Methods for Obtaining Desired Information

Preliminary study of your conversation partner is undoubtedly one of the most important tasks in the methodology of obtaining information. In practice, it is necessary to consider the norms that regulate people’s behavior and relationships during communication, as these significantly influence the process of gathering information. Some of these norms are determined by a person’s national and psychological characteristics, including personality traits. You should have a clear understanding of which personality traits of the person you are interested in may facilitate or hinder the process of obtaining information during a conversation.

First and foremost, pay attention to their suggestibility and conformity, as well as weaknesses such as talkativeness. Some people simply cannot keep any thought or news to themselves. Until they share what they know with several people, they cannot feel at ease. This trait is often used—and should be used—in targeted conversations: people with such characteristics are intentionally involved. Knowing a person’s character allows you to leverage their vanity and ambition. Under certain circumstances, people with these traits may act or speak impulsively just to attract attention or earn someone else’s approval.

It is also important to remember that for most people, telling the truth is always easier than lying. Therefore, in situations where someone has to lie or hide the truth, many become confused and make so-called “slips,” inadvertently revealing the truth. This should always be taken into account.

Pay attention to the intellectual and verbal abilities of your conversation partner, as well as their memory and observational skills. This helps you form an accurate impression of the person and more objectively evaluate the information they provide. It is also important to know how sociable the person is: how easily you can start a conversation with them and what role they usually take in discussions. Consider their mood during the conversation as well. Events that occurred before the conversation can significantly affect the person’s state, emotions, and willingness to start and maintain a discussion. Thus, various aspects of the subject’s personality can lead to involuntary disclosures.

When making a final assessment of your conversation partner’s personal qualities, avoid prejudice and rushing to judgment. Prejudice interferes with objective perception and leads to incorrect conclusions. There are cases when people who initially seemed reserved later turn out to be very pleasant conversationalists.

To ensure a successful targeted conversation, you should have sufficient general knowledge, allowing you to easily and naturally maintain and steer the conversation in the desired direction. Being well-educated helps in conversations with people of different professions, interests, social backgrounds, and age groups. Your general knowledge should also include deep understanding in the area of interest to your conversation partner.

Psychological Preparation for Targeted Conversations

Psychological preparation for targeted conversations includes several components. One of them is creating an optimal psychological mindset that allows you to start the conversation without significant effort.

1. To relieve tension and encourage your conversation partner’s willingness to communicate, distract yourself from the upcoming task and recall situations where you successfully solved similar problems. It is important to motivate yourself for the upcoming action and maintain this motivation throughout.
2. Another important aspect of psychological preparation is developing the optimal line of behavior for the upcoming conversation. To successfully obtain information, you should behave freely, confidently, and even somewhat condescendingly. The choice of behavior depends on the individual qualities, character, and temperament of the person you are interested in.
3. An independent component of psychological preparation is anticipating specific situations that may complicate the task: changes in your partner’s mood, suspicion, resentment, or negative emotional reactions. Good preparation gives you confidence and calmness in situations where there is little time to think through your decisions.
4. Practice shows that the conditions in which the conversation takes place significantly affect its process. An “informal setting,” a calm place conducive to relaxed conversation, and enough time for a thorough discussion all help in obtaining information. Targeted conversations are best held in informal settings, when the person you are interested in is free from professional duties.
5. When starting a conversation, try to create a relaxed atmosphere. The initial topic should help establish psychological contact and allow you to steer the conversation in the direction you need.
6. Attempts to obtain information without first establishing contact usually do not lead to the desired result. However, you should not drag out the initial stage of the conversation at the expense of your main objectives. Prolonging the discussion of general topics can also lead to undesirable results. After obtaining the necessary information, gradually shift the conversation to a neutral topic and continue talking for a little while longer.