. Also research industry websites for context of the industry (first use .edu, .org, .gov most as doc.com could be a lobbying group or one with an agenda. You can use .coms, but check carefully.
Quotes:
• The best quotes are people answering the why questions. Why they are growing, why they are passionate about the business, why they made decisions they did. Focus on getting quotes that answer this and not ones that are statements of fact.
Talking about money (hierarchy of money):
• At a business magazine, we are all about numbers, especially revenue, as it shows exactly how people are doing. There is a hierarchy of talking about money, with the best information on top. Ask about actual revenue at first and if people aren’t willing to share, move down the chart.
—Actual revenue--Numbers: Business magazines are all about numbers and not just revenue. Below are different numbers it would be good to ask and research. Email me if you have questions about your particular business:
—% sales growth--
—Rough revenue: over $1 million in sales, around $5 million in sales
—Doubled staff, produced five times more product (shows growth)
—Vague answers: in the black, doing well
—Years in business
—Number of employees/change in employees
—Number of different products sold
—Context numbers: numbers of this product sold in the industry as a whole or growth of the industry as a whole
—Square footage of factory/store
—Number of specific products sold
No comments:
Post a Comment