Tackling the SMEs

E-learning courses become 100% effective only if the right amount of information is presented in the right fashion, to the right audience. The Subject Matter Experts or SMEs play a crucial role in providing us the right amount of information.
A lot of Instructional Designers face difficulties in extracting the right info from the SMEs...Here are some tips that would help you tackle the SME issue to a great extent. (Tips courtesy: Article written by Tita Beal, Training Magazine Events web site)
1. Do your homework carefully so you can begin an interview with a clear explanation of what you want to discuss, why, and how long it will take (under 30 minutes), as well as a list of questions with space to write answers.
2. Train yourself to take continual notes while making eye contact in case your experts balk at a tape recorder. Make code symbols (e.g., asterisk, check, etc.) as you write to remind yourself where there's an important point, a follow-up question you need to ask, or a "to do" item.
3. Begin the interview by setting the right collaborative tone. For example, "I'm going to ask you some questions that will sound simple, but sometimes are hard to answer. And don't worry. If you want, I'll show you my first outlines and drafts so you have a chance to correct anything I didn't get right, and add anything you may not think of today."
Beal learned to do this the hard way when an expert got furious at her for asking "stupid questions" but later had the good grace to apologize and say, "Your questions about needed results and assumptions were so simple, I should have already thought through the answers. I felt stupid so I called you stupid. Apologies. Can we start again?"
4. If you need the experts' continuous support, consider giving them an invitation to speak in an on-site or online panel to the participants.
5. Don't make busy experts teach you their expertise. They'll become very impatient and exasperated. If you can't understand a technical term but sort of understand what the expert is talking about, spell it phonetically and ask someone else or do some research. If you need to understand a concept or term to make any sense of the conversation, ask something like, "If we have to explain this to new hires or newly promoted people, how would you define that in simple/plain English?"
6. Don't get into semantic arguments. You may need to develop "behavioral objectives" a certain way or you may have strong opinions about what is a benefit vs. a feature. However, just listen to the expert's discussion of needed performance, results, and ways to assess quality of performance. You can create the perfect statement of objectives or list of features/benefits later.
7. Listen for generic concepts and skills underneath the specific details that experts will discuss.
8. Finally, a last resort: If someone refuses to answer your questions with dismissive comments like, "Sales reps know all that," start packing up and say very politely, "I guess this training program isn't needed. I'll explain that to X." (X = the expert's own manager or a senior executive who has requested or approved the proposal to develop the training program.)