Real-Life Communication -- Solution
You're interviewing a witness to a hit-and-run accident. Here are
some questions you could ask the witness:
What exactly
do you remember seeing that day?
How far away were you from the accident?
What
was the weather like that day?
Was there anything between you and the
accident that blocked your view?
Do you wear prescription glasses or
contact lenses? Were you wearing them at that moment?
Do you have any
medical prescriptions? Were you on any medication at that time?
Did
you notice any other witnesses?
Did you see the driver of the car?
Did
you see the license plate number of the car?
Describe the car.
How
fast was the car going?
Was the car weaving?
Did the driver
look back or slow down after hitting the pedestrian?
Why did you not
stay around? Why have you not reported what you saw before now?
Do
you know the victim? Do you know the alleged driver?
Private
investigator Sheila Klopper says being able to ask the right questions is
very important.
"My main strength is my interviewing skills," she
says.
It's also important to love solving puzzles and to have a skeptical
attitude.
"You don't believe everything you read in the police report,"
Klopper says. "Police are in a hurry. Often they get statements from people
and they combine things to one person. I can't tell you how many times I've
gone back to witnesses and they say, 'I didn't say that!'"
Being
a good PI is often about getting people to talk to you when they don't want
to, Klopper says.
Another way that PIs use their communication skills
is by writing reports for clients. They might also give oral testimony at
civil and criminal trials.