How to Interview Guests For Your Podcast

TL;DR:

This part of the process is what really separates the great interviewers from the average. In order to take your podcast to the next level you have to take the time to do your research, introduce yourself and your podcast well, and set the tone of the podcast before you even begin.

This is pretty simple, but you'd be surprised how many people overlook this part of the process.

If the guest has a book, read it.

If the guest has done other interviews, listen to them.

If the guest has a blog, read some posts.

You get the idea…

This part of the process takes real effort and time, but taking the time to really do some research will ensure that your podcast discussion actually has depth and you're not just asking the same questions that other people have already asked over and over of this guest. You will create something that is truly unique with the guest.

Before you start recording, introduce yourself and your podcast.

Here are some good things to cover in your introduction:

Covering these points will allow the guests to cater their responses to you and your audience.

Some guests ask for questions up front, but most don't.

If you feel like it's necessary, you can share the questions up front but just be clear with how your podcast actually runs. Here's what I mean by that, I almost never get through all of my questions. My podcast is more conversational, so it's not a priority for me to get through every single question. My priority is to extract as many insights from the guest as possible.

If your podcast has a rapid fire question/answer session, explain that up front.

If it's conversational, explain that up front.

If they have to introduce themselves, explain that up front.

Give them as much of understanding of what to expect as possible. They will really appreciate knowing what to expect.

One of the most common mistakes podcasters make is to treat the interview as a session where you're reading off questions and the guest is reciting back your answers for you. This is the easiest way to get a boring podcast.

If you want just questions and answers, you're better off just emailing the guests the questions and asking them to just write the responses - it'll save everyone's time.

The best podcast hosts are able to listen attentively and ask questions that go really deep and manage the energy of the conversation so that the listeners are not bored at any point in the conversation.

You've done your research, and now you want to make sure you ask every question - whatever you do, don’t do that!

You've done your research, and now it's time to perform.

Reading off all your questions is pretty much the same thing as presenting a PowerPoint and reading off your notes word by word - it's awkward and it sounds scripted.

Your job is to have a good conversation and to extract insights from the guest. You do that by actually listening to what they're saying and asking questions that'll make them go deeper into the topics that they're talking about. You don't do that by reading off a list of questions that you made before you actually started talking to the person.

That being said, if there's a lull in the conversation don't hesitate to reference your questions to steer the conversation into the next topic.

This is a tricky one that is a bit hard to explain. Conversations have a natural ebb and flow, there are times where you may have a lull in a conversation with a friend and that's just normal. However, when you're interviewing a guest on a podcast you don't have the luxury of having these natural ebbs and flows, you have to keep the conversation engaging the entire time.

You have to listen with the lens of your audience and if you feel the guest is getting a little bit long with their tangent, or the conversation is getting a bit boring, or the guest is veering too far off topic, you need to step in and contribute to the conversation.

What this looks like will vary based on the actual situation you're in, but you have to know that your job is not simply to just ask questions. There are times where you may have to share a story, crack a joke, share your perspective, or just change the topic all together.

I don't know if there's really a handbook for how to do this other than actually conducting interviews and learning from each one you do. Listen to Joe Rogan and Jordan Harbinger and other interview podcasts that you enjoy and notice what they're doing well. When do they jump into the conversation and when do they let the guests speak, when do they add a story, when do they crack a joke, when do they transition into the next topic all together, how do they transition into the next topic, you get the idea.

Some people have this idea that once you've had someone on your podcast, you're going to be best friends with that person. That's just not true.

It's the same as grabbing a quick coffee with someone and asking some questions. Some of those coffee chats may end up leading into into friendships or mentor/mentee relationships, but most just stay acquaintances.

And that's okay.

Once your podcast is live, make sure you send all the links to the guest so they can listen and share if they'd like. Now if you do want to turn the relation into a friendship you technically have permission to email and talk to them. Comment on their posts on social media, send them an email every once in a while, or invite them back on your podcast for another discussion.

How you go from guest to friend is up to you and will vary from person to person, but the key thing to remember is that it's not just the guest that is helping you out when they come on your podcast - which they definitely are if you’re a smaller podcast. But you’re also providing value to the guest by making them look like an expert - even if you have a tiny audience.