Video interviews can end up feeling dry and rehearsed.
The interviewee knows what is going to be asked. And they know how they’re going to respond. They may have even answered the questions many times before.
Which is why I treat an interview as a conversation and bring all of my curiosity to it.
And I encourage the subject to wander down byways, alleyways, any ways.
Some of the best moments in video interviews are right after the subject laughs in surprise. Or after they've had to consider how to answer – moments when they get to loosen up, go off-book, or dig into their expertise.
You won’t necessarily see these startled moments in a final video, the laughter or the sudden thoughtfulness, but you’ll feel it in their answers.
If a video is just a message, it’s easy to ignore.
But when a video is a human being responding genuinely, we’re going to listen.