Conducting a Phenomenal Interview: 3 Key Tips to Keep in Mind

Undoubtedly, interviewing someone that complements your show or your brand is one of the best ways you can provide awesome online content.

As a podcaster, you can benefit from conducting interviews in a number of ways. For starters:

• You will be able to provide a refreshing and unique content for your listeners.
• You’ll be able to dramatically elevate your show’s level of trustworthiness in the industry especially if you will be interviewing someone considered an authority in the field.
• You’ll get the opportunity to establish a good working and business relationship with your guests. This might even lead to several growth opportunities for your brand and yourself down the road.

Here’s one catch though. Conducting interviews can be challenging.

Come to think of it, while most of the content will be provided by the interviewee, ensuring the interview comes out exceptional and truly worth tuning in to lies primarily in your hands.

Let’s be clear about one thing. Conducting a phenomenal interview will entail more than just asking the right questions. It involves sincerity, attracting interesting stories and anecdotes, showing genuine interest, vibe, and flow, among many other things.

While there are a lot of key aspects to take into account, you can make the whole process easier and more straightforward by keeping the following fundamental tips in mind:

1. Do a thorough pre-interview prep

Before the interview actually happens, ensure you have the following basics covered.

• Find out all you need to know about your guest. If you want to steer the interview in the right direction, this is something you can’t forego. Keep in mind that you won’t be able to properly introduce your guest and ask the apt questions when you know very little about the person. In line with this, see if you can find interviews your guest has done. Not only will it help you effectively gauge their tone and style, it can also help you craft appropriate interview questions.
• Confirm the interview details with your guest. This is especially helpful if you will be interviewing someone that’s on a different timezone. Essentials you should cover include date and time of the interview, communication method you will be using (phone calls, Skype, etc.), and approximate length of the interview.

2. Prepare a list of open-ended, flexible, and likely follow-up questions

To ensure you stay on course, you need to have a list of questions that will guide where the conversation will go from start to finish. You don’t necessarily have to be anal when it comes to sticking to what’s on your list though.

You probably won’t be able to cover all the questions you have prepared anyway. However, having a list handy will give you a solid guide so you’ll be able to generate beneficial information for your listeners to consume.

When asking questions, take the following basics to heart:

• Refrain from asking questions answerable by just YES or NO
• Don’t ask several questions at the same time
• Ensure your questions are relevant
• Phrase the questions in a way that will allow the interviewee to elaborate further when needed
• Lastly, it is also a good idea to let the guest know about the questions beforehand to make sure they’re okay and comfortable answering them.

3. Create a relaxing and welcoming ambiance

If you want to get more from the interview, make sure your guest is relaxed and comfortable. Understandably, a guest who feels comfortable and welcome is more likely to provide beefier answers delivered in a manner that is both friendly and enthusiastic.

To create a relaxing and comfortable environment for your guest, keep in mind the following:

• Give them an insight on how the interview will be conducted prior to starting
• Thank them for coming over and welcome them to your show
• Exhibit enthusiasm yourself so they’ll know you are excited about the interview and happy to have them over

What’s your trusted formula when it comes to preparing and conducting interviews? We’d love to hear about it!

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