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For journalists who need to get information from busy or distant experts, the telephone interview is the second favorite method for interviewing. It is a widely used approach for advertisers and public relations professionals who need to speak to clients about the message campaign, or to potential audience members to get the prevailing opinion about a topic or product.
Advantages of telephone interviews:
- Still get the verbal clues of tone of voice and emotion
- Convenience for interviewer (no travel required) and interviewee (no stranger in your space)
- Interviews can be recorded (if agreed on by the interviewee)
Disadvantages:
- Visual clues from the interpersonal interaction are missing (unless you are using Skype or some other live video link)
- Easier for the interviewee to cut short a phone interview by hanging up if it becomes uncomfortable or confrontational versus if someone is in your physical space
- For strategic communicators, the way that tele-marketing phone calls have tainted phone interviews can lower the response rate to phone requests
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