I took a three-hour workshop tonight with Warren Etheredge, “LISTEN UP! The Art of the Interview.” Here are my notes from the class.
Arrange/negotiate/get as much actual interview time as possible. It’s really tough to have a substantive conversation in only 10 minutes.
Do the opposite of the lawyers. They never ask a question that they don’t already know the answer to. Good interviewer never asks a question that they already know the answer to.
1. Prepare To Be Unprepared
He’s always prepared but never has notes in front of him (though he does have a folded-up card with a bunch of notes, which he refers to only with his photographic memory).
Be well-versed so that you can be extemporaneous (which is not the same as being spontaneous).
Seek the truth. Anyone can gather facts. Truth is harder to get to, but worth the effort.
In your research, take note of what has already been asked, and don’t ask it again. If you want to explore the same terrain, ask in a new way.
You don’t have to ask questions. Interject sentence fragments. Express opinions. Ask, “What?” Say, “That’s really interesting.” Be curious. That is, it’s just like – no, it is – a regular old conversation.
Actors have to love the character they are portraying. Similarly, interviewers have to love their subject.
Starting the interview: He always has one prepared question and has thought about at least seven ways in which it could be received by the subject. This comes from a Native American idea about never asking a question without having considered seven possible answers.
2. Get Their Attention (with that well-thought-out question)
Let them know that this isn’t going to be like all the other interviews they’ve had.
Example of well-developed (and well-received) opening question. After being ordered by publicist to not address the whole “Million Little Pieces” issue, he opened his interview with James Frey with, “What was it like to write a book with facts?”
Ninety percent of the time his opening question is provocative.
He prefers not to do pre-interviews. Only questions he’ll ask ahead of time are, “Is there anything you really want to talk about?” or “Is there anything that you’d prefer not to talk about?” The answer to the latter rises to the top of his list 
Always LISTEN. This is hard, since you’re fighting neuro-economics every step of the way, but it’s crucial.
3. Win Their Trust
Show them that you’ve done deep research.
Read Paul Ekman (and maybe watch “Lie to Me”) to learn how to WATCH as well as listen. Ninety percent of communication is nonverbal.
You must be fully present, and they’ll feel this.
You’ll know that you’ve won their trust when they lean over and touch you. Then you can take the relationship up a notch or two, because you’ve earned it (their trust).
4. Earn Their Respect (the brass ring)
This takes you from a ho-hum Q&A session to genuine dialog.
You become an active participant, a key player.
Move beyond aggregation of facts (anyone can do this) to true synthesis; draw conclusions in the interview.
Logistics
Physical set-up is important. For TV shoot, sit face-to-face as close as possible. In a radio studio, avoid sitting across wide desk from the subject; move to a corner or as close as possible. For a live interview with a studio audience, sit as close together as possible with chairs arranged so that you’re both facing the audience but an angle so that you can see the subject’s face and make eye contact.
Ease into the interview. Have cameras/recorders ready and running so you can casually saunter into the interview. Shouldn’t be a moment that you announce, “Now the interview is beginning.” Make it easy, natural, conversational.
Use rituals to keep perspective. He has his note cards and always has a flask in his hip pocket. These physical objects remind him that it’s his place, his process.
Finally
“Take everything seriously. Treat everything lightly.” Be respectful, but also be irreverent, intrusive, blunt, whatever it takes to get to the truth.
Don’t just use these skills for professional interviews. Take them home and use them in your conversations with the people closest to you.