$25m Question Tip

So, after watching Brazil rout USA 4-1 in my hotel room, I came across CNN. Thankfully Piers Morgan’s show was being hosted by someone else. I’m sure Mr Morgan has many a talent. Alas, interviewing is not one of them. Yet I do tune in occasionally in the hope that somebody has coached him. I remain disappointed.

The guest was apparently an American breakfast sofa host. Matt Lauer reportedly got a 4-year contract for $25m a year to continue on NBC’s Today show. Although he claimed this number was incorrect, it is clearly still going to be a massive wage.

His interviewer was a pal. One question was, after an interview what’s the one memory you have where you forgot to ask a particular killer question.

Lauer said it happened all the time. But then a great pointer for salespeople emerged.

He said, what you cannot do, is go into an interview with a rigid set list of say, ten questions and methodically go through them one by one.

When you do so, you do not listen.

You get so much more overall when you let the conversation organically develop. You always find something much more interesting this way.

It’s great advice.

I was speaking to a terrific techie called Tom the other day. He was even in a band that supported Billy Idol back in the day (the Bile Tones!). He confided in me that his pet peeve is when a salesperson goes off talking on a new tangent, just when the prospect was about to get into a terrific area.

It’s a similar vibe.

Yes, by all means have your list of wonderful open-upping queries. But don’t be afraid to get in the organic groove.