what to do with a bad podcast interview

Hosting a podcast interview is a lot harder than it sounds. It's non a simple as having a friendly chat in front of a pair of microphones. If y'all don't prepare, you could end up with a deadening interview that fails to entertain your listeners and bad reviews.

Or worse, your interview could erode into a sales pitch. There's goose egg worse than having a word with someone who but wants to sell their product.

How to practise yous brand sure you host a nifty podcast interview? Past preparing in advance.

In this article, we'd like to give you lot some important tips to preparing for your podcast interview.

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1. Choose Interesting Guests

Some guest are, well… tedious. Other guests aren't correct for your prove. If you interview people who don't add much value to your listeners' lives, you're all but guaranteed to host a terrible podcast interview.

Invite podcast guests who accept unique angles. Detect people who practice things differently or reject to follow the pack. Look for guests who overcame unique or unexpected challenges.

Yep, information technology's harder to become interesting guests than boilerplate ones. But if you interview regular people who just punch the clock every solar day, you'll struggle to continue your listeners engaged.

2. Do Some Background Research on Your Subject

A podcast interview shouldn't be your first exposure to your subject field. You should know at least a piffling about them earlier the show starts. Your job is to expose the interviewee to your audition, so information technology helps to know enough almost the subject to get the brawl rolling.

Dig into your guest's online persona. Read their manufactures, troll through their social media profiles, and Google around for what they've said online (or what other people have said most them). Take note of their big accomplishments, like winning an honor, writing a book, or speaking at an result.

3. Get to Know Your Interviewee'south Work

Part of researching your invitee means making yourself familiar with their work. You should read their blog posts, check out their social media pages, watch their videos, and listen to any other podcasts they've been on. If they have a volume, yous should read it – or at least the relevant parts.

In addition to their work, listen to your guests well-nigh contempo interviews. Have note of which questions they are consistently asked and avert them. Find your angle and arts and crafts questions that will require them to provide unique answers. Yous don't want your interview to sound like every other i they've given. Making yourself familiar with your guests' work could accept some time, simply information technology'due south worth the reward.

4. Write The Guest's Bio For Them

Most guests accept a prepared bio: A statement well-nigh what they practise, where they studied/worked, and what they're working on at present. It sometimes includes a plug for their latest book, projection, or product.

If you lot ask your guest something like "Tin you tell our listeners what y'all exercise?" or say "Tell u.s. most yourself," they'll give yous their prepared bio.

In some cases, these bios are long and wearisome. Other times they're so brusk that they don't add together much. Often they use the exact same wording all over the place, so your listeners have heard it earlier.

Blow past this nonsense in your podcast interview by preparing your own bio for the guest. Browse their social media, read their website's "About" page, and use what you learned from your enquiry. Cheque out these smashing examples.

Virtually importantly, write the bio in the context of your audience. Choice the elements that are most relevant to your listeners.

5. Determine Where Your Subject Meets Your Audience

Your podcast interview is for your audience, then information technology's important to determine what your interviewee knows that appeals to your listeners. There's no sense going over things your audience already knows, or things they don't care about. You need to extract data from your invitee that matters the most to your fans.

Have notation of anything that would be especially interesting to your audience as you comport your background inquiry. Don't be afraid to ignore something unique almost your guest if you don't think it will matter to your listeners.

6. Set Your Questions In Advance

This one seems obvious, but information technology's worth proverb. You don't need to prepare every word you lot'll say, merely it's important to take a core listing of questions you intend to enquire. It also helps to accept a secondary list of potential questions to ask if yous have time.

That said, don't exist afraid to veer off your planned course during the interview. Using only prepared questions can make your conversation feel disjointed and artificial. Reply to your guest with unique and genuine questions.

Hither are a few tips to help you develop quality questions:

Avoid request basic questions

They make it seem like yous don't know the person you're interviewing. These are bad: "What are you lot best known for?" or "What book are you promoting?" Instead, set up expert questions past establishing a premise beforehand, like this: "You're all-time known for book on productivity. Why practice you think people resonate with your approach?"

Don't ask yes/no questions

A yes/no question is whatever question the interviewee can answer with a simple "yes" or "no." They can be painfully awkward if your guest isn't naturally forthcoming. Ask questions that encourage the invitee to aggrandize.

Don't ask leading questions

A leading question gives your guest an easy reply they can only parrot dorsum to you. For example, this is bad: "Would y'all say that was a frustrating feel?" Hither's a meliorate culling: "What was that experience similar for you?"

Ask i question at a time

Don't pack multiple questions into i unless they are closely related. This is bad: "What did your clients remember and how did it improve your product process?" They tin can be confusing, especially if the guest has a lot to say. Ask your questions one at a time every bit you would in natural conversation.

Don't refer to your list of questions

Saying something like "The adjacent question on my list…" sounds stiff and fake. It makes your listener aware that yous're hosting a prepared interview rather than an organic give-and-take.

Focus on "how" and "why" questions

These types of questions drill down into things that thing. For example, it'due south interesting to know that an entrepreneur pivoted his business organization, but it's far more interesting to know why and how he did it.

Kickoff from the kickoff

You lot may be tempted to ask your juiciest question first, particularly if you lot know your audience desperately wants the answer. But that arroyo takes abroad your listeners' incentive to stick with your episode. It as well confuses anyone who doesn't already know the context.

Think of each interview similar a story. Your role is pull it out of your guest 1 question at a time. Set more questions than y'all'll probably need just in case, but be prepared to skip over many of them during the interview.

7. Send Your Questions To Your Guest Before The Interview

One time you create your questions, send them to your invitee at least a week before you lot record the episode. This volition give them time to organize smart responses. They may choose to simply call up near their answers in their head or they might write out detailed responses. Either way they'll feel more comfy and assist you create better content.

This is a adept time to inquire your guest for any stories that chronicle to your questions. Then you lot can prompt the guest for those stories during the interview. (Storytelling is very important.)

Hither is a template email you tin can use to set up your guests ahead of their interview date.

viii. Brief Your Guest About Your Show

u'll host a better podcast interview if your guest knows a piddling something about the show and your audition. Send a cursory email that explains…

Your podcast format
Your typical listener
How much of their time you'll demand
How y'all'll promote the episode

This blazon of information will help your guest tailor their answers to your audience. It volition also brand them feel comfortable during your conversation because there won't be whatever surprises.

9. Minimize Whatever Distractions

When you invite someone to have a chat for your podcast, brand sure you'll have zip else going on at that time. Lock your office door and silence your phone. If you take a pet, accept care of its needs before the interview so information technology doesn't carp you during the session. Reduce or eliminate anything you might notice distracting.

A break in the interview can absolutely ruin its flow, especially if your interviewee uses the break to bank check their e-mail, brand a telephone call, or spend a few moments on another task. Exercise whatsoever you can to maintain the invitee's focus.

Accept Your Podcast Interview Seriously!

We've given yous a bunch of great tips to host an amazing podcast interview, but our last one is the nearly important: Take your interview seriously. Unless you've hosted hundreds of interviews in the past or are intimately knowledgeable about your interviewee, yous must set alee of fourth dimension. If you don't, you'll ask weak questions and seem light-headed in forepart of your guest.

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