This document summarizes a training webinar on conducting telephone interviews. It discusses preparing for interviews by writing questions and objectives. During interviews, give full attention to the interviewee and take notes to follow up. Maintain a positive attitude through vocal tone and avoiding distractions. Techniques for detecting deception include listening for hesitation, vagueness, anger focused elsewhere, and inconsistencies. Exercises can help improve interview skills. Attendees are invited to contact the presenters with any additional questions.

1. Class 5: Telephone Interviews
Don Rabon
Expert Investigator, Author, Instructor
dwrabon@msn.com

2. Introduction
Don Rabon
Don Rabon, CFE, author, speaker, instructor and former investigative
director, has more than 34 years of experience conducting training in
interviewing techniques, detecting deception and investigative disclosure
analysis. Rabon is the author of many books, including Interviewing and
Interrogation 2nd Edition and Fraud Related Interviewing. Rabon is
retired from the North Carolina Justice Academy, North Carolina
Department of Justice, where he served as Deputy Director.
Joe Gerard
Joe Gerard is the VP of Sales & Marketing at i-Sight, a leading provider
of web-based case management software for corporate investigations.
He’s worked with companies like Dell, Coke, Allstate, BP and more than
100 others to implement improved investigative processes that leverage
best practices and case management.

3. Telephone Interviews
Let’s start with some assessments:
Are your telephone interviewing responsibilities
primarily directed toward:

4. 1. Gaining initial information?
2. Confirming information?
3. Identifying deception?
4. Gaining compliance?

5. Telephone Interviews
“I am new to the fraud field. (Your) presentation
was fun and enlightening. I learned so many
things that I can use in my current position. I
was even able to use some of the techniques on
a phone interview the day after the seminar.
Thanks Don.”

6. Telephone Interviews
Please note: This session is more hands on
during certain segments than any of our
previous four sessions. There will points
wherein you will be asked to complete a task.
Doing so will work to enhance that which you
obtain from the session.

7. How to conduct telephone interviews

8. How to conduct telephone interviews
First and most importantly:
Prepare for the interview ahead of time.

9. How to conduct telephone interviews
Preparation will be evident in the explicit and
implicit dynamics of the conduct of the
telephone interview.

10. How to conduct telephone interviews
Preparation will have a direct effect upon your
confidence and subsequently the interview
process.

11. How to conduct telephone interviews
In your preparation undertakings:
> Write a specifically worded sentence
identifying what you want to accomplish from the
interview.

12. How to conduct telephone interviews
Prepare a list of questions based upon your
specified outcome for the interview.
> Write two open questions that you would
utilize.

13. How to conduct telephone interviews
> Write two closed questions that you would
utilize.

14. How to conduct telephone interviews
> Write a standard tie-down question.

15. How to conduct telephone interviews
> Write an inverted tie-down question.

16. How to conduct telephone interviews
Second: Make arrangements to set aside time
for this interview. Take the necessary steps to
avoid interruptions until the interview is
completed.
An interruption at a critical point may result in
that “point” never being reached again.

17. How to conduct telephone interviews
Upon making contact:
Introductions
Checking on timing

18. How to conduct telephone interviews
Third: Give the interviewee your full and
undivided attention!
Don’t fool yourself into thinking that you can
multitask – surf the web, return emails, etc.,
while you are conducting the interview.

19. How to conduct telephone interviews
Third: Give the interviewee your full and
undivided attention!
- Attend to the verbal and vocal behaviors of the
interviewee;

20. How to conduct telephone interviews
Third: Give the interviewee your full and
undivided attention!
-Attend to the verbal and vocal behaviors of the
interviewee;
- Center on changes in their behavior.

21. How to conduct telephone interviews
Third: Give the interviewee your full and
undivided attention!
-Attend to the verbal and vocal behaviors of the
interviewee;
- Attending demonstrates respect, a willingness
to “know” and concern.

22. How to conduct telephone interviews
Third: Give the interviewee your full and
undivided attention!
-Attend to the verbal and vocal behaviors of the
interviewee;
- Silence is more than golden – it is power.

23. How to conduct telephone interviews
Third: Give the interviewee your full and
undivided attention!
-Attend to the verbal and vocal behaviors of the
interviewee;
- Reinforce with your own verbal and vocal
positive feedback:

24. How to conduct telephone interviews
Third: Give the interviewee your full and
undivided attention!
-Attend to the verbal and vocal behaviors of the
interviewee;
- Reflective Probe

25. How to conduct telephone interviews
Third: Give the interviewee your full and
undivided attention!
-Attend to the verbal and vocal behaviors of the
interviewee;
- Mirror questions to summarize, commit and
move forward.

26. How to conduct telephone interviews
Third: Give the interviewee your full and
undivided attention!
-Attend to the verbal and vocal behaviors of the
interviewee;
- Validate: Make sure that the interviewee is
aware you understand their narrative.

27. How to conduct telephone interviews
Fourth: Attitude
Attitudes are:
"orientations of mind, internal states that exert
influence on overt behavior."

28. An attitude is a person's general evaluation of an:
object,
persons,
events,
products,
policies,

29. How to conduct telephone interviews
Fourth: Attitude
Your attitude comes through loud and clear via
your voice tone and content.

30. How to conduct telephone interviews
Fourth: Attitude
Suggestions:

31. How to conduct telephone interviews
Fourth: Attitude
Suggestions:
Smile while you are talking to the interviewee – it
comes through;

32. How to conduct telephone interviews
Fourth: Attitude
Suggestions:
Smile while you are talking to the interviewee – it
comes through;
Stand up while you are talking to strengthen how
you are coming across;

33. How to conduct telephone interviews
Fourth: Attitude
Suggestions:
Avoid: smoking, eating, drinking,
chewing

34. How to conduct telephone interviews
Fifth: Take notes. Identify the responses upon
which you wish to follow-up.
*Note: In your follow-ups, a good rule of thumb
is to go first with an open question and then
transition to other question type options if
necessary.

35. Item
Key differences between over-the-phone and in
person interviews

36. Item
Challenges

37. Item
Recording telephone interviews, disclosure
(different laws in different states)

38. Item
Detecting deception over the phone

39. Item
Deception Template

40. DECEPTION
• 01. Concealment
Probing Questions - - >
Road of Distortion
Elaborate
Minimize
Equivocate
02.

41. DECEPTION
• Concealment
Probing Questions - - >
Road of Distortion
Elaborate
Minimize
Equivocate
• Falsification
Two errors:
Deception clues
(symptoms)
Mistake
(reveals truth)

42. Salient linguistic Deception Clues
Individual is:
- Less Certain – use of modifiers;
- Fewer Factual Statements
- Mention their own experience less often passive
voice
- Use of the second person pronouns

43. Salient Deception Clues Cont..
- Refer to past events less often – Historical Present;
- Shorter Message Duration;
- Speech errors
- Response latency will increase

44. Response Latency
Question . . . . . Answer
Question . . . . . Answer
Question . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Answer
Silence
Vocal
Verbal

45. Mistake - reveals the truth

46. The Role of Anger in Detecting linguistic
indicators of deception

47. Anger is a loss of self-control
Listen carefully as to what the
individual is saying when he is
angry.

48. Anger is a loss of self-control
On what element does the
individual focus their anger?

49. Listen and Note:
Will “play” his strongest card

50. Repression

51. Temporal Lacuna
Indicates a blank space or missing element(s) with
the discourse.
When
Later on
After that
By and by

52. Denial or negation
Deception Template

53. Stalling mechanism
Let’s see
Okay now
Well
Oh well
Um, ah, uh

54. False Supportive
To tell you the truth
As a matter of fact

55. Non-confirming statement

56. Performative

57. Item
Exercises for developing and improving skills

58. Summary

59. Questions
If you have any questions, please submit them now.
Thank you for taking the time to attend today’s webinar.
If you have any questions about the information covered in the webinar,
please contact:
Joe Gerard
j.gerard@i-sight.com
Don Rabon
dwrabon@msn.com