Right tone is key to phone interviewing

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In Poll to Poll (MW October 9), Bill Blyth is quoted as saying that the subject matter for telephone research “must be something people want to talk about, social issues rather than financial”, and that “the questions must be kept short”.

Not so!

There is now ample evidence, both from the US and this country, that people are totally happy to talk on the phone, and in detail, about their financial affairs for well over an hour, provided that the interview is conversational in tone, as opposed to one which seeks monosyllabic answers to a pre-set questionnaire.

This just goes to prove the old saying “money talks”.

John Siddall

Managing director

Reflexions Communication Research

London WC2