But what do you, as the interviewer, need to do to make the interview great?
To put it another way, how do you ensure your listeners will stay riveted by the interview and be thrilled that they took the time to listen?
Here are 17 essential tips for conducting a memorable podcast interview:
1. Have fun with it. It won’t turn out well if you’re stressed about doing this interview. You’ve got to relax and have a good time. Laugh. Joke a little. Smile. Did you know people can HEAR if you’re smiling? It’s true. And the more at ease you are, the more comfortable your guest will be, too.
2. Do some research. Know the person you’re interviewing, and by all means, know something about the topic.
3. Confirm the details with the person you’re interviewing. This includes time and date, length of the interview, and how they will communicate (phone, skype, etc.)
4. Forget the umms, errs, and ahhs. Please. So be it if it takes you a second to think of the word you want. Don’t fill that time with incoherent sounds.
5. Do use the highest quality equipment possible. You can have an excellent interview, but no one will listen if the sound quality is terrible.
6. Don’t ask yes or no questions. “Do you like to play tennis?” “Yes.” Have you been playing for a long? “Yes.” Do you win every tournament?” “No.” How dull can you get? Always ask open-ended questions that cannot be answered with simple yeses and nos.
7. Listen. I mean, LISTEN to the answers your expert is giving you. Your audience can tell if you’re playing along rather than fully engaged. So engage. Be prepared to ask random questions based on what you’re hearing. The best interviewers aren’t afraid to pursue new avenues and unearth discoveries.
8. Don’t just ask “what,” but also ask “why” and “how.” Learn everything you can from the person you’re interviewing. Go in-depth and find out the reasons behind the reasons.
9. Remember that you are the interviewer. Don’t try to steal the show or talk over your guest. You are there to elicit information; they are there to share their expertise. Don’t try to fill both roles yourself. If you do, you’ll annoy your guest and irritate your audience.
10. Don’t ask more than one question at a time. “How do you propose to do project A, and while you’re doing it, do you also run the XYZ program, and how do the two integrate into your discombobulation?” Sheesh. Think of your poor interview subject and ask one question at a time.
11. Don’t say anything like, “I wanted to ask you…” or “My next question is…” Or even, “How are you?” Get to the topic at hand and keep the interview moving. Please.
12. Prepare your questions ahead of time. This will ensure you don’t get stuck for something to ask. Prepares the follow-up questions for each question. Or if the purpose of the interview is to teach a task, you and your guest might prepare an outline of the steps you’ll cover. In either case, this is a guide to help you along, not something written in stone. Be flexible.
13. Don’t keep your guest in the dark. Let them know beforehand what to expect and any pertinent details they should know. Offer to send them the questions you plan on asking. Thank them for participating. It would be best if you thanked them when they agreed to the interview and again in any conversations or correspondence you have both before the discussion and after the interview.
14. Show your enthusiasm for both your topic and your expert guest. Enthusiasm is contagious, so share yours liberally. Your guest will appreciate your confidence, and your audience will be more engaged.
15. Remember who your real VIP is – it’s not your guest, and it’s not you; it’s your audience. You are doing this interview for them, so your priority is to get your audience the great content they want or need.
16. Relax. It’s not Mars-landing science; it’s just an interview. Don’t get stressed – think of it as an adventure.
17. Make mistakes. You’reyou’re to make them regardless, so why not put them on this list? You’llYou’reover your tongue, forget what you were about to say, or mispronounce a word you use all the time. It’s okay. Fix Its mistake; smile, laugh, and move on. Your audience will love you MORE for the mistakes you make.
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