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Find a quiet place, relatively free of potential distractions.
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Consider bringing a bottle of water for your interviewee. You want him/her comfortable!
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If possible, use a microphone and keep the microphone pointed in the direction of the person(s) you are interviewing. If a separate microphone is not available, that’s okay too. Just be certain the microphone on the recorder itself is pointed in the direction of the interviewee and seated on a stable surface. It is often a good idea to place the recorder on something soft, like a cloth napkin, to give it greater stability and lesson the likelihood of unintentional mic noise.
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If possible, use a set of headphones. Doing so enables you to hear what your audio recorder is picking up.
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As the interviewee speaks, you may be tempted to interject. Try not to do so verbally. Certainly any conversation with a person you enjoy should be a true conversation. Remember, though, that your mic is likely to pick up your own responses as well. Stay involved in the conversation, of course, but try to do so by nodding your head or otherwise letting your interviewee know that what they are saying is worth listening to. Just do it quietly, if at all possible.
