6 Week Interview Program

Interviewing is an essential business skill that provides a huge return on investment.

Whether you're looking to use interviews in your book, create a podcast to build a community or deliver video content for your clients, interviewing is a skill every forward thinking small business owner needs to master.

There are also a number of more subtle benefits that come from understanding the art of a great interview. They involve being able to have better conversations with your clients (potential or otherwise) suppliers and contractors. All of which have the potential to add to your bottom line and increase your business resilience.

Understanding what takes an interview from good to great takes some practice

I've interviewed Olympians, politicians, authors, artists and business owners over the last twenty years and over those years I've realised there's a difference between formal interviewing (the type we're used to seeing on a current affairs style show) vs the skills needed to add that extra layer of authority to a business interview.

Lucky for you I've created a framework that will show you how to get the most out of every conversation you'll have within your business.

The power in asking great questions adds value to your business

There is something magical about listening to a great interview. For me it's always been like a peak behind the curtain in the life of the guest, as well as revelling in the interviewers ability to gently tease a story from the person no matter how traumatic, funny or mundane it may first appear.

If we've learned one thing as business owners from 2020 it's the importance of building and fostering better relationships with our clients, suppliers, our contractors and our team. Better relationships help to build our business community, and it's through our communities we build businesses that have inbuilt resilience and longevity. We'd all love to know our business is the one our clients, suppliers and contractors will fight for and support.

There are three ways better interviewing skills help you achieve this:

By giving you the ability to ask better questions (in part the art of interviewing)
By learning to listen deeply
By understanding and respecting the power of silence

So who is Tracy Sheen? And, why should I join her 6 week program to better interviews?

I've been interviewing people since I was around 4 years old. Only then my family called it "20 Questions" and it drove them nuts...

I've always had a knack of being able to get people to open up and share their stories. Random people I meet in a shop will often say "I don't know why I'm telling you this..." and proceed to bestow details of their life no stranger should hear.

In my 20s I was blessed to put this natural talent to work in radio (and a few years later, TV). During these years I received coaching in formal interview techniques and honed a craft that has continued to serve me throughout my career.

Years later when I became a business owner myself I realised the real asset I was building was a committed community of clients and suppliers. At the heart of that community were the principals I'd learned during my formal interviewing training. Only now I'd added my own flavour to it. Effectively I'd included a business focus and created another layer that could be used to add value (and profit) to my bottom line, all while building brand advocates for the business.

When I launched the globally successful panel style podcast "Not Another Business Show" I was often complimented on the way I'd guide the interview and ease my guest into our conversation. Many times I'd have a guest say they had no intention of sharing as much as they did, or they had no idea how I'd managed to get a piece of information out of them... but I did.

I consider myself a curious observer of interviewing techniques from Michael Parkinson and Andrew Denton to Richard Fidler and Clive James ... and of course who could pass on the hard hitting Leigh Sales. Each of them call upon years of practice to help put their guests at ease, or to get the truth of the question at hand. All with a smile, a nod and a proverbial bag of tricks up their sleeve.

I'd love to act as your guide as you travel the path to creating better interviews for your business and set the benchmark in conversations for your competition to emulate.

Cheers, Tracy

What you need to know about the 6 week program

First, this one should come as no surprise ... It's a 6 week program.

Each week we'll catch up virtually (using Zoom) for 60 minutes where we will dive into an aspect of formal (and business) interviewing techniques that will take your skill set to the next level. In between weekly sessions you'll have the opportunity to practice what we've discussed by recording and submitting a short interview for feedback.

You will have access to a Facebook Group for collaboration as well as questions... You're never too far away from help when it's needed.

Each session is 1hr and will start at 10am AEST

Session One: Thursday 5th August

The research needed for better interviews
Ways to capture your interviews and the impacts they could have on your guest(s)
What's the outcome you're looking for with your interview

Session Two: Thursday 12th August

How to set the interview scene for your client and for you
Pre interview preparation
Opportunity to submit a short interview for feedback before session three

Session Three: Thursday 19th August

Taking charge in your interview
The difference between making friends and getting the information you need
Opportunity to submit a short interview for feedback before session four

Session Four: Thursday 26th August

What it means to be curious
Applying a business filter to your interview skills
Opportunity to submit a short interview for feedback before session five

Session Five: Thursday 2nd September

The art of repeating yourself
Talking, listening and respecting silence
Opportunity to submit a short interview for feedback before session six

Session Six: Thursday 9th September

Recap of the program
How to reuse and recycle
Where to from here

This is a super practical program. You'll get the most out of it if you do the work in between sessions

Give me 6 weeks and I'll take your interviews from average to awesome.

Interviewing is an essential business skill that provides a huge return on investment.

There are so many opportunities for you to utilise and capitalise on better interviewing skills within your business

Books

Podcasts and Video

Better Conversations

As Australia’s #1 Small Business Author, ANDREW GRIFFITHS has been interviewed hundreds of times for television, print, radio and podcast shows.

In his words Andrew said “Tracy Sheen did the best interview I’ve ever had”.

... A big statement that I’m humbly very proud of.

Here's what previous participants have said about the program...